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Table of Contents:
When to travel to San Gimignano
How to get to San Gimignano from Florence
Where to stay in San Gimignano
When to travel to San Gimignano
San Gimignano is a beautiful place full of medieval architecture and surrounded with the magnificent landscapes of Tuscany. Many historical buildings have been preserved here including towers, palaces and museums. The town is worth visiting for everyone who is interested in architecture, history and art. San Gimignano is located halfway between Florence and Siena and is often a stand-alone destination on a trip to Tuscany. San Gimignano does not have its own train station, so you can only get here by bus or by car.
After some research, I decided to put together information I have previously found out and create a complete guide on how to organize a holiday in San Gimignano. I figured out how to get to the town, where to stay & what to see there. I really hope this detailed information will help you plan your trip to San Gimignano.
Summer time is considered to be the best time for visiting Tuscany region, but it can be a little bit touristy and over-crowded this time of the year. To my mind, it can be wise to choose spring or autumn to travel to San Gimignano. Both seasons are quite warm and sunny, but not too hot and the local countryside is really picturesque and colorful. Winters in Tuscany can be quite rainy, but it is also ok to visit the region during the winter months, especially if your priority is architecture, not natural landscapes.
How to get to San Gimignano
Where do you fly into to get to San Gimignano? San Gimignano is located in Tuscany, close to Florence. You can find direct flights from all over the world to Florence. The current flight timetable can be checked via specialized online services such as Aviasales and others. According to my map research, the distance between Florence and San Gimignano is about 60 km. You can get from Florence to San Gimignano by public transport or by rented car. Unfortunately, there is no train station in San Gimignano.
How to get to San Gimignano from Florence
By public transport: The distance between Florence and San Gimignano is about 60 km. Among the ways to get there by public transport, the bus remains the most popular. True, there are no direct routes between Florence and San Gimignano. First you need to get to the town of Poggibonsi, and then from there go directly to San Gimignano. The bus station in Florence can be found near the train station. You can buy a ticket to San Gimignano at the ticket office in the Florence bus station; there is no need to buy a separate ticket at the Poggibonsi station. You must validate your ticket before boarding the bus. Transportation is carried out by Tiemmespa bus company. The travel time from Florence to Poggibonsi is approximately 50 minutes; another 25-30 minutes are required to get from Poggibonsi to San Gimignano.
By rented car: To get to San Gimignano from Florence, you can also use the car rental option. Car rental in Italy is a fairly popular service due to the developed transport infrastructure and the opportunity to see a larger number of attractions. For Tuscany, where many picturesque small towns are concentrated, car rental is especially in demand. In Florence you can find rental offices of various companies.
You can also book a car for renting in advance via various online services such as Discover Cars, Economybookings etc. Based on my experience, both online services have a decent search. I would recommend using them both to compare the results and choose the best available option. Florence and San Gimignano are connected with the Raccordo Autostradale Firenze-Siena highway. The distance is 57 km. The travel time is 1 hour 10 minutes (see on the map). According to my research , to rent a car in Italy, you need to have a foreign passport, an international driver’s license and a bank card to pay for services.
Where to stay in San Gimignano
In San Gimignano, apartment rentals are the most popular. As for the hotels, here you can find about 15 hotels of various star categories. Options such as guest houses and bed and breakfasts are also available. As online booking services provide tourists reviews, I found out the following accommodation options get high ratings from the guests:
Hotel Bel Soggiorno 3* is located in the “heart” of San Gimignano; the main attractions are within walking distance. There is a restaurant serving Tuscan cuisine on site. Guests can stay in rooms of various categories, including family rooms. Depending on the room type, breakfast may be included in the price or paid additionally. Wi-Fi is provided free of charge. Paid public parking can be found nearby. Luggage storage is available at the front desk;
Hotel L`Antico Pozzo 3* is located in a historic building in the center of San Gimignano. There is a bar at the hotel. You can stay in rooms of various categories, including family rooms. Depending on the room type, breakfast may be included in the price or paid additionally. Wi-Fi is available free of charge throughout the hotel. The front desk is open 24 hours a day and provides luggage storage services;
Hotel Sovestro 3* is located in a picturesque place in the closest surroundings of San Gimignano. The town center is about 2 km from the hotel. There is a Tuscan restaurant nearby. There is a seasonal swimming pool on site too. You can stay in single, double and triple rooms. Depending on the room type, breakfast may be included in the price or paid additionally. Wi-Fi is provided free of charge. Free private parking can be found on site. The reception is open 24 hours a day;
Casa Torre Margherita is located within the walls of a historic mansion in the center of San Gimignano. A panoramic terrace is available for guests for relaxing. You can stay in rooms of various sizes; breakfast is included in the price. Wi-Fi is provided free of charge. There is paid public parking nearby;
Locanda La Mandragola is located in a villa, surrounded with a garden, close to the historical center of the town. It features a terrace with town views. Guests can stay in double rooms. Depending on the room type, breakfast may be included in the price or paid additionally. Wi-Fi is free. Private parking is available nearby for an additional fee.
What to see in San Gimignano
The main attractions of San Gimignano are historical. Many monuments from the Middle Ages have been preserved here, which attract many tourists visiting Tuscany. Of course, you should start your observation of the town from the historical center. Once upon a time, San Gimignano had more than 70 towers of varying heights – sort of the skyscrapers of our days. Today only 15 of them have been preserved, but even these 15 towers allow us to imagine the architecture of a medieval town. By the way, to see San Gimignano from a bird’s eye view, you can climb one of the towers. For example, the Bell Tower has an excellent view. From its observation deck you can see not only San Gimignano itself, but also the picturesque Tuscan fields which surround the town.
In my opinion, it is definitely worth visiting the Cathedral Square. Local cathedral is rather ascetic by the standards of Tuscan cities. There are four towers, the tallest of which is Torre Grossa. It is noteworthy that all the towers were built between the 11th and 14th centuries, and have survived to these days in authentic view.
In San Gimignano you can also find medieval palazzos (palaces in English). The two most popular among tourists are Palazzo Nuovo del Podesta and Palazzo del Popolo. As I discovered, the palaces were built in the 13th and 14th centuries; now there are art galleries with paintings by Tuscan masters inside the palaces.
There are quite a lot of museums in the town, mainly art ones. But there is also a Miniature Museum, which is a part of the Civic Museum of San Gimignano. A unique exhibition is presented here, including a model of a medieval town, which was once located on the site of modern San Gimignano. I found out detailed information for visiting the museum:
- The museum is open to visitors every day from 10 to 19.30;
- In winter it is open from 11.00 to 17.30.
In general, I can say that San Gimignano is an original and unique corner of Tuscan culture. Many attractions from the Middle Ages have been preserved here, and you can explore the historical heritage both live and via a museum model. In my point of view, San Gimignano is a great stopover on the way from Florence to Siena anyway.
Take a note! When going on a trip to Italy, do not forget to take out travel insurance, which is useful for receiving a tourist visa and for solving emerging medical problems when travelling in another country. You can purchase insurance via online services, for example, via EKTA and others. You can choose from different modes, including quiet, active or extreme rest.
Photo above the article: fraganda.photo
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Julia is an experienced traveller, BA in International Relations and Languages and true lover of planning trips in advance. Learn more about the author…