Florence Day Trip to Pisa by Train
Pisa is one of the easiest day trips from Florence. The train is fast, direct, and frequent. The journey takes approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, which makes a half-day trip entirely viable.
The city is often underestimated. Visitors focus almost entirely on the Campo dei Miracoli (Piazza dei Miracoli) and leave within two hours. Pisa has more to offer, but the Piazza dei Miracoli is also genuinely impressive on its own terms and worth the trip even if you see nothing else.
Florence to Pisa by train: everything you need
Station: Florence Santa Maria Novella to Pisa Centrale. Direct trains run on this route throughout the day.
Travel time: 55 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes depending on the service (Intercity or regional). Regional trains (Regionale Veloce) take about 1 hour 10 minutes and run frequently. Intercity trains are faster but less frequent and require a reservation.
Frequency: Trains depart approximately every 30 minutes during daytime hours on weekdays. Weekend frequency is slightly lower. First morning train is around 5:30, last evening train back is around 22:00 or later.
From Pisa Centrale to Piazza dei Miracoli: The train station is about 2 km from the Piazza dei Miracoli. Options from the station:
- Walk: approximately 25 minutes, a flat and straightforward route
- Bus: LAM Rossa (red) bus, stops outside the station, approximately 10 minutes, 1.50 euros
- Taxi: approximately 7-8 euros, available outside the station
Timetables and updated prices
Ticket prices as of early 2026:
Standard second-class regional ticket (Florence to Pisa): approximately 8-9 euros. Regional train tickets do not require advance booking and can be purchased at the station machine, the Trenitalia app, or the website.
Intercity (IC) trains: approximately 12-16 euros with mandatory reservation. Faster but not necessary for a day trip.
A return ticket costs double. There is no specific return discount on single-price regional tickets, but if you buy through the Trenitalia website you can sometimes find small promotional fares.
Important: Validate your ticket before boarding by stamping it in the green/yellow machines on the platform or in the station. If you buy on the Trenitalia app, the digital ticket counts as validated. Fines for unvalidated tickets start at 50 euros.
What to see in Pisa in half a day
Piazza dei Miracoli (Campo dei Miracoli): The square contains the Cathedral (Duomo), the Baptistery, the Leaning Tower, and the Camposanto Monumentale (monumental cemetery). All four are in close proximity and the visual impact of the white marble buildings on the green lawn is genuine.
The Leaning Tower: Entry costs 18 euros and includes a timed slot (every 35 minutes, maximum 45 people per group). The climb has 294 steps and involves a noticeably tilted staircase. The view from the top extends across the city and the Arno plain. Book in advance at opapisa.it, as slots sell out on busy days.
The Duomo of Pisa: Entry costs 5 euros (free if you have a combined ticket). The interior contains a 13th-century Nicola Pisano pulpit, bronze Cimabue crucifix, and the lamp that supposedly inspired Galileo’s concept of the pendulum. Open 10:00-19:00 (shorter hours in winter).
The Baptistery: Entry 5 euros (or combined ticket). One of the largest in Italy. The acoustic chamber inside creates a remarkable resonant effect when someone sings or plays an instrument. Open 9:00-19:00.
Camposanto Monumentale: Entry 5 euros (or combined ticket). A medieval cloistered cemetery with 14th-century frescoes, including the fragmentary but haunting Triumph of Death. Less visited than the tower but architecturally extraordinary.
Combined ticket options: Various combinations are available from the Opera della Primaziale Pisana (OPA). A combined ticket for all major monuments except the tower costs approximately 15 euros. The tower has a separate mandatory ticketing system.
Piazza dei Miracoli: practical tips
The square is busiest between 11:00 and 15:00. If you can arrive before 10:00 or after 15:30, the experience is significantly less crowded.
The grass lawn in front of the tower and cathedral is technically the property of the Opera della Primaziale. Walking on it is allowed. Sitting on it is how most visitors wait for their tower entry time.
Photography of the tower works best from the east end of the square (near the Camposanto), which gives you the full perspective and a clear field of view. The popular “holding up the tower” pose requires standing at a specific angle approximately 50 metres south-east of the tower. Everyone does it.
Street food and restaurants around the piazza are tourist-priced. Walk 10-15 minutes into the city centre (south along Via Santa Maria) for better value options.
The square is surrounded by souvenir stalls. The volume of Leaning Tower keychains available per square metre is remarkable.
How to organise the day
A practical day-trip schedule:
08:30 Depart Florence Santa Maria Novella.
09:45 Arrive Pisa Centrale. Take the bus or walk to Piazza dei Miracoli.
10:15 Arrive at Piazza dei Miracoli. Visit the Baptistery and Camposanto before the midday crowds.
11:00 Leaning Tower climb (pre-booked slot).
12:00 Visit the Duomo interior.
13:00 Lunch in the city centre, south of Piazza dei Miracoli (Via Santa Maria area or Piazza delle Vettovaglie in the city centre, a 10-minute walk east).
14:30 Walk along the Arno embankment. The Lungarno Mediceo and Lungarno Gambacorti areas have the old palaces and views of the Arno worth seeing.
15:30 Walk or bus back to Pisa Centrale.
16:30 or later Train back to Florence.
This leaves time in Florence for an evening meal.
Where to stay
Florence is the natural base for Pisa day trips. The Key is at Via Cittadella 22, a 5-minute walk from Santa Maria Novella station, which means you can be on the platform for the 8:30 train without rushing.
