The best hotels in Siena

Inside the walls near Piazza del Campo for atmosphere and walking access to the Duomo, Palazzo Pubblico, and the Pinacoteca. Piano dei Mantellini for quieter garden views in a Renaissance palazzo. Banchi di Sopra for the main commercial corridor. Skip anything marketed as 'convenient' that turns out to be outside the walls.

Budget options like Piccolo Hotel Etruria run $55-85. Mid-range on Banchi di Sopra charges $105-190. Palazzo Ravizza on Piano dei Mantellini costs $148-210. The most upscale options reach $350+. Palio race weeks in July and August double prices and require booking months in advance.

The Palio horse race runs twice a year, July 2 and August 16. These are the most famous events in Tuscany and hotels inside the walls book out a year in advance at 3-4x normal prices. If you want to see the Palio, start booking 10-12 months ahead. If you want to avoid the chaos, skip the three days around each race.

Completely. The historic center is only 1 square kilometer and entirely pedestrian-only within the walls. From Piazza del Campo to the Duomo is a 5-minute walk uphill. From the Campo to Palazzo Ravizza is 10 minutes. Cars must park outside the walls. The streets are steep and cobbled, wear comfortable shoes.

Piazza del Campo at 7am before tour groups arrive is one of the great moments in Italian travel. The Duomo interior with its inlaid marble floor (uncovered October to January) is extraordinary. The view from Torre del Mangia, 88 meters of medieval tower, costs $12 and requires 503 stairs. The Pinacoteca on Via San Pietro has Sienese Gothic painting with no crowds.

The fastest option is the bus: Siena Bus SENA runs the Siena-Florence route in 75 minutes for $9 from Santa Maria Novella station. Trains require a change at Empoli and take 90-120 minutes for $10. A taxi or private transfer takes 70 minutes and costs $80-100. Direct trains are not available.

Smaller and less overwhelming. Florence has 5 million annual visitors to Siena's 2 million. The streets are more manageable and the locals are more used to smaller tourism numbers. Architecturally Siena is equally stunning. Food is better value, a proper dinner for two costs $40-60 at a local trattoria versus $70-100 in Florence's center.

Pici pasta (thick hand-rolled spaghetti) with wild boar ragu is the essential dish. Ribollita (Tuscan bean and bread soup) is excellent in winter. Panforte (spiced fruit and nut cake) and ricciarelli (almond biscuits) are the sweets to take home. The best value trattorias are on Via delle Donzelle and in the contrada neighborhoods away from the Campo.

Siena is divided into 17 contrade (districts), each with its own animal symbol, colors, and church. Each contrada has its own neighborhood feel. The Tartuca (turtle), Oca (goose), and Istrice (porcupine) contrade are in the areas most used by visitors. During the Palio weeks, contrada neighborhoods hold public dinners in the streets that visitors can sometimes join.

San Gimignano with its medieval towers is 30 kilometers northwest by bus (50 minutes, $7). Montalcino, home of Brunello di Montalcino wine, is 42 kilometers south (bus 1 hour 20 minutes, $7). Pienza, the ideal Renaissance town, is 52 kilometers southeast (bus 1 hour). The Val d'Orcia countryside visible from the bus windows is a UNESCO landscape.

Several agriturismo (farm stays) within 10 kilometers offer Tuscan countryside accommodation at $80-200 per night. These require a car to reach. The advantage is genuine wine country surroundings and better breakfast quality. The disadvantage is you need to drive after dinner. For first visits, staying inside the walls is better.

Restaurants on Piazza del Campo that face the square are charging 50-80% more for the view. Walk one street back and pay local prices. Hotels marketed as 'Siena city' that turn out to be in Poggibonsi or other towns are worth checking maps before booking. Skip the tourist menus printed in five languages near the Duomo.