Florence to Siena(and surrounding area) to Sorrento
Feb 11th, 2013, 06:48 PM
#1
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Florence to Siena(and surrounding area) to Sorrento
We are planning to stay in Florence, Sorrento, and Rome for a total of 17 nights. We are thinking of shortening our stay in Florence to add a few nights in Siena or somewhere nearby.
Can you recommend any locations/towns to stay in near Siena. I would like something that is close to sights and wineries and restaurants.
Can you please recommend some place to visit near this area? We will be traveling by car.
We plan to spend 2 or 3 nights here.
From this area, we will proceed to Sorrento by train. What train line is best to get to Naples/Sorrento?
Can you recommend any locations/towns to stay in near Siena. I would like something that is close to sights and wineries and restaurants.
Can you please recommend some place to visit near this area? We will be traveling by car.
We plan to spend 2 or 3 nights here.
From this area, we will proceed to Sorrento by train. What train line is best to get to Naples/Sorrento?
Feb 11th, 2013, 07:55 PM
#2
Will you have a car or do you want to use public transport? Siena is easy to reach from Florence by bus (Sita bus - 7€). There are also lots of wine/hill town tours you can book in the tourist office in Siena.
Siena to Sorrento would be a long day. Bus from Siena to Rome (3 hours -20€), train Rome to Naples (70 minutes -43€), local train Naples to Sorrento (70 minutes-4€)
Siena to Sorrento would be a long day. Bus from Siena to Rome (3 hours -20€), train Rome to Naples (70 minutes -43€), local train Naples to Sorrento (70 minutes-4€)
Feb 12th, 2013, 08:03 AM
#3
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We will have a car. We plan to Rent the car in Florence when checking out of our hotel, drive to Siena stopping in Greve. After arriving in Sienna, we plan to stay the night or two nights there. We will drop off the car after check out from our hotel in Siena, or wherever we stay near Siena. From Sienna we plan to take the train to Naples/Sorrento. We will be staying in Sorrento or Praiano. What is the best way to get to these 2 destinations from Siena?
Feb 12th, 2013, 09:00 AM
#4
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Did you visit San Gimignano? Since if the answer is not yet I think you should, it could be a pleasant solution to stay near Siena and to visit another important piece of Tuscany. If you have a car, from Florence to San Gimignano to Siena avoid highway autopalio and follow the ancient street Cassia instead. You will discover incredible landscape as the city of Monteriggioni surprisingly appearing on a hill.
You can stay near the city at http://www.hotelterrerosse.com/ in the countryside with a first choice restaurant. Enjoy your trip.
You can stay near the city at http://www.hotelterrerosse.com/ in the countryside with a first choice restaurant. Enjoy your trip.
Feb 12th, 2013, 09:12 AM
#5
>>>From Sienna we plan to take the train to Naples/Sorrento<<<
Not easy from Siena as I stated earlier. There is no direct train connection from Siena to Rome. You would have to change trains either in Chiusi or Florence.
What is your whole itinerary? It might be better to see Tuscany by car first, then drop the car and stay in Florence after Tuscany. You can easily hop a fast train from Florence to Naples (no changes) and travel time is just under 3 hours.
Not easy from Siena as I stated earlier. There is no direct train connection from Siena to Rome. You would have to change trains either in Chiusi or Florence.
What is your whole itinerary? It might be better to see Tuscany by car first, then drop the car and stay in Florence after Tuscany. You can easily hop a fast train from Florence to Naples (no changes) and travel time is just under 3 hours.
Feb 12th, 2013, 09:23 AM
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Siena is not on the fast train path to Naples but Florence is. To take a fast train to Naples, if it were me, I'd train to Florence and connect to a fast train to Naples.
To see train connection and schedule, go to http://www.trenitalia.com, click on the British flag on the upper right to bring up the English language page. You'll need to enter FROM and TO destinations in their Italian spelling, so type Siena in the FROM box, Napoli Centrale in the TO box, select your date and approximate hour, click the "Confirm" button.
On the resulting list, choose one or two train schedules that are convenient to you.
There are many threads about going from Napoli Centrale to Sorrento, you may search existing threads to get that info.
To see train connection and schedule, go to http://www.trenitalia.com, click on the British flag on the upper right to bring up the English language page. You'll need to enter FROM and TO destinations in their Italian spelling, so type Siena in the FROM box, Napoli Centrale in the TO box, select your date and approximate hour, click the "Confirm" button.
On the resulting list, choose one or two train schedules that are convenient to you.
There are many threads about going from Napoli Centrale to Sorrento, you may search existing threads to get that info.
Feb 12th, 2013, 09:55 AM
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Yes, we plan to visit San Gimignano on he way to Siena.
Itinerary(order of sight and day trip can be revised in each city)
June 11 arive in Rome 8am train to Florence.sleep in Florence
June 12 trip to Pisa sleep in Florence
June 13 day trip to Venice sleep in Florence
June 14 stay in Florence sleep in Florence
June 15 day trip to bologna modena and parma sleep in Florence
June 16 depart for siena making stop in San Gimignano and greve
Sleep in Siena
June 17 day trip from siena to somewhere ?
Sleep in siena
June 18th depart for naples/sorrento
Stay here a few nights. Maybe 4.
Depart for rome stay here the remaining nights before departing for US on the 27th.
I dont really want to stay in Siena first because i want to get used to Being in Italy. I also dont want to arrive in Siena after many hours of travel to hop into a car and explore the wine country.
From reading responses, i think we will stay in Florence first, depart for Siena stay there 2 nights then drive back or take the train back to florence and depart florence for naples upon arriving in the station.
Thoughts?
Itinerary(order of sight and day trip can be revised in each city)
June 11 arive in Rome 8am train to Florence.sleep in Florence
June 12 trip to Pisa sleep in Florence
June 13 day trip to Venice sleep in Florence
June 14 stay in Florence sleep in Florence
June 15 day trip to bologna modena and parma sleep in Florence
June 16 depart for siena making stop in San Gimignano and greve
Sleep in Siena
June 17 day trip from siena to somewhere ?
Sleep in siena
June 18th depart for naples/sorrento
Stay here a few nights. Maybe 4.
Depart for rome stay here the remaining nights before departing for US on the 27th.
I dont really want to stay in Siena first because i want to get used to Being in Italy. I also dont want to arrive in Siena after many hours of travel to hop into a car and explore the wine country.
From reading responses, i think we will stay in Florence first, depart for Siena stay there 2 nights then drive back or take the train back to florence and depart florence for naples upon arriving in the station.
Thoughts?
Feb 12th, 2013, 01:05 PM
#10
I would look at other options.
6/11arrive Rome, train to Orvieto, sleep in Orvieto (other option train to Chiusi, pick up car, sleep in Montepulciano)
6/12 pick up car, drive through southern Tuscany, sleep in Siena
6/13 drive through Tuscany (San G?, Greve? both?), drop car in Florence, sleep in Florence.
6/14 Florence
6/15 Florence
6/16 Florence
6/17 Florence
6/18 Depart Florence for Naples, sleep Sorrento
Another option:
6/11 Arrive Rome,Sena bus to Siena, sleep Siena
6/12 Siena (pick up car or not - Siena or Chianti or San G)
6/13 Depart Siena (Chianti or San G on way to Florence)
6/14 - 6/17 - Florence
6/18 - Depart Florence for Naples
>>>I dont really want to stay in Siena first because i want to get used to Being in Italy.<<<
I would find Orvieto, Montepulciano or Siena easier to get used to than Florence. You don't have to rent a car at all to see the things you've listed although some of your day trips aren't very practical (Venice from Florence).
If you are determined to stay in Siena and leave for Naples, it will be a long day of travel:
Siena to Florence about 75 minutes (bus) - add more time if by car to drop find car rental, drop car, get to train station.
Florence/Naples - train 3 hours (last time I did this my train was 1 1/2 hours late).
Naples/Sorrento - 70 minutes
You have to allow connection times, etc.
6/11arrive Rome, train to Orvieto, sleep in Orvieto (other option train to Chiusi, pick up car, sleep in Montepulciano)
6/12 pick up car, drive through southern Tuscany, sleep in Siena
6/13 drive through Tuscany (San G?, Greve? both?), drop car in Florence, sleep in Florence.
6/14 Florence
6/15 Florence
6/16 Florence
6/17 Florence
6/18 Depart Florence for Naples, sleep Sorrento
Another option:
6/11 Arrive Rome,Sena bus to Siena, sleep Siena
6/12 Siena (pick up car or not - Siena or Chianti or San G)
6/13 Depart Siena (Chianti or San G on way to Florence)
6/14 - 6/17 - Florence
6/18 - Depart Florence for Naples
>>>I dont really want to stay in Siena first because i want to get used to Being in Italy.<<<
I would find Orvieto, Montepulciano or Siena easier to get used to than Florence. You don't have to rent a car at all to see the things you've listed although some of your day trips aren't very practical (Venice from Florence).
If you are determined to stay in Siena and leave for Naples, it will be a long day of travel:
Siena to Florence about 75 minutes (bus) - add more time if by car to drop find car rental, drop car, get to train station.
Florence/Naples - train 3 hours (last time I did this my train was 1 1/2 hours late).
Naples/Sorrento - 70 minutes
You have to allow connection times, etc.
Feb 12th, 2013, 01:38 PM
#11
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kyboubon: Thanks for the suggested Itinerary.
Bobthenavigator: What is the drive like from Siena to Sorrento? It is 5-6 hours. Stopping in Orvieto would be ideal then, this way we would not have to do a day trip from Rome to Orvieto when in Rome part of our trip.
Drive from Siena to Sorrento = 5-6 hrs
Drive Siena to Orvieto to Rome = 3 hours, but that 3 hrs would turn into longer since we would stop in Orvieto. Then from Rome take a train to Naples.
Train from Siena to Florence then from Florence to Naples is about 5hrs, but then I need to consider the train ride from Naples to Sorrento.
In the end, the travel times are pretty close to each other.
Thoughts?
Bobthenavigator: What is the drive like from Siena to Sorrento? It is 5-6 hours. Stopping in Orvieto would be ideal then, this way we would not have to do a day trip from Rome to Orvieto when in Rome part of our trip.
Drive from Siena to Sorrento = 5-6 hrs
Drive Siena to Orvieto to Rome = 3 hours, but that 3 hrs would turn into longer since we would stop in Orvieto. Then from Rome take a train to Naples.
Train from Siena to Florence then from Florence to Naples is about 5hrs, but then I need to consider the train ride from Naples to Sorrento.
In the end, the travel times are pretty close to each other.
Thoughts?
Feb 12th, 2013, 03:18 PM
#12
Driving from Orvieto to Sorrento would mostly be autostrada until closer to Sorrento. Driving from Siena to Orvieto would depend on whether you wanted a highway or scenic road.
I don't see any point in driving to Rome. If you haven't driven in Italy before, you will likely regret choosing to return a car in Rome. You have to avoid ZTL there just like in other towns plus there is tons of traffic that ignore all traffic laws.
I've taken the train from FCO to Orvieto on arrival day before. It's closer than Florence and Orvieto is a relaxing small town (very easy to get up to the hill town by funicular from the train station) if you decide to rearrange your towns.
>>>Train from Siena to Florence then from Florence to Naples is about 5hrs, but then I need to consider the train ride from Naples to Sorrento.<<<
The train station in Siena is outside the historic center so you have to get there from w/e you are staying or from the rental car return (if you return that day). The bus station is right next to the historic center. Travel time is just as faster by bus if you take the rapid bus. The train stops more so takes longer.
The Sena bus from Siena to Rome is just as fast as any of the train choices. The bus is 3 hours, you don't have to fool with changes or luggage (it's under the bus) until you get to Rome. The Siena/Florence train takes 1 1/2 hours. You could take the Sena bus to Rome (it goes to Rome's Tiburtina station) and catch the new Italo train at that station to Naples (68 minutes).
https://biglietti.italotreno.it/Book...?Culture=en-US
I don't see any point in driving to Rome. If you haven't driven in Italy before, you will likely regret choosing to return a car in Rome. You have to avoid ZTL there just like in other towns plus there is tons of traffic that ignore all traffic laws.
I've taken the train from FCO to Orvieto on arrival day before. It's closer than Florence and Orvieto is a relaxing small town (very easy to get up to the hill town by funicular from the train station) if you decide to rearrange your towns.
>>>Train from Siena to Florence then from Florence to Naples is about 5hrs, but then I need to consider the train ride from Naples to Sorrento.<<<
The train station in Siena is outside the historic center so you have to get there from w/e you are staying or from the rental car return (if you return that day). The bus station is right next to the historic center. Travel time is just as faster by bus if you take the rapid bus. The train stops more so takes longer.
The Sena bus from Siena to Rome is just as fast as any of the train choices. The bus is 3 hours, you don't have to fool with changes or luggage (it's under the bus) until you get to Rome. The Siena/Florence train takes 1 1/2 hours. You could take the Sena bus to Rome (it goes to Rome's Tiburtina station) and catch the new Italo train at that station to Naples (68 minutes).
https://biglietti.italotreno.it/Book...?Culture=en-US
Feb 12th, 2013, 03:39 PM
#13
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That drive is not bad at all--it bypasses all of Rome and skirts just outside Naples. The last hour is 2 lane road from near Pompeii to Sorrento. Just be aware of the hours for the rental office--it will be closed mid-day. I think a 2 hour stop in Orvieto is doable if you start early.
Feb 14th, 2013, 07:48 AM
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Hi, if you mean to have a stop in the countryside between Florence and Siena on your way to Sorrento I suggest you should try http://www.relaisfarmholiday.it/
As for your travel by train to Sorrento, you'd better take train by Florence, since the line is direct and faster then passing from Siena.
As for your travel by train to Sorrento, you'd better take train by Florence, since the line is direct and faster then passing from Siena.
