During a two-week trip this summer that will include Venice, Florence and Rome we will be taking a train from Florence to Siena. We'll have three full days in Siena and want to do day trips to Lucca, Volterra and San Gimignano. Should we rent a car in Siena, hire a driver, hire a guide or take tours in order to see these other towns? We're concerned that we'll miss the countryside trying to drive and navigate. There will be four adults. Thanks for your suggestions!
Posted by
Austin, Texas, USA
4 posts
Lucca, Volterra, and San Gimignano can all be reached by a combination of Train and Bus from Siena. I would recommend NOT renting a car.
You said Three days in Siena? I would recommend you decide against either Lucca or Volterra and spend the day in Siena.
Posted by
Wichita
831 posts
Gary,
You need to use the bus to San Gimignano and Volterra and the bus is a better option to Siena since the Siena train station is about 2km outside of town. See http://www.sitabus.it/sita-toscana/Firenze%20-%20Siena.pdf
Posted by
OP
Tucson, Arizona, United States
5 posts
All,
Thanks for the great advice. We will look into the bus from Florence to Siena and be sure to spend a little more time in Siena.
Any other tips will still be appreciated!
Thanks, Gary
Posted by
Salem, OR
21 posts
We have always rented a car for Tuscany. It is easy to drive there. The roads are fine. I navigate with the maps while my husband drives. You can stop anytime and move on when you are ready. We have used Cortona as our home base and have gone to Sienna, Pienza, Montepulciana, Volterra and many others. We stayed in San G. and Lucca as overnights because they are farther away. I would only five Sienna two days at the most. Love Tuscany!!!
Posted by
Richmond, Ky, USA
277 posts
I would suggest staying in a smaller town, renting a car, and doing a daytrip to Siena. Driving in Tuscany is easy enough, and there are so many small villages that you will miss entirely if you do not drive. The rental is easy, and very reasonable. Jeff
Posted by
Florence
362 posts
I would think about doing the Lucca visit from Florence on the train, and then once you leave Florence for Siena visit San Gimignano and Volterra from there via bus. Just a bit easier without as much back tracking I would think.
But - with a rental car you will definitely see more countryside - not less - and have the chance to stop where you want along the way... which is great. Maybe you rent the car after you get to Siena for just a few days?
Posted by
OP
Tucson, Arizona, United States
5 posts
Thanks again all. I suspect we'll end up taking some bus trips and also renting a car for some of the time.
- Gary
Posted by
thornton, co, usa
3 posts
Gary,
When I did Tuscany 3 years ago, I saw all those towns. I drove. I had an excellent navigator. If you have people with good sense of direction, great! If not, find a friend that can loan you a tom tom system. One of my friends was able to find even the complicated places with it. Have fun!!
Posted by
Austin, TX, USA
492 posts
We rented a car in Tuscany last year and thought it was great. I would recommend a GPS if possible, it makes things so much easier as many roads may not be signed very well and some of them change names on you. I don't know that I would do a day trip to Lucca from Sienna, depending on how long you will be in Florence, it's much easier to get to Lucca by train/bus from there.