Planning a weekend trip to Tuscany, I decided to fly in and out of Pisa. Why? Cheap flights from London.
Return, my fare was £35. Steal!
My first night in Tuscany, I stayed in Lucca, a true hidden gem. On my second day, I planned on staying in Pisa and hiking Cinque Terre.
Eager to get to Cinque Terre, I headed to Pisa first thing in the morning to drop off my luggage and see the leaning tower, because, when in Italy.
My time in Pisa was short, but I don’t feel like I missed anything per se.
My train pulled into central station on a bright, sunny September day. Pro tip: Don’t take a taxi if you’re flying into Pisa- the Pisa People Mover from the airport to Pisa Centrale station takes only 5 minutes.
Once at the central station, it’s an easy 20 minute walk to the tower and other key attractions.
Starting out from the station, I walked in the direction of Keith Haring’s Tuttomondo, a giant mural near the station.
Then, I continued on to the river Arno, crossing to the other side and walking along it for a while. In the early morning sun, the view of pastel buildings reflected on the water and the mountains in the distance was tranquility at its best.
Looking for excellent cold brew in Pisa? Head to Filter Coffee Lab.
Conscious of time, my next stop was the Leaning Tower of Pisa. On the way there, I wound in and out of streets- admiring street art and doorways- Italian architecture is swoon worthy.
Arriving at the tower, I walked around the yard, admiring it and people watching for a bit. There are typically queues to climb the tower, but I didn’t have time to go inside so it wasn’t something I even looked into.
Nearing the time for my train to Cinque Terre, I explored other buildings in the piazza- the Cathedral and Bapistry. Both are stunning works of architecture- the Bapistry was where Galileo was baptised. And the Cathedral is among the most impressive in Italy. If I’m even in Pisa again, going inside both will be high on my list. Hand Luggage Only have a nice write-up of the experience with great details.
Before I knew it, the time had come to head to my train to Cinque Terre. Coming back at night, it was late and in lieu of anything else being open, I stopped at McDonald’s (I know, I know) for a milkshake and fries. Although, I’ve heard there are some good restaurants in Pisa, particularly for pizza.
I would have appreciated a few more hours in Pisa but also didn’t feel like I missed anything critical by passing through.
Have you ever visited Pisa? Did you see anything besides the Leaning Tower?
I can’t believe I haven’t visited Italy yet. I NEED to go there asap!
Italy is great 🙂 Definitely one of the best places in Europe, in my opinion.