Hello! One month and counting for my trip to Italy! Thanks to this forum I feel fairly prepared for the trip. However, I am still not sure which method of transport to take to get from Rome to Siena. Train or bus or a combination of both? The guidebooks don't mention this route, it's always, Rome to Florence or Venice. Thank you in advance for your help.

I too will be taking this route a month after you. My research indicates that there are plenty of trains from Termini, with a change in Chiusi for Siena. There are other trains from Termini with a change in Grosseto. Myself, I'm leaning towards the Chiusi route, as there appears to be more trains on a given day.

I did look into buses to Siena from Rome. I learned that most leave from Rome's Tiburtina bus station, which is the fourth stop after Termini on the "B" Metro line.

I'm leaning towards the train though, just because it seems more adventurous, maybe because in my mind it evokes a perception of different times.

Hello kjosker: Thanks for your response. Like you, I also prefer train travel. However I learned that Siena's train station is far from the city which is why I wondered if taking a bus directly from Rome would be better.

azure0327,
Bus or Train from Rome to Siena takes a little over three hours. The train station in Siena is about 2 kilometers from the city. There are buses across the street from the train station and a taxi is only about 6 euro.

The train station in Siena is at the bottom of an incline (OK, hill) and the central part of the town is sitauted at the top. City busses and cabs can take you on the rather short ride from the train station.

The train station is not "far" enough away from the center to warrant taking a bus all the way from Rome. You'll have a lot more room to move around on the train(s) vs. the bus, too.

Thank you! Train it is then... I looked up the schedule on Trenitalia and since my travel day will be on a Saturday, there seems to be an equal number of trains either via Grosseto or Chiusi - which of the two stations is easier to navigate? Thanks again.

Hi Azure,

Did you find a website for bus schedules?

Thanks

Hi cruiseluv:

The website is in Italian but it has the bus schedules grouped by region.

http://www.sita-on-line.it/HomePage.htm

Thank You!

Hi az,

There is a direct bus from Rome Tiburtina to Siena Piazza Gramsci.

See http://www.senabus.it/
Click "Orari..."

Thank you Ira ! Just what I was looking for. Your suggestions are always very helpful.

Take the bus!!!! Don't take the train,the train is slow and you have to change in Chiusi, the bus is faster and direct, leaves you in the centre of town and their are many more that run. If someone that lives in Siena needs to go to Rome they (we) go by bus..

Thank you pixypixy! Taking the bus directly to Siena sounds much more convenient. Which bus do you use - Sena? Also, I will be traveling on a Saturday, are there a lot of buses that run that day? Thanks again...

I've never traveled by bus in Italy but in Spain I've done it to several locations this year and last. I find it more convenient as there is usually more time options and if you're traveling with lugagge it's easier to handle.

Thanks to Ira and PixyPixy( and again to azure) as I'm planning a possible trip to Siena next year and this is very helpful.

For heaven's sake, what is there to obsess about?

There are three possibilities:
a) by train;
b) by bus;
c) by a combination of train and bus.

Look up the schedules so kindly privided by the Fodor's community and decide what suits you best...

Excuse me Eloise but....

To whom were you directing your comment? I didn't notice that anybody was "obsessing", just asking for opinions.

The bus runs on Saturday as during week days (feriale)
Only Sunday there are fewer

Yep the company is Sena

Thanks again pixypixy...

How long do you want to be in Sienna?
This suggestion is for others as well as for you and offers another alternative to bus or train.

I took the train straight to Florence and that was my home base for a couple nights. I hired a driver from a local tour company named "Sunny Tuscany" that offered many options on day trips. He drove a mini van and we had a full day with just me, my Mother and my husband. You can do Sienna and San Gignimano (spelling) or you can do other towns such as Lucca or even Pisa. He is yours for the day! What was really neat is he has a license to drive right into the center of a lot of these towns that tour buses do NOT have and when we went it was raining. It was so nice to be driven through the narrow streets of Sienna and dropped right off in the square! The price was very reasonable too. Their website is www.sunnytuscany.com and my driver was Riccardo.