Hello! My wife and I are finalizing our 21 day Italy itinerary (we leave for Rome in 4 weeks) and we'd like to see Pisa (half day) and Lucca (half day) on 10 October as we make our way from Florence early that Wed morning to LaSpezia where we're staying that night. Any suggestions (esp as it pertains to train schedules) regarding which to do first? By the way, if we did Pisa first, RS suggests in his guidebook that ...."If you're heading to Lucca from the Leaning Tower, you can catch the train at Pisa San Rossore Station (as opposed to Pisa Centrale which is a longer walk). I assume that's the Regional train since ItaliaRail would be 3hrs+ to Lucca back via Florence. But we've also heard that San Rossore is not exactly a safe place (pick pockets etc). So Lucca first or Pisa? and any travel advice appreciated. Thanks.
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5400 posts
Everything is safe. Do yourself a favor and skip Pisa. I’d suggest starting with Pisa if you are intent on doing it and getting the heck outta there as fast as you can. You can then savor Lucca as long as you like. Lucca is fabulous.
Posted by
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10241 posts
I agree with Emily. You definitely don't need half a day for Pisa. Lucca is wonderful and deserves as much time as you can give it.
Posted by
Portland, Oregon
5687 posts
You need to be careful about pickpockets anywhere in Italy.
I don't think San Rossore station has luggage storage FYI. Centrale does I believe. I actually recommend the walk from Centrale to the Field of Miracles (maybe 30 minutes each way) - one way at least. That way, you get to see more of Pisa (which is more interesting than charming) than just the obnoxiously-touristy Field of Miracles where the Tower is. If that is your only impression of Pisa, you will hate it other than the Tower.
Which town to do first? Not sure without looking at the train schedules. There are also many more direct trains between Florence and Pisa Centrale vs. San Rossore, I believe.
You haven't said how much time you'll have in the Cinque Terre. I'm not sure I'd sacrifice half a day in Pisa+Lucca if you will be taking time from a limited Cinque Terre visit. If it were me and time were an issue, I'd do only Pisa. I HAD to see the Tower on my first visit to Italy and I am glad I did. I saw Lucca on a later visit. It is a very interesting town for sure, more charming than Pisa, but I didn't fall in love with it.
Posted by
Arkansas
70 posts
First time through this area we stopped about an hour in Pisa on our way to Florence. We climbed the tower to the top, etc. We were in a 6 passenger van driving to Florence from a cruise. We didn't miss anything in Pisa. I would recommend about an hour at Pisa.
The second time through, we had our own rental car and stopped in Lucca. Parked across the street from the train station on a small square. The TI was across the street and they can help get you oriented. They pointed out the bicycle rental near the train station. We rented a bicycle and road the wall around Lucca. My wife was hesitant at first but after the experience she would highly recommend it. (We are 66 & 70) We had lunch then toured the Doumo & climbed the tower with the trees on top. We had plenty of time to explore the rest of the town. After Lucca we had plenty of time to drive to Florence. I would spend my time in Lucca.
Posted by
WPB, FL & Firenze
3112 posts
It's better to use the Trenitalia website rather than ItaliaRail to check train schedules. On Trenitalia, you'll see that only regional trains stop at San Rossore. Freccia and Intercity trains depart only from Pisa Centrale. What to do with your luggage is going to be your biggest challenge. My suggestion is to go from Florence to Pisa Centrale, check your luggage, visit Pisa's sights, take the train from San Rossore to Lucca (there may also be a bus option directly from Field of Miracles area), and then return to Pisa Centrale to retrieve your luggage and head to La Spezia. While it might seem counter-intuitive to backtrack to Pisa, it actually doesn't add much travel time and it solves your luggage dilemma. The San Rossore station was pretty quiet the one time I used it, and I didn't get the impression it might be unsafe. I don't recall whether tickets are sold at the San Rossore station, but you can buy tickets from San Rossore to Lucca at Pisa Centrale and then validate them once you're at the San Rossore station.
Posted by
7688 posts
Been to Pisa twice, the Sanctuary with the Leaning Tower will take you about two hours to visit.
Lucca you can do in half a day.
We did both on a one day tour and enjoyed it very much. If you want to walk up the Leaning Tower, you most reserve.
Posted by
7 posts
We were just in Lucca in August and loved it -- do spend time there. Beautiful city and surrounding countryside.
Posted by
227 posts
I agree with others. Spend more time in Lucca than Pisa. We took a train from Florence to Lucca and did not spent enough time before departing for Pisa. Pisa is beautiful (aren't most Italian cities) but the not much to see other than the towner and church.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thanks to all for the replies and advice. We're going to play it by ear but most likely will take an early mornng train first to Pisa Centrale to walk through Pisa after checking our baggage (which is really the biggest constraint we have), walk back to the same train station after seeing the Church and Tower, and hopefully be able to catch a late morning train to Lucca, bike around the perimeter, do the RS walk, and catch an early evening train to LaSpecia. Full day for sure but we'll try. Thanks again
Posted by
11180 posts
Spent a few hours in Pisa, four nights in Lucca, about right.