We are a group of 4 staying near Siena in early October and would like to do a day trip to Florence. We will have a car but do not care to drive in Florence. Would like suggestions/opinions on taking the train vs bus. Also, would appreciate suggestions of what to see and do. Thank you!
Posted by
11499 posts
A priority for Florence is visiting Michelangelo’s “ David.” It is one of the most beautiful works of art that exists.
Posted by
Florida, USA
250 posts
When you say "we are staying near Siena" that is a pretty big area. If you have to drive to get to Siena, I suggest the train as your best option. The travel time to Florence is longer but there is a (inexpensive) public parking lot also the street from the station.
Posted by
38 posts
If driving to Siena then taking a bus/train sounds like too much of a hassle then you could also explore driving to a park and ride lot on the outskirts of Florence and taking the tram in. Rick's book recommends the Villa Costanza lot at the end of the T1 tram line.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15826 posts
Near Siena where?
If you are not in the city itself and you have a car, the best option is probably to drive on the freeway to the Villa Costanza parking (at least 1 hr drive depending on where you drive from) which has its own exit on the A1 freeway, and from there take the light rail T1 for the 20+ minutes trolley ride. There are parking lots closer to the city center, but considering the time it takes to drive to those from the freeway, Villa Costanza + tramway is overall more efficient as the light rail has its own dedicated tracks and is not affected by traffic much.