tank

My husband and I would like to take a day trip from Siena by bus on a Monday. Our first choice is Volterra, but are not sure if this is the best choice. I have looked at the bus schedule and it seems doable to me, but I couldn't find the times for the return trip back to Siena. We are staying in Siena for two nights. We are not interested in visiting San Gimignano (too crowded for us).

Would appreciate advice.

willit

You could do Monteriggioni (see http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...sportation.cfm)
but it is tiny and takes a couple of hours at the most (and that is after visiting the excellent but small armour museum and having Lunch!)

Alternativcely there are buses to Arezzo and Perugia - Some depart from Piazza Gramsci, others from the Railway station.

willit

http://www.trainspa.it/train04/extraurbano.pdf

PalenQ

How about Chianti en Greve - the wine town - if into wine you can buy a ticket and go around town to wine houses tasting and seeing the operations, etc. Short bus ride from Siena.

Volterra will also be too crowded for you if San Gimi is as will be Siena - all those hill towns are inundated in season by tourists IME.

kybourbon

You have to take the bus to Colle di Val d'Elsa (about 30 minutes) and change to the CPT bus (770) to Volterra (about 1 hour). Current schedules listed are winter and only show one late afternoon run per day from Volterra.

http://www.cpt.pisa.it/orari/extraXlocalita.htm

If you want to go somewhere with a bit more bus service, you might look at Montalcino. A hill town with great views (and wine!) and a bit more bus service from Siena. Bus map.

http://www.sienamobilita.it/mappe/Mappa_EXT.pdf

PalenQ

Montepulciano is another easy day trip from Siena - by bus or train - train to Chiusi and then bus to this famous hill town.

tank

Thanks for the helpful info. I considered your suggestions and did a little research and now I have a few more questions for you all. First I should probably give a few details about us and our trip.

We visited Siena two years ago as a day trip from Florence and we were underwhelmed (I expected to love it.) I have read similar experiences from people who visit Venice as a day trip. We LOVE Venice, but we always stay at least four nights in a quaint B&B away from the crowds… So, we decided to give Siena another try and are staying 2 nights this trip. (We are also staying in Florence for 4 nights.)
We want to plan a day trip by bus from Siena preferably to a town that we could not easily reach from Florence. I said San G. was too crowded for us, but what I meant was there are too many day tripping tourists because it is more convenient to get to by public transport. I realize it will be relatively or overly crowded everywhere we go, since our trip is during Italy’s busy summer season. I am a high school teacher and summer is the only time I can do a great trip like this. So heat and crowds it is We just try to get as much info as we can before we go so that we can enjoy the best “local” experience possible. We like hanging out where the locals do, meeting and talking to locals, and just wandering around to take in the beautiful country (and good food, but I think that goes without saying). Also, we do enjoy wine, but we are not wine aficionados.

So, here are my questions. I am still interested in Volterra, but am considering the recommendations you gave for either Montalcino, Montepulciano, or Arezzo. Volterra “speaks”to me the most based on what I have read. I like the idea of visiting the artesian shops. We can take bus at 8:40 Siena to Calle Val D’Elsa and then 9:45 CPT bus to Volterra taking either 13:15 or 17:20 bus back from Volterra (thanks kybourbon for the bus info). If we don’t mind the less convenient travel plan to get to Volterra, would this be a better town to visit? Or do you still recommend one of the others I listed above and if so, which do you recommend the most?

PalenQ, you mentioned going to Chianti en Greve and getting “a ticket” to do wine house tastings. This sounds fun, should we do this from Florence instead of from Siena? How does it work? Where do you get the ticket, what time?

Much Thanks to you all! Let me know what you think.

tank

Thanks for the helpful info. I considered your suggestions and did a little research and now I have a few more questions for you all. First I should probably give a few details about us and our trip.

We visited Siena two years ago as a day trip from Florence and we were underwhelmed (I expected to love it.) I have read similar experiences from people who visit Venice as a day trip. We LOVE Venice, but we always stay at least four nights in a quaint B&B away from the crowds… So, we decided to give Siena another try and are staying 2 nights this trip. (We are also staying in Florence for 4 nights.)
We want to plan a day trip by bus from Siena preferably to a town that we could not easily reach from Florence. I said San G. was too crowded for us, but what I meant was there are too many day tripping tourists because it is more convenient to get to by public transport. I realize it will be relatively or overly crowded everywhere we go, since our trip is during Italy’s busy summer season. I am a high school teacher and summer is the only time I can do a great trip like this. So heat and crowds it is We just try to get as much info as we can before we go so that we can enjoy the best “local” experience possible. We like hanging out where the locals do, meeting and talking to locals, and just wandering around to take in the beautiful country (and good food, but I think that goes without saying). Also, we do enjoy wine, but we are not wine aficionados.

So, here are my questions. I am still interested in Volterra, but am considering the recommendations you gave for either Montalcino, Montepulciano, or Arezzo. Volterra “speaks”to me the most based on what I have read. I like the idea of visiting the artesian shops. We can take bus at 8:40 Siena to Calle Val D’Elsa and then 9:45 CPT bus to Volterra taking either 13:15 or 17:20 bus back from Volterra (thanks kybourbon for the bus info). If we don’t mind the less convenient travel plan to get to Volterra, would this be a better town to visit? Or do you still recommend one of the others I listed above and if so, which do you recommend the most?

PalenQ, you mentioned going to Chianti en Greve and getting “a ticket” to do wine house tastings. This sounds fun, should we do this from Florence instead of from Siena? How does it work? Where do you get the ticket, what time?

Much Thanks to you all! Let me know what you think.

bobthenavigator

See Volterra--it is unique.
Read some Etruscan history first and plan to buy some alabaster.

tank

Thanks bobthenavigator! This asking questions on the forum is new to me. I have always just read Q&A's that interested me. But I have gotten so much great info over the last few years that I decided to get get more involved asking questions and giving recommendations. Thanks again.

Mimar

Any chance you could rent a car for a day or two? It would just make it so much easier and then you could make another stop along the way.

wanderful

Volterra is a worthwhile day trip. I enjoyed visiting the local artisans who specialized in alabaster and had some items shipped back to my home.

I just got back from Italy. I don't agree with your assessment of Siena. I stayed there a week and loved it. I went to Arezzo for a day and would recommend going there as well, especially for the Piero della Francesca frescoes. I also went to San Gimignano for a day and had a fine time. (Any place that has a Museum of Vernaccia is going to win my heart.) Crowds don't bother me, in San Gimignano or in Venice or in Florence. The farther you go out from the tourist-intensive center of one of those cities, the more you can get lost and feel freer. (And, let's face it: We're all tourists. We're all the people other people say, "Why do all these people have to be here to compromise my enjoyment?")

tank

We are renting a car for 3 days while in Asti, but we were trying to do the rest of our trip by train and bus. I did consider a car for one day 9:00 am to 7:00 pm from Siena, but a little pricey and what if we want to drink some wine during our day trip. Thought bus was best choice for that day. I am not 100% against it though.

tank

Wanderful, I understand what you are saying about Siena...that's why we are going back.

PalenQ

http://www.chianti.com/greve-in-chianti/

tank - maybe the official web site has some info - I have not done this myself - on my bucket list but have talked to others who have said there is some kind of wine tasting ticket for the town's various wine houses.

kybourbon

>>>Montepulciano is another easy day trip from Siena - by bus or train - train to Chiusi and then bus to this famous hill town.<<<

A train to Chiusi takes almost 1 1/2 hours and then you would have to catch the bus (almost another hour). Taking buses only, you have 2-3 connections and the times aren't all that convenient, but travel time is a bit shorter than a train/bus combo. I don't think Montepulciano makes a good day trip from Siena.

I would choose Montalcino over Greve for wine tasting (and views), but you don't have time for two day trips from Siena. You would have to visit from Florence using a bus. They do add a bus from Siena for a few months in the summer, but it's not likely to be convenient for a day trip. With only two nights, if you do a day trip, you won't even have time for things in Siena.

Keep in mind buses not running on Sunday to small towns.

tank

>>>I would choose Montalcino over Greve for wine tasting (and views), but you don't have time for two day trips from Siena.<<<

kybourbon- We will only do 1 day trip from Siena. This will be our 2nd trip to Siena, so I think a day trip will be fine (even though we will only be there 2 nights). We plan to do this on a Monday, so buses shouldn't be a problem. We have narrowed our choices down to Volterra or Montalcino since you said "Montalcino over Greve for wine tasting (and views)" Thanks for the advice.

tuscanlifeedit

I won't make a suggestion as to which town to visit, but I will make a suggestion as to time of day.

For us, it always "seems" more sensible to take our day trips beginning in the morning. Then we get to our chosen Italian town, have about an hour or so while the town is alive, then BAM, everything is shut up tight. Lunch is a fine choice at that point, but our lunches never take quite the 3 or 4 hours when many things are closed.

I like to experience a town while it is alive with its routines, and that often doesn't happen until after 5. Siena is a great example. On one trip there, visiting the major tourist sights filled most of an afternoon, but we were exhausted when suddenly, the streets sprang to life.

So on our upcoming day trip from Venice to Padova, we are probably going in the afternoon or the very late morning. If possible I would plan dinner in our daytrip town, as long as public transport ran that long.

And although I did say that I wouldn't suggest a change of town, if you are an art lover, the interior of the Duomo at San Gimignano is on my top 5 list of art treasures in Tuscany. No, I don't really have a list, but if I did, it would be on it.

cbgetaway2015

Bookmarking

Jean

cbgetaway2015, I'm late to this thread, but I'd add Certaldo which is about 40 minutes by train from Siena. There's a funicular to the older town from Piazza Boccaccio which is a short walk from the train station.

http://www.bestsmalltownsitaly.com/t...uscany-center/