Now noted primarily as an Etruscan and medieval art centre, Volterra has the remains of Etruscan walls enlarged in the 4th and 3rd centuries bc, two Etruscan-Roman gateways, and circular tombs from the 6th century bc with vaults of concentric rings supported by a central pillar.
Monteriggioni. This tiny Tuscan town is worth a day trip from Florence if only to get a look at a perfectly preserved medieval Italian town. That's why we'd suggest making Monteriggioni a quick side trip when you visit one of the other Tuscan countryside towns listed here (Greve in Chianti, San Gimignano, or Siena).
San Gimignano and its surroundings are well worth a visit to enjoy both historical monuments and taste great wines. This town situated on the Via Francigena represents a pleasant stop for pilgrims directed to Rome in the Middle Ages and present visitors looking for ancient medieval towns in Tuscany.
The most beautiful places to visit in Tuscany
- Cappella della Madonna di Vitaleta.
- San Quirico d'Orcia.
- Landscapes of Val d'Orcia.
- San Quirico d'Orcia, Podere Belvedere.
- View of Ponte Vecchio and city from Piazzale Michelangelo.
- Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.
- Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore from Piazza di San Giovanni.
The best times to visit Tuscany are between late September and October and between April and May. During these months, travelers will find comfortable temperatures and fewer crowds at the major sights.
Arezzo is a rural centre of Etruscan origin, an hour south east of Florence in Tuscany, Italy. It's well worth a visit, especially since it's easy to reach by train. This makes it an ideal day trip if you're based in Florence. You can see all the major sights in a day, without having to fight through crowds.
Florence, with over 360,000 residents, is by far the larger of the two cities (Siena has around 270,333 residents). Over 16 million tourists visit the city each year. As a heavily tourist focused region, the Florence city and metropolitan area is large and relatively diverse, spanning over 1,300 square miles.
Getting to Siena from Florence. Coming from Florence, you can either take the bus or the train. If you have landed at the airport in Florence, you will need to take the shuttle bus (more info here) which leaves just outside the airport and takes you to the main train station Santa Maria Novella.
The siege of Siena (January 1554-April 1555) was one of the longer sieges of the Italian Wars, and was one of the last attempts by the pro-French party in Italy to counter Imperial and Spanish power in Italy.
You can do San Gimignano in about 90 minutes. Of course you could stay longer but you can see most of the hilltown in 90 minutes.
There are no direct trains from Siena to Rome, so you'll need to change trains at some point along the way, usually in Florence. The Trenitalia Regionale train from Siena to Florence takes about 1.5 hours, and then the Italo train from Florence to Rome takes about another 1.5 hours.
The quickest way to get from Poggibonsi to San Gimignano is to taxi which costs €19 - €24 and takes 15 min.
Since there's no train station in San Gimignano, you can't directly travel between Florence and your final destination by train.
From Florence to San Gimignano by Train
- Catch one of the Regionale trains from Firenze SMN train station to Poggibonsi. They run almost every hour. The ride lasts 1 hour, more or less.
- Get out at Poggibonsi train station and take the bus 130 or 133 to reach San Gimignano. The journey takes about 20/25 minutes.
To get to San Gimignano, you'll still have to take a train to Poggibonsi train station. Trains depart regularly from Florence's Santa Maria Novela train station and take just under one hour to reach Poggibonsi. Once here, you'll have to catch the local bus #130, which runs from Siena to San Gimignano.
How to Get to Volterra. The closest train station is in Poggibonsi, north of Siena, so to get to there, you can take the train to Poggibonsi. Buses connect Volterra with Poggibonsi and other Tuscany towns. The closest airports are in Rome, Pisa, and Florence, see Italy airports map.
From Florence to Cinque Terre by TrainTrains leave from Florence's station about twice an hour and reach La Spezia train station about two hours later. Once at La Spezia, you'll have to switch to the 5 Terre Express train, a fast-regional train that runs every 15 minutes and connects all five villages.
From Florence to Siena by TrainDirect trains between the two cities take around 90 minutes, though many lines require a change along the way, extending the trip to two hours. All trains depart from Firenze Santa Maria Novella and arrive at the Stazione di Siena.
Re: Is Siena worth visiting? Siena is fantastic !!! it's definetly worth a visit.
Siena is a lovely medieval town located about 73km (45mi) south of Florence, well within range of a day visit independently by public transport or through a choice of tours available.
Siena railway station (Italian: Stazione di Siena) serves the city and comune of Siena, in the region of Tuscany, central Italy. Opened in 1935, it is the terminus of the lines to Empoli, to Chiusi and to Grosseto. The station is currently managed by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI).
The easiest way to get from Florence to Pisa is by train. Although Italy's high-speed trains don't connect the two cities, you can take a “treno regionale” (regional train).
Take the high-speed train from Bologna to FlorenceWhile the drive from Bologna to Florence can take about an hour and a half, the train is by far the most comfortable way to get from one city centre to another – your journey can last less than an hour if you travel on a Trenitalia or Italo high-speed train.
The easiest way to get from Florence to Tuscany is a comfortable train ride from Florence. There are two trains available every hour. One train takes you directly to Siena and the other takes you to Empoli where you can change trains. A one-way ticket is generally around €6.80.
The easiest way to get to the Cinque Terre is by train. From Genoa (Genova), take the local train towards La Spezia and get off at your destination. From La Spezia, take the local train, Cinque Terre Express, in direction Levanto. This train stops in all of the five villages.
Taking the train from Florence to BolognaThe high-speed Frecciarossa and Italo trains from Florence to Bologna take just 35m on the fastest services. Taking the train is fast, easy and affordable, making Bologna an excellent destination for a day trip from Florence.
