New to Italian trains. We plan on leaving Vernazza in morning, switch in La Spezia to Florence. I would like to stop in Pisa for a couple of hours to show wife whom has never been. Advice on trains and how to get around to typical Pisa sites in few hours?
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23297 posts
You would buy a ticket to Pisa and then a ticket to Florence. Since you are using Regionale trains, you buy the day of travel. Be sure to validate your Regionale train ticket prior to boarding. At Pisa either walk to the sites - maybe a mile - or take taxi.
Posted by
Tampa, FL, USA
1054 posts
We did that exact thing this past September. We left Vernazza early in the morning. We changed trains in La Spezia which was easy connection. There are only a handful of tracks. We boarded the train to Pisa and got off at the Pisa Centrale station. (Make sure your train will stop there. Most going to florence should - you can check on Trenitalia website). Pisa Centrale has a staffed luggage storage to keep you bags at while you tour Pisa. When you get off the train and you are looking at the station the luggage will be down the far right hand side of the station by the police. It's 4 euro per bag.
Do you have Rick's Guidebook? After we dropped off our luggage we walked outside the station and caught a Bus to the Field or Miracles following the inforamtion in Rick's book. It was easy to get our ticket and board our bus. Few minutes later we were there. You can walk around and see all the sights (Tower, Duomo, Bapistry) right there. When we left since we meet a couple of Germans we split a cab back to the train station instead of getting back on the bus since it was cheaper for us. Rick has the location where to get the bus back to the station in his book including a self guided walk if you want to walk between the station and field of miracles and see Pisa. I believe he writes its about a 30 min walk.
Just make sure you allow sevearl minutes before you departure back to Florence to claim your bag incase there is a line or they are out for lunch or you are waiting on a staff member. Also allow time to use the ticket machine when you return or stand in line from the teller counter. We just ought our ticket from Pisa to Florence when we got back to the station after touring, this way you can stay as long or short as you like. I did have a list of times the trains left.