Pisa florence end of august

[Timmos1974]

Hi

Looking to spend 5 days on a quick visit of pisavflorence thinking 3 nights pisa 2 nights florence with the mrs.

Any good tips please and weather wise it should be good?

Thanks

[here_we_go]

Perhaps not helpful, but I would do that trip six weeks later. Will still be warm and much less busy

[Madness60]

Did a cycling trip a couple of years ago from Pisa to Rimini and a day in Pisa was more than enough. Very mixed town, area near station was not great. Florence was great but there's loads of lovely little places just not Pisa, I liked Montecantimi Terme and Urbino

[menousername]

Would personally do 1 night in Pisa rest in Florence. Apart from tower the town itself is not that great.

Look out for one day coach trip from Florence out into San Gimignano, Monteriggioni etc too

[Trevor555]

If you do end up staying in Pisa for three days then jump on the train to Lucca for the day, it's a lovely old, walled, town.

[Timmos1974]

Great replies thanks!!

Interesting about only one day in pisa.

Ill look on trip sdvisor aswell

[The Leaper]

IMO you need to change the "loading". Pisa and Florence are great towns but Florence has so much more interest than Pisa. If you have 6 days, 1 or 2 in Pisa and 5 or 4 in Florence would be better.

Lucca is a lovely town not far from Pisa, well worth a visit.

My advice? Fly to Pisa, base yourselves in Lucca for a couple of days and use the excellent train services for a day trip to Pisa, then transfer to Florence by train and stay there for a few days before train back to Pisa and fly home. No expensive car hire at Pisa and therefore no very long queue to get the car, and you avoid ZTLs and fines. If a car is essential, you can avoid the queues at Pisa by hiring from Avis and joining their Avis Preferred scheme all before you leave UK.

If you have particular places you want to visit...the Uffizi in Florence for example...get online and book timed entry tickets well in advance so as to avoid the enormous queues and waiting for maybe 2 hours to get in. Well worth the cost. By the way, the Uffizi is now Italy's single most visited museum/gallery, hence the queues.

You can also book all train journeys online from UK well before you leave too.

And I'd never go to Italy in August!

If you need more help, just ask.

R.

PS: wife and I are going to Verona later this year, for the fourth time. Direct flights from UK, much nicer place to be, fewer tourists, lots to do and see, and you can do easy day trips by train to Venice, Padua, Vicenza, Mantua, Florence, Bologna and Lake Garda

[Timmos1974]

Thanks ever so much for the reply

I was thinking of possibly one night in pisa then 2 nights in florence then 2 nights in venice? Is this doable!

[LHRFlightman]

I'd stay in Florence and day trip to Lucca and Pisa. Done all three. It's a beautiful part of Italy.

[DeejRC]

Be warned: do not remotely think about flying to Firenze and picking a hire car up there. Amerigo Vespucci is an absolute pain in the arris when it comes to its hire car set up!

Fly into either Firenze or Pisa and use the train system between them and to Lucca. Though you do miss the entertainment of trying to avoid the hookers on the exits of the autostradas when you aren’t driving.

[Timmos1974]

Is Lucca a definate then?

[TTmonkey]

There you go. I went, so you don’t have to. Bloody hot.





Me in locally sourced hire car. Was cheap.

[Timmos1974]

TTmonkey said:

There you go. I went, so you don’t have to. Bloody hot.





Me in locally sourced hire car. Was cheap.

Like that car rental..

[here_we_go]

Timmos1974 said:

Thanks ever so much for the reply

I was thinking of possibly one night in pisa then 2 nights in florence then 2 nights in venice? Is this doable!

Its very doable.

My daughter and I took this route a few years back. We had an earlyish flight to Pisa, left our luggage at the train station and spent a couple of hours to look at the tower. nothing obviously wrong with Pisa but on a relatively short trip I didn't really feel like we were missing anything by not staying a night there. If I were you I might be tempted to do the same again and get an extra night somewhere else.

We then got the train to Florence where we stayed for three nights, then a train to Venice for three nights, then flew back from Venice.

Train from Florence to Venice took 2/3 hours. Was for us was a good rest when you're on your feet sightseeing and one of you is eleven. First class tickets on the trains were quite reasonably priced and made it comfortable.

We did this in October half-term and had low 20s weather and sunshine, except for a bit of fog on the last day in Venice - not sure how lucky we were. I've been to Florence a few times but not in August - my understanding is it can be over hot/muggy and very busy in August.

[Timmos1974]

Thanks again

So I ve been doing some more research on what you all have been saying.

Ive asked the mrs if she can get the friday off which means arriving either in the airport at pisa at midday. which in turn allows a full week of sight seeing.. OR flying in on the friday to Venice.....either way we need to fly back from Pisa to get the right times for a connection.

So the question is Arrival in Pisa or Venice.
Im thinking more of flying onto Venice stay for 3 nights then 4 nights in florence and use day trips to see the surrounding villages/ interesting stuff.

[Trevor555]

Timmos1974 said:

Thanks again

So I ve been doing some more research on what you all have been saying.

Ive asked the mrs if she can get the friday off which means arriving either in the airport at pisa at midday. which in turn allows a full week of sight seeing.. OR flying in on the friday to Venice.....either way we need to fly back from Pisa to get the right times for a connection.

So the question is Arrival in Pisa or Venice.
Im thinking more of flying onto Venice stay for 3 nights then 4 nights in florence and use day trips to see the surrounding villages/ interesting stuff.

Yes, fly into Venice, then get the train to Florence/Pisa..

I've met loads of people on cruises that have done the Pisa excursion. They all pretty much said the same. Fun for half an hour, get your pictures, and they're done.

[The Leaper]

Timmo,

It seems from what you say that at the end of you trip to Italy departing from Pisa is essential, for reasons not given. On that basis, and looking at what you propose doing in only a week:

1. Fly in to Venice.

2. Spend three nights in Venice

3. Go by train Venice to Florence

4. Spend three nights in Florence

5. Go by train Florence to Pisa

6. Spend one night in Pisa

7. Visit Pisa the day you arrive or the next morning

8. Depart Pisa Airport

This will meet your objectives and is easily doable. However, you will only get a flavour of what these cities really offer. Since I retired in 2004, wife and I have been to Italy 2-3 times a year (before Covid) usually for a week or ten days each time, basing ourselves in one or two places at most, travelling around by train. This allows us to really get the culture and feel of many different places in Italy. So far, we have stayed in around 20 towns and cities. So, I think I can say we love Italy and we know how to plan for visits that we know we will enjoy.

You can easily book online all the train journeys and timed entry to any main museums etc before you depart for Italy.

R

[DeejRC]

Oh and be warned…Tuscany in August is Warm!

[Timmos1974]

The Leaper said:

Timmo,

It seems from what you say that at the end of you trip to Italy departing from Pisa is essential, for reasons not given. On that basis, and looking at what you propose doing in only a week:

1. Fly in to Venice.

2. Spend three nights in Venice

3. Go by train Venice to Florence

4. Spend three nights in Florence

5. Go by train Florence to Pisa

6. Spend one night in Pisa

7. Visit Pisa the day you arrive or the next morning

8. Depart Pisa Airport

This will meet your objectives and is easily doable. However, you will only get a flavour of what these cities really offer. Since I retired in 2004, wife and I have been to Italy 2-3 times a year (before Covid) usually for a week or ten days each time, basing ourselves in one or two places at most, travelling around by train. This allows us to really get the culture and feel of many different places in Italy. So far, we have stayed in around 20 towns and cities. So, I think I can say we love Italy and we know how to plan for visits that we know we will enjoy.

You can easily book online all the train journeys and timed entry to any main museums etc before you depart for Italy.

R

Thanks alot for the replies!!!!!!!!

Ok that sounds like a plan!!

funny question but how do we get from the airport in venice to the Hotel? as cars arent allowed in the centre? Sorry if it sounds like a right stupid question.

[JeffreyD]

Timmos1974 said:

Thanks alot for the replies!!!!!!!!

Ok that sounds like a plan!!

funny question but how do we get from the airport in venice to the Hotel? as cars arent allowed in the centre? Sorry if it sounds like a right stupid question.

If you are feeling flush you can get a water taxi direct to your hotel from the airport.
Or there is a more prosaic water bus.

Or transfer by normal taxi/bus to the big car park from where you can enter Venice.