stay in the heart of siena or not?

We've stayed there twice and we love it. The location is great and convenient to where the action is, so we really liked it. The first time we were there was in early June and there were a couple of boys that were practicing for the upcoming Palio. One was a flag boy and one was the drummer. At first, it was..."hey, that's pretty cool" but then after about 2 hours or so, it was..."I wonder how long they are going to play that drum" and they did stop around dusk. So to answer your question...I would say if you want a nice quiet evening during the Palio it may be a bit high energy and you may encounter "your drummer" at any hotel inside the walled part of the city. If it was me, I would look forward to the festive atmosphere and go for it...enjoy Albergo Bernini, but if noise on the street will ruin your trip then maybe somewhere outside of the heart would be better. Just to be clear, I can't tell you about what it is like during the Palio but I can tell you that sound travels pretty well through the streets. Maybe someone that has stayed there during the event will write in and give you a definite answer.

I try to avoid the bigger cities while traveling when alternative housing is within a few miles. The countryside outside of Siena and Chianti is dotted with hundreds of alternative accommodations, like bed and breakfasts, agriturisimos and hotels. The owners are often memorable characters, and many will even cook for you.
And, the hill country places to stay are generally much more reasonably priced. And, they're generally very highly rated by their past customers. See Booking.com, Venere.com, AirBnB.com and other websites for accommodations. I also use Rick Steves' Italy book and TripAdvisor.com as information sources. Rick Steves' Graffiti section on this website has great info on bed and breakfasts, with many of the same names coming up time and time again.

I'm just curious. If you are going for the Palio why do you need a car?

If you will have a car while you are in Siena, I recommend the Hotel Minerva just outside one of the city gates. They have a parking garage (normal fee) and many rooms have views of the Siena skyline. There is also a bus stop near the hotel for your trips into the city (don't try to take the car).

I love this site because i have received so much wonderful recommendations and advice. I am thinking that it might be best to stay in a more quiet area for our stay in Siena since from what i have read the Palio brings in about 26,000 people. that is something that we can bus in for the day.

Amy, as you mentioned, this is a very popular event. If you are going for sure, I would make reservations ASAP. PM me for a hotel rec.

Amy, I hear you, and I'm really jealous. I think if it were me and I had a line on a hotel walking distance from where the Palio was running you wouldn't be able to get me out of the town. I'd certainly not want to bus it in. I can understand if you don't like the crowds...

I want to experience the Palio but also want to go and enjoy the countryside. I only want to see the Palio for the final day. I found a place that over looks the square and that will really be neat but is there a possibility to get a car and I assume i would have to park it outside the city in alot and take day trips? any suggestions. Does Siena return to a charming place after the race?