I can't figure out when I started posting live trip reports on Fodor's. DH and I first visited Italy in 1999 and it was love at first sight. In 2001 we returned and included an overnight in Pisa and we fell in love once again. The people at the Hotel Royal Victoria ("Royal Vic") were wonderfully gracious and our quick taste of the city away from the Leaning Tower inspired us to return for a better look. In 2004 we made it a base and stayed at the Royal Vic once again.

We were still working with a travel agent. She got us a two-week open ended Italy Rail pass train ticket that impressed the heck out of the few conductors who asked for our papers. It looks like we spent a couple of hundred dollars apiece. As we became more familiar with travel, we generally only bought long trip tickets in advance online: Eurostar, TGV. We usually bought same day tickets at the FS. For a while, our credit cards stopped working on the ticket machines. That got changed....when??

This was a while ago*, but the places we visited remain popular and I'd like to share how we were able to get around by train and bus fairly easily. Have things changed in 20 years? Your input could be helpful to others as well as validate that Pisa has lots to offer as a good base in which to relax after a busy day trip.

We returned to the Royal Vic and learned that our wonderful desk clerk is one of the young owners and this is his home. He and his staff were as kind as in 2001. Breakfasts were included then....I wonder if that has changed. On Day 2, we took an early train to Siena for a longer look. It took about 1.5 hours. The train and bus stations were at the base of Siena. We took a cab up the hill and walked back down.
We decided to have dinner at Viareggio. It is a beach town with an Art Deco vibe. We strolled, ate and trained back home.

Day 3: Florence and Fiesole by train and bus, respectively.

*Oh guess what, it was the first year we didn't take travelers checks! We used the ATMs and not all worked.

What great memories!

We stopped at Pisa in late afternoon on our way back to our place in Tuscany and both were blown away at how excited we were to be there! The late afternoon light was simply gorgeous. Magical experience.

I imagine it would be a great base for exploring. We were staying at a lovely place in Tuscany for a week and took an overnight trip to the Cinque Terre and stopped by Pisa and Lucca on the way home. Fabulous experience. I would love to return!

Later in the day, sans as many tourists had to be nice, starrs.

Day 3, It was about 10-15 minutes to the FS from the Royal VIc but we strolled so you might get there faster. Desk clerk Conny said there is a Botticelli exhibit in a newly-refurbished Florence palazzo so we decided to combine Fiesole and the exhibit. I wrote that we bought FS tickets to Florence and then took the #7 bus right next to the Florence FS to go to Fiesole. At that time, one bought bus tickets at the tabac from the shop person rather than a machine. We walked and walked in Fiesole but somehow missed the Roman Amphitheatre but enjoyed the little town. The bus back down stopped at Piazzo Michaelangelo so we got off and took some nice shots and worked our way back down the hill. We ended up by the Pitti Palace so we decided to check out the gardens. Inadvertently, we entered via a non-public door and enjoyed a free view of it. We then made our way to Palazzo Strozzi for the incredible Botticelli's. The egg tempera colors had not faded over 4-500 years. Pisa was the first stop on a local train to Livorno. We ate dinner at one of the university hangouts.

Sunday, Day 4 San Gim. This will take a train and bus ride but it's do-able without a car.

Lovely!

Reading your memories is so enjoyable. I started my adventures in Italy in '04 - birthday present to myself and have always used a car to get around as figuring out bus and train schedules was too much for my head. I'd rather figure it out with a laminated Italy road map and a first generation Garmin. HA

Thank you very much, stars and BlueRidgeboots. I hear you about logistics with trains and buses. There is a bit of a learning curve if the train station is not right in the middle of things. Perhaps finding parking is a comparable thing? We truly enjoyed Pisa. Here are some shots and off to San Gim:


View from the Arno Bridge



We passed this goldsmith one evening


.
A gorgeous view from our first visit.

To San Gim was not straight forward. We first took a train to Empoli. We waited and waited then took another train to Poggiponzi where we got coffees and lulled in the Sunday morning quiet of town. Now to the bus stop (we got directions) where we find we've just missed the bus. Someone wasn't paying attention to her notes.... It's OK as we waited, we meet German and Swedish folks who all speak English fluently. I am humbled. It was a pleasant walk to the town. We thought the mosaics in the Duomo reminded us of Sicily's Montreale. One could climb at least one of the towers but we opted for Chianti Classico and a sit at the gorgeous views. We took 5:45 train and the Empoli changeover was almost instantaneous.

Dinner was at a place along the walk back from the FS: Trattoria da Michele. We had Peppoli 2000 Chianti Classico; salami misti tipici; Nodino de Vitella al Chianti; Filetto di manzo alla Parigina; mixed cheese and Vino Santo. Because my Italian was marginally better than DH's (he's the one who ordered two biscuits to Rome one time), I ordered the meal. I think the waiter didn't like "the wife" doing that and he was surly. When DH ordered the vin santo, the waiter perked up. I dunno. Based on the time it took via train and bus from Pisa, I might think about a guided tour.

Next: Last day, Laundry, Field of Miracles, and Gene Wilder look alike

I was nervous about finding the pre-paid parking garage in Spezia so we could catch the train to the CT. Thankfully I had an excellent navigator next to me. She took care of the details of that part of the trip and just directed me in the right direction. Thankful for good navigators.

The Rick Steves site had info about parking lots and FS distances, starrs. You are so right about a good navigator. 🚙

DH was the keeper of the "do laundry" schedule and our last day in Pisa was our first laundry day. I'll post some shots of the pretty neighborhood through which we passed. I was so smitten, I fell off the sidewalk! After returning our clean clothes to the hotel, we strolled some more and found a big market in Piazza Uomobuono.

My notes don't include how we signed up for the Leaning Tower but we must have, as my notes say "Time to climb.." As we were always early, we stepped into the Duomo and listened to an amazing tour guide describing the power of Pisa in the way back when before the river changed its course. We returned to the hotel and Conny handed over an office fax with the amazing news that U. of Md. had won the ACC in OT against Duke. Conny said, I'll send you to Beny's to celebrate. Off in a taxi we went.

Beny looks just like the late Gene Wilder would if he had dark hair. Here's our last dinner in Pisa: San Bernardo Sorgent Rocciaviva water, Merlot della casa. We split pennette e formaggi con noci e fucola; JR has Noci di Manzo (Pope's Eye) which was a cheese/ham/walnut stuffed beef with a creamy sauce; I had Tagliate di Manzo al forno (slices of beef served with lemon and oil). Bread is toasted and delicious. For dessert, Beny says, I will bring you linone sorbet with apples and Calvados liqueur--you will like it. And we do.

As I mentioned at the top, we really like Pisa the first time when we spent a night and vowed to return. I think the "old world charm" was personified by the owners of the hotel. Those impressions were renewed upon our return. Maybe Pisa makes more sense as a base for returning travelers who wish to savor more this nice City.

The rest of our 2-week visit was based in Venice. Again, a second time to do things more slowly. Photos to come.

In the days of city-states, Pisa and Rome were allies.



The Pisa Duomo is filled with gorgeous art. Don't miss this.



Incredible altar in the Pisa Duomo.



We had a lovely lunch here.



Walking around Pisa well away from the Tower, we pass a market,



Inviting places to relax, and


Another view of the mountains.


JR, master of all laundry.


Pretty Pisa House


Another Pretty Pisa Place


I fell of the sidewalk looking at this one.

Ah, TD. Pisa! What great photos. You have brought back many memories for me, most of them good!

<<We returned to the Royal Vic and learned that our wonderful desk clerk is one of the young owners and this is his home. He and his staff were as kind as in 2001. Breakfasts were included then....I wonder if that has changed. On Day 2, we took an early train to Siena for a longer look. It took about 1.5 hours. The train and bus stations were at the base of Siena. We took a cab up the hill and walked back down.
We decided to have dinner at Viareggio. It is a beach town with an Art Deco vibe. We strolled, ate and trained back home.>>

Our visits to Pisa and to the Royal Victoria [where we also stayed on both occasions] were far further apart [1983 and 2005 approximately] and we found it sadly changed. On our first visit we called on spec to see if they had a room for the last few days of our trip and were shown to a massive bedroom with a bathroom the size of our bedroom at home. Like you we fell in love with its air of faded elegance so spending the last night of our family trip to Tuscany there over 20 years later was a given but sadly we found that the rooms we had been assigned were tiny by comparison with what we had before, two rooms having been made out of one with a bathroom squeezed into the corner. The public areas were as we remembered but the charm had gone.

<<My notes don't include how we signed up for the Leaning Tower but we must have, as my notes say "Time to climb.." As we were always early, we stepped into the Duomo and listened to an amazing tour guide describing the power of Pisa in the way back when before the river changed its course. We returned to the hotel and Conny handed over an office fax with the amazing news that U. of Md. had won the ACC in OT against Duke. Conny said, I'll send you to Beny's to celebrate. Off in a taxi we went.>>

The first time round we didn't climb the Tower; I have a recollection that it was surrounded in scaffolding or that the public were not allowed to enter but I'm not sure. The second time the era of the internet had arrived and we were able to book to climb it in advance using the link at https://www.opapisa.it/en/tickets/a-...y-your-ticket/ I remember that numbers were limited to 30 and you had a 30 minute slot; we booked to go in the evening so that with any luck the tourist hordes would already had left and it worked out very well. Our kids loved the Campo dei Miracoli and being able to climb the famous tower and afterwards I remember a nice supper of pizza somewhere on our way back to the hotel but that's about it.

Thank you so much for taking me on this trip down memory lane!

What do you suppose happened to the Royal Vic, annhig? Cool coincidence that you stayed there. Apparently, the tower leaned immediately upon its completion... the repairs you encountered were to stabilize the leaning as it can't be straightened so far.

No idea what happened to the Royal Vic TD - perhaps it was bought by savages? Surely not a coincidence but a reflection that we share the same ideas of what constitutes a good hotel perhaps? I remember reading about the repairs but you'd think they'd have finished by the time we got there!

Isn't it still there?
https://www.royalvictoria.it/?lang=en
Maybe I'm missing something.
It looks lovely.

I don't think I ever said it no longer existed, Starrs but rather that it had not been treated sympathetically in the years between our first and second visits. It would however appear that it has had a makeover since our last visit in which case I should love to stay there again. Certainly the rooms we were given on the second occasion looked nothing like the ones shown on the website now. Nor were the public rooms anything like so opulent. In its original state it was indeed a thing of beauty.

This link (pictured under 'services') shows the Art Deco that was in the lobby sitting room. It looks spruced up but memory can be tricky. That was my recollection of the entry way, annhig.

https://www.royalvictoria.it/facilities/?lang=en

I went back to our earlier visit and we bused and trained to Siena (first time...hub wanted a return), Lucca, an the Cinque Terre as day trips from Pisa.

Edited to add that it was longer than an overnight visit!

Ahh! I wasn't familiar with the "before" nor have ever stayed in Pisa.
It looks lovely.
cigalechanta/ Mimi remembers my favorite hotel in Paris before a renovation. I didn't know it then but love it now.