How to Get from Rome to Siena (and vice versa)
· Updated · BootsnAll
Most Italy itineraries are built around Rome, Florence and Venice, and most people like to add at least one smaller city. Very often it's Siena. Florence has the Renaissance art, but Siena is the Tuscan city that makes visitors gush.
Here's how to get to Siena from Rome, and back. This is one of the few trips in Italy where the bus beats the train, and it isn't close.
The short answer
Take the coach. It's direct, it's cheaper than the train, it's usually faster, and some buses drop you right by the old city walls. The train needs a change and leaves you at a station below the hill. Drive only if you're touring the Tuscan countryside anyway.
| Option | Time | Cost in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Coach | from about 2 h 40 min | from about 6 euros |
| Train (one change) | about 3 hours at best | depends on the trains you pick |
| Car | about 2 to 2.5 hours | fuel, tolls and parking |
| Flight | no commercial airport | not an option |
Taking the Bus from Rome to Siena
Two national coach companies run the route in 2026. FlixBus listed 11 buses a day, from early morning to late evening, with the fastest taking about 2 hours 40 minutes and fares from about 6 euros booked early. Itabus runs Rome to Siena too, and also has buses from Rome's Fiumicino airport straight to Siena, which is handy if you're heading to Tuscany the day you land.
In Rome, most buses leave from Tiburtina bus station, next to the Tiburtina train and metro station (Line B). FlixBus also picks up at other stops in the city, so check which one your ticket names.
In Siena, where you get off matters more than it looks:
- Piazza Gramsci is just outside the old walls, a short walk from the Campo. If you're staying in the historic center, this is the stop you want.
- Viale Toselli is further out, a longer walk or a local bus ride from the center.
- The train station (Piazza Carlo Rosselli) is below the hill. From there it's a local bus, a taxi, or the escalators up into town.
Buy online and book ahead in summer, on Friday and Sunday evenings, and around the Palio (2 July and 16 August), when Siena fills up and the cheap seats go first. There's more on Italian bus travel here.
Taking the Train from Rome to Siena
There's no direct train from Rome to Siena. The usual routes change at Chiusi or at Florence, and a few go via Grosseto. The best connections take about 3 hours and many take 3.5 to 4.5. You'll pay more than the bus if one leg is on a high-speed train, because those are priced like airfares, while the regional leg into Siena has a fixed, low fare. If you buy a paper regional ticket, validate it in the platform machine before you board. Search the whole journey on trenitalia.com and it will offer the connections and sell them as one ticket.
Then there's the arrival. Siena's station is at the bottom of the hill, outside the walls, and the historic center is a steep climb away. An escalator link climbs from the station toward the edge of the old town, or you can take a local bus or a taxi.
So with a change of trains, a higher fare and a station outside town, the train loses to the bus on every count here. The exception is an Interrail pass, which covers regional trains: if you already have one, the all-regional route via Chiusi costs you nothing extra. (The Trenitalia Pass doesn't cover regional trains.) There's more about Italian train travel here.
Driving from Rome to Siena
Don't drive in Rome if you can help it. The Tuscan countryside, though, is made for driving, so if a few days of exploring Tuscany by car is on your list, your biggest hurdle is getting out of Rome. Pick up the car at an office on the edge of the city or at the airport, not in the center.
The drive takes about 2 to 2.5 hours without traffic: north on the A1 toll motorway, then off at the Valdichiana exit and west on the dual carriageway to Siena. If you'd rather meander, the back roads through the Val d'Orcia (Pienza, Montalcino) turn the drive into the best part of the day. ViaMichelin is a good place to plan the route.
Parking is the hard part. The historic center is a limited traffic zone (ZTL), and driving in without a permit brings a fine of 83 to 332 euros in 2026, plus an admin fee from the rental company. Park in one of the car parks around the walls. The city's parking company, Si.Ge.Ri.Co., lists them, and several connect to the center by escalator. Ask your hotel before you arrive; some have arrangements with a car park or can register your plate for access.
>> Rent a car in Italy and learn more about Italian driving laws
Flying from Rome to Siena
Siena has no commercial airport. The nearest are Florence and Pisa, and there are no direct flights to either from Rome worth taking. Flying and then catching a bus or train to Siena would take far longer than the direct coach. Don't try it.
And now that you're in Siena...
- The Siena travel guide will help you plan your visit.
- For a place to stay, look at cheap hotels in Siena or hostels in Siena.
- Carrying on to Florence? Here's how to get between Florence and Siena (by bus, again).
photos, top to bottom, by: Stanca appena sveglia, moty66.ipernity.com, miquitos, Rosa Menkman