Hello,

I am looking for practical advise on attending Siena's Palio. We happen to be in Umbria and Tuscany the week of Palio (July 2)with two kids ages 9 and 14. I am trying to figure out the best way to experience the festival in about half a day to a day without exausting the kids by standing in the sun and waiting for too long. I am not sure whether it is more interesting and less painful to attend actual palio or may be the final rehearsal the day before or other related events and whether palio is worth the time in general - we don't enjoy spending time in crowds, but being exposed to local traditions is always great.

Thank you !

Alla.

If you are fortunate enough (and willing to pay a small fortune) to get tickets for the race, I would recommend them as it is a very long wait standing in a large crowd in the hot sun. Also, if you are not tall, it is difficult to see much of the race.

If tickets are not an option, attending the final rehearsal is a good substitute as your family will get a sense of the race and of the excitement surrounding it without having to exhaust yourself in the process. There will be parades in the streets on the days leading up to the race with drummers, flag throwers and townspeople singing the songs of their districts. The morning of the race, there are also parades in the streets with the participants wearing amazing medieval-style costumes which you could see. Try also to see the movie in town about the Palio or have someone explain as much as possible about the race as it will add to your enjoyment.

My family and I really enjoyed the Palio as it is not a tourist event, but rather a city's tradition that tourists are also allowed to watch which has been happening for centuries.

Hope this helps!

Check out www.paliotours.com.

They offer a 4-day tour including lodging, wine tasting, food tasting, the Palio -- the whole shebang for $795 per person.

That's probably too pricey (and long)for what you had in mind, but their website has a great explanation and description of the Palio, its history, various events in the contradas, the contrada flags, etc. Your kids can decide which contrada they want to cheer for. My personal favorite: The Turtle!

If you don't buy tickets you will have to sit in the sun for literally hours before the race begins. The crowd is very packed in and often high-spirited, so it could be a little scary for children (not to mention that a trip to the bathroom is all but out of the question.) A much cheaper, though ultimately less satisfying, alternative is to go to Siena, stake a table at a local restaurant which has a good view of the TV, and watch the whole thing from there. Many locals crowd into the restaurants so the excitement is still there. After the race you can walk around the streets and see grown people literally weeping (some weep for victory, some for defeat.) Don't forget the celebratory dinner in the winning contrade.

You realize, I hope that the race itself only lasts a couple of minutes and the best viewing spots are often impossible to obtain.

On the other had, the days leading up to the race, especially when the groups are dressed and venture to the church for the blessing, parade through the streets, etc., is, IMO, much more impressive and memorable than the race itself.

We are also going to be near Siena at Palio time (only in August). We also have kids and grandparents and have decided to go the day before the main event because of the crowds/heat etc. Does anyone know if you have to get there early to get parking the day before the Palio? We didn't know if we would have time to have lunch in the country on our way to Siena. Any thoughts? How tight is parking outside Siena? Thanks, B

"If you don't buy tickets you will have to sit in the sun for literally hours" : I agree except I'd substitute "stand" for "sit". When I went to the July race, in 1990 I think, we got there about 12 o'clock (don't remember any problem parking) and at that time the unreserved area in the centre of the piazza was empty. We had lunch, got back probably c.1.30, & the barriers around the centre of the piazza were one deep with people all the way round. So we stood one row back until the race which from memory was about 5pm. I'm glad I did it but wouldn't go again unless I could afford a package with balcony/grandstand tickets (around the outside of the track). And I wouldn't take children at all. If you can attend the rehearsal (I didn't know about that) that sounds a better bet.