On to Siena today

Enjoy Siena, it's probably my favourite city anywhere. You will almost certainly miss this, but unless it's changed, Wednesday is Market day in the city - all along the walls of the Fortezza - and the place can be madness (partly because so much of the parking is closed off for the stalls).

Apart from the obvious tourist attractions, there are some really quirky bits to Siena. The city is divided into 17 districts (contrada). Each has it's own symbol, and they are normally prominent on street corners. Each contrada has it's own church, fountain and stable and headquarters/museum - it is fun to see how many you can find.

My favourite dining area is probably away fom the centre in the Istrice area. Quite a few simple trattoria type places that I have always enjoyed.

Nearby Siena is the monastery of San Galgano. Your kids might enjoy visiting it, as it is the home of the sword in the stone.

We went with our kids, 12 and 15. We started in San Gimignano. We stocked up on picnic stuff, and went to the monastery. We picniced and then walked up to the chapel to see the sword.

Siena is our favorite place to stay in all of Italy! TimW mentioned the contrade and because you are visiting with children you might want to arrange to visit one of the contrada museums. As I am sure you know the Palio (horse race) is held each July and August in Siena and a visit to one of the contrada museums is a great way to learn about both the horse race and the history of the town. Ask you host or the person providing your walking tour how to arrange a visit.

As for food, it's hard to go wrong. Be sure to try a chacino for lunch. This is a sandwich made with focaccia (and any variety of fillings) - cheap, easy and delicious. Our favorite place to buy these is a small sandwich (and pizza) shop on Via St. Martin just beyond the Chiesa St. Martin not far from the Compo.

Have a wonderful time.

Others have not reported my problems, but I found that GPS to Siena would lead to ZTL tickets, because our parking lot was "on the opposite side" (?) of the city. Could not force it to give a perimeter route. We eventually found a street space, but long climb to the city.

Best driving advice: stick to the rural roads and try to avoid the Autostrada,
Best parking advice: use the underground lot at the train station - 2 Euros per day and well clear of the ZTL's. Easy access to the SR2 heading out of town too... in both directions.

This is probably too late, but take SR 222 to Diena. It is the historic “ Chiantigianna” and will take you past charming Chianti villages. If you already in Siena, do a day trip on this route! Castellina, Radda, Greve,Panzano and more! We have stayed in this area many times and do day trips to Siena. One time we were there for the Palio!
We do not find any problems with driving, in fact find the Italians to be excellent drivers.

We highly recommend Rick Steves’ self guided city walk and especially the most awe inspiring viewpoint in Siena. In 2012 we followed his advice and accessed the entry through the Duomo museum. The circular stone stairs lead to the top of the massive wall that was to be part of the never completed expansion of the cathedral. You can research Facciatone or Duomo Nuovo for more information about this breathtaking panorama. Of course, the Duomo itself is phenomenal and even kids might enjoy the she-wolves, gargoyles, and 171 peering popes?

You are a Great Mom! Way to “monitor and adjust!” I laughed at the description of yourself as the “border collie…”
You’re making the trip great for everyone…to have positive memories of Italy. And some of MY best memories of Italy also involve food.
I’ll bet your kids will enjoy hanging around el Campo in Sienna.

How about getting on the Sienese Crest Road and driving to Montepulciano for the day. The Crest Road will take you along a very scenic stretch of Tuscany where you’ll see many different landscapes of rolling hills and homes that you’ll dream about living in; it’ll make your mental walls float away. No need to get an early start because this road gets foggy.