kakijalan

Hi,

My sister and I will be arriving in Florence on Friday afternoon, and have 4 full days for Florence and Siena (maybe 1/2 day trip to Pisa too), before heading to Rome on Wednesday. BTW we're travelling in late-May and we both enjoy museums, architecture.

Earlier we had thought of visiting Siena as a day trip, but the recommendations here suggests that spending a night in Siena would be delightful.

Trying to plan the itinerary... how does this sound?
OPTION 1
Sat: Florence
Sun: Florence (maybe Pisa PM)
Mon: Florence
Tue: Bus to Siena, overnight Siena
Wed: Bus to Rome

OPTION 2
Sat: Florence
Sun: Florence AM, bus to Siena (sleep overnight)
Mon: Siena AM, bus to Florence
Tue: Florence (maybe Pisa PM)
Wed: Train to Rome

Reason I'm considering option 2 is because the train travel time to Rome is abt 1.5hrs as compared to 3hrs bus from Siena to Rome.

Also - any suggestions for budget accommodation in Siena?
I saw from the www.sena.it website that there are several bus stations in Siena - Which one shld we be taking?
Fr what I've read, we shld be stopping at Rome Tiburtina - which is convenient by Metro to anywhere we want to go in Rome - is the right?

Appreciate advice

Jean

I avoid one-night hotel stays whenever possible.

The last train from Siena to Florence leaves at 9:15 pm. I think that's later than the last bus.

ellenem

So, you want to save 1.5 hours on the bus, but are willing to waste the hour it will take to baktrack to Florence and then check in and out of a Florence hotel the second time. . . Doesn't really save you time, does it?

kybourbon

Many of the museums in Florence are closed on Monday so you might want to daytrip to Pisa that day.

If you catch the Sena bus in Siena, you want to catch it at Piazza Gramsci which will be closest to the historic center. For budget hotels in Siena, see my post on this thread. There are several budget suggestions in addition to mine.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...l-171346-2.cfm

For the bus between Florence and Siena, you want the rapid (on the left side of link). You need to zoom in to 100% to read the key symbols, etc. The via Tozzi stop listed in Siena is at Piazza Gramsci.
http://www.sitabus.it/sita-toscana/Firenze-Siena06.pdf

kakijalan

ellenem - it's not so much abt saving 1.5 hrs but more of travel comfort. Hv never traveled by bus in Europe before, always took the train. If the bus is ok, I'm more than willing to give it a try Also, thought of heading back to Florence in the evening after dinner, so didn't think it would be so bad.

kybourbon - thx for the hotel tip and bus stop.

ellenem

I believe the bus that travels between Siena and Florence is the same type of bus that travels between Siena and Rome, which is a long-distance bus with cushioned comfy high-backed seats.

The bigger issue for me would be, as Jean said, more about the one-night stay and adding another hotel change into the mix. If it were me, I'd do the one-night stay in Siena but follow option 1, because it has less hotel changes.

kybourbon

Dinner is late in Italy (restaurants won't open until 7:30 or 8:00) and as pointed out above, the buses/trains between Siena and Florence don't run late (9:20 is the latest). I would go with option 1. Buses are many times more comfortable/convenient than some trains in Italy. The trains between Siena/Florence are R trains which have no amenities and no class choice or reserved seating - more like riding a commuter train. The train station in Siena is not central and you would need to transfer to the center by bus or taxi. I don't think you could easily enter a restaurant at 7:30 or 8, eat, transfer to the train station and make the 9:20 train.

The buses on this route are similar to tour buses, not city buses, and are more comfortable with padded seats/AC (most R trains don't have AC). You stow your luggage underneath the bus. Piazza Gramsci is central and you can walk from there to the sites.

kakijalan

thank you all for your kind advice. Decided on Option 1 and hv already booked hotel Almo Domus

Grassshopper

I like option 1 and think an overnight in Siena is worthwhile. I have taken the bus from Siena to Rome and it's not a bad trip at all. Have fun!

kybourbon

Piazza Gramsci is really a parking lot/bus hub. Underneath it is a tourist office (look for ramps to go down) where you can buy tickets. If you are taking the bus from Florence to Piazza Gramsci, go downhill on the busy street (Curtatone) until you get to the Basilica San Domenico. As you are facing San Domenico, go down the little lane on the left side of the church, right after it curves you will see the entrance to Alma Domus (sloped walkway/steps as seen on the website pictures). This is a pic of the lane beside the church and Alma Domus is just past the curve.
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/5278257.jpg

willit

It is often a lot cheaper to buy tickets for the Sena bus online. They quite frequently have €5 fares from Siena to Rome (although they do then charge an admin fee, so the actual cost is around €8)

The Sena bus stops at the same place that the bus from Florence arrives. Unless they have changed Livery, it is likely to be a big white bus as opposed the blue buses that go to Florence/Arezzo etc.

nytraveler

Don't think it makes sense to go to Siena for one night in between nights in Florence. I would just stay in florence and do day trips to Pisa and Siena. I hate all that packing/unpacking, checking in and out, finding hotels and best way to get there. I think a day trip from Florence gives you plenty of time in Siena if y u start early.