Why do you need to get a connecting train? When we went from SMN it went all the way to the airport?....

Smeagol, I was only able to find a train to Pisa Centrale. When I did a search for the same day to Pisa Aeroporto, I got the error message: No travel solution found. Since you and ellenm both have taken the train directly to the airport, do you remember how you knew what the schedule was?

Along the same lines, I have been able to locate other trains for the rest of our itinerary:

We fly from Barcelona to Genoa (via Rome) on Alitalia, arriving in Genoa at 3:25 pm. Trenitalia Intercity #673 goes from Genova Piazza Principe to S. Margherita Ligure-Portofino, departing at 5:48pm. That gives us quite a bit of time after arrival in Genoa, but I would have liked a train about an hour earlier. Does anyone know of another train that might run around 4:30, but isn't showing up?

Leaving Santa Margherita Ligure, I was able to find Trenitalia Intercity #658 to Milano Centrale departing at 7:30 am (wish it was a bit later...), and arriving at Milano Centrale at 9:55am.

Continuing to Lake Como, I found Trenitalia Regionale #2556 departing Milano Centrale at 10:20 am, arriving in Varenna-Esino at 11:28 am. In Varenna, we will catch the ferry to Bellagio, but I haven't researched that yet.

Leaving Lake Como, I found Trenitalia Regionale #2561 departing Varenna-Esino at 8:37 am, arriving in Milano Centrale at 9:40 am.

Then, once again: NO travel solution found from Milan to Siena! I'm reasonably sure that there must be trains but they aren't showing. Can anyone help me with this?

Once in Siena, we will rent a car at the train station (this will be a Thursday) which we still need to research. We'll keep the car until Florence, and would love your tips on the best place to drop it off. We are familiar with the Hertz garage in town, but only as we drove out of town...what are your thoughts on dropping the car off there (on a Monday or a Tuesday)?

So far, this looks to be our most adventurously complicated trip yet. While we have traveled by train before in Italy, it was only on the super fast trains between major cities. I'm a bit daunted by the prospect of all these connections!

I understand that the route between Pisa Centrale and the airport may be closed right now. With that in mind, for Florence to the Pisa Airport, the Terravision bus from Florence might be the best option.

Thank you ellenem! That might explain why no train is showing. Does anyone else know more about that?

With all of the train issues from Milan to Siena, do you think we'd be better off to stop in Florence, pick up the car there, and just drive to Siena?

Ahhhh that explains it! It was open when we went but I don't remember Centrale being very far away from the airport at all anyway so you should be ok!

they are renovating the line from Pisa Centrale to the airport until December 2015, but there is a shuttle service which runs every 10 mins from 6am to 12 midnight in both directions:

http://www.pisa-airport.com/?lang=_en&id_sect=220

When we had an early flight out of Pisa, we stayed in the city and just got a taxi to the airport. we decided to show our kids the historical hotel where we'd stayed 25 years earlier and spent the night again amidst its faded glory:

http://www.royalvictoria.it/

sadly it had gone downhill a little in the 25 years that elapsed between our visits; also they had divided some of the rooms so no longer could we occupy a huge room the size of our house with a bathroom in which you could swing several cats.

but you might decide to chance it or at least pop in for a look. Pisa is well worth an afternoon and an evening, especially as then all the hawkers and buses depart and you are left virtually alone in the Campo dei Miracoli which is beautifully illuminated at night. I would stay there the night before your flight and give your kids the chance to climb THAT tower - prebook at www.operpisa.it.

Annhig, thanks for that information, and especially the link to the bus shuttle. I enjoyed looking at the hotel you stayed at, and I agree that the boys would probably love climbing that tower (while Mom and Dad wait below!)

DH really wants to stay in Florence the last night, though. I think it's a bit riskier not to be in our departure city the night before, but so many people say that it's not a problem.

What time do you think is the absolute latest we could arrive at the Pisa airport for our 9:15 am flight to JFK?

Hi Cybertraveler, your trip sounds wonderful. You asked for some key things to do in Barcelona. You might want to click on my screen name and check out our TR where we detailed some ideas. Also, there are good ideas in other TRs. Happy planning.

Cybertraveler,

I was interested to read your schedule regarding Santa Margherita Ligure and then on to Lake Como. I am planning the same route and feeling a little overwhelmed trying to decide if I should stay in SML or in another smaller town along that coastal area, like Camogli. I won't have a car either so need good transportation connections.

Do you have particular things you are planning to do in the SML area?

I would probably want to be at the airport for around 7:30 am ( if it were me) the airport really is tiny. Can you save time by checking in online the night before?

LAKE COMO: From Bellagio take the ferry to Mennagio (10 - 15 minutes). Walk to Hotel du Lac, have a glass of something cold on the piazza there. They make good coffee as well. Their food is not amazing, but it is really OK and the view is lovely. Keep on walking (away from the ferry), follow the walkway, until you reach the small cemetery that could be used in any film about Italy. I found it beautiful. I discovered it early one Sunday morning and watched how Italian housewives took care of departed loved ones - placing flowers, tidying up, chatting loudly, with the backdrop of lake and mountains ... and church-bells ringing.

On another day we bought ferry tickets from Mennagio to the most northern town on the lake (can't remember the name now). As long as you keep the ferry schedule in the back of your mind, can get off and on again to your heart's content, exploring the little towns on the lake. At the last place we had coffee and pastries at (what seemed to us) the only piazza in the pretty town. Lovely day!

The ladies running Tourist Information (near Hotel du Lac in Mennagio) are helpful and full of good ideas.

DH really wants to stay in Florence the last night, though. I think it's a bit riskier not to be in our departure city the night before, but so many people say that it's not a problem.

What time do you think is the absolute latest we could arrive at the Pisa airport for our 9:15 am flight to JFK>>

i would want to be there at 7am at the latest. which means leaving Florence at about 5am or just after, and needing to get up at about 4am. does your DH realise that?

whereas he could easily have an extra couple of hours in bed if you stay in Pisa, AND climb the most famous tower in the world. [why stay on the ground? it's fun walking upstairs and downstairs simultaneously!] BTW, it is not called il campo dei Miracoli [the field of miracles] for nothing. The beauty of the buildings - the Cathedral, Baptistry and Tower - surrounded by the green of the grass - is amazing, even when surrounded by the teaming hoards, and when they have gone home, and the buildings are lit up, it is a truly magical spot.

Frankly, I don't think my kids would have forgiven me if we had been so close to the Leaning Tower and not climbed it!

Thanks annhig and smeagol for the input on arrival time at Pisa airport. Being on the cautious side, I'd probably aim to arrive by 7:00. Another option that occurred to us was to possibly drive ourselves to Pisa airport. That might give us a bit more control over our timing. What are your thoughts about driving to the airport and dropping off the car there at 7:00?

Ann, I'm inclined to agree with you about Pisa. DH might change his mind when he hears about the very early wake-up call! (Maybe we would climb the tower, although I've climbed so many towers because they were there, and usually end up just wanting to get back down as soon as possible!) Is there anything else going on in Pisa in the evenings? I think it would be nice to sit in an outdoor cafe overlooking the campo, sip wine and listen to music...is there anything like that there?

Kovsie, thank you so much for the ideas on what to do in Lake Como. We've been so bogged down with the specifics of getting from place to place, that we haven't even had much time to plan what to do when we get to each place!

I think it would be nice to sit in an outdoor cafe overlooking the campo, sip wine and listen to music...is there anything like that there?>>

there are loads of restaurants in Pisa with outdoor terraces, though those near the Tower do tend to be on the touristy side. you'd perhaps want to look at trip advisor for up to date recommendations, or ask in your hotel - the staff usually have good ideas if you ask them where THEY would go. not sure about the music - lots of italian restaurants have the TV on believe it or not, and you generally want to avoid the ones with the men selling roses and the accordion music.

as for climbing the tower, well, I doubt if you've ever climbed one like that, and it doesn't take very long, about 30 mins, and they stop you are various levels. there are only a few people allowed up at one time, so you haven't got to deal with crowds of other people either. but if you don't fancy it, you can get some great pics of the kids as they go up.

yes of course you can drive back to the airport, I assume that you'd be able to drop the car off at about 7am, as they must be used to early departures, but you'd have to check, when you booked the car, and also that there was secure parking at your hotel. We had been staying in Florence and hadn't had a car, so the day before we were due to leave, we got the train back to Pisa, and in the morning we got a cab to the airport, which didn't cost that much, though i suppose that we could have got the train from Pisa Centrale. [now the shuttle bus of course].

Thanks annhig; on your advice, I've been able to convince DH that our wisest option is to stay in Pisa the night before. The 4:15 AM wake-up call was the deciding factor! Also, I'm sure that we will truly enjoy the Campo dei Miracoli at night, and I think we'll all attempt that tower.

So now I have a new question to pose to the experts out there:

Which option would you recommend for our itinerary:

1: San Gimignano: 2 nights, Florence 3 nights, Pisa 1 night
OR
2: San Gimignano: 1 night, Florence 4 nights, Pisa 1 night

We have been to both San G and Florence two or more times before, and we love both places. We really want to spend at least 1 night in San G just because it is so special. Florence has so much more to do, though, and now that we're losing our last night to Pisa, I'm not sure we want to give up another night in Florence.

DH thinks we've already done all there is to do in Florence, but I'm not so sure. We have visited the Uffizi and many of the other major sights. Now we have the luxury to explore the less "major" attractions...and I'd be so appreciative of suggestions from those who have also had some extended stays in Florence.

cyber - oh the responsibility of finding out that one's advice is going to be followed. I suppose that if the night in Pisa doesn't work out, you can always blame that pesky fodorite! re climbing the tower, you know that you have to book in advance, don't you, and to turn up about 10 mins before your booking to book in, and deposit any large bags in the lockers in the room next to the ticket office - which is where you book in.

The last, [and first] time I went to San Gim was a VERY long time ago, so I may not the best person to ask about how long to stay there. However, I dislike "one night stands" and as you will have a car, it would make a good base for visiting Volterra and even Livorno if you fancy a day at the beach and/or spending a day in Verdi's home town.

As for what to do in Florence, there is a good thread going at the moment written by someone who was exploring lesser known or at least lesser visited parts of Florence which you will probably find useful and certainly enjoy - i will try to find it and link it below. [if i try to do it now, I'll probably lose this post!] I'm sure you'll find plenty to do whichever you decide to do.

Here it is:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ver-easter.cfm