swt

Hi! i'm planning to go Siena and Perugia from Florence. planning to do day trips in these 2 places. Anyone knows if any bus services route from Florence to Siena and Perugia? Or any day tour companies that we can sign up with? Thanks!

Dukey1

There is definitely SITA bus service Florence-Siena

Ralstonlan

Bus Schedule for Florence to Siena
http://www.sitabus.it/sita-toscana/F...-Siena2010.pdf

Example of Train schedule florence to Perugia (over 2 hours on train)
http://www.raileurope.com/us/point_t...44121&noLock=1

swt

Thanks! Any idea if tickets for Sita bus can be purchased in advance/online or only on the day we are travelling?

JBX

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Rather than purchase your train tickets thru Rail Europe, better to do so via Trenitalia (Italy's train srvc) >>>
http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/cms...003f16f90aRCRD

Do note that can get to Siena either by SITA bus or by train .... however, the bus is your better option, as train station is outside the city walls, a couple miles away from center. The SITA bus is way to go w/ Florence--Siena route.
Don't know about advance purchase of tix.

elnap29

We just did this last month. No need to buy the bus ticket ahead of time.

Sally30

What are the SITA buses like? are they reasonably nice? on time? do they have a bathroom? Traveling with two kids (4.5yo and 6 mo) and trying to decide how to get around. In the past trains have worked well for us but finding buses are better for routes we are considering. thanks

kybourbon

Travel time is only 70 minutes if you take the rapid bus.

>>>Hi! i'm planning to go Siena and Perugia from Florence.<<<

If you want to travel between Siena and Perguia there is Sena bus.
http://www.sena.it/

JBX

As I recall the SITA buses are much nicer than a regular city bus. They do provide an area underneath the bus for passengers to stow their luggage.

Bathroom? Hmmmm, just don't recall. As above poster advised it's not a long journey between Florence-Siena, just over an hour. The bus terminal in Florence is adjacent to the main train station, so before everyone boards, you can do a bathroom visit there.

GJDougherty

Considering the above discussion, I would like to ask a follow-on question. I will be arriving in Florence on a Sunday at 1:30 (13:30) in October and plan to take a bus that afternoon to Siena where we will be staying. It appears that there are few buses that go from Florence to Siena on Sunday. How difficult will it be for me to walk from the train station to the bus station and buy a ticket for bus transportation to Siena that afternoon? Thanks a bunch.

gentle

It is very easy to go from the train station to bus station.You need to go to the side of the station that has steps to go down and you will see the tram tracks that way you will know your on the right side just cross over the street (from memory) you can go left or right when your over the other side and the first street you come to turn down and im sure you will see the bus deport. I purchased a ticket on the day very easy lovely trip good luck.I have an apartment in Florence for a month sept/october great time to go

ellenem

For the SITA bus station, walk to the right after you come off the train platform at Firenze SMN to find the "side with steps" mentioned by gentle. The street on this side of the station with the tram tracks you will cross is Via Alimani. After you cross, walk to the left and follow the corner around as it angles to meet Via Santa Caterina da Siena. The SITA bus station is tucked into the buildings on this short street at Via Santa Caterina da Siena 17. If you input the address at maps.google.com, the location provided is pretty accurate. If you use satellite view, you can see the bus parking area in the courtyard.

kybourbon

With your back to the tracks, exit the station to the right. You will be facing a street that runs beside the station (look for Hotel Ambasciatori). Cross the street and go down it to your left. As it rounds the corner, you will come upon the bus station on your right (it's sort of in behind the hotel).

GJDougherty

Thank you for the responses. Logisitcally it sounds like an easy process and a short walk. Is bus availability on a Sunday afternoon in October an issue? "GENTLE" indicated that it was easy to purchase a ticket day of. My Italian is limited to Google Translation (but I'm learning a lot from it). The bus schedule from SITA.IT seems to indicate that there is a 14.10, 15.10, 17.20, 18.10, and 19.10 Corse Rapide bus on Sundays. Can I count on being able to get the 15.10 Corse Rapide if I gte into Florence at 13.30 and walk straight to the bus terminal and buy a ticket? Recommnedations for a quick lunch in between?

ellenem

The tickets are not for a particular bus, just for any Corse Rapide on the route. The only way to assure a seat to be ready to board when the bus first opens its doors.

kybourbon

I don't see all those buses. I only see a 9:10, 17:20 and 18:10 for Firenze/Siena corse rapide. The corse ordinaire only shows a 10:10 and 12:10. Perhaps we are looking at different schedules?
http://www.sitabus.it/sita-toscana/F...-Siena2010.pdf

You can always train if you don't want to wait around on a bus. The train runs hourly at :10 after. Cost is 6.40€ and takes 1 1/2 hours. When you get to Siena, you walk across the street and go down to the parking garage below the mall to catch the local bus if you are heading to the center. They are frequent (only a few minutes to the center0 and tickets are 1€. Ticket machine is down in the parking structure, but you will need change for it. Stamp your tickets (bus and train).

kybourbon

The above schedule doesn't seem to be accurate according to Bus fox. Use this link, enter Firenze and Siena, date (day/month/year format) and time of 13:30. The R buses are the rapid.
http://www.busfox.com/timetable/

GJDougherty

kybourbon, thanks for the feedback. I was looking at the same schedule you provided the link to and I still see the 14.10, 15.10, 17.20, 18.10, and 19.10 Corse Rapide. The Fox link returns the same Corse Rapide options as the SITA link. Additionally, the Corse Ordinarie on both the SITA and Fox have 15.40, 17.40, 18.40, 19.50, and 21.15. Of course, I am trying to translate the notes by using Google translation (pretty slick tool). I am looking at the right-hand schedule, partenza is Firenze and Arrivo is Siena. I am looking at the times that have either a cross or no symbol. For Fox I am using 23 October 2011. Have I completely goofed the translation?

kybourbon

Sorry, I was only looking at festivo. The schedules on bus fox should be accurate as that's the link for Siena Mobilita when you search schedules. Since the Sita link is dated 2010, I'm not quite sure I trust it even if it is from the Sita website. Schedules may be reduced further for fall/winter. I would check back on busfax sometime in late September and see if the same buses are still showing.

Google translator is fine sometimes, but not at other times. Here is the actual schedules from Siena Mobilita. You want buses 1310 and 131 on pages 62-71. Some of the buses will be Sita while others Tra-in (it's a bus, not train).
http://www.trainspa.it/train04/extraurbano.pdf