getting around Tuscany and the rest of Italy.

When I arrived in Siena I was excited to get to know my new city, but I was also looking forward to visiting the neighboring hill towns as well as other regions.  The first week of classes was pretty light and I had a lot of time in the afternoons.  This was the perfect opportunity to explore, but instead I spent most of my time walking around trying to get over my homesickness because I wasn't familiar with much at all and I was a bit intimidated about venturing off.  Once I became a little more comfortable in my new surroundings and became accustomed to the bus and train system I had a lot of fun planning weekend and afternoon trips.

This page will introduce you to valuable websites which will help you plan your trips while you are abroad or even help in you in anticipation for your trip in case you are thinking of making an itinerary for yourself.

I made the mistake of not planning anything in advance.  I thought that it would be have been best to just be more spontaneous and let the unexpected happen.  Although it is a good idea to avoid making concrete plans, I would suggest making some loose plans so you haven an idea of what you'd like to see and how you are going to get there if you decide to go.

Once you decide what you would like to see outside of Siena, use the links below to find the best train and bus routes/times.  Certain cities are only accessible by bus in the morning or early afternoon so you would have to be prepared to visit those particular places on a day that school lets our early or even a weekend.


train.
The best website for train schedules it Trenitalia. If you can afford it I would suggest opting for the Frecciarossa,  Frecciargento,  Frecciabianca trains 2nd class tickets for your longer voyages.  They are a much faster option than the cheaper regional trains and incredibly comfortable.  I took these when I went to Venice, Rome, and Naples.  


NOTE: Do not buy a rail pass because there is no way in telling if you will get its full value.  This is what I meant by loose plans.  You definitely want to make a budget for travel, but don't commit to any specific mode of transportation before you arrive.

bus.

For bus schedules go here. (you can also visit the bus station located underground near the bus stop by the pub since it is relatively closer than the train station, but lines are just as long)  

If you are just looking to get to Florence you can purchase tickets in the Tabacchi near the bus stop.  Sometimes taking the bus to the Florence train station is more convenient than taking the train since buses run more frequently and get there faster to this particular location.

hotels and things to do.

I used two major resources to research my trip. 

This book by Rick Steves. This man has a way of writing which makes you feel as if you are reading a note from a quirky friend.  He doesn't feature every attraction, but instead he writes about his favorites and gives you different options for eating to suit any budge as well as several walking tours that you can do on your own.  I also downloaded his podcast to get the audio version of his tours.  These podcasts gave me a deeper understanding of Pompeii, several neighborhoods in Rome including Trastevere and the Jewish Ghetto, The Roman Forum, amongst many others.  His podcasts are funny, a pleasure to listen to, and could save you a lot of money on live tour guides.  

This website is the best of the best for looking for hotels, things to do, and reading forums of information from real travelers.  This website works wonderfully with the the book.