Regarding cabs and buses.
We are arriving to Siena in a car. We are looking to book two nights at a place called Villail Borghetto Residence, just outside of Siena. It's advertised on AirBnB but I also saw it listed other places. It is a little pricey, but if we got a place in Siena center, by the time we pay for parking (plus the hassle of it) and the room in the city it is about the same cost. I've read it's about a 20 min walk to the center, plus there is a bus, or you can take a cab.
Are cabs easy to get in Siena, and how late do the busses run? Also has anyone stayed at the apartments there?
Does anyone have opinions as to whether to go ahead and stay in the city center and park outside in a 24 hour lot, or just stay outside and walk to the city. We also want to explore the countryside for some of the time we are staying at Siena.
Posted by
Austin TX after living in Boulder CO for 25 years
1175 posts
You can stay at Frances Lodge which is a great B&B right above Siena.
From there, you can walk down the hill into the town - no need for any taxis at all.
Posted by
Chicago
8703 posts
Siena is a good size city, I cannot imagine staying outside and walking or busing in. There is a lot of modern city between outside and the historic center. The historic center is lovely and has many hotels for a variety of budgets. Being there evenings and mornings is heavenly. If you want to be in a fancy rural hotel go for that -- but don't do it with the idea of visiting Siena. If you want to visit Siena be there. Having had a glass of wine at the Campo under a full moon with my husband on two separate trips, I cannot thing of a location where 'being there' is more important (perhaps Venice is in the same category).
Posted by
OP
Northern California
98 posts
Thank you for your responses. It gave us something to think about. We decided that we couldn't decide yet - so guess what - we are just going to head up from Pitigliano and take our time, perhaps stopping in a town overnight before we reach Siena. And then we may just do Siena as a day trip visit, or last minute booking if one is available. We have been to Siena before and know it's charm, but there are other places that we have never been too. There is much to explore!
Posted by
OP
Northern California
98 posts
I have an update on this. This morning we DID decide to stay outside of Siena for 2 nights. We figure it will give us some downtime to have a base and explore the countryside at our leisure, knowing we will have a place to return too. We are outside the walls, but I'm OK with that - our place is just under $200 for two nights, large flat, nice couple runs the place - so we can walk to the city center or bus and then also have relaxing time - I do appreciate the response of wanting to stay within the city and have that experience. For this trip - I want to plan to stay well into the evening, and likely catch a taxi back home for about 10 euros. Thank you everyone for posting to my questions.
Posted by
Houston, TX
116 posts
Taxis are plentiful in Siena. We just returned from a trip there a couple of weeks ago. We never had to wait more than three minutes for one.