By Train in Tuscany with Siena

By Train

Italy's main rail line, which runs from Milan in the north to Calabria in the toe of the boot, links Florence to Rome, Bologna, and numerous other Italian cities. Within Tuscany, trains on this line stop in Prato, Arezzo, and Chiusi as well as Florence. Another major line connects Florence with Pisa, and the coastal line between Rome and Genoa passes through Pisa and the Tuscan beach resorts (which, though popular with locals, aren't counted among the region's allures). There's also regular, nearly hourly service from Florence to Lucca via Prato, Pistoia, and Montecatini. If you want to visit other areas of Tuscany -- Chianti, Montalcino, and Montepulciano, for example -- you are better off going by bus or by car. Train stations in these towns, when they exist, are far from the historic centers, run infrequently, and are slow. Visit the Web site of FS, the Italian State Railway, for schedules and booking.

Train Information

FS (892021. www.trenitalia.com).