So I'm going to go from Siena to Lucca. On the trenalia site I can see the route. My question: How do I know if I'm beginning the route at a local train station or bus station? It doesn't show me the "start" location other than just Siena. I know there is a bus station close to my B & B. Is that where I start my route?
Thanks for the help!
Norm, I think you are correct. On runs where I often see a bus, I don't see ES*Link. On this run, I do and it does look like it is meant to get travelers back to Florence SMN where they can transfer to the faster ES trains.
S&M, it sounds correct that you would take a local bus to the train station to pick up the Trenitalia bus (or train). The train station is over 1km from the Siena city wall.
Thanks..just what I needed to know!
If it's a route from the Trenitalia website, then you're talking trains only.
In some areas, Trenitalia does provide bus service from the train station. On one of the runs from Siena to Lucca, there is the #8 bus that goes back to Florence from Siena to pick up the train to Lucca. The term ES*Link in the train category column is usually a bus. True, the bus picks you up at the train station and true, you could easily take a train back to Florence from the same station. However, I have seen this #8 bus run a few times as I look up schedules for my postings. You will occasionally see a Trenitalia bus (probably a leased SITA bus) from Siena to Chiusi as well when there is a train station at each location. There are arrangements like this in Switzerland as well. Also, with you being local to my area here in California, AMTRAK does a ton of bus runs out of Sacramento.
Larry.....you're absolutely right. But I always thought the #8 bus service from Siena was mainly aimed at those who want to make connections to the fast EuroStar Italia trains. Wouldn't it make a journey to Lucca really long?
The route I was looking at was Siena to Empoli to Pisa to Lucca on Regional (trains/bus?) It will take 2 1/2 hours.
So, I guess I need to take a bus near my B & B to the train station then get on the Regional train to follow the route above?
Did what you want to do only I was going to Florence and didn't have to change trains in Empoli. The Siena train station is at the bottom of the hill and quite bus-able from the central square. Bus tickets are purchased at the tobacco shop on the square.
