Best Tour to see Pisa and Cinque Terra
#4
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Without weighing in on efficacy of a tour it is indeed easy to go by train
From San Gimi take a local train to Empoli and onto Pisa and get off one stop after Pisa Centrale heading north at Pisa S Rossore station, a short stroll from the Leaning Tower:
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...eaning+tower&*
Book a time at the tower if you want to go up to prevent waiting in a long line (official site)
Take train from P S Rossore north to La Spezia Centrale and change to local shuttle train that stops in each village - some trains may go on to Riomaggiore or Monterosso (the last village going north) and then take boats, trains or the famous footpaths in between each.
Simple.
For lots of info on trains check www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com. You can take all regional trains and just buy flat-fare dirt=-cheap tickets at St Gimi's station (about 6 mi by bus from St Gimi) for the whole route- a return ticket.
From San Gimi take a local train to Empoli and onto Pisa and get off one stop after Pisa Centrale heading north at Pisa S Rossore station, a short stroll from the Leaning Tower:
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...eaning+tower&*
Book a time at the tower if you want to go up to prevent waiting in a long line (official site)
Take train from P S Rossore north to La Spezia Centrale and change to local shuttle train that stops in each village - some trains may go on to Riomaggiore or Monterosso (the last village going north) and then take boats, trains or the famous footpaths in between each.
Simple.
For lots of info on trains check www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com. You can take all regional trains and just buy flat-fare dirt=-cheap tickets at St Gimi's station (about 6 mi by bus from St Gimi) for the whole route- a return ticket.
#5
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 7,959
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The train station is in Poggibonsi so first you'd have to get there, by bus or car. The trip takes about 1 3/4 hours. It's often quicker to go to Pisa Centrale rather than San Rossore, because the train to San Rossore makes more stops. From Pisa Centrale, you can take a bus or taxi to the tower.
From Pisa to Riomaggiore (the nearest Cinque Terre town) is also about two hours by train, changing in La Spezia. Getting back to San Gimignano would take over three hours, changing in La Spezia and Empoli. Sometimes you change in La Spezia, Pisa, and Empoli.
Don't think of doing this in a single day, either on your own or with a tour. With a tour, you'd spend about five hours on a bus, and have very little time to see anything.
The Cinque Terre is not a good day trip destination. It's usually absolutely packed with day trippers arriving by tour bus.
http://video.repubblica.it/embed/edi.../213075/212250
If you could spend a few nights there, you could escape to the higher hiking trails during the day, and enjoy the towns before the hordes arrive and after they leave.
From Pisa to Riomaggiore (the nearest Cinque Terre town) is also about two hours by train, changing in La Spezia. Getting back to San Gimignano would take over three hours, changing in La Spezia and Empoli. Sometimes you change in La Spezia, Pisa, and Empoli.
Don't think of doing this in a single day, either on your own or with a tour. With a tour, you'd spend about five hours on a bus, and have very little time to see anything.
The Cinque Terre is not a good day trip destination. It's usually absolutely packed with day trippers arriving by tour bus.
http://video.repubblica.it/embed/edi.../213075/212250
If you could spend a few nights there, you could escape to the higher hiking trails during the day, and enjoy the towns before the hordes arrive and after they leave.
#6
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The train station is in Poggibonsi so first you'd have to get there, by bus or car. The trip takes about 1 3/4 hours>
To be clear the bus from San Gimi to Poggibonsi takes 20 minutes not 1.75 hours.
To be clear the bus from San Gimi to Poggibonsi takes 20 minutes not 1.75 hours.
#10
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It's often quicker to go to Pisa Centrale rather than San Rossore, because the train to San Rossore makes more stops.>
Change at Pisa Centrale to local train =the next stop is S Rossore but yes going north better maybe to go back to Pisa Centrale to get faster trains that do not stop at S Rossore.
Change at Pisa Centrale to local train =the next stop is S Rossore but yes going north better maybe to go back to Pisa Centrale to get faster trains that do not stop at S Rossore.