SIENA: USEFUL LINKS

SIGHTSEEING IN SIENA

TERRE DI SIENA - The official tourism website of the city of Siena and its province
Certified SIENA TOUR GUIDE
SIENA AGENDA - Only in Italian, but still a great source for current events, concerts, exhibitions and markets in Siena
SCIENTIFIC ITINERARIES IN TUSCANY - Interesting background information on Siena's main sights by Florence' Galileo museum
PALAZZO RAVIZZA - A very informative blog about Siena from hotel Palazzo Ravizza
WIKISIENA - more great advice from Palazzo Ravizza on shopping, eating out etc.
PALIO - weren't in town for the Palio? Never mind, just watch the past editions of the bareback horse race. The oldest Palio video available is from 1936!
IL PALIO DI SIENA - Siena's official website about the big event
Not coming out yet? Enjoy a VIRTUAL TOUR of Siena

SUMMER SCHOOLS, COOKING CLASSES AND WINE COURSES

SIENA JAZZ - Fantastic summer courses with great names of the world jazz scene
MUSIC MASTER CLASSES - Siena's Accademia Musicale Chigina has been a first class address for running master classes for classical musicians for nearly a century.
SIENA SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS - offers summer courses on a variety of arguments
SIENA ART INSTITUTE - summer courses and artist residencies all through the year
UNIVERSITA' STRANIERI offers Italian langue summer courses in cooperation with universities from the US and China

Need more details? Here's a blogpost about the 2012 summer courses in Siena.

TRANSPORT

TRAINS and BUSES: ITALIAN NATIONAL RAIL Train rides to Siena from Florence and Pisa are scenic but on the slow side. Buses from Florence are quicker (take the rapida) and will stop right in the town center. If you arrive by train, buses for the city center leave from the lower level of the shopping center opposite the train station. SENA runs coaches to most major Italian cities (Rome, Turin, Milan, etc) from Siena, Florence and Grosseto. Prices are lower, but trips take in most cases quite a bit longer than on Italy's new high speed trains leaving from Florence (called Freccia Rossa or Italo).
Busfox has the best online timetable I've found so far for the various coach companies serving Tuscany.
Buses in Siena's town center and also running to most towns in the province of Siena (e.g. Siena - Montalcino) are operated by TRAIN, whilst RAMA runs buses from Florence or Siena to Southern Tuscany (the towns of the Maremma region in the province of Grosseto)

CAR HIRE IN SIENA: AVIS, HERTZ (close to the train station). Siena is the perfect city if you don't have a car. The historic town center is car-free and sightseeing can only be done by foot. You will only need a car if you plan exploring the surrounding countryside.

SIGHTSEEING IN TUSCANY