I'm going to be in Florence for a week, but apparently starting 5 November most of the main tourist attractions like the Uffizi and the Duomo are going to be closed to visitors due to protests, so I'm wondering where to go on day trips. I'd like to see Siena, but I don't know how long of a train journey it is (my knowledge of geography is horrible), and I don't know of anywhere else in the vicinity I should go. Any suggestions would be really appreciated. Thanks!

Liliana

"Liliana" wrote in message
news:545098.1035895196@britishexpats-
.com...
    > I'm going to be in Florence for a week, but apparently starting 5
    > November most of the main tourist attractions like the Uffizi and the
    > Duomo are going to be closed to visitors due to protests, so I'm
    > wondering where to go on day trips. I'd like to see Siena, but I don't
    > know how long of a train journey it is (my knowledge of geography is
    > horrible), and I don't know of anywhere else in the vicinity I should
    > go. Any suggestions would be really appreciated. Thanks!


If you want to go to Siena, take the bus not the train. The bus station is
across the street from the train station in Florence. The trip takes around
45 min to an hour. You could also day trip to Lucca. Find an online map of
Tuscany and see where things are.

HTH
Cristina

In article ,
Liliana wrote:

    > I'm going to be in Florence for a week, but apparently starting 5
    > November most of the main tourist attractions like the Uffizi and the
    > Duomo are going to be closed to visitors due to protests, so I'm
    > wondering where to go on day trips. I'd like to see Siena, but I don't
    > know how long of a train journey it is (my knowledge of geography is
    > horrible), and I don't know of anywhere else in the vicinity I should
    > go. Any suggestions would be really appreciated. Thanks!
    > Liliana
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com



Siena is not quite an hours bus ride from FLorence [and bus is the way
to go as the train station in Siena is not central to the old city while
the bus drops you right there] The bus in Florence leaves from the
station right across from the main train station. This is definitely
the #1 local trip. If you are with others and would like to rent a car,
you could do an interesting two or three day loop in the regions
visiting many wonderful small towns.

On Tue, 29 Oct 2002 12:39:56 +0000, Liliana
wrote:

    >I'm going to be in Florence for a week, but apparently starting 5
    >November most of the main tourist attractions like the Uffizi and the
    >Duomo are going to be closed to visitors due to protests, so I'm
    >wondering where to go on day trips. I'd like to see Siena, but I don't
    >know how long of a train journey it is (my knowledge of geography is
    >horrible), and I don't know of anywhere else in the vicinity I should
    >go. Any suggestions would be really appreciated. Thanks!

I second what others have said regarding taking the bus to Siena. A
guy living in Florence and working in Siena recommended me to use the
bus.

Also, a one hour ride to (and one hour back) train ride brings you to
Pisa. When you get out of the train statin you take the local bus (#3
I think, I don't remember for sure) service which will drop you right
in front of the gate that you cross to enter the Campo dei Miraculi or
Field of Miracles where the tower of Pisa is.

Note that if you want to have access to the tower, you have to buy a
ticket separately from the other attractions and there is a waiting
list. I had to wait 2.5 hours for my turn. And it's 15 euros.

Sylvain

In article ,
[email protected] (Sylvain Moisan) wrote:

    > On Tue, 29 Oct 2002 12:39:56 +0000, Liliana
    > wrote:
    > >
    > >I'm going to be in Florence for a week, but apparently starting 5
    > >November most of the main tourist attractions like the Uffizi and the
    > >Duomo are going to be closed to visitors due to protests, so I'm
    > >wondering where to go on day trips. I'd like to see Siena, but I don't
    > >know how long of a train journey it is (my knowledge of geography is
    > >horrible), and I don't know of anywhere else in the vicinity I should
    > >go. Any suggestions would be really appreciated. Thanks!
    > I second what others have said regarding taking the bus to Siena. A
    > guy living in Florence and working in Siena recommended me to use the
    > bus.

The best option is to explore this incredibly picturesque countryside by
a rental car.

jay
Tue, Oct 29, 2002
mailto:[email protected]


    > Also, a one hour ride to (and one hour back) train ride brings you to
    > Pisa. When you get out of the train statin you take the local bus (#3
    > I think, I don't remember for sure) service which will drop you right
    > in front of the gate that you cross to enter the Campo dei Miraculi or
    > Field of Miracles where the tower of Pisa is.
    > Note that if you want to have access to the tower, you have to buy a
    > ticket separately from the other attractions and there is a waiting
    > list. I had to wait 2.5 hours for my turn. And it's 15 euros.
    > Sylvain

--

Legend insists that as he finished his abject...
Galileo muttered under his breath: "Nevertheless, it does move."

On Tue, 29 Oct 2002, Jenn wrote:

    > the bus drops you right there] The bus in Florence leaves from the
    > station right across from the main train station. This is definitely
    > the #1 local trip. If you are with others and would like to rent a car,

Arezzo should be day trip #2, by train. Bologna might be trip #3, also by
train. Pisa classifies for trip #4, for those who like towers.

Regards, ULF
--
__________________________________________________ ______________________
Ulf Kutzner Backhaushohl 46 D-55128 Mainz
__________________________________________________ ______________________

Thanks everyone-- I'm flying into Pisa, so I'll see the tower, and believe me, if I could rent a car, I would. Unfortunately my funds do not extend to such luxuries. . . but that's good to know about buses, as I assume they'll be much cheaper than trains. Siena and Arezzo sound like good ideas-- what about Orvieto? Someone else recommended that to me, but I don't know what there is to see there.

"Liliana" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:545495.1035921359@britishexpats-
.com...
    > Thanks everyone-- I'm flying into Pisa, so I'll see the tower, and
    > believe me, if I could rent a car, I would. Unfortunately my funds do
    > not extend to such luxuries. . . but that's good to know about buses, as
    > I assume they'll be much cheaper than trains.


I doubt they are much cheaper than trains (they are quite cheap in Italy).



--
Regards,

Helmut Uttenthaler
Graz - Austria

I loved Orvieto on my one visit there. The cathedral is one of the most
beautiful in Italy, with a unique facade containing brilliantly colored and
gilded mosaics. The city contains countless medieval and renaissance
buildings as well as Etruscan remains on the outskirts of town, and the
views from the hilltop location are spectacular. If you go, don't neglect to
try to local wine, especially the Orvieto Classico: wonderful!

Also, consider Lucca and Perugia for possible side trips. There are even bus
tours from Florence combining a visit to Perugia with a stop in the really
exceptional little medieval walled hilltop town of San Gimignano, with its
numerous high towers.

But, you know, wherever you go in Italy will be wonderful. You could hardly
find a dull place to visit even if you tried. I have been to the country
many times, and, except for the industrial mainland town of Mestre near
Venice, I have never visited a town or city that I did not enjoy. You really
can't go wrong.


"Liliana" wrote in message
news:545495.1035921359@britishexpats-
.com...
    > Thanks everyone-- I'm flying into Pisa, so I'll see the tower, and
    > believe me, if I could rent a car, I would. Unfortunately my funds do
    > not extend to such luxuries. . . but that's good to know about buses, as
    > I assume they'll be much cheaper than trains. Siena and Arezzo sound
    > like good ideas-- what about Orvieto? Someone else recommended that to
    > me, but I don't know what there is to see there.
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Is it possible for you to expand a bit on the "protests" and the length
of time they are anticipated to last? Thanks, s

Liliana wrote:

    > I'm going to be in Florence for a week, but apparently starting 5
    > November most of the main tourist attractions like the Uffizi and the
    > Duomo are going to be closed to visitors due to protests, so I'm
    > wondering where to go on day trips. I'd like to see Siena, but I don't
    > know how long of a train journey it is (my knowledge of geography is
    > horrible), and I don't know of anywhere else in the vicinity I should
    > go. Any suggestions would be really appreciated. Thanks!
    > Liliana
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

On Tue, 29 Oct 2002 19:55:59 +0000, Liliana
wrote:

    >Thanks everyone-- I'm flying into Pisa, so I'll see the tower, and
    >believe me, if I could rent a car, I would. Unfortunately my funds do
    >not extend to such luxuries. . . but that's good to know about buses, as
    >I assume they'll be much cheaper than trains.

Don't assume. Trains are very cheap in Italy.

    > Siena and Arezzo sound
    > like good ideas-- what about Orvieto?

That's also possible.

    > Someone else recommended that to
    > me, but I don't know what there is to see there.

It's a gorgeous hill town, especially the view of it from a decreasing
distance on approaching and an increasing distance on departing. It
has a lovely Duomo with great and - unusual for Italy, in my opinion -
genuinely _well-restored_ frescos by Luca Signorelli. The Duomo in
Orvieto has a great facade similar to that of the Duomo in Siena. You
may also enjoy the ceramics on sale in Orvieto.

I don't have much to add to the other day-trips others have
recommended. Pisa is a great afternoon trip, Lucca is very pleasant,
Arezzo is well worth visiting, Siena really deserves at least 3 days
and is glorious, San Gimignano requires a bus to Poggibonsi and
another bus, has great stuff to see, and can be "done" in several
hours. There are also things to see a shorter distance away, such as
the Medici Villas. The one at Poggio a Caiano - accessible via a city
bus plus a walk or taxi - has frescos by Pontormo. There are also
things to see in Fiesole, Prato, and Pistoia. But you say the "main
attractions" in Florence will be closed. What about the other
attractions? There are so many things to see in Florence. Is there any
way for someone to provide a complete list of the names of places
expected to close during the protests?

Michael

Stephen Cain wrote:

    > Is it possible for you to expand a bit on the "protests" and the length
    > of time they are anticipated to last? Thanks, s

As I already wrote on Oct. 22nd:

From Nov. 6th to 10th there will be in Florence an anti-globalist social
forum like the one that was kept in Porto Alegre, Brazil, last year.
Most of the thing will be talks at Fortezza da Basso.

A big public manifestation will be kept on Nov. 9th, where 150,000
people are expected to be.

Another manifestation will be on Nov. 6th, in front of the Camp Darby
US military base near Pisa.

The organizers and the government are working to keep violent protestor
as distant as possible from the manifestation and everybody hopes the
thing won't degenerate into riots. As in Italy everybody is still
shocked by the 2001 Genova G8 riots, everybody is now afraid of riots,
but nobody really knows how serious the thing will be.

By the way, it is very difficult to really evaluate the danger, as right
wing political parties have been conducing since a long time a
propaganda operation on the press, trying to feed fear of riots as a way
to have the forum cancelled (without being accused of curbing free
speech). It is now very difficult to separate facts from propaganda.

There is no way to know now what will be open and what will be closed.
For example, most shops will decide on a day-by-day base (if there is
any danger they will stay closed, but if the fear of riots works out to
be imaginary thay don't want to lose business).



-- -----------------------------------------------------
Luca Logi - Firenze - Italy e-mail: [email protected]

Liliana wrote:
    :
    : I'm going to be in Florence for a week, but apparently starting 5
    : November most of the main tourist attractions like the Uffizi and the
    : Duomo are going to be closed to visitors due to protests, so I'm
    : wondering where to go on day trips. I'd like to see Siena, but I don't
    : know how long of a train journey it is (my knowledge of geography is
    : horrible), and I don't know of anywhere else in the vicinity I should
    : go. Any suggestions would be really appreciated. Thanks!


Siena _is_ feasible by train, if you are reasonably energetic, and
get yourself a decent city map. Not so much for finding your way
to the city centre, but finding your way _back_ to the station.
We, er, got lost. Not the end of the world, and we had an interesting
exploration, but that was September in nice weather. Might be slightly
less pleasant in November.

Nearer Florence, Fiesole is (IMHO) not to be missed (definitely bus,
that one).

Further out again: Lucca is a charming city, well-worth the visit.
--
[email protected]

On Tue, 29 Oct 2002 19:55:59 +0000, Liliana
wrote:

    >Thanks everyone-- I'm flying into Pisa, so I'll see the tower, and
    >believe me, if I could rent a car, I would. Unfortunately my funds do
    >not extend to such luxuries. . . but that's good to know about buses, as
    >I assume they'll be much cheaper than trains.

I don't think so. It cost me less than 10E for a round trip from
Florence to Pisa.

Sylvain

Liliana wrote:
    >
    > Thanks everyone-- I'm flying into Pisa, so I'll see the tower, and
    > believe me, if I could rent a car, I would. Unfortunately my funds do
    > not extend to such luxuries. . . but that's good to know about buses, as
    > I assume they'll be much cheaper than trains. Siena and Arezzo sound
    > like good ideas-- what about Orvieto? Someone else recommended that to
    > me, but I don't know what there is to see there.

Orvieto is an attractive town with a well-preserved medieval center and
a very beautiful Italian Gothic cathedral.

Barbara