Insight Vacations Italian Escapade – Rome to Siena and Florence
Insight Vacations Italian Escapade – Rome to Siena and Florence
Insight Vacations Italian Escapade – Rome to Siena and Florence
WJ Tested: Insight Vacations Italian Escapade 12-Night Motor Coach Tour – Day 3: Travel North from Rome to Siena and Florence
Today we travel north from Rome. First visiting Siena before continuing on to Florence, where we will spend the next two nights of our Insight Vacations Italian Escapade tour.
The shrill ring of the 6 am wake-up call jolted us out of a good night’s sleep. By 6:30 am we had our luggage outside the hotel room door for the porter to retrieve, then made our way to the restaurant for breakfast. The hot and cold buffet was plentiful and we made good use of the coffee machine to make ourselves a cappuccino in order to wake us up enough for the full day of adventures that lay ahead. (Buffet breakfast items included: coffee, tea, juice, mineral water, yogurt, cheeses, bread, cold deli meats, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, pastries, fruit)
St. Peter’s Square at Vatican City
At 7:15 am all passengers were seated on the coach, and as Tour Director Mark started his commentary we departed for the Vatican Museums (closed the previous day due to a public holiday). Following a 25-minute drive across Rome to Vatican City we met with a local guide, Susanna, for our VIP tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica.
Once our tour of St. Peter’s was concluded, Susanna led us to where Mark was waiting to escort us back to the coach for our onward journey through Umbria and into Tuscany. Unfortunately, Susanna did not count all of our group and two passengers were missing by the time she left us with Mark. While we waited to see if they would find us assembled at the bottom of the steps at St. Peter’s, we had time to take more photos and view the ever increasing line waiting to get inside the humongous cathedral. After 30 minutes and no sign of the missing passengers, Mark took us to a nearby cafe where we could shop and have an early lunch while he went in search of them.
Driving Through Umbria
Thanks to Mark’s connections with other tour guides, the missing guests (found still inside St. Peter’s long after the meeting time) were reunited with our group and we all joined Alberto on the coach for a noon departure.
Our drive out of Rome and towards Tuscany followed the Tiber River on the Highway of the Sun. Mark explained that our anticipated drive time to Siena was approximately 2.5 hours. Views of lush, green, rolling countryside dotted with hillside villages and fields scattered with poppies were idyllic.
Interesting Facts:
- Rome is in the region of Umbria
- Umbria is known for its white wine, wool and wood trade
- The drive from Rome to Florence crosses the Tiber River about 100 times
- Apennine Hills run up the country – parallel to the A1 road (toll road) we were travelling
- Volcanic rock is prominent throughout the area
- Chianti is from the region of Tuscany – the Sangiovese grape.
- The black cockerel is the sign of the Chianti region
- Tuscany is known for its red wines
- Cypress trees line the roads of Tuscany
Siena Cathedral – Duomo di Siena
Arriving in Siena at approximately 4 pm we departed the coach with Mark for the 20-minute walk into and through the town. Upon arriving at Piazzo del Campo (the famous main square) we had free time until 5:30 pm – plenty of time to enjoy a gelato, glass of wine at a caffe and souvenir shopping.
Piazza del Campo in Siena
Siena – Did You Know?
- Is a Tuscan hill town and UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Medieval walls surround the city
- Is just 43 miles south of Florence
- Features the Paleo di Siena, a horse race run twice a year in Piazzo del Campo
- Must see the Duomo ~ a mix of Gothic and Romanesque architecture
Tuscan Countryside
After we joined up with Mark once again, we continued our walk through Siena to a lovely area where we could view a splendid vista of the Tuscan countryside. Alberto was waiting on the other side of the town with the coach (can’t drive into Siena) to take us to our final destination of the day… Florence. It would take about an hour to drive to our hotel near the Arno River – AC Hotel Firenze by Marriott.
Florence – Did You Know?
- Is the capital city of Tuscany with a population of 370,000
- Is known as the birthplace of the Renaissance
- The Arno River flows through this historically-rich city
- Is a hugely important fashion city with such notables as Gucci and Ferragamo
- Was ruled by the House of Medici for just over 300 years
We arrived at the hotel on the outskirts of the city at 7:30 pm and briefly went to our guestroom (# 305) to freshen up before an included dinner in the hotel restaurant at 8 pm. The hotel was modern, comfortable, clean, well-equipped and all of the staff we encountered were very professional, polite and helpful.
Our delicious three-course meal at AC Hotel Firenze by Marriott included:
Included Dinner at AC Hotel Firenze by Marriott
- Bread and butter
- Bottled water ( gas or still)
- 1st course – pasta primavera
- 2nd course – chicken breast, roast baby potatoes, spinach
- 3rd course – limoncello sorbet
- Coffee or tea
- We ordered an excellent bottle of house Chianti (€15)
1st Course – Pasta Primavera
2nd Course – Chicken Breast, Roast Baby Potatoes and Spinach
By 10 pm we made our way back to our room, exhausted after a long, but absolutely fascinating day exploring the spectacular regions of Umbria and Tuscany!
Next… Exploring Florence
Previous: Insight Vacations Italian Escapade – | Tour Overview | Meet and Greet in Rome! | Rome with Local Historian | Skip the Lines – Vatican Museums |
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Note: WAVEJourney were guests of Insight Vacations for their April 30 – May 12, 2013 Italian Escapade tour. Read our full disclosure statement to see that this has no effect on our reviews.
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