Hi! We are participating in a Rick Steves 10 Day Italy Tour (includes Venice, Florence, and Rome) in September. We are traveling a few days early starting with Pisa. Would like suggestions on the best route to see great sites, especially those amazing places that aren't included in the must see "tourist" list. The dates would be August 30th and 31st, needing to be in Venice mid day on the September 1st. Thanks!
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
I'm confused. So you're arriving in Pisa on Sept 30 and need to be in Venice on Oct 1? Or you'll be leaving Pisa on Sept 30 and want someplace to stay for two nights between Pisa and Venice?
Posted by
Carmel, CA, USA
2456 posts
Hi Jessica. Oh, it had seemed to me you were arriving Pisa in late August and needed to be in Venice by mid-day on Sept 1. Is that a misunderstanding? I say this because Sept has no 31st day, and if you arrive in Venice on Oct 1, then your tour would not take place in Sept. For some useful ideas, could you please provide just what date and time you will be flying into Pisa, will that be after a lengthy flight from the US, do you particularly care about visiting Pisa and its famous tower or not, and more generally, have you traveled in Italy before, or will this be your very first time dealing with Italian trains, rental cars, etc. With that information, I think many people on this forum could provide you with useful ideas.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32405 posts
Jessica,
What Larry said. A bit more specific information would be helpful.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
I apologize, in an effort to be brief I have caused confusion. Yes, free dates (all day) are August 30th and 31st, with needing to be in Venice mid-late afternoon on September 1st. This is our (2 travelers) first time in Italy and would prefer travel via trains/bus but comfortable navigating changes between trains and buses. We already have the time allocated for wondering around in Pisa so it's more so what to do beyond Pisa while making our way to Venice. I appreciate all suggestions and feedback!
Posted by
Idaho, USA
8012 posts
Hi Jessica,
Lucca is near Pisa. You can take trains between Pisa, Lucca & Venice. For initial thoughts, a nice site to give you an idea on amount of time on different train routes & accompanying visual map is www.rome2rio.com. Some of the train routes allow you to take the much faster trains, so distance is necessary a determining factor on where to go.
Enjoy your trip!
Posted by
San Jose, CA
1994 posts
Padua and Verona are good stops on the train route to Venice. I prefer Padua, with the Giotto frescoes at the Scavenge chapel (reserve ahead) and basilica of St Anthony; it's a beautiful early university town. Verona is also a favorite of many; not sure if the opera is still in season in late August.
Another possibility is Ravenna, maybe 2 or 3 hours south of Venice by train. It has some of the finest Byzantine mosaics in Italy, and would be my first choice for anyone who enjoys art.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
How about Bologna? Outstanding food and a very pretty city. It's right on the way. Here are some photos I took during our rainy visit in 2008: Bologna May 2008 And you wouldn't even know it exists if all you relied on were the RS books.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
That sound like enough ideas to choose between. Padua's Scrovengi Chapel advises pre-paid reservations a couple of days ahead, if that's in your plan.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Let's see if we can get it on the third try: It's the Scrovegni Chapel. :-)