Hello --

We're traveling to Italy tomorrow, and our plans changed today about where and when we are meeting some friends of ours who are also travelling in Italy.

Now, we are all going to stay in an agriturismo in Pienza for a night before moving on to Siena. Since we will be using public transportation from Orvieto to try and meet up with our friends, we are thinking that it would be best to find a bus that goes from Orvieto to Montepulciano on Wednesday in the early afternoon. I cannot navigate the SITA site to determine the schedule between these two towns.

Is anyone familiar with the bus schedule, or able to point me in the direction of a website with a bus schedule in English?

Many thanks.

I'm honestly not aware whether there is direct bus service between Orvieto and Montepulciano. However, it's certainly easy to get there by combination train/bus, as follows:

1. From Orvieto train station, take a local or intercity train to Chiusi-Chianciano Terme station (20-30 minute run). Schedules at www. trenitalia.com

2. From outside of the Chiusi station, take the hourly bus bound for Montepulciano (45 minute??? run).

You can get to the Orvieto station by funicular from the eastern edge of the town.

Hi Mom.

I looked up several hotels in Montepulciano. They all recommended taking the train to Chiusi and the bus to Montepulciano, just like GAC said.

Unfortunately, the SITA bus site is not working, so I can't give you schedules.

It is only 17 km. You could always take a cab.

The bus company which runs between Chiusi Scalo (i.e. Chiusi train station) and Montepulciano is:

LFI

The fare should be Euro 1.60, and service should be hourly (hopefully connecting up with train arrivals and departures)

Thanks to all

I've been looking online using the helpful information you've offered.

It *looks* like from the Trenitalia website that we can take a train from Orvieto to Montepulciano, changing trains at Chiusi, and it will take anywhere from 38-54 minutes depending on which train we take. Since the schedule's in Italian, that's just taking my best guess.

The train does not run as often as the bus would, but we won't be in a crunch to make a 2:33 train from Orvieto.

Thanks again to all.

Bingo! This is faster than the train/bus combination, ALTHOUGH you'll need to call a taxi from the Montepulciano train station to reach your hotel in the Centro Storico. Even if you had chosen to take the bus into town, you might still have felt the need for a taxi to reach the hotel, to avoid having to navigate the narrow and steep footpaths of the medieval town with suitcases in tow.

So there is a station in montepulciano? I have heard mention of it but noticed - like Ira - that most hotels mention bus from Chiusi. When you come back please post and let me know how this works out - would be very useful for my trip this summer. Thanks!

Cathryn: the train station of Montepulciano is located 10 kilometers northeast of the town; that is why most hotels recommend taking the bus from Chiusi train station. If one were to change trains in Chiusi and get off at the Montepulciano station, one would still need to take a taxi into town or perhaps one of the local buses (assuming a convenient connection with the arriving train). This option could be attractive if the train connection at Chiusi is not too long (nor too tight). Otherwise, one might as well get off at Chiusi and take the bus into Montepulciano.

Is it feasible to go to Montepulciano as a daytrip from Rome? Say take an early train from Rome to Orvieto and bus to Montepulciano? Have lunch in Mont. and dinner in Orvieto and late train back to Rome?

Barb - Looks reasonable enough to me.

There is a connecting bus from Chiusi Station to Montepulciano for every train arrival.

It looks like 07.14 or 08.47 from Roma Termini, or 08.02 from Roma TIBURTINA.

Return times from Orvieto are:
19.28
20.12
21.28
22.12

www.trenitalia.it

Hope this helps ...

Steve

A day trip is doable indeed. You would get off the train at CHIUSI, not Orvieto. From Chiusi Station there is a connecting bus to Montepulciano.

P.S. You can take a return bus back to Chiusi Station from Montepulciano.

Trains then leave Chiusi for Orvieto at:
13.51
15.01
15.51
17.01

Journey time is 20-30 mins.

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Thanks everyone!

I know we have discussed areas to store luggage in large train stations - Do smaller stations such as Orvieto have those as well?

reward ticket reservations finally came thru so now the real planning begins!

Thanks GAC and Steve!!

Very helpful thread. I was thinking of taking the train from Siena to Orvieto, stopping off to see Montepulciano. Thanks to this discussion, it sound feasible.

There is only onequestion left- can I chech my bags at Chiusi station while I go to Montepulciano?