Siena

gouzounis, I say yes.

Thanks for your prompt reply. Would you kindly elaborate why a day in Siena is better than an extra day in Florence. Thanks. Happy Holidays!

Well, indeed I was brief. Of course it depends on how long you have in Florence, and where you will be traveling before and after. Siena was historically the rival of Florence, and is an ancient, historical and beautiful city. The Campo area is a big expansive piazza, surrounded by public buildings and cafes and restaurants. It is the site of the twice-a-year Palio race. You can climb the town hall clock tower for great views of the city. At a modest distance is the beautiful Duomo complex. The Duomo itself is marvelous, with a wonderful facade and interior floor. You can also climb up in the complex for wonderful views, and into the very old superstructure of the church, for views down on the interior and floor. There are a variety of restaurants, delis, cafes and all kinds of shops. To travel from Florence to Siena, a bus is recommended over the train, as the train leaves you outside of Siena, requiring a public bus or taxi into town, while the bus goes close to the center. Of course, one disadvantage of a day trip is that you are In Siena at the same time all the other day trippers are there, making for a crowded time in the high tourist season. Often, early morning and evening are best for quieter and more typical lifestyle. Short of spending one or more nights in a Siena, one way to deal with this would be to stay and have dinner in Siena, then catch a later evening bus back to Florence. I hope you enjoy both Florence and Siena. I myself will be back to both in May 2020.

One could spend multiple days in Florence and not run out of different things to do and see. Many people (guilty here) come back a number of times. Two whole days at the Uffizi Gallery - still not enough. So a day/overnight trip to Siena gives an opportunity for variety. It is different, and one sees the countryside in the process. Siena is lovely in its own way, and the St John the Baptist Chapel's statuary by Donatello is magnificent.

Have fun. Plan on returning.

As above, it depends on how much time you're giving Florence to begin with, and how interested you are in what the city has to offer? If you have an interest, as I do, in art and architecture, then you could stay in Florence for a long time without boredom!

It can also depend on how you normally sightsee? We are very early risers who can spend the lion's share of a day on our feet but I'm pokey when it comes to taking in detail; a church that might engage someone else for just 20 minutes might take me an hour. We also like to have time for exploring on the fly, flexing with the weather or just doing some scenery chewing.

If you are a fan of architecture (or Cathedrals), it's definitely worth the time to go and see the Duomo in Siena -- and worth booking a ticket for the Porto del Cielo climb up into the cathedral "attic" and rooftop. I'm almost 60 with an iffy knee, and I could still manage the 100 spiral stairs to the top (I didn't even attempt the 400+ stairs to the top of the Torre del Mangia bell tower). I didn't linger in Siena and was there for about 4 or 5 hours, but I'm glad I went. The Duomo is exceptional!

It depends on how many days you have to see Florence.

If you like museums and want to do the two great ones in Florence, the Accademia and Uffuzi, then plan on four days in Florence. You also want to see the Duomo, St. Croce, the Ponte Vechio and other sites in the city.

You can see Siena on a day trip from Florence.

We liked the Hotel Balesteri on the Arno.

If you have two days for Florence, I wouldn't spend a day to go to Siena. If you have several days in Florence (4 or more), then a day trip to Siena would be worthwhile.

I agree with all those who say it depends on how much time you have in Florence. And Larry's advice is especially good.

If you can swing an overnight, Siena really deserves that much time. It's especially wonderful in the evening after all the day-trippers have left, and in the morning before they arrive.

Seeing Siena before visiting Florence is even better, because it gives you a lot of context. Siena's grandeur was cut short by the plague in the mid-14th century. So where Florence flourished and became a center of Renaissance splendor, Siena is a medieval city almost frozen in time (architecturally speaking). When you go from Siena to Florence, you advance a few hundred years, and you can imagine what Siena might have become.

We spent 3 days in Florence and then three more in Siena. If we were to do it over again I would probably cut a day from Siena and add it to
Florence. Siena is worth the visit if you have sufficient time.
Here is what we saw.

Siena https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72157674387131812/with/30505646012/

Siena is my favorite town in Italy. On our first trip to Italy together 40 years ago we booked a small apartment in a village about 10 miles from Siena and went into Siena for dinner our first night. we were just blown away by the charm of the Campo and the restaurant Le Logge where without reservations we sat at a communal table with travelers and had a wonderful conversation -- most people had two languages but different two so those of us who spoke German would translate the English to German for the French speakers who had a little German but no English etc etc -- great fun.

We have returned many many times for a couple of days. The Cathedral was the most jaw dropping experience I had had up to that point 40 years ago -- we were lucky and the entire floor was uncovered but even if most of it is protected as it is most of the time, two or three of the marble tableau will be uncovered for viewing. The church is just stunning.

Be sure to climb the Torre Mangia for the best view from on high in Europe. And you can buy a twofer ticket that includes the tower and also the town hall which contains a medieval fresco of 'good and bad government' that is worth the trip.

Definitely have lunch on the Campo -- the restaurants are of course 'touristy' but so what -- the food is fine, not crazy expensive and the ambience of this square lovely. I have also gotten up at dawn and walked through nearby contradi (sections of the city) Each Contrada has its own totem fountain and animal and you see the symbol here and there throughout the section as well as on the fountain. I did a series of photo of the Tower Contrada which has an elephant symbol and is fairly near the Campo.

This is a wonderful place and well worth a day trip by bus from florence if you have the time to spare. Florence itself is very dense with artistic heritage and it takes several days to scratch the surface, so that would factor in to whether a side trip is the right choice.