Henry

6abc,

1. Try http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...003f16f90aRCRD

then click "Fermate e parcheggi di scambio”
You will see the train (FR1) runs from the airport to Tiburtina. This is the train on the left as you look at the tracks at the airport, not the express.

Go to http://www.sena.it/ and use the box on the top right with a Sunday date.

2. See http://www.italyguides.it/us/siena_i...p_of_siena.php zoom it to see the street names. You can walk from Piazza Gramsci to the church San Dominico in about three minutes. Alma Domus is about a two minute walk below the church.

Henry

BarbaraJ

6abc - we took the bus from Rome to Siena last October. Here's what I remember. First, we bought our tickets for the bus ahead of time, but not the train. The bus is only 5 euros if you buy ahead. We landed at 10:30 am and caught the 2-2:30 pm bus. Note- even though the schedule is in Italian, it's easy to figure out the time. Just click on Roma-Siena, put in your date and a table will come up with the times.

At FCO, follow the signs and all the people to the train station. As you enter, there will be a ticket booth to your left. As for the train to Tiburtina station. It's much cheaper than the express train. When we were there last year, the local to Tiburtina was on the right hand track. Note that there wasn't much room for luggage and lots of people entering and leaveing at stops.

We found it a little confusing after you get to Tiburtina and exit the station. Right next to the station is an area for local buses. Around the corner from that and across the street you will see an area for buses stretching up a slight hill. Start walking up, past the buses lined up there. You will pass a booth on the left and then come to another loading area that looks like a parking lot with shops and ticket offices on both sides. As you face this area, the bus for Siena was on the left hand side about 2/3 the way down. There wasn't a bus there, but just before departure, it pulled in with a big sign for Siena in the window.

I don't know where you buy the tickets there or if you get them from the bus driver. Maybe someone else knows. I'll check my notes and see if there is anything else.

BarbaraJ

Several more items:

Don't forget to validate your ticket in the machine trackside. You'll also know which train is the Express by the mass of people with their luggage waiting there.

There are several doors out of the Tiburtina station. We happened to walk out where the local busses were and then searched for the bus to Siena.

Henry

6abc,
It has been awhile but I thought the Hotel Italia was adaquate http://www.hotelitaliaroma.com/en.htm It is a couple of blocks from the Miami. See http://www.romaviva.com/roma-img/pop...popup=Rome_Map
for where to go

Henry

kybourbon

Some bus lines are no longer dropping off at Piazza Gramsci, they are dropping at the train station only. I would check with Sena bus to make sure where they drop you. If the train station you can take a local bus up to Piazza Gramsci (buy your ticket in the magazine shop in the train station).

From Piazza Gramsci follow directions for S. Domenico. Go down the street on the left side as you are facing Domenico. Right after the street curves around you will see the steps on the left down to the entrance of Alma Domus.

FWIW - The guy at the desk insisted to some other travelers that Hotel Alma Domus was not a convent and wasn't run by nuns. There really weren't any nuns working there, but I did see a few come through the breakfast room. Breakfast was not very good for the 5€ price tag so you may prefer to eat out. Cereal, bread, yogurt, apples, coffee. I was there Sept. 19/20/21 and it was a bit cold. They had not turned the heat on in the rooms (many places don't until November)so you may want to take something warm to sleep in. I don't know how small a single would be as they lost my reservation and I ended up with a double at single rates. Internet is free for 20 minutes and after that it's 1€ per hour.

Dayle

6abc,

If you are dropping your car (Avis) at Foligno, it's right in the train station building. Couldn't be easier to take the train from the to Termini. As I remember, it took about 1 hr 20 min.

Buon viaggio!

6abc

Barbara, Henry and Dale thanks so much the info was very helpful. And yes it is an Avis car so that will be very convenient.

Also thanks for the no heat in the rooms untill Nov. I will be bringing some silk long johns.

OK I am starting to get excited and less nervous.

6abc

kybourbon thanks for the heads up on the bus station I will look into it. Oh heck I was all set for some nuns. It would remind me of my school days.

BarbaraJ

6abc - On the schedule on the Sena bus schedule, click on information next to the bus you want to take and a screen will pop up with the stops that bus makes.

Also, it looks like the fare is 20 euros per person if you don't book ahead. Our flight came in at 10:30 and we easily made the 2 pm bus.

For dinner try Osteria Nona Gina. It's on the other end of town from where you are staying, close to the Duomo, but still within walking distance. This was our favorite restaurant there (although we never made it to Cane e Gatto). It is a small place with only two servers - only one speaks English and she waited on the tourists. There were usually more locals as tourists. For an appetizer, they have a stuffed gnocchi in pesto that is to die for. The gnocchi are so light and fluffy. We also liked the pici w/ a wild boar ragu. Pici is a local pasta, resembling really thick spaghetti. It is a small place and you may want to make reservations. It was hit or miss as to the seating.

When are you leaving? We leave in a week and a half and can't wait!

BarbaraJ

Here are the reviews on Trip Advisor for Osteria Nona Gina in Siena as well the address and map:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...a_Tuscany.html

6abc

BarbaraJ Osteria Nona Gina sounds wonderful. We will check it out. I like the idea of non tourist places to eat.

We are leaving on Oct. 11. When do you leave? And will you be going to Siena?

Excited too!!!

BarbaraJ

6abc - I'm leaving on the 11th as well and my husband is joining me on the 15th. We won't be in Siena this trip. I'm going with several friends on a culinary tour based out of Parma and then my husband and I are heading for Florence and Milan.

We were in Siena for a week last year and enjoyed it. It's even better in the early morning or at night when all the crowds have gone. If you like art, there is a wonderful museum that has mainly Sienese artists from the 12th - 15th centuries. It's done in chronological order - it was interesting to see how the art progressed. Of course, once we were done, we didn't need to see another Madonna and Child for awhile.

For gelato, there is a great place just off the Campo. I need to look at a map, but as you exit the Campo going toward the Duomo it is immediately on your right. There is another one across the street with beautiful displays, but we found the gelato in the one on the right better - and so did the locals it seemed. I'll try to get out my notes and see what I have.

Also do a search on here for Siena. There were a lot of good recommendations that I found before we our last trip.

Barb

6abc

BarbaraJ thanks for all the tips and your trip sounds wonderful. Enjoy the cooking and post when you return.

kybourbon

Now that I think about it, I do remember seeing the Sena buses picking up and dropping off at Piazza Gramsci. It was the Siena Mobilita from southern Tuscany that were dropping at the train station.

As for a single room, they usually have one single twin-sized bed, not a double. Many times convents don't have any double beds, only singles.

Alma Domus says to follow their directions on their website, but I didn't find them very good.

I would also e-mail Sena about the bus location at Tiburtina. I started to take the Marozzi bus to Tiburtina from the Amalfi coast a few weeks ago as I had injured my arm and didn't want to tackle the steps in the train station at Naples. I had used the Marozzi before, but they told me the drop off point was moved and was now 1k walk from the Tiburtina station. The Tiburtina station is a bit seedier than other stations so watch for pickpockets. Use the ATM at the airport instead of Tiburtina.

6abc

Thanks for the heads up Kybourbon

lovertravel

stay outside Siena
more hotels have cable with driver to transport you to/from the center
We have choise ( nice..)hotel with
pool and gardens and it has been a lovely stay

6abc

Hi all just landed last night from our self guided hiking trip in Tuscany. I will post a trip report once I get settled in. I will start it as a new topic. Thanks again everyone for all of your tips they were all very helpful.

6abc

Hi everyone,

I figured I would put a link to my trip report in this old forum. All of you helped me so much in my travel plans.

The first few days are from Siena and the next part of the trip is the self - guided adventure then we are off to Umbria on our own.

It is a work in progress and I am still writing the last few days of our adventure.

Thanks again to all of you for your ideas.
6abc

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35169919