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You are here: Experts > Food/Drink > Italian Cuisine > Italy > day trip to rome
Expert: Edoardo
Date: 7/15/2008
Subject: day trip to rome
Question
QUESTION: Hi Edoardo,
We are staying in san gimignano and would like to take a day trip to rome. I've been told to take the train from florence. Is this the best way to travel? We will be travelling by car to florence, will it be a nightmare parking at the train station?
Cheers Gary
ANSWER: Hello Gary,
if you are taking an Eurostar from Florence than visit Rome and get back in S.Gimignano for the night, I'd say that it's a good solution to take the train from Florence.
Unfortunately they are making a lot of works (for the subway project) close to the Santa Maria novella station, so getting there and parking there maybe a little bit tricky, but you can do it. Please remember that the cheapest parking is the one in S.Maria Novella; very close to the station, instead, there's a private parking which charges a fortune, so be careful to get the right one.
Alternatively you can leave the car at BOTTAI, which is the beginning of Florence, when you are on the Siena-Firenze 4 lanes road, you see the motorway entrance on your left, you go straight towards Florence and after 30 yards you see a warning indication saying BOTTAI PARKING CLOSED and an arrow on the left indicating you the parking that is right there (you'll clearly see the other cars parked). You can park there and take the bus 36# or 37# that will lead you to the S.Maria Novella (ask the driver, he'll tell you where to get off).
Little problem: you don't have tickets. I don't know if there's an automated distributor there, if not, you can keep going for 150 yards and purchase the tickets in the first bar you find on the left close to the youth hostel. You can also ask the driver, usually they let you in or they sell you the tickets on board.
Anyway, if I can give you another tip, I'd suggest to consider the idea of using a private driver; I mean, one Florence-Rome roundtrip train ticket is 101 Euro; if you are 4 people you spend 400 euro + parking + you have to go to Florence catch the bus etc;
if you use a private car you spend 390 euro and they pick you up in S.Gimignano and bring you back there.
You can check http://www.tuscanytransportation.eu or call this number 347 2450225 , they are quite famous for being very professional and affordable at the same time.
Have fun,
Edoardo.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks Edoardo,
I can get a family return train ticket for about 160 euros, so i think we'll go for that option.... the driver sounds very good though!
Could you give me a bit more advice.....
Our daughter is six years old, and i aws wondering if there's anywhere in particular we should visit which would keep her amused.
We'd also like to spend some time at the beach as well. Is there any you would recommend which would be suitable for her, she likes to explore rock pools, but we're not keen on any where that's really busy though. Any help would be much appreciated. Cheers Gary
Answer
Well the Colosseo will be amazing for an adult, so imagine for a 6 years old little girl, than the bocca della verità that is near there, than if she likes green fields and flowers you can go to Villa Borghese (but during the day with the daylight please), or campo dei fiori everyday except Sunday, the square is full of flowers and there's a nice local market.
Also at the EUR there's a nice amusement park.
For the beach (I assume you mean from S.Gimignano), you take direction Volterra, and than Pisa/Livorno/Grosseto.
I was on that coast yesterday and it is overcrowded everywhere unfortunately. A place probably less crowded could be The Monte Argentario, Talamone or Porto d'Ercole. This places are for VIP so sleeping there costs a fortune and for this reason there are less crowds, but if you just go around and explore a little bit, it doesn't cost anything and it is beautiful..
Have fun,
Edoardo
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