Travel to Siena

Flying to Siena

The nearest airport to Siena, Siena-Ampugnano Airport, is currently little more than a military airfield. There are plans to upgrade it into a new international airport, but until then the closest airport to the city is Florence Airport, some 79km (49 miles) away.

Airlines offering flights via Florence include British Airways, Alitalia, easyJet and Jet2.com.

Flight times

From London - 2 hours 15 minutes; New York - 12 hours 30 minutes; Los Angeles - 18 hours 50 minutes; Toronto - 12 hours 50 minutes; Sydney - 21 hours 25 minutes.

Travel by road

Italy has an excellent network of motorways (autostrada), designated by 'A'. Traffic drives on the right and the minimum driving age is 18. Speed limits are 50kph (31mph) in urban areas, 90kph (55mph) on ordinary roads, 110kph (68mph) on dual carriageways, and 130kph (81mph) on motorways. All motorways are tolled.

Dipped headlights are compulsory outside built-up areas during the day. All vehicles must carry a red warning triangle. All those without an EU licence must carry an International Driving Permit.

The Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI) (tel: +39 06 491 115; www.aci.it) provides a useful advisory service and can deal with breakdowns.

Emergency breakdown services

ACI: (tel: +39 803 116).

Routes

The SS2 motorway connects Siena to Florence, as does the slower, but prettier, A222 or Chiantigiana (Chianti route). The S326 connects Siena to the A1, which runs south to Rome.

Coaches

Major coach operators include SENA (tel: +39 0861 199 1900; www.sena.it) and TRAIN (tel: +39 0577 204 111; www.trainspa.it). Services depart from the central bus station on Piazza Gramsci, in the city centre.

Time to city

From Rome - 2 hours 30 minutes; Florence - 1 hour 15 minutes; Pisa - 2 hours.

Travel by Rail

Services

There are good rail links to Siena, including services running from Pisa (via Empoli) and Rome (via Chiusi) and Arezzo. Nearby, Florence has direct services to Milan, Pisa and Genoa as well as Paris, Munich and Brussels. Siena station is 2km (1.2 miles) outside the city at Piazza Fratelli Rosselli.

Operators

Trenitalia (tel: +39 06 6847 5475; www.trenitalia.com) is the national rail company, which runs a fast, efficient and good-value service throughout Italy. You can buy tickets online and just show the PNR number on your phone. If you buy paper tickets, you must validate by stamping them in the yellow machines on the platform before boarding.

Journey times

From Florence - 1 hour 30 minutes; Rome - 3 hours (with change); Pisa - 1 hour 45 minutes (with change).

Transfer

All public buses that arrive at Siena railway station go to the city centre. Alight at either Piazza del Sale or Piazza Gramsci. Alternatively, there is a taxi rank just outside the main exit. If there are no taxis waiting, call Taxi Siena (tel: +39 0577 49222; www.taxisiena.it).