Fancy Sleeps, Southwest of Il Campo
Map: Siena Hotels & Restaurants
Traditional and Rustic Places in the Old Town
Finding a room in Siena is tough during Easter (April 20 in 2014) or the Palio (July 2 and Aug 16). Many hotels won’t take reservations until the end of May for the Palio, and even then they might require a four-night stay. While day-tripping tour groups turn the town into a Gothic amusement park in midsummer, Siena is basically yours in the evenings and off-season.
Part of Siena’s charm is its lively, festive character—this means that all hotels can be plagued with noise, even (and sometimes especially) the hotels in the pedestrian-only zone. If tranquility is important for your sanity, ask for a room that’s off the street, or consider staying at one of the recommended places outside the center.
These well-run places are a 10-minute walk from Il Campo.
$$$ Pensione Palazzo Ravizza is elegant and friendly, with 38 rooms and an aristocratic feel—fitting, as it was once the luxurious residence of a noble. Guests enjoy a peaceful garden set on a dramatic bluff, along with a Steinway in the upper lounge (Sb-€180, small loft Db-€140, standard Db-€180, superior Db-€220, Tb-€255, family suites-€300, rates can vary, see website for room differences, rooms in back overlook countryside, air-con, elevator, free Wi-Fi, Via Piano dei Mantellini 34, tel. 0577-280-462, www.palazzoravizza.it, bureau@palazzoravizza.it). As parking is free and the hotel is easily walkable from the center, this is a particularly good value for drivers.
$$$ Hotel Duomo has 20 spacious but slightly dated rooms, a picnic-friendly roof terrace, and a bizarre floor plan (Sb-€105, Db-€130, Db suite-€180, Tb-€180, Qb-€230, elevator with some stairs, air-con, free Wi-Fi, discounted parking-€20/day; follow Via di Città, which becomes Via di Stalloreggi, to #38; tel. 0577-289-088, www.hotelduomo.it, booking@hotelduomo.it, Alessandro). If you’re arriving by train, take a taxi (€12) or ride bus #3 to the Porta Tufi stop, just a few minutes’ walk from the hotel; you can also arrange to have Alessandro take you to/from the train station or airport (with this book: train station-€10, Florence’s Vespucci Airport-€105, Pisa’s Galilei Airport-€165; he’ll also take you to nearby hill towns, e.g. Florence-€105 and Pisa-€165). If you’re driving, go to Porta San Marco, turn right, and follow signs to the hotel—drop your bags, then park in the nearby Il Campo lot near Porta Tufi.
Most of these listings are forgettable but well-priced, and just a horse wreck away from one of Italy’s most wonderful civic spaces.
$$ Piccolo Hotel Etruria, with 20 simple, recently redecorated rooms, is well-located and restful (S-€50, Sb-€60, Db-€90-110, Tb-€120-138, Qb-€145-166, higher rates are for peak-of-peak times, 10 percent discount with this book, optional breakfast-€5, air-con May-Oct only, elevator, Wi-Fi, next to recommended Albergo Tre Donzelle at Via delle Donzelle 1-3, tel. 0577-288-088, www.hoteletruria.com, info@hoteletruria.com, friendly Conti family).
$ Albergo Tre Donzelle is a fine budget value with 20 plain, well-worn rooms. Although the showers have seen better days, these may be the cheapest rooms in the center. Don’t hang out here...think of Il Campo, a block away, as your terrace (S-€38, D-€49, Db-€60, T-€70, Tb-€85, no rooms available for Palio, breakfast-€5, free Wi-Fi; with your back to the tower, head away from Il Campo toward 2 o’clock to Via delle Donzelle 5; tel. 0577-280-358, www.tredonzelle.com, info@tredonzelle.com).
$ Hotel Cannon d’Oro, a few blocks up Via Banchi di Sopra, is a labyrinthine slumbermill renting 30 institutional, overpriced rooms (Sb-€71, Db-€90, Tb-€115, Qb-€136, these discounted prices good with this book through 2014, fans, free Wi-Fi in lobby and some rooms, a couple of blocks from the bus hub at Via dei Montanini 28, tel. 0577-44-321, www.cannondoro.com, info@cannondoro.com; Maurizio, Tommaso, and Rodrigo).
$$ Antica Residenza Cicogna is a seven-room guest house with a homey elegance and an ideal location. It’s warmly run by the young and charming Elisa and her dad Fabio, who set out biscotti, vin santo, and tea all day for their guests. With artfully frescoed walls and ceilings, this is remarkably genteel for the price (Db-€95, suite Db-€120, third bed-€15, air-con, free guest computer, free Wi-Fi, Via delle Terme 76, tel. 0577-285-613, mobile 347-007-2888, www.anticaresidenzacicogna.it, info@anticaresidenzacicogna.it).
$$ Palazzo Masi B&B, run by Alizzardo and Daniela, is just below Il Campo. They rent six pleasant, spacious, antique-furnished rooms with shared common areas on the second and third floors of an old building. While a bit pricey, the fine location and warm welcome are appreciated (D-€80, Db-€120 if you book direct, discounts for 4 or more nights, cash only, breakfast-€8, free Wi-Fi, discounted parking at nearby Il Campo lot-€25/24 hours; from City Hall, walk 50 yards down Via del Casato di Sotto to #29; mobile 349-600-9155, www.palazzomasi.com, info@palazzomasi.it). The place is sometimes unstaffed, so it’s important to phone upon arrival.
$ B&B Alle Due Porte is a charming little establishment renting four big rooms with sweet furniture under big medieval beams. The shared breakfast room is delightful. The manager, Egisto, is a phone call and five-minute scooter ride away (Db-€85, windowless Db with small bed-€65, Tb-€110, air-con in two rooms, free Wi-Fi, Via di Stalloreggi 51, tel. 0577-287-670, mobile 368-352-3530, www.sienatur.it, soldatini@interfree.it).
$ Le Camerine di Silvia, a romantic hideaway perched near a sweeping, grassy olive grove, rents five simple but cozy rooms in a converted 16th-century building. A small breakfast terrace with fruit trees and a private hedged garden lends itself to contemplation (Db-€50-€80, rate depends on season, cash only, ask for a view room, fans, Wi-Fi, shared microwave and small fridge, nearby parking-€12, free parking a 10-minute walk away, Via Ettore Bastianini 1-3, just below recommended Pensione Palazzo Ravizza—see listing earlier, mobile 338-761-5052 or 339-123-7687, www.lecamerinedisilvia.com, info@lecamerinedisilvia.com, Conti family).
$ B&B Siena in Centro is a clearinghouse managing five good and centrally located private apartments. Their handy office functions as a reception area renting out a total of about 20 rooms; stop by here to pick up your key and be escorted to your apartment. The rooms are generally spacious, quiet, and comfortable, but with no air-conditioning or Wi-Fi. Their website lets you visualize your options (Sb-€45-60, Db-€70-90, Tb-€90-120, reception open 9:00-13:30 & 15:00-19:00, later in high season, other times by phone request, OK to leave bags at reception, Via di Stalloreggi 14, tel. 0577-43041, mobile 331-281-0136 or 347-465-9753, www.bbsienaincentro.com, info@bbsienaincentro.com, Gioia or Michela).
These hotels are within a 10-minute walk northwest of Il Campo. Both Albergo Bernini and Alma Domus offer fine panoramas of the old town for reasonable prices.
$$$ Hotel Chiusarelli, with 48 classy rooms in a beautiful Neoclassical villa, has a handy location but is on a very busy street. Expect traffic noise at night—ask for a quieter room in the back (can be guaranteed with reservation). The bells of San Domenico are your 7:00 wake-up call (Sb-€105, Db-€150, Tb-€190, ask for 10 percent Rick Steves discount when you book, air-con, free Wi-Fi with this book, across from San Domenico at Viale Curtatone 15, tel. 0577-280-562, www.chiusarelli.com, info@chiusarelli.com).
$ Alma Domus is a church-run hotel featuring 43 spartan rooms with quaint balconies, some fantastic views (ask for a room con vista), stately public rooms, and a pleasant atmosphere. However, the thin doors, echoey halls, and nearby church bells can be drawbacks; ask for a room with double-paned windows or bring earplugs. The 10:00 checkout time is strict, but they will store your luggage in their secure courtyard (Sb-€48, Db-€85, Tb-€110, air-con, elevator, pay guest computer, pay Wi-Fi; from San Domenico, walk downhill toward the view with the church on your right, turn left down Via Camporegio, make a U-turn down the brick steps to Via Camporegio 37; tel. 0577-44-177, www.hotelalmadomus.it, info@hotelalmadomus.it, Luigi).
$ Albergo Bernini makes you part of a Sienese family in a modest, clean home with 10 traditional rooms. Giovanni, charming wife Daniela, and their three daughters welcome you to their spectacular view terrace for breakfast and picnic lunches and dinners (S-€55, D-€65, Sb or small Db with view-€78, Db-€85, less in winter, optional breakfast-€3.50/small or €7.50/big, cash only, free Wi-Fi, on the main Il Campo-San Domenico drag at Via della Sapienza 15, tel. 0577-289-047, www.albergobernini.com, hbernin@tin.it).
These options, a 10- to 20-minute walk from the center, are great for drivers.
These two fine spots are about 200 yards outside the Porta Romana (for locations, see the map on here). To get to downtown Siena from here, catch minibus line A uphill to Piazza al Mercato, just behind Il Campo (€1.10). To reach the bus and train stations, take bus #2 (which becomes #17 at Piazza del Sale; when arriving, catch #17 from the station). If driving, from the freeway, take the Siena Sud exit, continue in direction Romana, then at the first light turn left, following Pta Romana/Centro signs for about half a mile until you see the big city gate.
$$$ Hotel Santa Caterina is a three-star, 18th-century place renting 22 comfy rooms. It’s professionally run with real attention to quality. While it’s on a big city street, it has a delightful garden terrace with views over the countryside (Sb-€125, four small Db-€125, Db-€165, split-level Tb or Qb-€215, prices promised with this book through 2014, can be cheaper in low season, garden side is quieter, air-con, fridge in room, elevator, free Wi-Fi, parking-€15/day—request when you reserve, Via E.S. Piccolomini 7, tel. 0577-221-105, www.hscsiena.it, info@hscsiena.it, Lorenza and her crew).
$$ Hotel Porta Romana is at the edge of town, off a busy road. Some of its 15 rooms face the open countryside (request one of these), and breakfast is served in the garden (Sb-€90, Db-€110, extra person-€20, 10 percent Rick Steves discount if you book direct and pay cash, air-con in most rooms, free guest computer, free Wi-Fi, free parking, inviting sun terrace, outdoor hot tub-€10/person per stay, Via E.S. Piccolomini 35, tel. 0577-42299, www.hotelportaromana.com, info@hotelportaromana.com; Marco and Evelia).
These two places are in a villa-studded residential neighborhood across a gully from San Domenico Church. They’re about 5-10 minutes farther than the listings under “Near San Domenico Church,” earlier, but the extra walking gets you to a swankier address.
$$$ Hotel Villa Elda rents 11 bright and light rooms in a recently renovated villa. It’s classy, stately, pricey, and run with a feminine charm (Db-€140-170, about €20 more for view, extra person-€30, air-con, free Wi-Fi, garden and view terrace, Viale Ventiquattro Maggio 10, tel. 0577-247-927, www.villaeldasiena.it, info@villaeldasiena.it).
$$$ Hotel Villa Liberty, across a busy street from the fortress, is a former private mansion. It has 17 big, bright, comfortable rooms and some road noise (Sb-€80, Db-€150, Tb-€180, €10 more for superior room, air-con, elevator, free Wi-Fi, bar, courtyard, free and easy street parking, facing fortress at Viale Vittorio Veneto 11, tel. 0577-44-966, www.villaliberty.it, info@villaliberty.it).
$$ Hotel Minerva is your big, professional, plain, efficient option. It’s the most impersonal of my listings, with zero personality but predictable comfort. While its 56 rooms are boring, they don’t hide any unpleasant surprises. It works best for those with cars—parking is reasonable (€12/day), and it’s only a 10-minute walk from the action (Sb-€76, Db-€122, Tb-€168, bigger suites available for more, ask for a view room, air-con, elevator, free guest computer, pay Wi-Fi, Via Garibaldi 72, tel. 0577-284-474, www.albergominerva.it, info@albergominerva.it).
$$$ Frances’ Lodge Relais is a tranquil and delightfully managed farmhouse B&B a mile out of Siena. Each of its six rooms is bursting with character (all well-described on their website). Franca and Franco run this rustic-yet-elegant old place, which features a 19th-century orangery that’s been made into a “better homes and palaces” living room, as well as a peaceful garden, eight acres of olive trees and vineyards, and great views of Siena and its countryside—even from the swimming pool (small Db-€170, Db-€190, Db suite-€220, Tb-€210-220, Tb suite-€280, Qb suite-€340, these prices promised to Rick Steves readers through 2014 if you book direct, possibly cheaper for longer stays, air-con, free guest computer, free Wi-Fi, free parking, Strada di Valdipugna 2, tel. 0577-42379, mobile 337-671-608, www.franceslodge.it). To the center, it’s a five-minute bus ride (€1.10, they’ll call to arrange) plus a five-minute walk, or €10 by taxi. Consider having an al fresco dinner in the gazebo, complete with view (make your own picnic, or have your hosts assemble a very fancy one for €20/person).
The following accommodations are set in the lush, peaceful countryside surrounding Siena, and are best for those traveling by car (see locations on the map on here).
$$$ Borgo Argenina has seven rooms in a well-maintained, pricey splurge of a B&B. Run by helpful Elena Nappa, it’s 20 minutes north of Siena by car in the Chianti region (Db-€170, beautiful gardens, free Wi-Fi, mobile 345-353-7673, www.borgoargenina.it, info@borgoargenina.it).
$$ Il Canto del Sole is a restored 18th-century farmhouse turned family-friendly B&B located about six miles outside the Porta Romana city gate. Run by Laura, Luciano, and their son Marco, it features 10 bright and airy rooms and two apartments with original antique furnishings, a saltwater swimming pool, a game room, and bike rentals (Db-€120, Tb-€140, extra bed-€30, apartment-€180-220, air-con, free Wi-Fi, free parking, dinner cooked on request, Val di Villa Canina 1292, 53014 Loc. Cuna, tel. 0577-375-127, www.ilcantodelsole.com, info@ilcantodelsole.com).
Sienese restaurants are reasonable by Florentine and Venetian standards. You can enjoy ordering high on the menu here without going broke. For me, the best €5 you can spend in Siena is on a cocktail at Bar Il Palio, overlooking Il Campo. For pasta, a good option is pici (PEE-chee), a thick Sienese spaghetti that seems to be at the top of every menu.
(See “Siena Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
For only a few euros more, these four places deliver a more upscale ambience and generally better food than my later recommendations.
Antica Osteria Da Divo is the place for a dressy and atmospheric €45 meal. The kitchen is creative, the ambience is flowery and candlelit, some of the seating fills old Etruscan tombs, and the food is fresh, delicate, and top-notch. While the cuisine is flamboyant and almost over-the-top, Chef Pino and his wife Susanna serve up my favorite splurge dinner in town. Pino is a fanatic for fresh ingredients, enjoys giving traditional dishes his creative spin, and is understandably proud of his desserts. The wine is good, too—you can order it by the glass (€4-7) if you ask (€10-12 pastas, €20-26 secondi, €3 cover, Wed-Mon 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, closed Tue, reservations smart; facing Baptistery door, take the far right street and walk one long curving block to Via Franciosa 29; tel. 0577-284-381, www.osteriadadivo.it). Those dining here with this book can finish with a complimentary biscotti and vin santo or coffee (upon request).
Taverna San Giuseppe, a local favorite, offers modern Tuscan cuisine in a chic grotto atmosphere. While the vibe is high energy and casual, the food compares favorably with the slightly more upscale places listed here. The wine-and-cheese cellar in back is cut from an Etruscan tomb. Check the posters tacked around the entry for daily specials. Reserve or arrive early to get a table (€8-10 pastas, €15-20 secondi, Mon-Sat 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:00, closed Sun, air-con, 7-minute climb up street to the right of City Hall at Via Giovanni Dupre 132, tel. 0577-42-286, www.tavernasangiuseppe.it, Matteo).
Compagnia dei Vinattieri serves modern Tuscan dishes with a creative twist. In this elegantly unpretentious space, you can enjoy a quiet and romantic meal under graceful brick arches. The menu is small and accessible, and the young staff will help you match your meal with the right wine. Marco, the owner, is happy to take you down to the marvelous wine cellar (€9-12 pastas, €16-18 secondi, leave this book on the table for a complimentary aperitivo or dessert drink, daily 12:30-15:00 & 19:30-23:00, near Via dei Pittori at Via delle Terme 79, tel. 0577-236-568, www.vinattieri.net).
Hostaria Il Carroccio, artsy and convivial, seats guests in a tight, sea-foam green dining room and serves elegantly presented, traditional “slow food” recipes with innovative flair at affordable prices (€8 pastas, €14-18 secondi, €30 tasting menu—minimum two people, cash only, reservations wise, Thu-Tue 12:30-15:00 & 19:30-22:00, closed Wed, Via del Casato di Sotto 32, tel. 0577-41-165, sweet Renata and Mauro).
(See “Siena Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
Trattoria La Torre is a thriving, unfussy casalinga (home-cooking) eatery, popular for its homemade pasta, plates of which entice customers as they enter. The sound of its busy open kitchen adds to the conviviality. Ten tables are packed under one medieval brick arch. Service is brisk and casual, and despite its priceless position below the namesake tower, it feels more like a local hangout than a tourist trap. Study the menu in the window before entering; otherwise, the owner likes to just recite his long list of dishes (€7-8 pastas, €8-10 secondi, €2 cover, Fri-Wed 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:00, closed Thu, just steps below Il Campo at Via di Salicotto 7, tel. 0577-287-548, Alberto Boccini).
Osteria del Gatto is a classic little hole-in-the-wall, thriving with townspeople and powered by a passion for serving good Sienese cuisine. Marco Coradeschi and his engaged staff cook and serve daily specials with attitude. As it’s so small and popular, it can get loud (€8-9 pastas, €8-10 secondi, Mon-Fri 12:30-15:00 & 19:30-22:00, Sat 19:30-22:00 only, closed Sun, 5-minute walk away from the center at Via San Marco 8, tel. 0577-287-133).
Ristorante Guidoriccio, just a few steps below Il Campo, feels warm and welcoming. You’ll get smiling service from Ercole and Elisabetta. While mostly filled with tourists, the place has charm—especially if you let gentle Ercole explore the menu with you and follow his suggestions (€9 pastas, €13-15 secondi, Mon-Sat 12:30-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, closed Sun, air-con, Via Giovanni Dupre 2, tel. 0577-44-350).
Trattoria Papei is a Sienese favorite, featuring a casual, rollicking family atmosphere and friendly servers dishing out generous portions of rib-stickin’ Tuscan specialties and grilled meats. This big, sprawling place under tents in a parking lot is in all the guidebooks and often jammed—so call to reserve (€7 pastas, €8-12 secondi, daily 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:30, on the market square directly behind City Hall at Piazza del Mercato 6, tel. 0577-280-894; for 50 years Signora Giuliana has ruled her kitchen, Amadeo and Eduardo speak English).
Osteria Trombicche takes you back to another age—cheap and small, with tight indoor seating and two tiny outdoor tables from which to watch the street scene. Alessandro serves fast, hearty food to a local crowd (€6.50 ribollita—bean-and-vegetable soup—in winter, €5 panzanella—bread salad with tomato and basil—in summer, €8-10 mixed-vegetable antipasto plates, hand-cut prosciutto, Mon-Sat 11:00-15:00 & 18:00-22:00, Sun 11:00-15:00, Via delle Terme 66, tel. 0577-288-089).
La Taverna Di Cecco is a simple, comfortable little eatery on an uncrowded back lane where earnest Luca and Gianni serve tasty salads and Sienese specialties made by their grandmother from fresh ingredients (€8-12 pastas, €10-20 secondi, daily 12:00-16:00 & 19:00-24:00, Via Cecco Angiolieri 19, tel. 0577-288-518).
Il Pomodorino is a lively restaurant with a great view of the Duomo from its outdoor terrace. Tasty €8 pizzas pair well with a beer from their wide selection. The more intimate interior has Italian proverbs on the walls (daily 12:30-24:00 or later, a few steps from the recommended Alma Domus hotel at Via Camporegio 13, tel. 0577-286-811, mobile 345-026-5865).
(See “Siena Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
If you choose to eat on perhaps the finest town square in Italy, you’ll pay a premium, meet waiters who don’t need to hustle, and get mediocre food. And yet I recommend it. The clamshell-shaped square is lined with venerable cafés, bars, restaurants, and pizzerias.
To experience Il Campo without paying for a full meal, consider having drinks or breakfast on the square. Some bars serve food. And if your hotel doesn’t include breakfast or if you’d like something more memorable, Il Campo has plenty of options. A cappuccino and a cornetto (croissant) run about €5-6.
(See “Siena Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
Ristorante Alla Speranza has perhaps the best view in all of Italy. If you’re looking to eat reasonably on Il Campo, this is your place (€8-10 pastas and pizzas, €13-15 secondi, €3 cover charge, daily 9:00-late, tel. 0577-280-190). It’s smart to reserve the view table of your choice by phone—or simply stop by earlier in the day while you’re sightseeing in the square.
Il Bandierino is another decent option with an angled view of City Hall (€8-12 salads, €11-12 pizzas, €13-15 pastas; no cover but a 20 percent service fee, daily 11:00-23:00, tel. 0577-282-217, Hugo).
Bar Il Palio is the best bar on Il Campo for a pre- or postdinner drink: It has straightforward prices, no cover, decent waiters, and a fantastic perspective out over the square.
Dynamic little Osteria Liberamente (on the square, not above it) has a trendy vibe and is popular with young people (fine wine by the glass, €7 cocktails with good tapas, Wed-Mon 8:00 until late, closed Tue, Pino).
(See “Siena Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
Three places have skinny balconies with benches overlooking the main square for their customers. Sipping a coffee or nibbling a pastry here while marveling at the Il Campo scene is one of my favorite things to do in Europe. And it’s very cheap. Survey these three places from Il Campo (with your back to the tower, they are at 10 o’clock, high noon, and 3 o’clock, respectively).
The little Costarella Gelateria, on the corner of Via di Città and Costa dei Barbieri, has good drinks and light snacks, such as cute little €3.50 sandwiches, though the gelato tastes artificial (daily 8:00-late, Via di Città 33). While the restaurant is for regular service, you’re welcome to take anything from the bar out to the simple benches (just walk through the “table service only” section upstairs) and eat with a grand view overlooking Il Campo.
Bar Paninoteca San Paolo has a youthful pub ambience and a row of stools lining a skinny balcony overlooking the square. It serves big €7 salads and 50 kinds of €4 sandwiches, hot and cold—not authentic Italian, but quick and filling (order and pay at the counter, food served daily 12:00-2:00 in the morning, on Vicolo di San Paolo, tel. 0577-226-622).
Key Largo Bar has two long, second-story benches in the corner offering a wonderful secret perch. Buy your drink or snack at the bar (no cover and no extra charge to sit on balcony), climb upstairs, and slide the ancient bar to open the door. Enjoy stretching out, and try to imagine how, during the Palio, three layers of spectators cram into this space—note the iron railing used to plaster the top row of sardines up against the wall. Suddenly you’re picturing Palio ponies zipping wildly around the corner (€4 cocktails, daily 7:00-24:00, on the corner of Via Rinaldini). If you can’t get a seat on the outdoor benches, skip the otherwise nondescript, youthful interior.
(See “Siena Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
Antica Pizzicheria al Palazzo della Chigiana (look for the sign reading Pizzicheria de Miccoli) may be the official name, but I bet locals just call it Antonio’s. For most of his life, frenzied Antonio has carved salami and cheese for the neighborhood. Most of the day, a hungry line spills onto the street as people wait for their sandwiches—meat and cheese sold by weight—with a good €10 bottle of Chianti (Italian law dictates that he must sell you a bottle of wine—cheap and good—and lend you the glasses). Antonio and his boys offer a big cheese-and-meat plate (about €18 gets you 30 minutes of eating) and pull out a tiny tabletop in the corner so you can munch or sip while standing and watching the ham-hock-y scene. Or just grab a €4-5 sandwich. Even if you don’t eat here, pop in to inhale the commotion or peruse Antonio’s gifty traditional edibles (daily 8:00-20:00, Via di Città 95, tel. 0577-289-164).
Ciao Cafeteria, at the bottom of Il Campo, offers good-value, self-service lunches, but no ambience or views (hearty €5-7 meals, daily 12:00-15:00). The crowded Spizzico, a pizza counter in the front half of Ciao, serves huge €4-5 quarter-pizzas. For both places, the food and ambience recall a cut-rate truck stop—but on sunny days, people take the pizza out on Il Campo for a memorable picnic (daily 11:00-21:00, to left of City Tower as you face it).
Pizza: Spizzico (listed above) is worth considering only if you’re standing on Il Campo, desperate for pizza, and unashamedly lazy. Budget eaters look for pizza al taglio shops, scattered throughout Siena, selling better pizza by the slice. One good bet, San Martino, a couple of blocks behind Il Campo, is a local-feeling spot with €2-3 slices and sandwiches (Mon-Sat 8:00-14:30 & 16:30-21:00, closed Sun, Via del Porrione 64).
Rosticcerie: For cheap take-out food, look for a rosticceria (explained on here). One affordable, central option that feels at least partly untouristed is Rosticceria Vitti, near Piazza Gramsci’s bus terminus (point to what you want in the glass case, figure €5 for a light meal, Sun-Fri 9:00-21:30, until 16:00 off-season, closed Sat, Via dei Montanini 14/16, tel. 0577-289-291).
Supermarket: You won’t find many cheap grocery shops in the touristy center of Siena. But one handy (if fancy) option is Consorzio Agrario Siena. Ask them to make you up a panino. As this place specializes in artisanal Tuscan foods, both the quality and prices are high (Mon-Sat 8:00-19:00, sometimes open Sun from 9:30, a block off Piazza Matteotti, toward Il Campo at Via Pianigiani 5).
(See “Siena Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
For a special dessert or a sweet treat any time of day, stop by Nannini—considered the top-end pastry shop and the place to go for quality local specialties (Mon-Sat 7:30-21:00, Sun 8:00-21:00, aperitivo happy hour 18:00-21:00, Banchi di Sopra 24). Across the street is the wonderful Gelateria Grom (see “Nightlife in Siena” sidebar)—but you have my permission to sample every gelateria in town to pick your own favorite.
Siena has sparse train connections but is a great hub for buses to the hill towns, though frequency drops on Sundays and holidays. For most, Florence is the gateway to Siena. Even if you are a railpass-user, connect these two cities by bus—it’s faster than the train, and Siena’s bus station is more convenient and central than its train station. (Note: Many travelers mistake old signs for a former bus company, Tra-In, as signs for trains or the train station. Those buses have nothing to do with the railway.)
Siena’s train station is at the edge of town. For details on getting between the town center and the station, see here.
From Siena by Train to: Florence (direct trains hourly, 1.5-2 hours, €8.50; bus is better), Pisa (2/hour, 1.75 hours, change at Empoli, €9.80), Assisi (8/day, 4-5 hours, most involve 2 changes, from €13, bus is faster), Rome (1-2/hour, 3-3.5 hours, change in Florence or Chiusi, €26-53), Orvieto (12/day, 2-2.5 hours, change in Chiusi, €15.80). For more information, visit www.trenitalia.com.
The main bus companies are Tiemme (part of a larger company called Siena Mobilità and formerly called Tra-In; mostly handles buses to regional destinations, tel. 0577-204-246, www.sienamobilita.it) and Sena (for long-distance connections, tel. 0577-208-282, www.sena.it). On schedules, the fastest buses are marked rapida. I’d stick with these. Most buses depart Siena from Piazza Gramsci; others leave from the train station (confirm when you buy your ticket).
Tiemme/Siena Mobilità Buses to: Florence (roughly 2/hour, 1.25-hour rapida/via superstrada buses are faster than the train, avoid the 2-hour ordinaria buses unless you have time to enjoy the beautiful scenery en route, €7.80; if there are lines at bus-ticket office, tickets also available at tobacco shops/tabacchi; generally leaves from Piazza Gramsci as well as train station), San Gimignano (8/day direct, no direct service on Sun, 1.25 hours, €6, leaves from Piazza Gramsci), Volterra (4/day Mon-Sat, no buses on Sun, 2 hours, change in Colle Val d’Elsa, €6.15, leaves from Piazza Gramsci), Montepulciano (8/day, none on Sun, 1.25 hours, €6.60, leaves from train station), Pienza (6/day, none on Sun, 1.5 hours, €4.40, leaves from train station), Montalcino (6/day Mon-Sat, 4/day Sun, 1.25 hours, €4.90, leaves from train station or Piazza del Sale), and Pisa’s Galileo Galilei Airport (3/day, 1.75 hours, €14, one direct, two via Poggibonsi).
Sena Buses to: Rome (9-10/day, 3 hours, €23, from Piazza Gramsci, arrives at Rome’s Tiburtina station on Metro line B with easy connections to the central Termini train station), Naples (2/day, 6.5 hours, one at 17:00 and an overnight bus that departs at 23:59, €33), and Milan (6/day, 4 hours, €36, departs from Piazza Gramsci, arrives at Milan’s Cadorna Station with Metro access and direct trains to Malpensa Airport).
To reach the town center of Pisa, the train is better (described earlier).
Tickets and Information: You can buy tickets in the underground passageway (called Sottopassaggio la Lizza) beneath Piazza Gramsci—look for stairwells in front of NH Excelsior Hotel. The larger office (marked Siena Mobilità) handles Tiemme/Siena Mobilità buses (Mon-Fri 6:30-19:30, Sat-Sun 7:00-19:30). The smaller one is for Sena buses (Mon-Sat 8:30-19:45; on Sun, when the Sena bus ticket office is closed, buy tickets next door at Tiemme/Siena Mobilità office; Sena office also has a desk selling Eurolines tickets for bus connections to other countries). Both offices accept credit cards. You can also get tickets for both Tiemme/Siena Mobilità buses and Sena buses at the train station (look for bus-ticket kiosk just inside main door—see here for hours). If necessary, you can buy tickets from the driver, but it costs €3 extra.
Services: Sottopassaggio la Lizza also has luggage storage (see here for details), posted bus schedules, TV monitors listing imminent departures for several bus companies, and WCs (€0.50).