Routing suggestions appreciated for Italy trip.
 

Hey ho Fellow Fodorites. Long time...

I'm planning my next trip to Italy and am including a few new places. I'm trying to determine what route I should take.

The particulars:

a) I do not want to rent a vehicle- so will be traveling by train/bus/hired car.
b) Doesn't really matter where I fly into/out of; airfare right now is looking about the same for all my options (i.e. into Rome, out of Venice; into Pisa, out of Rome; into Rome, out of Florence, etc)
c) I want 5 nights Rome, 2 nights Bologna, and then want to fit in a day in Padua, a day in Siena and a day in Greve.
d) Thinking I could get Padua in on a day trip from Bologna (making Bologna 3 nights). Maybe base in Siena or Greve for a couple days and do day trip to the other.
e) Timing is last two weeks of October this year.

Any constructive input is appreciated. Hope some of my old friends here will have some good suggestions. :) Thanks!

P

tt

Include Bologna in your flight searches. Sometimes I see similar prices for there. You might also add Florence in the search.

You can't easily visit Greve by public transport except from Florence. From there it's quite easy (bus takes about an hour). Greve is not somewhere you can base for day trips by public transport unless you just want to visit a town or two on the Florence bus line (a few runs go a bit further to Panzano). There used to be some summer service onto Siena (not sure there still is), but it was very limited (couple of runs per week). Chianti by public transport is very limited. Greve is tiny. Not sure what you would do spending an entire day there. There are much more interesting towns than Greve.

As for Siena, you can take the Sita bus from Florence (rapid takes about 75 minutes). There's a bus from Rome airport to Siena (double check it's still running as it just started a year or so ago) and there is a bus from Rome Tiburtina station. Bus (Sena) between Siena/Rome is better than the train as the bus drops you at the city center and doesn't require changes like the train does (travel time is the same - 3 hours).

http://www.sitbusshuttle.com/en/nuov...iumicino-roma/

http://www.sena.it/

From Siena, some day trips are possible by bus (such as Montalcino) a few by train. Here's the bus info for the area. Click the "mappa extraurbano Siena" on the right to download the bus route map.

http://www.tiemmespa.it/index.php/Vi...na/Extraurbano

Keep in mind that rural bus service is geared around commuters and schools. There may be gaps in service in the afternoon and most towns don't have any bus service on Sunday (doesn't apply to Siena/Rome or Siena/Florence).

If you base in Siena, you will need several days to allow for day trips. There's enough in Siena alone to occupy you several days.

Hi sarge - whatever you decide, you should avoid Bologna prior to the 17th, unless you want to pay triple the normal room rate.

http://www.bolognafiere.it/en/calend...ogico_corrente

I would probably tailor an itinerary to coincide with some fall festivals in the area. Have fun planning!

Thx KY- I appreciate the information reguarding the bus to Greve from Florence. I knew about the bus Florence/Siena. (Bologna, Padua, Florence, Siena, Rome?)

So, do you think it is best to start in Bologna and work my way west and then south?

Holly- old friend! Good to see your post. I'm kind of locked into those dates due to my work schedule. But I won't be arriving until the 16th, do I may have to pay more for a day! Please email me, Holly, if you've got some fave spots in Bologna you think I should see! (Do you still have my email address?)

Thx!

tt

Tt