Siena and Assisi after Florence

Both are lovely towns that deserve at a minimum a full day each. Once you add in travel between each and Rome, you would really be pushing yourselves hard to do justice to them both and manage to actually enjoy yourselves. Pick one. Siena would be easiest, travel-wise. Plus it helps that the major sights to see are rather close to each other. In Assisi, which I LOVE BTW, you'd be walking to all ends of the town... with lots of uphills, downhills, stairs, etc. in between. Its very hard on the knees and ankles. Plus the intercity trains are somewhat slow coming and going, and you need to take a bus into the town.

Florence > Siena > Assisi > Rome
is the best sequence.
Unfortunately the public transportation from Siena to Assisi is not the greatest in spite of the fact that it would be really quick to do it by car.
FLORENCE - SIENA
The preferred way is by bus (SITA) which will drop you off on top the hill in Siena at the city center. The train is an option but a bit longer by 20 min. and also the station is at the bottom of the hill, therefore you need to get to the top by taxi/bus/walk+escalator.

SIENA-ASSISI
The preferred way is by train, unfortunately it's a long 4 to 5 hour trip with 1 to 2 changes (a real pity considering that with a car you can get from one to the other in just 90 min.

ASSISI-ROME
The preferred way is by train. Most require one change.

If you spend the night in Siena, you could also pick up a rental car in Siena and drive to Assisi, then to Rome. Without a car it's best to choose only one: either Siena or Assisi. Not enough time for both if you don't drive.

I agree with Florence to Siena to Assisi to Rome route. I did this route last summer. From Siena to Assisi - get Sena bus tickets as soon as you can if traveling during busy tourist season. Our itinerary suffered a minor set back as a result of not getting Sena bus tickets sooner. Sena bus is much better than train for traveling from Siena to Assisi. Assisi to Rome is easy by train. Just VALIDATE your train ticket before boarding. Remember VALIDATE.

Thank you all for comments on sequence of destinations. Sounds like it should be Assisi OR Siena not both if we only have 1-1/2 days for that piece of the trip. Does anyone have a recommendation of hotel to stay in for 1PM either in Assisi or Rome? I have Rick Steves' book on Italy 2014 that has some ideas too. Thanks

We stayed in La Pallotta in Assisi. It's a RS recommendation as well. This is a small BNB in a good location. Assisi is small, so location should not be much of an issue. Piazza del Commune area or near piazza Matteoti (parking) is convenient. La Palotta is a basic, small place. There is no AC, but you don't need it in Assisi. There is a small grocery right across the walk. La pallotta has great views from the sitting room upstairs. There are many steps and NO elevator. Also, the shower is simply a shower head in the wall of the bathroom. There is NO separation of the shower from the rest of the bathroom. Be sure to pull the metal cover down over the toilet paper when showering. I liked this place.

I second La Pallotta in Assisi! Wonderful location, service, great breakfast and afternoon tea, and the little tower room is great! They also have a restaurant a couple blocks away with very good food. Not a good place for people with bad knees, there are lots of steps just to get to the entrance.

In Siena, we stay at the Hotel Almadomus. It's run by a religious order of nuns but isn't a convent. When we first started staying there in the 90s the whole thing was run by the nuns themselves but they have since become more commercial and hired employees for the day-to-day operation.
The views of Siena from many of the rooms are spectacular! Make sure to request a room with a view - con vista - once we didn't and got stuck in the back facing a stone wall.
Their rooms range from economy (starting at about 70 euros pn) to nicer ones with views (starting around 80 - 100 euros pn). It's a very nice, smaller hotel and I consider it a great bargain!

I also stayed at La Pilotta in Assisi, there is also a hotel called Il Palazzo on via San Francesco, a short walk to the Basilica.

Thanks to your collective advice, I'm conceding it's Siena or Assisi, not both. If it's only one, we can spend a full afternoon, night and next day until 2 or 3PM there. Assisi may be the better bet w/that "much" time. What do you think? Gather that we should bus from Florence to Assisi and then train from Assisi to Rome. We're going back to Rome for 1PM so that we can attend a papal audience the next AM. Thanks all for tips on sequence and hotels in both towns, Sandy

You can easily take a train from Florence to Assisi. You can easily bus from Florence to Siena. Siena is closer to Florence than Assisi. It's a short bus ride of about 1-1 1/2 hours. I would consider the sights and what you want to get out of your trip. There are advantages to both.
Siena has il campo, the civic building and tower and a stunning cathedral complex loaded with art. Assisi I found quieter and more quaint. Assisi - great views, San Rufino, St.Clare, St. Francis, lovely town to stroll around. If you are more of a city person, you may prefer Siena. If you are more of a country person or Christian pilgrim, you may prefer Assisi. Tough call - I enjoyed both.

We loved the quiet, contemplative, spiritual feel of Assisi. We spent five days and nights there, and hated to leave. It's best in the evening after the day-trippers leave, and in the early morning. We enjoyed sipping coffee in Piazza Comune as the townspeople greeted each other as they walked to work in the morning.

We enjoyed Hotel Pallotta, described above. Photos of Assisi and the hotel are here.

Thanks, Jeff, for your v.helpful reply. It sealed the decision--we'll go only to Assisi in that less than 2 days btw Florence and Rome and try to get a room at the Hotel Ballotta. Our trip is in late Sept.; your pics make me wish it were sooner. I see the pics are in a Picasa album. Not familiar w/"Travelin' on" Is that a special photo program? I down (or is it up?) load pics fr my camera to my laptop, then fool w/them in Picasa. Yours all look spectacular. Thanks again. Sandy

Thanks for the kind words, Sandy. "Travelin' On" is just an alias name I put on my Picasa album of travel photos, for situations where I wouldn't want to use my real name.

Those Assisi pics were taken in late September 2013, so that's close to the time of year you'll be there. Enjoy!