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Siena to CT?

Posted by (Boston, MA, USA) on

Hi all,

Any advice on efficient transport from Siena to the CT (well, La Spezia) from Siena?

For context:
Florence -> train to Siena
2 nights in Siena
1 night in Volterra (flip?)
2 nights in CT -> train from La Spezia to Rome

We just booked Tour by Roberto. So while driving is a wonderful way to see the region, I'm thinking a car may not be necessary... Maybe just for the day we're in Volterra?

Grazie!

Posted by
119 posts

We went from Siena to the CT using the train.

Siena --> Empoli --> Pisa --> La Spezia

Unfortunately for us, we traveled on the day of a train strike necessitating 2 (expensive) taxi rides from Empoli to Pisa and then from La Spezia to Vernazza - hopefully you you avoid this! Although, the payoff once we arrived in Vernazza was amazing.

P.S. We also did Tours by Roberto while in Siena and it was amazing!

Posted by
32405 posts

Meghan,

A few thoughts.....

  • Florence to Siena - travel by Bus is a more efficient method, as you'll be dropped in the centre of town rather than at the bottom of the hill where the rail station is located. The Bus depot in Florence is close to Firenze SMN rail station. The trip using the Corse Rapide (Express) Bus is about an hour.
  • Volterra - you might consider taking a day trip there either from Florence or Siena. One night stops are generally not the best as they only provide a few hours once transporation times are deducted.
  • Are you staying in La Spezia or in one of the five towns? Don't plan your trip based on La Spezia, but rather on whatever your actual destination is.
  • One of the easiest rail journeys from Siena (using Monterosso as the destination for example) is a departure at 09:18, arriving Monterosso at 12:41 (time 3H:23M, 2 changes at Empoli and La Spezia, current fare €16.30 PP).
  • C.T. to Rome - I'd suggest using one of the direct trains (no changes) from La Spezia to Roma Termini. There are several each day, including one at 08:17 and another at 10:06. Take one of the local trains to La Spezia to connect with the train to Rome.
Posted by
16895 posts

When requesting train schedules either through the DB link at How to Look Up Train Schedules and Routes Online or through www.trenitalia.com, just use the name of the town that is your destination. The schedule results will reflect the most convenient connection points for any particular departure. Between Siena and the Cinque Terre towns, you usually must make two connections, but I would not switch to a car for that (and don't know of any better bus option).

Posted by
4105 posts

If you're renting a car to visit Volterra, the easiest thing would be to drive to La Spezia,
drop the car there and train into Vernazza. Should take no more than 2 hours.

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