Stopping in towns or cities on the way

Thank you Steve! I understand perfectly English when I read, I was just apologizing for my writing!

Natalia,

First, you don't need to apologize for your English. Your language skills are fantastic (I wish I could function as well in Spanish).

Regarding your question, I usually prefer to go directly to my destination and then take day trips from there. That way I don't have to worry about luggage storage. That's my preference, but others may certainly decide to stop in a town for a few hours before they reach their final destination.

On your trip from Florence to Siena, as Steve mentioned travel by Bus is the best method as they drop passengers right in the main part of town rather than the bottom of the hill where the train station is located. The Bus station in Florence is almost right next to the Firenze S.M.N. rail station, so it's very convenient. Upon arrival in Siena you should be able to walk to your Hotel. If you're looking for a place to stay in Siena, you might have a look at www.albergobernini.com/en/. It's in a very convenient location and the family that operates it are wonderful.

On departure from Siena, I used a Taxi from the Hotel to the rail station (the Hotel arranged the Taxi). If you have time, you might consider a short stop in Orvieto (one night?) on the way to Rome. It's another beautiful hill town and only about an hour from Rome by train. If you're able to spend a couple of nights there, you could take a day trip to one of Rick's favourite hill towns, Civita di Bagnoregio. Check their website for information.

Buona Fortuna e Buon Viaggio!

Look at guidebooks or the town website to see what you might want to see in the town. Check the train schedule to see when the next (following) train will come through. Most main rail lines have at least one train an hour. I often make stops depending on what I want to see and when the next train is.

I find it is entirely dependent on the sights that are in that town. Some good examples:

Brussels is a nice stop for an afternoon or morning and is a common point along the way when going through Belgium. It is a nice city, but I had no real desire to overnight there.

Koln is a great stop to see the Cathedral and wander the walkplatz.

Pisa warranted a quick stop to see the tower.

We have also used a quick stop to check out a town or area for a future trip, to work in what would be a day trip from another destination to en-route, and just as a way to break up a long train ride, a stop for lunch or just a stroll for example.

Basically, if you are passing by, but the sights of interest only warrant a couple hours, then it is a good candidate for a quick stop.

The choice of train will decide how many stops.

The regional (local) trains stop at every town. Each stop is probably less than two minutes and maybe less than a minute. Be ready to get right on or off when the train stops. Local trains run every hour (more or less depending on where you are and what time of day). If you check the schedule, you can hop off for a brief visit and catch a later train.

The fast Inter-city trains don't stop at as many places and don't run as often. For these types of trains it would probably be best to schedule some lag time when you stop to make a connection so you can see a little of the city.

I like to make a stop or two between destinations. It breaks up the travel day. I also keep the legs relatively short so I don't have to spend an entire day in a car or train.

Paul, I really loved the idea of checking out a place to plan for future trips! It's very practical!

I guess I will do what Brad said, decide whether I make a stop or not dependig on the train, the length of the trip and how interesting are the possible stops. And I'll combine this with daytrips when they apply better.

I still have to learn the difference between trains (I don't know which are the Inter-city trains, for example), but then again I think I need to read some of Rick's literature! I still have time, though.

I have stopped a couple of times to check out a town. The baggage check areas are easy to figure out, it is a great way to break up a train journey and the main sites are usually around the train station.

Natalia;
If you have not yet visited the German Rail site (www.bahn.de); do so. They have probably the most comprehensive schedule info around for all of Europe, not just Germany. Simply enter in you beginning and end points, and by seekingout "details" you will see all the stops for a train. From there you can start to figure out where good stops might be.