We are vacationing in Siena in early October. I can either fly into Pisa or Florence, with Pisa being about five hundred dollars cheaper on four tickets. The flight times are essentially identical in terms of times, layover cities and ungodly hour of departure for the return flight. I have found good information in the discussion boards about getting from the Florence airport to the bus station to Siena, and it looks like for Pisa it is a train to Empoli, a train switch to Siena, then a bus from the Siena train station into town. We will be traveling with two children under three and carryon luggage. I'm leaning towards paying a bit extra because Florence seems like easier transfers, and I think we'd enjoy our extra evening in Florence before our return flights a bit more, but I'd like a second opinion. Any thoughts?
Posted by
Estes Park, CO, USA
5 posts
Since you are coming from the US, I assume you have to change planes someplace along the way. Look carefully at the airports in which you must transfer. I usually come through London. BA flies from Heathrow into Pisa and from Gatwick into Florence.
Since I am always landing at Heathrow, the Pisa connection is a lot easier. I don't think you will find the train travel from Pisa a problem. There is a train station at the Pisa airport. Buy a ticket and jump on. It takes you in just a couple of minutes to the central train station in Pisa. From there you can transfer to the train to Empoli, then on the Siena. You don't face a bus until you actually get off the train in Siena. If a bus is too hard with the kids and luggage, splurge on a cab. By that time you deserve it! Depending on connections you may not have to spend the night in Pisa before your flight home. But if you have never spent an afternoon walking the streets of Pisa, you are in for a treat. But you can't take the kids up the Leaning Tower. They have age restrictions. But there is more to the town than the tower.