misscarol

have posted a few times and have received good advice on prior trips and also in the advance planning for this trip. We have finally booked with our FF miles for arrival June 22 in Pisa. We plan on using Lucca as our base and using the train and taxi for transport. Total length of trip is only 9 days, so we are some what limited. We have already been to Florence, Rome Venice, Amalfi. My plan so far is to spend time in Lucca and get to the Cinque Terre area and one other town outside of Lucca. Unfortunately, we are also departing from Pisa, so that means tracking back rather than North to Milan area. My questions: I checked the train schedule and it looks like I can get a train to La Spezia, which takes approx l-1/2 hours. Stay here or use the ferry to go to one of the towns for overnight Which town? Riomaggiore or should we shoot up to Portovenere and train back to La Spezia and back to Lucca? I figure we can only spend about 2 days total here. After return to Lucca, I have heard there is no train to Sienna. Is it feasible to hire a car and spend one night there and then the train back to Pisa with an overnight there? Is this too much-I don't like a new town every day. Maybe, I should spend the extra $$ and change the departure to Milan???

PalenqueBob

You can reach any of the 5 Cinque Terre villages directly by train - train to La Spezia then catch the hourly milk train that stop at each of the villages.

Lucca-Siena is very possible by train. From Lucca train to Pisa, change for train to Empoli where you change to trains for Siena. Service is hourly on all connections so very feasible.

Alpicella

I have a suggestion on traveling
to Cinque Terra. It is just the most
beautiful place to visit. As all of
Italy is Bella. I would suggest that
you take the Train to Cinque Terra if
possible. We went by car and had no
parking available. I would of loved
to have walked and visited alot longer.
You will have a wonderful time in Lucca. Have a wonderful trip. I plan on
visiting my family on the Italian
Rivera in July.

ira

Hi M,

>... I have heard there is no train to Sienna.<

Probably not, but there is one to Siena.

I suggest taking the train to Florence, and then the SITA bus (station is on Via Santa Caterina de Siena about 2 blks from the Florence SMN station).

The bus drops you in Siena. The train station is about 1.5 km out of town.

Travel time is about the same as by train.

PalenqueBob

I think Ira has the better route - train to Florence then SITA bus (which goes about 3-4 times an hour and costs about 5 euros i think - but key is takes you right up to the top of the hill rather than dumping you off at the bottom, like the train. SITA buses leave right next to the Florence SMN station, so an easy transfer.