lovesroses

Calling all Italian travel experts: I am trying, following several Fodorite's suggestions, to investigate travel from Rome to Siena by BUS (not train) on the website sent me by our hotel in Rome (Hotel Julia). They E-mailed me this website: http://www.sena.it/ . It is in Italian and when I click on "English version" nothing changes, except the top line, the rest stays all in Italian which I can make neither head not tails of! Please advise.

Just thinking "outloud here"...perhaps, would anyone have the specific web address OF the English version?? For instance, for Trenitalia, the English version is www.trenitalia.it/en/index/html

Thanks for helping....I am at a loss....

PalenQ

sita is the name of the bus co not sena i think

but could google siena bus perhaps

Nonconformist

Try this: http://www.sena.it/index_e.htm

Are you perhaps only looking at the ad which does stay in Italian? If you look at the right hand margin, that gives you links in English to other pages. Click on Timetable and Fares, then scroll down a bit to Roma-Siena, and click on View timetable. Giornaliere means it's every day; orario valido dal ... al means timetable valid from ... to. Say if there's anything else confusing you and I'll try to help.

cruiseluv

I went to the link you provide and clicked on the "English version" as you did. On the left hand side now all the sections are in English. I am not sure why it's not working for you. Are you looking for timetables? There is a section called "Timetables and fares" (link is on the left hand side). Once there you'll find a Roma-Siena option that says "11 daily trips view timetables". You can click on that for timetables

CasaDelCipresso

http://www.sena.it/ENG/activenews.as...ri&layout=

the sidebar on the left changes click timetables and scheduales...like many italian sites...it's just kinda in English...partly but just seach with the city names and you should be able to pull up the scheduale...or...from this page...just click on "Roma Siena"

Jean

The others have noted they had no trouble getting the English version, and I didn't either.

I find that occasionally when I click on an email address embedded in another email or even a Fodor posting, the English version is not always accessible. But if I type the web address into the server's search box, it all works. Another mystery.

Every day of the week, there are departures from Tiburtina at 8:30, 10:30 am, 12:30, 2:00, 3:30, 5:00, 6:30 and 8:00 pm. Click on "Ticket Points" on the left-side menu to get to the list of places in Rome where you can buy tickets. I didn't see anywhere that tickets can be purchased at/on the bus.

You need to ask your hotel at which of the four stops in Siena you need to alight: Toselli, Stazione, Camollia or Gramsci.

LJ

You have to buy the ticket at the Tiburtina kiosk. Don't worry, you don't have to do this from home. There are frequent departures as noted above and the folks at the station are quite experienced at dealing with tourists.

PalenQ

Gees - i did not read carefully and thought she was saying Florence to Siena. sorry careless error.

lovesroses

Thank you one and all!!! I clicked on the websites you sent and it worked this time.

Jean, I agree, now that I am able to read things on the website, I do not see that one can purchase tkts online either.

LJ thanks for the info on the Tiburtina kiosk.

Nonconformist, you were very helpful with the translations (which I needed--my pocket Italian dictionary is "in the mail" as they say). It seems to me that the website only posts timetable through September 1, if I am reading it correctly? "Orario valido fino al 31/07/2007 edal 01/09/2007".

Another translation question: At the bottom of the timetables it says:
D= "La carsa non viene effettuata la domenica e nei giorni festivi;
E= "La corsa viena effettuata il Venerdi e nei giorno festivi seguiti da un giono feriale". Is this important to know...and if so, what, roughly, does it mean? Thank you, again, in advance.

Another question: since the heading says: "Roma Timburtina, Siena, Monteriggioni, Colle val d'Elsa, Poggebonsi", does that mean: leaving from Roma station "Timburtina" and will go to Siena non-stop, then going on to the other cities listed?

Also (sorry to have so many questions), but are the busses all about equal: A/C, baggage easily stowed beneath, etc.

I could not read the cost of the ticket...there seemed to be several "choices"....

We can take a train #9436 and then # 9 from Rome to Siena in 3:55 vs the bus which takes 3:00....if money were no concern, which would you take both for ease and comfort?

Thank you for all your advice.

Nonconformist

"It seems to me that the website only posts timetable through September 1, if I am reading it correctly? "Orario valido fino al 31/07/2007 edal 01/09/2007"."

Yes, that's right. It's possible there will actually be more buses later, as there will be school children needing to get to school, but it's hard to be sure how different it will be.

"Another translation question: At the bottom of the timetables it says:
D= "La carsa non viene effettuata la domenica e nei giorni festivi;
E= "La corsa viena effettuata il Venerdi e nei giorno festivi seguiti da un giono feriale". Is this important to know...and if so, what, roughly, does it mean? Thank you, again, in advance."

D says: the route doesn't run on Sundays or holidays; this seems to apply to the earliest bus of te day only.
E: the route is only run on Fridays and holidays followed by a working day; this refers to the last bus of the day.

Then later it says, under the heading AEROPORTO FIUMICINO, instructions for getting to the Rome bus stop (Tiburtina)from Fiumicino airport. It says metroplitan trains go every 15 minutes, take 1 hour 2 minutes, and cost 2 euros 90 cents.

"Another question: since the heading says: "Roma Timburtina, Siena, Monteriggioni, Colle val d'Elsa, Poggebonsi", does that mean: leaving from Roma station "Timburtina" and will go to Siena non-stop, then going on to the other cities listed?"

More or less - the timetable shows the stops, so you'kll see there are a few other stops before Siena (and there may be more not listed), but the other places in the heading are after Siena.

"Also (sorry to have so many questions), but are the busses all about equal: A/C, baggage easily stowed beneath, etc."

I'm not sure about that because I haven't taken this route.

"I could not read the cost of the ticket...there seemed to be several "choices"...."

I think you want a single ticket to Siena, which is 18 euros pre-booked; there seems to be a supplement of 3 euros if you pay on board.

We can take a train #9436 and then # 9 from Rome to Siena in 3:55 vs the bus which takes 3:00....if money were no concern, which would you take both for ease and comfort?

Thank you for all your advice.






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lovesroses

Thank you, noncomformist, for being so patient and answering so many of my questions! gt;

Jean

Lovesroses, you asked if anyone would choose the train over the bus. It's a slightly longer journey and would cost a bit more, but I would take the train. Although the Italian bus system is very comfortable, I get antsy on a bus after a couple of hours.

bobthenavigator

So, would you still take the train if you had to change trains in Chiusi?
The bus is your best option.

lovesroses

Thanks bob!

Jean, as you suggested, I did write our Siena hotel (the Santa Caterina) to ask which station we should be coming into (since we have 4 choices) and hope to hear back tomorrow morning.

For those of you who have bus and train experience, how would you rate/compare them? Just curious. I am presuming the bus will be comfortable and air-conditioned......? The price is certainly better for the bus, and it would be 1 hour less transit.

barwal

I am reading this post w/interest as I too will be using public transportation in Italy for the first time. I am having difficulty finding one way fare costs and figuring out if the time is AM or PM since it does not seem to be stated. I will be going from Bologna to Florence and do not know which is better bus or train, have same question re: Siena to Cinque Terre.

kybourbon

You don't have to keep track of your luggage on the bus since it's stowed underneath and no changes as on the train. Not all trains have AC.

lovesroses

Hi everyone,
As I mentioned yesterday, I did E-mail our hotel in Rome to ask their advice and they suggested the bus also. She said there are tickets at low cost, about 5E for the Rome to Siena trip.

I also contacted our hotel in Siena (the Santa Catarina) to find out which Siena "destination" would be closest to them and they responded (also agreeing that the bus is the way to arrive, from Rome, rather than train) that they recommend us to go to the bus destination which is at the main train station in Siena because it would be easier for us to get a taxi there than the other 3, and then it would only be about 8E from there to our hotel.

The bus is what I will propose to our traveling companions as the best option in this case. Thank you all SO much for your help--you are terrific!!

PalenQ

Rome to Siena for 5 euros - the cost of two cappuccinos!

Nonconformist

I'm glad to have been able to help. I hope you have a wonderful trip.

lovesroses

Hi everyone,
would any of you know offhand...there seem to be 4 destination choices in Siena--the way they are listed is:
Toselli, Stazione, Camollia, and Gramsci.

My hotel in Siena has suggested we get off at the train station for ease of getting a taxi...would this be "Stazione"? That's only a guess......
anyone know for sure? Thanks again.