pat

From Florence, I would like to go to Sienna and/or San Gimignano for one or two days. Question #1, if I had to chose one over the other, which one should I go to. Question #2, if I do both, are there buses between them ( not driving). Question # 3, from one or both locations is there a bus available to get to Rome. Any recommendations on hotels in both locations? I will be traveling the lst week of November. Thanks for all your help. <BR>Pat

vit

Pat, I was in Italy last summer and San Giminano was one of the best experiences of the trip. I had a car and we also went there from Florence. We went directly to Siena spend a couple fo hours there and stopped by SG on a way back. It is not a long trip, and there are definetely a bus service to Siena. I'm not sure about the bus to SG. I would not miss SG. Although Siena is wonderful, SG is a unique place, charming and very Toscan. Good luck, and try to make it to both places.

mwg

I was there in March. I think stAYING IN SAN GEMIGNANO IS PREFERABLE. BEING THERE AT NIGHT WHEN THE TOURSITS (MOSTLY) leave is magical. Don't know about buses but I'm sure there are plenty of connections. We stayed at La Cisterna in San Gemignano. Previous postings gave many other suitable places, including Leon Balnco.

pat

<BR>Thanks Vit and MWG for your comments about San G. and Siena. Sounds like San G. is the better overnight choice.

richard j. vicek

Good afternoon, Pat <BR>The train runs from Florence to Sienna <BR>with a stop at Poggibonsi changing here <BR>for the bus to SG, check local orairo <BR>as it looks like about five buses only <BR>each day.. Richard of Hickory Hills, Il.. <BR>www.fs-on-line.it/ <BR> <BR>

pat

<BR>Thanks Richard for the info. Do you have any suggestions on where to stay in SG or Siena and if SG is worth spending a whole day? <BR>pat

Paulo

Conceding that I'm strongly biased, Pat, I would always stay in Siena if had a car and would visit SanG on a day trip, trying to leave very early or return late. True that SanG is very nice in the late afternoon/evening and early morning. But so is Siena. IMO, during the day Siena has a much better structure to deal with hords of tourists than SanG. Regarding sightseeing, one doesn't need more than 5 hours to visit all what SanG has to offer. Finally, IMO, SanG has an artificial medieval ambience. The restaured towers, a couple of fine piazzas, palazzi and churches do provide a medieval setting, but the air you breathe has a Disney smell. <BR> <BR>In your case, the situation is a bit different: you don't have a car and want to follow to Rome. <BR> <BR>I would be very surprised if there's a regular bus service from SanG to Rome. Unless proven wrong, I would say that you'll have to take the bus back to Florence and catch a train. This wouldn't be a problem. There are quite a few daily SITA buses from SanG to Florence (and vice versa) and the SITA garage is very close to the SMN train station. <BR> <BR>From Siena, there may be a bus service to Rome but I wouldn't bet on it. The train is an option but most are awkward (trains leaving at 12:15pm and 6:16pm are ok). Also, the train station is inconvieniently located outside the city walls. Unless you plan to take one of the more convenient trains, it may turn out better to take the bus back to Florence and the train thereafter. <BR> <BR>You may consider, spending a night in each city. I would go from Florence to SanG first (SITA bus in via Sta. Catherina di Siena - a bus every hour or so) and go to Siena the next day. Depending on when you want to be in Rome, you may decide on taking the train or opting for the bus-train scheme. <BR> <BR>In Siena, I would strongly recommend the Chiusarelli. Besides being a nice hotel, it's the most convenient in terms of location (only about 100mts from the bus station). We used the Leon Bianco the only night we spent in SanG and were very satisfied (restaured historical palazzo, overlooking SanG's most charming piazza). <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR>

pat

Thanks Paulo for all the advice. Can you explain what you mean about the trains being "awkward" except those at 12:15 and 6:15 pm? Maybe I will just skip SG and head for Siena from Florence. <BR>pat

elaine

I agree with Paolo's assessment of the advantages of Siena over San G. <BR>Unlike most people I was not completely charmed by San G. Yes the towers and the church were impressive, but the main little street leading up to them consisted of one or two small restaurants and one souvenir shop after another. There might have been more to see that I missed, but for me it had a slightly theme park ambience. Siena, however busy and bustling, seemed to me more like a real place where real people shop and eat and conduct business. <BR>The campo had some tourist-trap restaurants, but the rest of the place <BR>had architecture, shops, etc that were charming to walk around. And the Duomo may be the most unique and unforgettable building I've ever seen. <BR>

pat

<BR>Thanks for your insight Elaine. I think I will prefer the real flavor of Siena.

Paulo

By awkward, Pat, I mean that it may take longer for you to catch a taxi to the train station and taking a train that takes almost 4 hours to reach Rome with at least one change in between, than catching an express bus to Florence at the door of your hotel and a train thereafter. The two specific trains I mention take less than 3 hours to get to Rome. <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR>

pat

Gotcha, thanks Paulo. <BR>pat

kam

Hi I think to compare San Gimignano and Siena is trying to compare the proverbial apples to oranges. Recommend you spend a day in SG and an overnight in Siena. Siena if, of course, the much larger, busier city. I would disagree with San Gimignano being "Disney", Paolo, but it does get overrun by tourists in seasons. Perhaps that lent to the "Disney" atmosphere.

M & J

We loved Sienna but have not been to San Gimignano. In Sienna, walking the narrow twisting streets at night was like being in the 1500s, no traffic, just us, flickering light and the cats. For great sculpture, head to the Duomo for wonderful pieces by Michelangelo, Bernini and Donatello . For a rather inexpensive place to stay with challenging showers (such as, no curtains, or only a portion of a curtain, water spraying everywhere that you have to remove the toilet paper out of the bathroom to keep it from being drenched), try the Albergo Lea Hotel. No, we would not return there, but we have many laughs about that shower.....and the value of dry toilet paper !

Cheryl Z.

<BR>Have never been to 'ol San G., <BR>but now that I've seen "Tea with Mussolini", <BR>I'm ready to go, <BR>doncha know, <BR>And I don't care if it is Dis-ney! <BR <BR>

Denise

Pat, San Gimignano is superb. Don't start at the front gate where the tourist shops are (even tho I found the ceramic shops in the end!!!). We spent most of our day walking around the small back streets (after coming in at an entrance other than the main gate) until we hit the main street leading up to the centre of town. San Gimignano was our favourite. We went back again for the ceramics. <BR>Denise <BR>

Paulo

Yes, Kam. SanG was carefully rebuild and <BR>restaured to be a tourist attraction and ... period. Just about all activities in town are directed toward tourism. If there weren't any tourists, the town would be completely dead. Exactly like Disney ... of course, the theme and the way to develop it are completely different. <BR> <BR>I was there once with my wife. We spent a night there. It was cute, nice, relatively interesting, and we had a good time. We wouldn't have gone back if our daughters didn't insist also having their shot. So we went once more, this time on route from Rome to Siena. The girls loved it ... but said they won't go back (well ... they probably will, with their children In the same trip, besides Siena, the girls also visited Rothenburg ob der Tauber ... They are certain they'll return to both cities the first opportunity they have. <BR> <BR>Kam is right, although all 3 are medieval in their architecture, there are no terms for comparison. <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR>

martha

I love 'em both. I don't recommend going to San G if you can't stay overnight, however--the day trippers will overwhelm you. <BR>Siena has more official sights, so you could have a good tiem there even if you weren't swept away by its ambiance. <BR>I'm sort of puzzled by the references to the two places as "medieval." A lot of the buildings I liked were built in 1200 or later, by which point the Renaissance was a-rocking in Italy.

Paulo

Martha <BR>Siena experienced its greatest period of prosperity in the 13th and 14th centuries. Its decline started with the plague in 1348 and by the beginning of the 15th century, after internal struggles and despot rules, its golden age was gone. In the middle of the 15th century the city was finally absorved by the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, ruled by Florence. <BR> <BR>Not counting a period of transition from the Late Gothic, the "true" Renaissance in Architecture is marked by Brunelleschi's Loggia of the Spedale degli Innocenti, in Florence, completed in 1424 (at least that's what I've been taught <BR> <BR>So one has a "happy" (depending from the point of view) coincidence: The days of the Gothic and of Siena's power (money) were gone at the same time. Hadn't it been so, Renaissance certainly would have flourished there as in Florence. <BR> <BR>Besides Siena's medieval walls, gates, and towers, most of its major architecture is Gothic and, deservedly, is defined as THE medieval city in Italy. <BR> <BR>Of course, nobody would expect the old town of Siena to be completely void of Renaissance and Barroque architecture. In fact, quite a few buildings were completed after the half of the 15th century. Compared to the Gothic, though, the scale may be considered minor (specially when compared to the Renaissance in Florence and the Barroque in Rome). <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR>

martha

Thanks Paulo--I tend to look at things from a literary perspective and will try to reform