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2 questions about day trips from florence

Posted by on

Hi: Thanks to this forum for such useful information. We have learned so much and cut out unreasonable things in our itinerary based on reading here. We have now decided upon 2 day trips from florence. One to Castiglioncello and one to Siena. My questions surround these areas.

1) I have read mention of private beaches. Are these member only or can we pay to access them? If so, how does one do that and is there one that is recommended? I know there are public beaches, but given that we are traveling, it may be nice to have accommodations available to change etc. any info would be so appreciated.

2) Siena.....i know that it gets incredibly full with day trippers (and i know i am one, saying this upfront). We were thinking of taking an early bus there and train home (due to the later times) which may allow us to see the city a little less full. So, we were thinking of trying to take a taxi out of Siena at the heart of the day to see a winery and have lunch, to return to Siena later afternoon and remain for early evening dinner and less crowds. Is this feasible? I found Madonnabella winery which appears 15 minutes by car. Are there taxis available? Does this sound unreasonable? Does anyone know about this place? I think it checks a few boxes, tuscan hills, lunch at a winery and see some of Siena with less crowds. We decided against an organized tour which seemed to always have Siena and San Gimignano with a stop for lunch because it was so rushed which didn't appeal to us. We do love the idea of seeing a winery for lunch and then returning to Siena for more time. Maybe there are other wineries or closer ones that will have the feel of being in the beautiful hills that you may recommend. Any thoughts would be so appreciated.

Posted by
15165 posts
  1. They are not member only beach clubs. You can pay and use their facilities for the day. The main benefit of those concessions is that they rent you chairs, chez, beach umbrella, and also a changing room (if needed). They also have restrooms (although everybody can use those since they don’t check tickets to use them). You can also use the free beaches and pay nothing, but for one day the cost of renting a spot at a concession is not going to break your wallet. I presume you go in summer, because those concessions do not operate out of season. Just go to the coffee bar inside and pay at the cash register. You need to specify what you need to rent (how many chairs, chez, umbrellas, and whether you need a changing cabin (I never do as I can change with a towel around my waist on the beach).
  2. Yes there are taxis available in Siena. To return home to Firenze I think the buses operate just as late as the trains. Check the schedule.
Posted by
8141 posts

It's easier to take a bus down and back to Siena. You catch buses out the side door of the train station around the corner from the McDonalds' restaurant. The Siena train station is out on the edge of town, and you'd catch a city bus into the city center.

I would just make Siena as a day trip. If you want to visit the wineries, there are wine tours out of Florence that will take you to places like Montalcino for the best reds there are.

Posted by
64 posts

Thanks for the information. Are there any particular beach clubs that you would recommend Roberto? As for Siena, I will certainly look at the schedule. I thought i saw the train running later, but if not, from the feedback on this forum it definitely seems like the bus makes more sense. Maybe our thought to leave town mid-day and then return is too ambitious or doesn't make sense, just want to make the most of our experience. Thanks for your feedback.

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