Help for SIENA
 

Hi everyone. Planning a trip to Siena and would really love to stay within walking distance of the Il Campo. (This will be Feb, so I guess it needs to be a short walking distance :)) Anyway- we were wondering if anyone knows of a great place. (reasonably priced) Some friends suggested Hotel Villa Liberty, but no vacancies. We appreciate any advice. Thanks

Did you not believe me? You cannot drive into the city easily and park. I gave you the best option--a :15 walk, good parking, and the best deal in town.

bobthenavigator -- I'd like your suggestion please:)

Sorry Bob. Of course I believed you and I did check out their site. I just didn't realize how close they were to the center of town. (should have read more closely) I have e-mailed a reservation inquiry to them.
Thank you again for you help.

Hey Kat,

I understand your wanting to stay in the city center, but when Bob the Navigator says it's not easy to drive in the city center, it's not because of heavy traffic or confusing streets, it's because they don't ALLOW cars through, for the most part, which is a big reason most people adore Siena. I see that you're planning to day-trip from Siena with only two nights there--be sure to devote enough time to Siena itself. It looks like you're going to be traveling a lot...if it were me I'd be tempted to just chill out while I'm in Siena.

Dear Jocelyn
Yes. Everything I've read about Siena gives me the same impression. We will try to slow down and enjoy it. Thanks

Dear sfowler,
bobthenavigator had suggested the Piccolo Hotel Oliveta. It does look wonderful. This is our first trip and I'm still learning, but Bob has great tips posted all the time. Hope you enjoy your trip.

there is a book called "Bed and Blessings" which lists religious convents that rent rooms (to help pay the bills). We stayed at one in Sienna a few years ago for 2 nights. Clean and comfortable, but not high class. Close to the city center and all the sights. Can't remember the name of the place. They don't wake you early for Mass or anything :)

Jocelyn,

Unfortunatley they do allow cars in the city.

I had read all the advice about parking outside the city and not attmpting to drive inside the walls.

On our first full day in Tuscany, I took a wrong turn and found myself inside the city walls...and just a few days before the Palio.

I felt like I was in a maze, unable to turn around and not wanting to go deeper inside the city. Talk about feeling dumb.

With hordes of people in the streets celebrating, my wife and I felt extremely foolish. It was probalby best that we didn't understand what they were saying to us.
Fortunately we found our way out the other end .

The moral of the story is NEVER to go inside the historic city center in Tuscany unless you have prearranged parking.

Highly recommend Palazzo Ravizzo, right outside the city gates. Very reasonably priced, beautiful garden, and pretty good food.

The Palazzo Ravizza is inside the city gates....its inside the Porta S.Marco.Very easy to reach (with the hotel reservation you can enter the city) and they have their own private car-park. Best located, caracteristic and friendly hotel in Siena.

Sorry but I have to disagree, we stayed in a little village about 30 k's away from Sienna, we had a little mini van (4 kids) we went into sienna twice, drove straight to the parking area around the Soccor fiels and parked....as easy as that ! It was in June. Don't be scared, We did the same in Volterra with its dreadfull underground car park, driving in Italy is not hard.

I also give two thumbs up to Palazzo Ravizza. We stayed there last May and the hotel is just lovely. Out room was huge ( about 600 sq ft). I think we paid 100.00 per night. It came with free parking. We also had dinner one night at their restaraunt and it was one of the best meals of our trip. This place was one of the high-lights of our vacation..
78 days and counting..

There is a BIG difference between parking in the designated lots and trying to drive into the center of town. We stayed at the Grand Continential (not reasonably priced). They received permission for their guests to drive into town. You must show your hotel confirmation if stopped. We did it but I don't recommend it. We were so confused and stressed after getting within a block of the center square that we would have left town without finding our hotel if we had found our way out first. We never used their valet service again. We walked to the public lot and took the car from there. That was easy enough but don't try to drive to the center of town without an excellent map and precise directions.

"Message: I also give two thumbs up to Palazzo Ravizza. We stayed there last May and the hotel is just lovely. Out room was huge ( about 600 sq ft). I think we paid 100.00 per night. "

Nothing like outdated information. A modest double is now $200 up in high season.

Begging you pardon but my information is not outdated. I just visited the site and loft rooms in May are still 100.00 euros for 2 persons. I am constantly amazed at posters who jump on a subject matter to critique and rarely offer any helpfull information..
Why bother?

Mine is another vote for the Palazzo Ravizza. You can drive into the city to deposit your luggage and the hotel has parking spaces outside the walls. And why all the arguments about price? All you have to do is go to the Web site
www.palazzoravizza.it
and you will see that double rooms range between 100 and 150 Euros in low season and between 120 and 180 Euros in high season. The rooms are huge, and the ones at the back have wonderful views of the Tuscan countryside.

Eloise, I agree that I don't care for the arguing or the occasional snips here. I spend lot's of time researching travel info and I gladly share it with anyone. My only complaint was to one poster that my information was outdated and I did not appreciatte that. Thank goodness I have my right to let that be known and I did..there ya have it..

Garynfla,

I'm with you... "last May" is not "outdated" since it's not even a year. I had to re-read your post, because according to the "know it all" I thought you had mentioned rates from a decade ago. Anyway, though I'm not planning to go back to Sienna in the near future, thanks for the hotel info, because I was only there for one day, and definitely want to go back.

thanks lyb, kind words sure do make a difference here and I certainly appreciatte yours. We only spent the one night in Siena and agree we would love to spend more time there. We stayed one night in Assisi and I would like to spend more time there also.
77 days and counting until our trip to Rome and the Amalfi coast..

"Message: Begging you pardon but my information is not outdated. I just visited the site and loft rooms in May are still 100.00 euros for 2 persons. I am constantly amazed at posters who jump on a subject matter to critique and rarely offer any helpfull information..Why bother?"

You inforemation IS outdated. Even the lofts are about $150. And it is not a normal double, so you post gives the wrong impression. A post like yours gives the imprsssion that you can get a double at Palazzo Ravizza for $100. It is wrong.

You information is not helpful if it is incorrect. It just wastes people's time. If you don't want incorrect information to be corrected, then don't post any.

Platzer, you are very wrong and very negative. I thought perhaps it was just me, so I did a Italy search with the name Platzer and it seems negativity is the norm for your posts. I don't care to argue the point with you since I priced the hotel yesterday and it is still 100.00 for a nice double loft. My information is definetly NOT outdated and if you would spend your time doing research and offering credible, positive info on these boards you might just have a better day. It is ok to be wrong but the negativity needs to go..

Hi Gary,

Don't bother responding to Platzer. It only encourages him.

You posted "100.00" and he will go to his grave insisting that you meant $100.