Between San Gimignano and Volterra there are exactly 31 kilometers. Made of curves, breathtaking views and glimpses of the landscape typical of Tuscany which, until now, could be explored in different ways. Even on foot for the bravest (we are a stone’s throw from the Via Francigena path). But not with the public transport par excellence: the bus.
For the first time directly, the new regional extra-urban line 31 will start from 11 June.
Thirty-one is the number of kilometers that separate – along the fascinating route of the SS 68 and the SP 47 (via Castel San Gimignano) – the two medieval Tuscan pearls, respectively in the province of Siena (San Gimignano) and in the province of Pisa (Volterra ), whose extensive historical and monumental heritage can be enhanced through a service that aims to encourage an alternative and therefore more sustainable mode of transport to the use of the private car.
“Until now, it took courage and patience if you wanted to travel this route by public transport, given that it took over two hours – explains Moira Ciabattoni, Marketing and Communication Coordinator of the Southern Department of Autolinee Toscane – using multiple lines and with unattractive connections to the times of modern tourism. Now in 45 minutes and with a direct connection, the two towns will be more accessible, favoring the exchange of tourist flows, the usability of the numerous attraction centers of historical-monumental value present in the two historic centers and, I expect which we particularly care about is the possibility of avoiding saturating the two centers with private cars”.
“We are proud to announce the activation of line 31 – declares the Regional Councilor for Mobility. – Carrying out this project, the result of the synergy between multiple bodies and associations, marks a decisive step forward for the strengthening of sustainable mobility and tourist accessibility in Tuscany: not only will the new connection make travel between two of our most beautiful medieval cities faster, but it will offer a more comfortable, economical and environmentally friendly travel solution, also helping to reduce traffic in the two Sulla urban centres In the wake of this experience – concludes the Regional Councilor – we will continue to work to promote every initiative that encourages the use of public transport and increases the well-being of our citizens and tourists”.
“We are very satisfied with the activation of the experimental extra-urban tourist line 31 – underline the municipal administrations of San Gimignano and Volterra – which, after over sixty years, will return to directly connect the two capitals during the summer period with three pairs of routes. It is an ambitious and qualifying project, developed thanks to the profitable synergy between the Municipalities, the Tuscany Region, the Hoteliers’ Associations and the operator of the Tpl Autolinee Toscane which aims to directly connect the two cities with a view to an integrated offer. A project made possible thanks to the coordination carried out by the San Gimignano Department for network services, which allows you to move directly between the two cities in the same tourist area, without intermediate stops. It is a useful project to further enhance the cultural and tourist offer thanks to the direct economic contribution of the two municipal administrations and the Region, as well as thanks to the participation of the hoteliers’ associations of San Gimignano and Volterra who will be responsible for directly purchasing travel tickets for the benefit of the guests of their accommodation facilities. It is a restart that brings our cities even closer together, which in recent years have often worked side by side within the Valdelsa Valdicecina Tourist Area”.
“Among the fundamental elements for the development of a tourist destination are the accessibility and availability of efficient transport; – declare Alessandro Sabatini, President of the San Gimignano Hoteliers Association and Patrizio Giannelli, President of the Volterra Hoteliers Association – it is for This is why our Associations, in synergy, immediately proposed to fill a gap that has always existed, namely the direct public transport connection between the two cities of San Gimignano and Volterra. We started talking about this with the local institutions transport service – Sabatini and Giannelli continue – the question that many people asked us was: will this new connection work, despite not being certain of an affirmative answer, the hoteliers of Volterra and San Gimignano were committed immediately and also economically to get this important project off the ground through constant and fruitful discussion with the interested institutions, Municipalities and Region, thanks to the perseverance of the Councilor for Network Services of the Municipality of San Gimignano Gianni Bartalini and the fundamental collaboration of Autolinee Toscane. It is therefore possible to be able to activate this important public connection service for the summer of 2024. We are, in fact, convinced that the services available for those who decide to stay in our municipalities – conclude Sabatini and Giannelli – are of fundamental and growing importance for make their experience in our area even more pleasant and dynamic. For this reason we are and will always be ready to ‘invest’ in projects aimed at improving the quality, quantity and sustainability of the services offered by our two tourist destinations and, therefore, to provide timely responses to visitors and all those who intend to take advantage of our hospitality. . ‘Every stay…a good day’ is the slogan of the two Associations”.
Service times
The new line will be available on an experimental basis every day in the summer period, from Tuesday 11 June until Sunday 15 September 2024, with three trips a day (one in the morning, one after lunch and the third in the afternoon) from San Gimignano and as many from Volterra.
From San Gimignano departures take place from Piazzale Montemaggio and are set at 9.15 am; 2.45pm and 5.45pm. From Volterra instead we leave from Piazza Martiri della Libertà and the departure times are at 10.15am; 3.45pm and 6.45pm. The bus takes approximately 45 minutes to complete the route that separates the two cities. Along the route there are intermediate stops at various points of interest in San Gimignano and Volterra and also at Castel San Gimignano and the Montemiccioli crossroads.
A 10.8 meter long extra-urban bus will be used, with 46 seats and the possibility of picking up a disabled passenger.
The fare is extra-urban and costs 5.50 euros, which can be paid with the traditional ticket, with the at “at bus” app (selecting the “fast extra-urban” type) or directly on board with the convenient service contactless “tip tap” which allows payment by credit, debit or prepaid card without surcharge, simply by touching your device to the validator (uphill and downhill, as always for extra-urban lines). For those who prefer the traditional purchase, the ticket offices are available in San Gimignano (in Piazzale Martiri Montemaggio, inside the Parking office) and Volterra (inside the tourist office in Piazza dei Priori); tickets also available at the hotels affiliated with the initiative.
A leaflet in Italian and English, in addition to physical and digital communication material, edited by at, will be distributed throughout the territory to raise awareness of the new connection and provide all useful information to citizens, domestic, local and international tourists, also in terms of destinations of interest and connections that can be used with other AT bus services to reach destinations such as Siena, Florence or the Val di Cecina area.
There is also a dedicated page online: at-bus.it/linea31, also in dual languages.
Source: Tuscan Autolinee
