Donna11

I have looked at various posting for the options from Rome to Siena. There appears to be 2 options by train or bus. My hotel is on the outskirts of Siena so I will only need to get to the train station not the center of Siena. The bus was my first thought but after reading other postings I noticed comments that the Tiburtina bus station is not the easiest to navigate and may be more congested.

I see the train has a switch in either Florence or Chiusi. Is one easier than the other?

I have looked at both the Sena bus schedule and train schedules so they appear to be about the same travel time.

I am traveling with the a senior so looking for the best option that wouldn’t involve a lot of walking. Train or Bus? Florence or Chiusi if using the train?

Thanks everyone.

sparkchaser

<i>Most Comfortable Option Bus or Train</i>

Train. Unless it's a luxury bus, which it won't be.

willit

I don't think there is much in it in terms of comfort, the advantage of the Sena bus being that it is usually much cheaper, and there are no changes.

You are correct in your comment about Tiburtina bus station being congested, but it is not too difficult.

The Sena bus does stop at the Siena railway station before going up to the city centre if your hotel is near the station.

zoecat

I've done both. i fou d the bus very comfortable and easy. I had no problem finding the bus stop at Tiburtina and thought the whole trip was better than the train.

Keep in mind that if you take the train you will need to haul your luggage off and on when changing trains. On the bus, you just place it under the bus and the driver will get it out for you at your stop.

Jean

My husband tends to have motion sickness on buses, even when we're on highways, and I like to get up and walk around a bit, so we almost always choose train over bus.

The train to Florence will be nicer than the train to Chiusi, and the fare will be higher using that route, but the connection would be easier at Chiusi.

There is a third train option, connecting at Grosseto, which may be the cheapest but a little longer overall. The Rome-Grosseto train will be the nicer type, and the connecting time is more than 30 minutes. I haven't traveled through Grosseto by train, so I don't know how this station compares to Chiusi.

If it matters, the Rome-Grosseto train will run near the coast for several miles, stopping at Civitavecchia. The Rome-Chiusi train will pass Orvieto, so you'd get a view of the town perched on the tufo cliffs. The train will stop at Orvieto, but you can't see the town from the station.

PalenQ

regional trains IME can be dicey in Italy - and those are all regional trains to Chiusi I believe and many from there to Rome. They can be crowded at times - like on this very line between Siena and Chiusi-Chianciano Terme station at one stop a swarm of school kinds swarmed aboard making it SRO for a few stops - no fun for me at least being surrounded by loud typical teens

and some are what the old Soviet Union called 'hard class' hard metal seats - and some are rather more modern.

I'm a train nut and would always take the train but in this case I am not sure the train is more comfy than a bus - of course the major diff on trains being you can freely get up and walk around - easier to go to the loo, etc.

For lots of great info on Italian trains check out these IMO fantastic sites - www.seat61.dcom; www.ricksteves.com and http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id12.html.

Ciao ciao for now!

kybourbon

You've posted this twice. My posts on that thread:


**kybourbon on Aug 16, 13 at 5:25pm

>>>I am traveling with the a senior so looking for the best option that wouldn’t involve a lot of walking. Train or Bus? Florence or Chiusi if using the train?<<<

The best option is the bus. Your luggage is loaded underneath and you don't worry about it again until you get to Siena. Taking the train requires changing trains mid-route. Sometimes you only have a minute or two to grab your luggage, hop off the train and jump on the other train. You also have to validate your ticket for the second leg while changing trains.

>>>My hotel is on the outskirts of Siena so I will only need to get to the train station not the center of Siena.<<<

There are outskirts surrounding Siena. Do you know for sure your hotel is near the train station? Even so, assuming you plan to catch transport from Siena to your hotel (local bus?), the Sena bus drops at the big bus hub for buses (Piazza Gramsci) for the area. The train station is not a bus hub. Some buses do stop there, but not all. Could advise you better if you state your hotel.

kybourbon on Aug 16, 13 at 5:27pm
FYI - The Sena bus makes a stop at the train station before reaching it's final destination (Piazza Gramsci).*

>>>other postings I noticed comments that the Tiburtina bus station is not the easiest to navigate and may be more congested.<<<

The bus areas at both Tiburtina and Termini are the similar (I find Termini more confusing with poor layout). Tiburtina has an area for city buses, but the Sena bus is a private line and these are usually grouped in a bit different area. They are very good about answering e-mails and will give you directions on where to board.

The trains Rome/Siena are old with no amenities. You didn't mention time of year, but I've rarely found one of these old trains to have working AC.

The train stops for 1 minute (yes, only 1!) at Chiusi where you have to change trains. You would have to be at the door with your luggage ready to hop off to change trains. If you aren't, the train will head on to Florence with you still on board. Many people make the mistake of thinking trains stop longer and wait to gather their belongings until the train stops. They then don't make it to the door before the train has departed again. You need to be aware that the senior will have to get their own luggage on and off the train. This involves narrow steps and if you lower your luggage down the steps in front of you, the weight can pull you forward and out/down. Last time I took this train it departed Rome 50 minutes late.

bobthenavigator

The bus will be easier IMHO. You will have to taxi to your hotel anyway from either staion.

bobthenavigator

The bus will be easier IMHO. You will have to taxi to your hotel anyway from either staion.

flpab

I did the bus and sat right behind the driver. I enjoyed the scenery through his huge window. I didn't want to change trains.It was easier for me. I took the bus to the train station in Rome.