Europe,  Italy,  TDM,  Travel Journal

An Afternoon in Pisa (Italy), 1 hour from Florence

We take advantage of being in Florence to go to Pisa (Pisa), which is only 1 hour by train from Florence. Trains leave regularly so there is no need to book in advance. We opt for trainitalia which is cheaper than italo.

Part 1: Travel Diary
Part 2: Practical Tips

Part 1: Travel Diary

Before going there, we are warned: the city of Pisa has nothing extraordinary, we should not expect wonders. It’s true, the station is very average, I didn’t venture there at night.
To go until the Tower of Pisa, we must cross the river, it’s cute as everything.

Tower of Pisa

We go to Pisa the day a DPCM announces the closure of museums & tourist attractions. The only difference vs. a normal day is that we can no longer climb the tower (18€). We were afraid that Piazza dei Miracoli (where the Tower of Pisa is located) would be closed too, but fortunately not. It is open all the time.

There are monuments so well known that we have a little apprehension before the visit, but the tower of Pisa, in addition to being empty of tourists, perfectly meets our expectations.

Of course, we tried to play with the perspectives, but the model being bad and the photographer impatient, it gives a failed photo like this lol :

This tower is very original because usually the campanile (tower) is glued to the cathedral, but this isn’t the case here. Although it is a marble masterpiece, its popularity is linked to its inclination, due to the alluvial plain on which it was built. Inside, a spiral staircase leads up to the 8th floor of the tower, about 50 meters away. Several works have been undertaken and the tower is considered to be stabilized today. It has even addressed itself a few centimeters since then.

The Place des Miracles is really nice with this perfectly mowed lawn. Unfortunately the cathedral is closed (while the religious monuments in Rome remain open, even St. Peter’s Basilica).

From this angle, it looks like the tower of Pisa is doing a photo bombing at the cathedral ahaha

Right next door, the Baptistery of Pisa is also magnificent, too bad the interior is closed, we would have liked to enjoy its extraordinary acoustic qualities.

The door alone is breathtaking

I let you admire the cathedral more closely

Next to the tower, there is a small fountain that nobody pays attention to (because it is too small and ugly compared to the rest), it is the Fontana dei Putti

JB takes advantage of the not too expensive rates in Pisa to get a haircut. On this, we take the first train to Florence, before returning to Rome the next day.

Part 2: Practical Tips

Budget

  • Transportation :
    • Nearest train station: Pisa Centrale Station
    • Train Florence – Pisa: 8,7€ departure every 30mn to 1h – duration 1h
    • Train Pisa – Florence: 8,7€ departure every 30mn to 1h – duration 1h
  • Tower of Pisa: 18€/person if you climb the tower
  • Excursions & guided tours in Pisa (from 29,5€): on Civitatis & Viator (a Tripadvisor company)

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