The most timesaving manner of getting from Florence to Rome is to travel by plane. There are excellent connections between the capital of Tuscany and the capital of Italy, the main entrance gates to these two cities being chiefly represented by the Amerigo Vespucci (Peretola) Airport of Florence and by the Leonardo da Vinci (Fiumicino) Airport of Rome. Peretola is serviced by 13 airlines, whereas Fiumicino is serviced by some 160 airlines, which is why one can easily imagine the opportunities in terms of air connections between Florence and Rome. Furthermore, Peretola is located only 4 kilometers northwestwards from Florence, the access being covered, as far as public transport means are concerned, by the SITA buses and by the so-called bus no. 62. Fiumicino, on the other hand, is located some 30 kilometers from Rome, being linked to Rome by various lines of the buses operated by COTRAL and by direct trains (Leonardo Express) and trains with various stops on the route. Tourist can also resort to the Ciampino Airport in order to get to Rome, airport transfers being covered by trains, metros and buses. For more specific information, please visit the official websites of the two airports, namely, http://www.aeroporto.firenze.it/IT/index.php and http://www.adr.it/home/fiumicino_it.htm, respectively.
The main train station in Florence is the Santa Maria Novella Station. The one in Rome is the Termini Station. The link between the two is covered by the proficient trains operated by Trenitalia, such as the Frecciarossa trains and the Frecciargento trains (high speed trains operating in intercity or national system). Tourists resorting to these trains should expect to a 90-minute trip, whereas normal speed trains need even up to 4 hours to get from Florence to Rome. Further details on departures and arrivals are to be found at http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/.
Trips from Florence to Rome by bus are said to be less convenient as compared to other public means of transport (trains, for instance). Eurolines is, however, the most reliable bus operator which covers distances between Florence and other major European cities, Rome included. Further information is displayed on http://www.eurolines.co.uk/coach/index.aspx.
Should public transportation fail to comply with tourists’ expectations, they can always resort to traveling from Florence to Rome by car. Autostrada del Sole A1 seems to be the most straightforward alternative, though other combinations of motorways and exits are obviously possible.
There are two major airports servicing the tourist platform of Tuscany, one pertaining to Pisa, and the other to Florence. The International Galileo Galilei Airport of Pisa is only one kilometer from the center of the city, and airport transfers are quite reliable, being covered by bus, by train or by car. Trips by plane from Florence to Pisa seem to be the most timesaving manner of covering the distance, also given the airports are fairly well connected to the cities. Further information is to be found by visiting http://www.aeroporto.firenze.it/IT/index.php and http://www.pisa-airport.com/.
Getting from Florence to Pisa by bus is, again, an efficient manner of covering the distance, an alternative quite appealing by force of the fact countless tourists resort to the Airport of Pisa in order to get to and out of Florence. The main bus operator providing trips from Florence to Pisa is CPT (Compagnia Pisana Transporti), the main station where they arrive in Pisa being the one located in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, close to the Central Station in Pisa. However, one can always choose to head for Pisa planning to arrive at the International Airport of Pisa which, again, features a fine range of airport transfers solutions. The buses operated by Terravision depart from the Santa Maria Novella Station in Florence and reach to Pisa in a fairly short time. Details on the hours of departure and arrival can be found by visiting http://www.pisa-airport.com/aeroporto_di_pisa_194.html.
Traveling from Florence to Pisa by train is, again, an efficient way of getting around in Tuscany. The Santa Maria Novella Station seems to be the most advisable point of departure from Florence when it comes to traveling by railroad. The trains heading for Pisa arrive either at the International Airport of Pisa or at the smaller San Rossore Station. Either way, visitors planning a trip of this kind should visit http://www.pisa-airport.com/aeroporto_di_pisa_221.html or http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/ for specific details on the routes. The bottom line is there are some 40 trains a day covering the distance between Florence and Pisa, which is more than reassuring.
Cars (either rented or otherwise) represent a further manner of traveling from Florence to Pisa. In order to do that, tourists should resort to either the A11 Mare-Florence motorway or to the Pisa-Livorno-Florence expressway and then enter on SS1 Aurelia, the main direct road in and out of Pisa.
Siena does have an airport (the Ampugnano Airport, 9 kilometers from Siena) (http://www.aeroportosiena.it/), but flying from Florence to Siena is less practicable, given the relatively short distance between the capital of Tuscany and Siena (some 70 kilometers). In addition, daytrips from Florence to Siena do not imply just the visitation of these two cities, but also the searching out of the route between them. Anyone knows the classic Chianti area stretches between Florence and Siena, which is why traveling by road or railway must seem of much more relevance than traveling by air.
The main operator linking Florence to Siena is SITA, with convenient performances and rates in terms of the time to get from Florence to Siena. The route these buses cover is chiefly represented by the Siena-Florence Motorway (Raccordo Autostradale Siena-Firenze), and they depart from nearby the Santa Maria Novella Station in Florence and arrive in Via Tozzi in Siena, with stops at three towns in Val di Pesa, at Poggibonsi and Colle di Val d’Elsa. For rates and operating hours, visit http://www.sitabus.it/wps/portal.
There are 14 trains a day assuring a direct connection between Florence and Siena, and 4 with a stop and a change in Empoli. Journeys range from some 90 minutes to two hours and 13 minutes, which is reasonable enough. Trains usually depart from the Santa Maria Novella Station in Florence and arrive in Siena 2 kilometers from the historical center of the city, in Via Carlo Rosselli. An additional incentive for resorting to traveling by train is this manner offers sights unmatched if traveling by bus. Specific details on routes and rates can be accessed at http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/.
There is a motorway specifically dedicated to making the connection between Florence and Siena, that is, the Siena-Florence Motorway (Raccordo Autostradale Siena-Firenze). Trips usually take no more than one hour and a half, which is perfect for practical visitors. The main benefit of this kind of travel refers to the fact the motorway crosses the famed Chianti area. For a deeper insight into Chianti, tourists should resort to the more sinuous roads, such as Via Chiantigiana and its extensions.
Most tourists prefer traveling by train between Florence and Lucca. There are some 30 trains a day covering the distance between Florence and Lucca, which is explainable by the fact Lucca is located on the railroad route between the capital of Tuscany and Viareggio, a great destination for those in search of excellent Tuscan beach resorts. Trips from Florence to Lucca range from a little more than one hour to almost two hours. Trains depart from Santa Maria Novella Station (in Florence) and arrive in Piazza Ricasoli (in Lucca). For details on hours of departure and arrival, as well as on rates, visit http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/.
Usually, buses need less time than trains to get from Florence to Lucca (a little more than one hour). From Florence, they depart from nearby the Santa Maria Novella Station and arrive in Piazzale Verdi (in Lucca). For detailed information on rates, departures from Florence and arrivals in Lucca, please visit www.lazzi.it.
Rented or otherwise, cars are extremely advisable for travels from Florence to Lucca. Autostrada Firenze-Mare A11 is the most straightforward alternative, but less pragmatic tourists may always resort to more sinuous combinations of roads for a deeper insight into the Tuscan scenery.
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