Visit Leaning Tower Pisa on way to Cinque Terre AND rental car return Pisa airport

About why Pisa airport rental car return? I read somewhere Pisa airport rental car return is more convenient than returning in La Spezia as it is not easy to get a taxi to the La Spezia train station from the La Spezia rental car returns place.

F you intend to return the car at Pisa airport, take the Pisa Mover (peoplemover) from the airport to the Pisa Centrale station (5 min). Leave your luggage at the luggage storage (deposito bagagli). Take a taxi or a bus or the 25 min walk from the Central station to the piazza dei miracoli to see Duomo, baptistery and leaning tower. When done, return to the station, retrieve your luggage, then take the train to La Spezia and eventually to the village of your choice at the Cinque Terre.

You could also park here at the parking lot linked below, just a short walk from Piazza dei Miracoli, then drive to La Spezia, return the car (near the port), take a taxi to the La Spezia Centrale station, and a train to the Cinque Terre. I’m not aware of any difficulties getting a taxi. Just ask the desk clerk at the rental,car office to call one for you.

Parcheggio Pubblico a pagamento
https://goo.gl/maps/LYBatctCX561ykKG7

Thanks Roberto! Both the options you suggested make sense. Probably the second one maybe more convenient. Especially if we can leave the luggage in the car while we go take a quick snapshot or two. We may have to have one person remain in the car and take turns going inside to avoid possibility of luggage theft from the car trunk.

In La Spezia, the Avis office is a fairly short walk to the train station. Watch the hours, though, I think they close for lunch as well as Saturday and Sunday.

Thanks for the tip about the lunch hours Mike. Unfortunately the rental car I will use (via Auto Europe) is Europcar not Avis. I have changed my booking to drop the rental car at La Spezia instead of at Pisa airport.

Since you’re into photos of the Leaning Tower and yourselves, don’t forget to walk a ways along the side of the Campo, where you can get your shots of you holding up the tower. A little dorky, but fun nonetheless, and will bring a smile to your family and friends back home.

Since you’re into photos of the Leaning Tower and yourselves, don’t
forget to walk a ways along the side of the Campo, where you can get
your shots of you holding up the tower. A little dorky, but fun
nonetheless, and will bring a smile to your family and friends back
home.

Thanks for the tip Larry! Actually that's exactly how my wife and kids want me to take their pictures :)

If you Google “photos of people holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa”, you will see some very creative ways people have made photographs with the Tower. Maybe you can challenge your kids to come up with some new way to approach this.

I am doing the exact same thing on my trip! I had problems finding a car rental I could return in La Spezia. I think for me I may spend the night in Pisa and then go to train in the morning to La Spezia but haven't figured that part out yet. Is the Pisa train staton close to the airport? I haven't gotten that far into figuring this all out. Personally, I could care less about seeing the Leaning Tower, but I know my daughter who is traveling with me will want to see it, she's 25. I also was interested in Lucca, which I thought was right close to there but I need to look at my map. Do you think I will regret being right there to drop this car and skipping the Tower?

I am doing the exact same thing on my trip! I had problems finding a
car rental I could return in La Spezia.

Try Auto Europe.

I think for me I may spend the night in Pisa and then go to train in
the morning to La Spezia but haven't figured that part out yet. Is the
Pisa train staton close to the airport?

Roberto said that you can use the Pisamover shuttle service to move between the airport and the train station in 5 minutes - you can google it and you will find the info.

Personally, I could care less about seeing the Leaning Tower, but I
know my daughter who is traveling with me will want to see it, she's
25.

Same here - I am not that into it but the family wants to.

Do you think I will regret being right there to drop this car and
skipping the Tower?

If daughter wants to do it, just do it and have no regrets.

@Larry:

If you Google “photos of people holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa”,
you will see some very creative ways people have made photographs with
the Tower. Maybe you can challenge your kids to come up with some new
way to approach this.

Good idea.

If you return the car on a Saturday afternoon or on a Sunday, the rental car offices in La Spezia may be closed and your only option is Pisa Airport. If on a weekday, then La Spezia has offices for the major car rental companies near the port or, in the case of Avis, not too far from the train station (but still a long walk if you have luggage with you).

Lucca is about 30 min from Pisa by train.

I like Lucca more than Pisa, and I don't think you will feel bad if you miss the leaning tower, but I'm from Florence and Florentines and PIsans have fought one another since 1314, so I may be biased.