Day trip from Florence: Siena or Rome?

Most of the Eurostars that run between Florence and Rome are non-stops. The travel time is 1hr-40min. The fare is 39.90Euro on the fastest Eurostar.

Siena is simply lovely to visit but given the choice of Rome for about the same travel time as Siena, I would vote for Rome.

Check out train schedules and prices at www.trenitalia.com. I really think that going to Rome for the one day is a waste of time. You will have precious little time to wait in any lines, much less the line at The Vatican. To do this, you would have to plan ahead and make a reservation for a tour. Even walking around on your own, you would barely scratch the surface of things to see and do in Rome. Instead of Siena, you might want to go to some of the less frequented hill towns such as Volterra, Civita di Bagnoregio, Orvieto, Cortona, Assisi....part of the fun is getting there.

Too much to see/do in Rome for a "day trip" from Florence. My suggestion would be Siena. You will have more time to explore and enjoy.

Rome deserves at least 2 days, one night there.

You are going to be really rushed - I promise. It wouldn't be too enjoyable. It's like "tag" I saw it, and you have to move on!

You can walk from Termini to the Colosseum, or catch the Metro, it's only a short distance. Expect lines at the site to get in.

Trevi fountain is close as is the Pantheon, Piazza Navona is walkable from here too. Forget the Vatican and Sistine Chapel, lines....

Siena is so pretty, so laid back compared to Rome. You should see the Campo, climb up to the bell in the tower for fantastic views. You should see the Duomo/unfinished part, and walk the walls there. The tiny streets open to some wonderful sounds/smells, and great shopping. Siena would not be a rushed day, and you would miss something really beautiful.

Antuany,

That is a tough choice. Rome has so much to see and one day is not enough. Siena is beautiful. I fell in love with it. It is quiet and quaint. My vote would be Siena.

Thank you for the responses. I understand that Rome is an amazing place, with so much to see. Even one week in Rome would not be enough time to properly experience everything (we would have to throw our coins into Trevi to ensure a return trip).

My big question/concern is this: since my girlfriend has never been to Italy, would a first trip be complete without seeing Rome?

We would not have time to go into museums, the Colosseum, Vatican museums, etc, but their grandeur can be enjoyed by spending an hour or a few hours outside of each of them.

Would starting at the Colosseum, then experiencing the Pantheon, walking by Trevi Fountain, then Piazza Navona en-route to Ponte San Angelo & the Vatican be a more memorable experience than Siena? Travel times would be nearly the same.

It would be a whirlwind tour of the Eternal City, but we have scheduled 3 nights in Cinque Terre afterwards for relaxing.

If I sound biased towards Rome, I've never been to Siena, so don't know what to expect if that becomes our daytrip.

When you say "first trip" it implies that there will be another trip. If that is the case, then save Rome for another trip when you can really experience it.

Siena is lovely in May. If you choose Siena take the bus and not the train. The express bus from Firenze to Siena is actually faster and puts you off right in the middle of the historic city. The trains station is actually outside of the main town.

Should you chose Rome it sounds like you understand the limits of your trip and won't feel disappointed (make sure your girlfriend understands the limits as well). If the weather is nice you might want to consider one of the Hop on Hop off Bus tours. It gives a nice general overview of the city and allows you to get off at the sites you would like to see. Combine that with some strolling the streets, nice lunch outside, a gelato and it would be a nice day.

Thanks Maggie.

If we go the Siena route, where do we catch the bus? I've found information on train schedules and rates, but I'm not sure where to find bus schedule information.

Since you are familiar with Rome then you know how to get around, to best maximize your action packed day tour.

That being said, I certainly wouldn't spend 3 days in the CT vs. a shorter stay in Cinque Terre and then being able to do an overnight in Rome. Rome is MUCH more important/exciting/historical/vibrant than the CT (I know, I don't have to tell you that!). I guess what you need to evaluate is which place your girlfriend would be more interested in --- a day in Siena, a smaller charming walled medieval city OR a whirlwind, frenzy thru Roma.

As to the travel time & logistics of Rome versus Siena, it's about comprable. As you said Florence-Rome is 90 minutes on the fast rains. For Florence-Siena, you'd want to opt for the SITA bus, as it's more direct -- the bus drops you off inside city walls vs. the train, which is further away. Bus takes about 1 hr, 15 minutes.

SITA buses leave from behind, or next to main train station in Florence. It's been awhile since I was there, so don't recall exact orientation, other than bus departures being quite close to train station.

Bus Schedule:

http://www.sitabus.it/sita-toscana/Firenze-Siena06.pdf

Antuany- In 2003, my husband and I took a trip to Italy. We were not planning on Rome, but when we realized how close it was by train we made a day trip there from Orvieto. And what an awesome day it was. We caught a 7:30 am train (you'd have to catch it a little earlier), arrived 8:30, bought a one day Metro Pass, headed straight to the Vatican and spent the morning there(St. Peter's, Sistene chapel) Ate lunch by the spanish steps, went to Trevi Fountain. Caught the metro to the Colloseum and visited it and the Forum in the afternoon. Walked form there to the Pantheon, stopped by Trevi one more time and headed home. We were back in Orvieto before 9. People always say "Rome deserves more". I say if you only have a day...it is an incredible day!! Rick Steve's says: "Crazy as it sounds, if all you have is a day, it is one of the most exciting days that Europe has to offer" My husband and I returned for 3 days in 2008, but nothing will match our first "go for broke blitz tour of Rome" Good times Good times. My vote: ROME. Easier to get to than Siena, and just a better day trip all way round. P.S. My husband and I were in our late 40's at the time.

Antuany~
Both Rome and Siena were my two favorite stops on my last trip. That said, I vote for Rome though. To me, the CT is small town, and Flo is medium town so go to Rome for a city day. I think it would be a nice change from what you have already seen.

Your expectations don't seem out of line for a day trip so I doubt you would leave disappointed, unless it was because you were leaving. :o) How wonderful to be able to sit in a cafe that you visited while you were a student and be able to share your experience with your GF.

Hopefully you and she will go back someday and be able to spend more time there. I know that no matter what you decide you will have a great time.

Siena is very nice but Rome is even better.You could take a general bus tour of Rome from the train station which would give a overview of Rome.

The bus station in Florence is literally a 5 minute walk around the corner from SMN train station. It drops you in Siena at the Piazza Gramsci, which puts you right in town. The return bus to Florence likewise departs from the same place. The bus is hands down the best way to go between Florence and Siena. Hardly more than 1 hour total travel time each way as I recall.

Thanks for all the advice everyone. It seems like the opinions are mixed, so based solely on price (Siena should be around 1/3 the price of tickets to Rome) I think we've decided to go to Siena. It was a tough decision, but I'm sure we'll love either destination.

I would reommend Rome. We were in siena for a day and we had a great time we took a cooking class there so we did not see that much of Siena. We saw Il Campo and the Duomo. Loved the cooking class definitely a highlight. But Rome was such an amazing city. Either way you cannot go wrong because you will be in Italy. Have a great trip.