Half Day trips from Florence to Pisa

We did a Viator trip in dec/jan. it is good, very small number of us on the mini coach, so very comfortable etc. If you want to go up the tower, you must be sure to precook this with the tour group, or go straight to the ticket office at Pisa. There are a limited number of people who go up the tower at very regimented times. Well worth it though. A tour group will take you straight to the Leaning Tower as opposed to train travel.

It's an easy trip on your own. There are trains about every half hour (€7.90 each way). There is a bus from the train station to the campus. I spent a long time looking for it - everyone I asked gave me wrong directions. It's probably easiest to take a taxi, since it is a short ride. Coming back, it's easy to find the bus, right across the street from the entrance. If you want to climb the Leaning Tower, check the website. Sometimes (always?) you need to reserve in advance because the ascent is only with a guide. If you bring sandwiches, you can picnic on the lawn there. I don't think you need a guide to see the church and baptistry. Just go in and enjoy.

Go on you own. The train is faster and less than 15 euro r/t. The bus from the station is the no. 1. Or take a 5 min taxi ride. It's about a mile from the station. All you need is a guidebook for the sights.

This is very easy to do on your own from Florence. Both times we visited we made our tower reservations online prior to leaving home. When we took the train from Florence it stopped at the smaller Pisa San Rossore Station which was an easy 4 block walk to the Field of Miracles. Directions from here are in the R.S. bk. Not all trains stop here but I had checked our train stops in advance on the Trenitalia website. Getting back to the train station is very easy too. Get on a bus outside the gate in Piazza Manin in front of the BNL Bank. I don't know if tour guides are available here as we just used our own guidebook.

Many thanks, fellow-travelers, for your very helpful advice!
Mary Anne