Hello! I will be travelling to Florence tomorrow and we are there for 5 days. We would like to do 2 day trips. One to Pisa and the next day to siena. What are the best ways to get to each city and where do we catch the bus/train? Thanks! :)
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Vernon, Canada
32404 posts
Katie, The trip to Pisa is best by train. You'll depart from Firenze SMN station and I'd probably use Pisa San Rossore station rather than Pisa Centrale as it's closer to La famosa torre, although you'll have to make one change at either Pisa Centrale or Lucca. Time will be as short as 1H:26M depending on which train you choose. Check the Trenitalia website for details. I'd suggest buying tickets for both directions in Florence. As the trains will likely be Regionale, BE SURE to validate prior to boarding the train on the day of travel, or you'll face hefty fines which will be collected on the spot! For the trip to Siena, travel by Bus is a better option as you'll be dropped in the centre of town at Piazza Gramsci, rather than the bottom of the hill where the rail station is located. The Bus station in Florence is next to the Firenze SMN rail station. There are both Corse Rapide (express) Buses and Corse Ordinarie, so the time will vary depending on which Bus you use. Time will be about 1H:15M for the express and 1H:30M for the regular Bus. Again, DON'T forget to validate your ticket prior to boarding the Bus. One note on ticket validation. DON'T validate tickets until just before you use them, as they have a "shelf life" once they're validated. With the trains, I believe that varies between four and six hours, depending on the distance of the route. Happy travels!