By car
Siena sits on the toll-free Florence–Siena link road, about an hour from Florence. From Rome it is roughly two and a half hours, leaving the A1 at Valdichiana.
The tricky part comes as you enter the city. The historic centre is almost entirely a restricted traffic zone monitored by cameras. There are no barriers: you drive in without noticing and the penalty arrives by post.
If your accommodation is inside the walls, ask before you travel whether and how they can register your number plate: many can, but it has to be done in advance.
Where to leave the car
The main car parks are along the walls and connected to the centre by escalators or short walks. They are paid, by the hour or by the day, and in the summer months they fill early.
Some car parks further out cost less but involve an uphill walk. Siena has no flat ground at all: bear that in mind with luggage or children.
People staying outside the walls usually have parking included, and that changes the arithmetic: in high season, parking in the centre can cost as much as dinner.
By train and bus
Siena station is outside the centre, at the bottom of the hill, but escalators climb towards the walls. Trains from Florence are frequent and take about an hour and a half; it is not a high-speed line.
Buses from Florence are often quicker than the train and arrive closer to the centre. For Rome, the most comfortable link remains the train, changing at Chiusi or Florence.
Once you are there
Inside the walls you walk; there is no sensible alternative. City buses connect the outer areas to the centre frequently.
For trips around the area, a car remains the freest option: the Crete Senesi and the Val d’Orcia are poorly served by public transport, and the best places are reached on minor roads.
