theboyangel Posted October 8, 2022 Share Posted October 8, 2022 Just booked flights to Pisa next May for just me and Mrs TBA. it was her 50th this year but with the lads GCSE exams we couldn’t get away. It’s our 20th Anniversary next year too and my 50th the following year so making a bumper combined celebration trip for 2! we’ll base ourselves in Pisa but planning a day trip on the train to Florence. anyone been and any recommendations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troglodyte Posted October 8, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted October 8, 2022 If it's not too late, spend longer in Florence than Pisa. It's a few years since I went, but there was a lot to see/do in the former and little in the latter. I did two nights in each but would rather have done a day trip to Pisa on reflection. Italy is **** amazing anyway though so you'll have a great time, even just people watching! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villaglint Posted October 8, 2022 Share Posted October 8, 2022 Would second the idea to spend more time in Florence than Pisa. I lived in Florence for 3 months this summer. Don’t know how long you are planning on staying but it’s a beautiful city with loads to do. Get yourself up to Piazza Michaelagelo at sun set with a bottle wine. Pisa is a day trip really. Lucca which is very close to Pisa is also well worth a visit. How long are you staying? because if you have the time Siena is also really worth seeing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 Thanks both @Troglodyte and @villaglint really appreciated. we’ve only got 4 nights, 5 days in mid-May but want to cram in as much as we can but without having a deserved rest too! will certainly check out the square at sunset Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted October 9, 2022 Moderator Share Posted October 9, 2022 Florence is lovely in the actual centre, but away from the famous bits, it’s a dump IMO. I’m possibly scarred by a trip where much of the stuff that could go wrong did go wrong, but a couple of days is plenty and as others have said, there are nearby places to also visit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troglodyte Posted October 9, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted October 9, 2022 Didn't find the same as @blandy at all but I guess everyone has different experiences of places. When I walked a bit further out, I came across a bar where they were serving free limoncello all evening - I don't particularly like the stuff but enjoyed that night! If you like a stroll, I'd recommend going across the Ponte Vecchio to Boboli Gardens. Very picturesque and some beautiful views over the city. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troglodyte Posted October 9, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted October 9, 2022 Oh and unless things have changed, make sure you get your train ticket validated at a machine when going between Florence/Pisa. A group of Americans on the train across from us didn't, and they all got fined on the journey. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Dogg Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 You should stay in Florence and take a day trip to Pisa, there is much more in Florence. And go hungry, the food is amazing. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 Florence is lovely, but if you don’t like art, there isn’t loads of touristy things to do. If you eat meat, make sure you try a steak when there . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 Another vote for stay in Florence and just go to Pisa for the day Wherever you stay, don't be tempted to do that thing, where you pretend to be pushing the leaning tower back upright, it was amusing when the first person did it in 1999 , not so much now when every unoriginal Instagramer on the planet does it 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allani Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 (edited) On 09/10/2022 at 07:05, theboyangel said: Thanks both @Troglodyte and @villaglint really appreciated. we’ve only got 4 nights, 5 days in mid-May but want to cram in as much as we can but without having a deserved rest too! will certainly check out the square at sunset Florence: If you like art (even just a little) then the Uffizi is amazing - but it can get busy so best to try and go when it might be a little quieter (earlier or over lunch). The camponile (bell tower) is awesome and (assuming it is still open) if you climb to the top then the views are spectacular. Like most Italian cities I think that just wandering the streets is pretty cool - you'll find some amazing churches, balconies or courtyards down the most uninspiring of roads. Siena: when we were in that part of the country last we spent more time in Siena than Florence. There is less to see, but it was more relaxed and laid back (unless you are there at the same time as the palio is on!) so just a nicer atmosphere for sitting back and enjoying a quiet coffee, beer or glass of wine and doing the Italian thing of just watching the world go by. Pisa: I agree that once you've seen the centre and the Tower you are pretty much done. But we only spent a few hours there so... Lucca: is probably my favourite of the four cities and also much closer to Pisa. We stopped there in January on our way back home from the UK (well actually we never made it to the UK because of Covid travel restrictions but that is another story!!!) and I really enjoyed it. The centro storico is really nice, we found a couple of really nice restaurants on the side roads just off the two main squares that did excellent food, had a really good wine list and were better priced than the ones in the square itself (which is pretty standard). I wanted to do the walk around the old city walls but we didn't have time. It is also worth checking out public transport as it is SO cheap in Italy and also tends to have the advantage of dropping you right in the middle of the city - whereas in a car it can be really difficult to find a parking space. I don't know about up north but where we are it does have to be said that public transport is a bit less regular in the evenings and at lunch time! So don't assume that the trains will be time-tabled to run at 20 past the hour every hour! But in my experience the service is pretty reliable (our kids actually get the train to and from school every day and very rarely get delayed or a train cancelled - which almost certainly means that there will now be problems tomorrow!!!!!). Edited October 13, 2022 by allani 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allani Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 On 08/10/2022 at 11:42, theboyangel said: Just booked flights to Pisa next May for just me and Mrs TBA. it was her 50th this year but with the lads GCSE exams we couldn’t get away. It’s our 20th Anniversary next year too and my 50th the following year so making a bumper combined celebration trip for 2! we’ll base ourselves in Pisa but planning a day trip on the train to Florence. anyone been and any recommendations? If you wanted to do something very different then Viareggio (next city up along the coast) is Italy's Carnival city - famous for its huge (and I mean 3 or 4 storey high) paper-mache carnival floats. Carnevale is in February so you won't be able to see them in action but there is a big museum there that has several of the best floats on display. I've not been to the museum so if that sounds like something a bit different then I'd recommend doing a bit more research first. One of our local towns has a similar parade, the most famous in Southern Italy, and the town then pays for the winner of our parade to compete at Viareggio the following year. The floats are absolutely incredible (sorry I can't attach photos as the files are too big) - not just in terms of the size, the artistry but also the mechanics that mean that almost every part of the model is moving and the movements are designed to avoid lamp posts, etc. The carnivals have a specific theme every year so they are often quite amusing / poignant - Viareggio got into some "hot water" with their caricature of Donald Trump a couple of years back and I suspect that next year Putin will feature heavily. I think that the winner of the Viareggio Carnevale then gets selected to represent Italy in Rio. I just wanted to try and flag something completely different rather than just sticking with the "usual" Tuscan highlights. I've not been to the museum so definitely do some more research to check whether it is any good before you book. (Cittadella del Carnevale di Viareggio) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaAlex Posted October 17, 2022 Share Posted October 17, 2022 Pisa is pretty grim outside of a visit to the tower, there is literally nothing else to do/see there. So as the above said yeah it's very much a day trip. Florence I found a bit dirty like a lot of major cities, I had high expectations of it which weren't really met at the time. But I am starting to look back more fondly. Walking up and seeing the Duomo is an incredible experience, as is walking up the Piazzale Michelangelo. The views are spectacular. I don't think I've ever walked so much in a city as I did in Florence but it was a enjoyable experience. As others have said the food is fantastic, probably the best I've had in Italy along with Verona. As well as Boboli Gardens, Giardini Bardini is another tranquil place. And yeah don't miss the indoor food markets. My one regret was not heading to San Gimigiano while there but probably too far to fit in your itinerary and better off staying in Florence with the time you have. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tayls Posted October 22, 2022 Share Posted October 22, 2022 (edited) Another for avoid Pisa for any proper length of time. Just go from the train station, down the strip to the leaning tower and then back again. The rest is a bit of a hole. Couple of decent places to eat as you get to the tower, you can wonder around that general area. Re Florence, If you can stay there, I’d recommend the Brunelleshchi hotel and get a room with a view of the Duomo. Was spot on. It’s as central as it gets and you can spend hours just wondering around all the shops and places to eat. I agree with @VillaAlex re the walk to Piazzale Michelangelo, we made a day of it pretty much and wondered around for ages. The view was amazing. Edited October 22, 2022 by Tayls 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fightoffyour Posted November 1, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted November 1, 2022 (edited) Amazing beef sandwiches (no butter, the whole thing is dunked in jus quickly enough to remain crisp) in the market building in Florence at Da Nerbone. Lucca is awesome for a good whole day, go around the city walls on foot or bike. Not been to Pisa. Edited November 1, 2022 by fightoffyour 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choffer Posted November 27, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted November 27, 2022 Just back from a week in Tuscany. Spent most of the time in/near Montepulciano which is stunning. Would be a couple of hours from Florence I think. We did a day in Siena too which I’d definitely recommend. So much good food and wine. Diet starts tomorrow. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choffer Posted December 5, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted December 5, 2022 Just to add - couple of restaurants in Tuscany. Both would be among the best places I've ever eaten although neither are particularly near Florence. In Montepulciano - probably the best steak I've ever had. Near Pienza, stunning location and amazing food. Eating on the terrace in the summer, taking in the views is something else. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNVillan Posted December 13, 2022 Share Posted December 13, 2022 On top of the recommendations above (stay in Florence, there isn’t a ton to see in Pisa), I would highly recommend Siena. Mrs MNVillan and I took a day trip there and were blown away by its beauty. When we return it will be where we stay, it’s just so gorgeous. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted May 16, 2023 Author Share Posted May 16, 2023 Fly out tomorrow morning - really looking forward to the short break away but weather looking a little iffy oh well, it’ll still be great to get away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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