Getting around

By air

No airport near. Florence’s Amerigo Vespucci is about an hour and a half by road; Rome is around two hours, and reachable by train via Chiusi. However you fly in, you’ll finish by car or by train-and-bus.

By train — via Chiusi

Montepulciano's own station sits about 10 km down in the valley with limited service, so the useful railhead is Chiusi-Chianciano Terme, about 20 km away on the main Rome–Florence line, a genuine fast-train stop. From there, buses and taxis climb up to the town.

By bus

Autolinee Toscane runs buses (the TB4 line) from Chiusi-Chianciano Terme station up to Montepulciano’s bus terminal outside the walls, and connections toward Siena. It’s a real option without a car, but it takes connections and patience.

By car — the realistic way

For most people, living here means driving. Montepulciano is just off the A1, with parking in lots outside the walls, and the car is what opens up the vineyards, the valley, and the neighbouring hill towns. That's the practical reality.

On foot, inside the walls

The historic town is a steep climb of Renaissance streets rising to the Piazza Grande at the summit: compact, entirely walkable, and closed to through traffic. For life inside the walls, your feet are all you need (good ones, it's a hill). A small urban minibus helps with the steepest stretch up to the centre.

By car, for everything else

Beyond the walls, the car takes over: the wineries and cellars, the Val di Chiana and Val d'Orcia, Siena, Chiusi, and the shops and services of the larger towns. In wine country this rural, a car is simply how daily life works.

Buses (Autolinee Toscane)

The buses that run connect Montepulciano to Chiusi, Siena, and the valley, plus the little urban minibus up to the historic centre. A single ride is €2.00 (Autolinee Toscane, 2026), but intercity service is built around commuter and school times, not convenience.