badsneakers

My husband and I (we are 55+) are leaving for Italy in less than 3 weeks. We planned to go from Florence to Santa Margherita Ligure on the train, stopping at Pisa for a look at the tower. This will entail checking baggage, then walking to the tower and back. I hope we can do it all in time to catch the train to SML at 1:45.
Here's my question : Is this worth it? Is the Field of Miracles really a "must see" or an overrated tourist attraction? Would we do better to just get to SML and have a nice glass of wine and think about the next day's Cinque Terre hike?

francophile03

Sure if you want to visit Pisa then it’s worth it.

For us it was great to visit to see the tower as we were staying in Florence (short journey), but we didn’t find Pisa as scenic as Florence.

charnees

If all you plan on doing is looking at a crooked tower and then going on, I would skip it. But if you also go into the church, and see the lovely inlaid marble floors, etc., you will find it a more worthwhile experience. Perhaps if there is another train a little later you could stop for lunch in Pisa, also. The go on to the coast.

willit

The Piazza del duomo/Campo dei Miracoli is one of the greatest sights in Italy, in my opinion. It is a little spoilt by the stalls selling some of the world's most tacky soveniers, but the combination of the tower, the Duomo, the camposanto and the baptistry are a beautiful sight.

The Duomo is well worth a visit, and ranks among my top 3 of those I have seen itn Italy (Siena and Monreale being the other 20). You can buy a combined ticket for all the sights - for which you probably won't have time, or just a duomo ticket for around €2.

There is a left luggage department at Pisa Centrale station. The walk to the tower is around 20-25 minutes, otherwise there are regular buses from outside of the station.

stevelyon

Nice question badsneakers, I had also gained the impression that Pisa isn't much worth visiting. I concluded this after deciding I was going to spend a night there after a week in the Cinque Terre and then started to read Fodors posts; with posters who seemed rather take it or leave it. I was reassured by some books on Pisa that complained that Pisa is often underrated and that it deserves exploring beyond the usual tourist sites. I do hope you post your experience because you go much sooner than I do.

bdjtbenson

I think it's worth a stop. Don't spend a lot of time there. The leaning tower, duomo and baptistry are all in one place, surrounded by acres of tourist booths. Get in, take the obligatory picture holding up the leaning tower, see the three sites, and get out.

Be sure to check train times before you leave the station in the morning. When you are ready to leave, you will know if you need to hurry or can waste some time browsing the tourist booths.

flanneruk

With the possible exception of the Taj Mahal, no tourist cliche site on the planet is as stunningly beautiful as the Piazza dei Miracoli. In fact, if it wasn't for the incompetence of 13th century structural engineers, no-one would even think of asking your question. Anyone with any discrimination would be fighting their way to gaze on this wonder and admire.

As it is, the silly gimmick about the Tower's poor building standards has taken over from the complex's extraordinary architectural achievement.

Just go and look. And mourn the fact that, for all our superior building skills, nothing to match it has been built anywhere in thge past hundred years.

znstravels

Would it be a bad idea to combine Pisa with a day trip to Lucca? We would be driving from San Gimignano.

walkabout

I think it's worth a visit. I greatly enjoyed viewing it and climbing it.

mike1728

badsneakers....Although it is one of the worlds most famous sites...it is what it is...a place where you can tell people you went to....apart from that...I wasnt too keen on it..expensive to enter the tower..can be long lines...and tourist trap all around...but in retrospect, I'm glad I went..if that makes any sense?...Bottom line..I wouldnt go out of my way to vist Pisa...............mikek

txtree

In my view, if you are passing through Pisa on the train anyway, the logistics of getting to the tower are fairly easy and it is therefore totally worth it. As you've no doubt read, Pisa itself is nothing fantastic, but the duomo is beautifuly and the tower is incredible (it REALLY leans, I mean, really). It's such an iconic site, if you have time, I would do it.

annhig

Hi badsneakers,

the reason it's such a tourist trap is that there IS something worth seeing there. the monuments are truly wonderful - they were constructed, if that's the right word, when most english people were living in hovels made of wattle and daub.

you just have to look past the tourist tat and ignore the hawkers. [why would you by a tacky watch or fake handbag from someone you're never going to see again? it's a mystery.]

do go, if just for an hour.

regards, ann

irishface

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit there. If you are worried about time, the taxi ride from the train is not outrageously expensive. We wimped out and took a taxi as it was raining torrents the day we went. Our taxi driver gave us a tip on a great restaurant when we asked if he could recommend something off the beaten track--wrote out the name and address for us so we could get a taxi there when we were done. Can't remember it, but it was off the tourist track. We had a relaxing and delicious lunch. When we came out, the rain had let up and we were an easy walk back to the station.

JBX

At least once a year this topic arises . . .
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34994709
Pisa -- Skip it?

And as you can read from the above thread on the 'is it worth it' debate, you'll get diverging opinions.

My thoughts? If you're really curious to get a first hand look at this cattywampus structure (a/k/a Leaning Tower) then do so. I'd already been to Italy on two previous occasions before I opted to daytrip to Pisa. Was it worth it? It's six of one/half dozen of the other.

The Tower looks exactly like the pictures you've seen of it. At the time I was there, it still was under repairs and we weren't able to go inside. Maybe if I had been able to trek up to the top, I may have had an epiphany . . . who knows? Like I said, as long as it's on the way, sure, do it.

Dukey

That tower may "look like the pictures" but when you get UP close, those pictures pale in comparison.

Take the bus or a taxi to it from the railroad station and havea look inside ALL the buildings.

There's a reason people flock to places like the Tower and those reasons are all good.

cybertraveler

We went to Pisa on our first trip to Italy as part of a tour group. I agree that it's really special to see the tower, after seeing pictures of it your whole life.

I also agree that you should go for an hour, take the obligatory picture holding up the tower, and leave. Our group didn't give us time to see the church, but it is beautiful on the outside.

One piece of advice: steer clear of the ladies' room in the little "restaurant" across the piazza from the church. One of my worst life experiences!

mari5

Interesting reports.
We leave next week for S. France, NW Italy and Switzerland, driving a car. 5 trips to Italy ,never been to Pisa,, so planning to drive through there briefly on the way from Cinque Terre to Pienza. I am wondering about the parking situation around the tower???

Is Carrera nice for a quick stop,,,,,the marble part is of interest to us.???
We were going to spend the night in Lucca, Changed that and hope we aren't missing much. Want to return to Pienza for a night, (we loved it on the one day 6 yrs. ago),
THEN heading back north!!!
Thanks...and hope someone can answer my question about the parking situation in Pisa!

willit

Mari5 - search the slow travel site - at least one of the regulars there lives in or near Pisa and can give you exact details about where to park.

bilboburgler

znstravels

I think Lucca is far nicer and more interesting. While Pisa has at least two more beautiful buildings than this field.

Given that Pisa is full of gawping tourists (oops) I would always prefer Lucca

willit

Lucca is a wonderful place, but apart from the walls maybe lacks the "wow factor" associated with Pisa, Florenece and Siena.

It is a great place to stay for a few days soaking up the atmosphere, but I can understand why daytrippers don't understand the fuss.