Bus transportation between Italy hill towns
Dec 19th, 2006, 07:30 PM
#2
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It is quite doable to travel around Tuscany and Umbria by bus and train.
There are several bus companies, for routes and timetables (the main ones), please check:
www.lazzi.it
www.sita-on-line.it
www.apmonline.com
www.sulga.it
There are several bus companies, for routes and timetables (the main ones), please check:
www.lazzi.it
www.sita-on-line.it
www.apmonline.com
www.sulga.it
Dec 20th, 2006, 06:15 AM
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Dec 20th, 2006, 06:16 AM
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Dec 20th, 2006, 10:37 AM
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Check also
http://www.sienamobilita.it/EN/index.html
for the Siena province
This will be useful for places such as San Gimignano, Montepulciano, Pienza, Montalcino and (obviously) Siena.
http://www.sienamobilita.it/EN/index.html
for the Siena province
This will be useful for places such as San Gimignano, Montepulciano, Pienza, Montalcino and (obviously) Siena.
Dec 20th, 2006, 04:56 PM
#10
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Thanks for all the input. I should be more specific; we'd prefer to use public transit (bus or train) to visit two or three hill towns. We would determine which are most easily accessible based on bus or train routes. Thoughts about connections to or between Orvieto, Siena, Cortona, Cita, etc?
Dec 20th, 2006, 06:50 PM
#12
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From Siena to Cortona: frequent bus takes 1 1/2 hours to Arezzo, then hourly bus to Cortona takes another hour.
Frequent trains from Arezzo to Orvieto take from 50-70 minutes, depend on the type of train.
Frequent trains from Arezzo to Orvieto take from 50-70 minutes, depend on the type of train.
Dec 21st, 2006, 11:28 AM
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To be more specific, you should say if you plan to set your main base in a specific town (Florence, for example) and then make day trips from there, or else choose to stay somewhere for 2-3 days and then move on.
A good main base could be Arezzo, for example. It has good conecctions to all the towns you mentioned.
A good main base could be Arezzo, for example. It has good conecctions to all the towns you mentioned.
Dec 21st, 2006, 02:06 PM
#16
We spent a week + based in Siena while Daughter was doing a semester there. We would take day trips from Siena to various hill towns. It was cheap and easy. The ticket selling folk at the Siena bus station were very helpful.
Dec 21st, 2006, 05:27 PM
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I wouldn't necessarily say that a car is "easier". I remember the time we were staying in San Gimignano and did a day trip to Siena by car. We had "researched" where to park and headed there. As we pulled into this huge lot and a couple cars pulled in behind us, they determined the lot was full. We couldn't park and the people behind us refused to let us out but wanted to wait for a car to leave. There we sat, unable to move for the better part of an hour. When we finally were able to back out (no cars were leaving this lot) we spent the better part of a half hour looking for more parking (Siena was very busy that day). Finally we found a place, but it was a good 20 minute walk from the "center". We lost half a day.
The next time we did a day trip from Montepulciano to Siena, the bus dropped us off right at a stop by the "escalator" that took us up to the center. It was MUCH easier, and cheaper than the parking and gas too, by the way.
Trying to find your way into many of the hill towns and find parking when the centers are nearly always "pedestrian" only cannot be defined as "easy".
I'll admit taking busses takes a bit more planning, and it is difficult to stop and wander in four or five villages during the course of a day, but you will have some great options. And for most of the towns, the busses are better than the trains.
The next time we did a day trip from Montepulciano to Siena, the bus dropped us off right at a stop by the "escalator" that took us up to the center. It was MUCH easier, and cheaper than the parking and gas too, by the way.
Trying to find your way into many of the hill towns and find parking when the centers are nearly always "pedestrian" only cannot be defined as "easy".
I'll admit taking busses takes a bit more planning, and it is difficult to stop and wander in four or five villages during the course of a day, but you will have some great options. And for most of the towns, the busses are better than the trains.
Dec 22nd, 2006, 10:01 AM
#19
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OK, so I'll draw an itinerary baed on my knowledge an personal taste.
You can start from Florence and go to Siena first, by bus. The bus station (SITA) is near Santa Maria Novella train station. No-stop buses leave at 08:10, 09:10, 10:10... and so on. The trip will take about 1h 15mins.
Once in Siena, you can pass 2 nights there and then head to Arezzo. Bus trip is about 1h30mins. You can stay 2 more nights thre, then take the train and go to Cortona (quite near, probably 20 mins). Finally, go to Orvieto by train (less than 1 hour from Cortona). Then, go to Rome by train and (sigh) go back home.
You can start from Florence and go to Siena first, by bus. The bus station (SITA) is near Santa Maria Novella train station. No-stop buses leave at 08:10, 09:10, 10:10... and so on. The trip will take about 1h 15mins.
Once in Siena, you can pass 2 nights there and then head to Arezzo. Bus trip is about 1h30mins. You can stay 2 more nights thre, then take the train and go to Cortona (quite near, probably 20 mins). Finally, go to Orvieto by train (less than 1 hour from Cortona). Then, go to Rome by train and (sigh) go back home.
