La Spezia/Pisa/Florence train station food

Regional trains do NOT have food on board.

I don't remember what's available in La Spezia or Pisa Centrale - probably a Relay store or something, maybe some sort of fast food or a bakery or something. You'll have to walk out from the platforms to the station entry and just see what there is. Sometimes between tracks or even at the platforms there are vending machines with sodas and snacks but not real food. I suspect Florence S.M.N. station has a few more food options - I don't remember.

No food on the regional trains. I know for certain Florence and Pisa train station has fast food place to eat there serving Italian fare. Also there is a McDonalds next to the Florence train station.

How much time one would have to eat would depend on the person and when his or her train leaves. There is no set amount time

La Spezia has a rather large eatery, basically a shared area for a McDonald's and an Italian bar that serves to-go sandwiches, pastries, etc. We've grabbed food there and also hung out when there was a long wait for our connection.

Trudy,

As I mentioned in my previous reply in your other thread, there is no food on Regionale trains. The food in stations tends to be the type supplied at Bars or fast food joints, including McDonald's (ie: Panini, beverages, etc.). If you use the train I suggested in the other thread, as I recall one of the changes is 30 minutes so that will provide lots of time to pick up some food. The Freccia from Florence to Venice should have a dining car.

Oh yes, Ken, I do remember that now, thanks. Your detailed answer helped me so much.

My wife still talks about an entree she saw recently at the La Spezia Centrale 'restaurant' where offerings were in trays along a cafeteria type line. It was a hamburger / hot dog combo. Hamburger patties had been cut into chunks and mixed with hot dog slices and delightfully there was no sauce of any kind. This kind of cultural experience is why one travels.

Florence has plenty of food options, but they are always very busy. Lines can be long and somewhat chaotic. I would leave extra time before your first departure to find a shop outside the station and buy some picnic foods so you can have a relaxing and edible picnic on board

There's a Sapori & Dintorni (Conad) grocery store in the SMN train station that has a really nice sandwich bar. Lines are usually fairly short, so it would probably take you only about 10-15 minutes. It's at street level, most easily entered from outside of the station building. Exit to the right as you face away from the tracks - look for the Italo store on the right versus the Feltrinelli store on the left. Walk down the stairs and the entrance is just around the corner to your right. There's a full grocery on the track level, accessable by stairs within the street level part of the store. Be sure to take your train ticket with you, as you'll need that to get back into the secured track area.

A few years ago I got a decent enough for what it was pizza slice either near the ticket office or in the main hall at Pisa Centrale when I was changing trains from La Spezia to Lucca. Really, not bad.