Is it possible to make a day trip to both Sienna and San Gimignano from Florence in a single trip or would it be best to separate into two day trips?
Posted by
Boulder, CO, USA
719 posts
Hi Lisa,
As with most things it's possible, but definitely wouldn't be much fun. These two cities deserve a day or more themselves. I spent 2 nights in San Gimignano and it was spectacular. This town gets hit hard with tourists during the day, so early morning and evening is when the town really shines. A day trip from Florence is well worth it, though. Pretty much the same goes for Sienna, although it's bigger and has some bigger sights. Don't split them, you'll regret it.
Posted by
Dallas, TX, USA
1170 posts
Did that in May '09, and it is absolutely doable. We were back before dark (rented a car for the day). Rent a car from the AIRPORT in Florence so that you don't get entangled in the ZTL there, and bring your own GPS with European maps installed.
Posted by
Slidell, LA
570 posts
You can can get a one day bus tour that leaves at 8AM from the Florence train station that goes through the Chianti region first to San Gimignano for about three hours, then on to Sienna for lunch and the rest of the day, getting back to Florence around 6PM. The tour is operated by a company owned by Grayline Tours and they do a pretty good job of onforming you of what you see, including a private guide in Sienna.
If you only have one day I recommend it, but if you can spend one night and two days in Sienna it would better.
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12315 posts
I think it's possible but it would be better if you could visit one and stay in the other for the evening. A morning in San Gimignano and an afternoon/night in Siena would be nice.
Posted by
White Lake, MI, usa
4 posts
We booked the Best of Tuscany Tour with Walkabout Florence and it includes Sienna, San Gimignano and more. Its a 12 hour tour for 80 euros. It has great reviews on Trip Advisor.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Lisa, a couple of things. The bus tour company operated by Grayline is CAF Tours. Here's the link. http://www.caftours.com/en/regtoursac.htm My wife and I took this tour. 55Euro. Stops in San G. for only an hour but it was great. I wish we had a longer stay. The bus then goes on to Siena where they stay for about 4 hours. Our tour was joined by a Siena tour guide. Very nice. The bus stop is actually one block away from the Florence SMN train station (Close to the Hotel Baglioni)
Second, the SITA bus goes to both Siena or San G. but does not have bus service between them. However, there is a nice local bus system that runs between Siena and San G. Note that the public bus schedules are limited on Sundays.