Siena, in the heart of Italy’s Tuscany regions, is one of the great medieval cities to explore. It's a UNESCO world heritage site. It is so well preserved that it attracts visitors by the millions and yet most people don't spend the night here. They are visiting on a day trip, maybe three hours, half a day. So we’re going to show you some tips on how to get the most out of your visit. Siena has so many attractions we’ll be exploring it in several movies in our series. Most people who visit Siena are staying in nearby Florence just over an hour away by bus or by train or by driving. So we’re going to show you the best way to get from Florence to Siena, to begin your explorations. Like many travelers, you’re probably relying on public transportation to get around, like bus or train. And in getting from Florence to Siena a very convenient way to do it is by taking the bus, the SITA bus line, SITA. Their bus station is right in the heart of Florence across the street from the main Florence train station, and you can easily buy your bus ticket right on the spot at the bus station. Just get to the window, queue up maybe, if you're traveling on a weekend it'll be busier but during the week it's much better, there's fewer people, and you can get on your bus and head to Siena.
You want to be sure to catch the Rapida bus rather than the ordinary bus, because the Rapida is nonstop, it just takes an hour and 15 minutes so that's very convenient. The other bus does make three or sometimes four stops along the way, it could take you an hour and 40 minutes, so get the Rapida, it's the same price and more convenient. There is generally one bus an hour and you can check the schedule on their website. Lately they're leaving it 9:10, 10:10, 11:10 AM for example. And it's usually not too busy, especially if you're traveling during the week and during the off-season. On a weekend it'll be a lot more busy and you might have to stand – some people stand all away, it's possible, but you'd much rather have a seat. The bus seats are quite comfortable and you get a lovely view out the big windows of the rolling hills of Tuscany as you drive along. Most of the route is on a freeway so it's not the most scenic journey in the world but you do get nice glimpses of the vineyards and a few olive trees here and there, and the green hills in the distance. You might even notice of fortified hilltop village off on the right side of the bus. You could travel from Florence to Siena by train but it's really not convenient. It takes two hours, which is much longer than the bus ride, and when you get to Siena the train station is not in the Old Town – it's down below and it could take you a half an hour walking uphill to get to the Siena Old Town, so in this case going by bus between Florence and Siena is the best way to go. Upon arrival in Siena you'll probably want to use the facilities at the bus ticket office. They've got a pay toilet which is very clean and very convenient, and you could buy your return ticket if you didn't already purchase a round-trip ticket back in Florence. And if you're staying overnight in Siena for a few days you'll find that you can ride the bus to some of the other nearby towns of Tuscany. It's a very easy walk from this bus stop into the Old Town – it will only take a few minutes and then right away you're in the pedestrian zone. We have got several detailed movies about the visit to Siena walking the little lanes and bringing you into the great cathedral and explore the main piazza il Campo. Have a look at our YouTube channel and our website where you'll find more than 1000 travel movies.