How to get from Florence to San Gimignano?
 

Hi, my husband and I will be in Italy in November and are trying to figure out the best way to get from Florence to San Gimignano. We are staying just inside the city for 1 night in SG. I've tried Trenitalia and for some reason it gives you NO option to book a train between the 2 places, even though there are a half dozens trains listed. I will consider all options: bus, car...Thanks

We caught the train to Poggibonsi then a bus from there to San Gimignano. The bus took about 20 mins and you catch it just outside the train station at Poggibonsi. There is no train station at San Gimignano.

Kay

Hi Kay, thanks for your reply!

Is the train/bus something you can buy a ticket for the morning of? Or do we need to do this ahead of time?

Kay:

Did the bus to SG drop you off right at the city gate?

Not to jump in, but yes, the bus to San Gimignano drops you off right outside the main entrance in the walls of the town.

We took the bus from Florence to Poggibonsi and then bus from Poggibonsi to San G. We bought our bus tickets at the Florence bus station window about 10 minutes before the bus left. I would guess you can probably do the same with the train, although I'd suggest purchasing sooner than that, in case the bus is filled!

Thank you much for the helpful info!

Yes, take the bus, as was indicated above. At the SITA terminal, ask for the little brochure that gives you the return schedule. When you get off the second bus in SG,it is outside the city walls. Cross the street, and enter into the walled city, and voila, there you are. On the way back, the bus from SG will let you off in Poggibonsi. Immediately cross the street, and you will see the bus stop to get you back to the SITA terminal in Firenze (just down the street from the SM train station.)

We bought our train tickets a few days in advance and the bus ticket when we arrived in Poggibonsi. It was funny, in hindsight anyway, when we went to buy the bus tickets at Poggibonsi train station, they had run out of tickets. So Italian. So they pointed us up the street, away from the bus, to a little cafe where they sold us the tickets. We rushed back to the bus but there was hardly anyone else on it. The bus stops outside the city walls of San G. You should see the towers as you approach.

If you are travelling in peak season it might pay to buy the train or bus ticket from Florence in advance, perhaps buy it when you first arrive.
Kay

Hi G,

See http://www.sangimignano.net/bus/

((I))