We're planning our first trip to Italy, flying in to Rome and spending our first 5 days in Siena.
Is it possible to take a regional train from the airport to Tiburtina and then catch a Baltour bus from there to Siena? The Rome2Rio site indicates that buses run from FCO to Tiburtina (but only every 4 hours) and then on to Siena but the Baltour site does not show a Tiburtina stop. In short, I need to find the best way to reach Siena via shuttle or a combination of train and bus. Suggestions?
Take a regional train from FCO to Roma Tiburtina.
The Baltour bus station is located front of the train station
You can also take Flixbus https://www.flixbus.com/
07:00 09:45 Rome Siena 2:45 HRS.Direct 11.90 €
08:20 11:15 Rome Siena 2:55 HRS.Direct 13.90 €
09:25 12:10 Rome Siena 2:45 HRS.Direct 11.90 €
11:15 14:10 Rome Siena 2:55 HRS.Direct 13.90 €
18:50 21:45 Rome Siena 2:55 HRS.Direct 7.90 €
I did this very thing (albeit 9 years ago).
I took a train from the airport to Tiburtina, then walked across the street to the bus terminal. I believe the trains run every 30 minutes, and buses from there to Siena also run frequently.
Thank you!
We've booked our flight and will arrive at FCO at 9:15. While we intend to have only carry-on luggage I'm concerned that we'll not have enough time to clear security/immigration, take the train to the Tiburtina station, and catch the 11:15 bus. Does this seem like it will work or should we be exploring different transportation options?
You could use the other bus company Baltour leaves at 12:15
With a 0915 SCHEDULED arrival, the immigration process, then a one hour train ride to Tiburtina, catching an 1115 bus departure, appears to be somewhere between improbable and impossible.
Thanks again.
I've done a bit more research and feel I have a better idea of what my options are. I should mention that we've never traveled by train or bus before. We're not intimidated, just unsure.
Given our arrival time, the only real option by bus is the 14:00 Baltour and it seems like that would entail a good bit of down time milling around the bus terminal. It would also deposit us at the train station in Siena rather late in the afternoon - 16:45. Would taking a Frecce from Tiburtina to Florence and then a bus from Florence to Siena be a viable option? There are frequent trains for this route and I've read that buses run hourly from Florence to Siena. An added bonus would be that the bus would drop us closer to our accommodations.
Assuming that the Frecce option is okay, we'll need to purchase our tickets in advance. Can anyone give us an idea of about how long it would take to clear FCO (we'll be carry-on only)?
The problem with a time for clearing immigration and customs is that no one can give you a time for that day -- who knows???
We have cleared immigration in less than an hour, mostly closer to an hour and half and one time nearly three hours. It just depends on the number of planes arriving coupled with the number of officers on duty. The day it took nearly three hours only two officers were on duty. Lots of unhappy folks who missed connections. I would rather roam a bus station for two hours than miss the bus by 30 minutes. You choice but we have found over many years of travels that travel plans do not run as smoothly and quickly as we planned it.
Assuming the plane lands on time, you need 1 hour to 1.5 hrs for deplaning, walk through passport control, retrieve luggage at baggage claim carousel. Customs is just a walk through the “Nothing to Declare” path.
The walk from customs to the train station is at least 10 min, plus 5 to get oriented and buy tickets, 5 more to get onto train. You need 45 min on the train from FCO to Tiburtina, trains are every half hour, so potentially you could be waiting that long if you just miss it. The walk from train to bus station is 10 min plus 5 to get oriented plus 5 before bus departure.
If you add all of the above you need at least 3.5 hours from plane arrival to bus departure, and that assumes an ontime arrival of your flight. I would not book any bus before 1pm.
betsy,
One other point to mention is that there are two train systems serving FCO, the Leonardo Express and the FL-1. The L.E. goes direct to Roma Termini (32 minutes) so if your desired destination is Roma Tiburtina that will be a problem. You'll need to ensure that you board the correct train. DON'T forget to validate your ticket prior to boarding the train, or you'll risk hefty fines which will be collected on the spot! Validating tickets applies to all Regionale trains as well as Metro, Buses, etc. but not to the express / high speed trains.
Travel by Bus from Tiburtina to Siena is probably the easiest solution, especially since this is your first trip and keeping in mind that you may be jet lagged and not focusing too well. You'll be dropped at Piazza Antonio Gramsci which is right in the main part of the city. If you arrive by train, you'd have to take a Taxi from the station up to the city. Hopefully you have a speedy trip through Passport control so that you can don't have to wait too long for your bus connection.
The trains to Tiburtina are every 15 minutes Mon-Fri, and every 30 minutes weekends and holidays.
