The region extending between Florence and Siena is one of the most beautiful in the world, luring with undulating rolling hills. Most inquisitive travellers get over many kilometres between cypress groves and vineyards in order to feel the true Tuscan flavour. Here is our Chianti guide where we talk about how to move around Chianti.
Train. Despite a well developed railway system in Tuscany, getting around the Chianti area is almost impossible. There are only two train stations – Poggibonsi (but if you are heading for one of four towns in Chianti – it is out of the way) and Castellina in Chianti (but the distance to the town is about 12 kilometres).
Bus. If you want to travel by bus in the Chianti area, you will have to travel quite a lot on foot – although buses go to all the Chianti towns, stations are usually located on a hillside, so you simply have to climb on foot to reach the centre. Travelling by bus is not difficult, but it needs a lot of time (especially on weekends it is necessary to study the schedule carefully, because there are only few buses).
Car. Despite the romance you get when travelling by train or the low ticket price for the bus, moving around by car is the best way to discover Chianti. Only this way it is possible to reach the most remote and most interesting villages and vineyards. Can there be anything more beautiful than a white highway in the shadows of cypress trees when the sun goes down? There are three main roads leading from Florence to the Chianti area: Superstrada Firenze-Siena, Strada Statale (SS) 222 and Strada Statale 2 Cassia.
Taxi. Taxis will usually agree to take you from one village to another. But note that it will be set to double rate since the driver has to return empty. A ride sometimes could cost 100 euros or more. If you are in a small town, just pass by a bar, the barista will have the details of the local taxi.
DMCM. DMCM licences allow the driver to offer a fixed price rate for a specific journey. It can be actualy the whole day, and it‘s a very good possibility if don‘t want to rent a car only for one or two days.
Scooter. You can rent modern Vespas in Florence or several Chianti towns (ask for those that have automatic gear change and are easy to ride etc.). We think it‘s a very nice and romantic way to know better the region and feel the real italian spirit.
Bike. Good news for bike lovers! The bicycling possibilities throughout the Chianti region are very good – smooth roads, beautiful scenery, challenging climbs, long down hill runs, and historical sites and vineyards on most of routes. You can choose asphalt or white gravel roads. Chianti Classico region lies in between of Siena and Florence and offers circle routes, short and long distance routes. All depends only on you wishes and phisical preparation.
On horse-back. Riding a horse is a very relaxing way of getting in touch with nature without any technological equipment, experiencing local sounds and feelings. In the surroundings of Florence and in Chianti Classico region you can find a lot farms which offer a possibility to experience exciting tours on horse-back for one or more days.
On foot. There are numerous mapped hiking routes throughout Chianti and, for those who like spontaneity, strade bianche (unsealed country roads and tracks) that are ideal for a stroll through the countryside between olives and grapes.
