We are staying in Siena and would like to travel to Volterra for a 1/2 day trip. Would you recommend traveling by bus or renting a car?
If traveling by bus is there a recent train schedule available? If renting a car, would you recommend a car rental group in Siena? Lastly, how is the drive to Volterra and are the Italian drivers as passionate in Tuscany about their driving as they are in Rome =:)
Thanks in advance!
CJ
Posted by
Winooski, VT
285 posts
I don't know what options you have to rent a car in Sienna but this drive is easy, and magical. I'm glad we did it on our own because it allowed us to stop at some stunning vistas a long the way, also stopped at San Gimignano. You aren't tied to a schedule which is nice.
It is NOTHING like the city driving, but quite curvy and fun!
Posted by
Portland, Oregon, United States
906 posts
I agree with the above post. Easy drive and no waiting or scheduling hassles. By car, the trip is all at your own pace. It is only about 35 miles from Sienato to Volterra.
San Gimignano is on the way, but also, Monteriggioni. Certaldo is just a ways off the path and is close to San Gimignano. Lots to see on the day's drive through Tuscany.
Posted by
Rural Georgia
2123 posts
Look into renting a car.
We stayed and Greve and did a day trip to San Gimignano and Volterra. They were easily accomplished in a day. We started with San Gimignano in the morning. The drive was lovely, there's lots to see. There's a big parking lot outside the walls of San Gimignano. We walked from one end of the town to the other in a morning. We had a slice of pizza and a beer for lunch and drove over to Volterra.
There's an underground parking lot just outside Volterra. I think we arrived about 2:00. We then walked from the parking lot, through the city to the Roman amphitheater at the other end of town. There are some Etruscan ruins that I wish we had visited.
We decided to leave about 5:30, but when we walked out of the town to go to the parking lot, the light at the promenade was magical. I stayed taking photos until the light completely failed. We got back to Greve about 8:30.
The main reason I suggest renting a car is to have the flexibility to stay late and see the sunset at Volterra. There's also some great scenery in the area you may not see on a bus.