My daughter is traveling alone to Siena for a college summer class in August. I'm looking for advice for which airport to fly into - Milan, Rome, or Florence and then how to get to Siena. Florence would most most likely require another flight connection, since she would be coming from Seattle or Portland. Ease of connections is important. Also, should she avoid going through Paris due to connection difficulties that I have read about here? Thanks.

Rome would seem to be quicker to connect to. Leonardo da Vinci airport in Pisa is the closest large airport - Florence airport is a secondary airport to it and Pisa to Siena can easily be done by train and probably by bus in an hour or so.

Hi O,

Choose the cheapest flight that has decent connection times.

She can fly into Rome, Pisa or Florence.

Milan and Bologna take too long on the train as you have to go through Florence.

There is bus service from Rome Tiburtina station to Siena. www.senabus.it

She can take the train from FCO to Tiburtina.

Alternatively, take the train from Rome or Pisa to Florence SMN and the SITA bus to Siena.

PS,

I suggest that you get your daughter to register here and plan this herself.

There is a new non-stop from Seattle to Paris and then a connection to Pisa on Air France. May I ask how people's experience with Air France has been and how CDG is for the connection to Pisa.

Olyman, which airline is flying non-stop Seattle to Paris?

AirFrance starts Non-stop SEA-CDG in June.

Hi O,

How long is the CDG connection?

It looks like an hour and forty minutes. That doesn't seem much time to me for an international connection.

Ira's advice is consistently very good but especially so on this one. Of course you'll want to help, but she'll learn so much and have a better understanding if she does the planning.

For myself even two hours would be too risky for a connection through CDG. Better to avoid it alltogether if you can. I avoid London for the same reason.

Thanks. It looks like the best for her might be Seattle to Dulles to Rome and back using United frequent flyer miles. And then the bus to/from Siena.