Yes, Pisa is worth it.
Also buy from the vendors the "licorice flavored" chips. Only place to get them in Italy.

I certainly would score Pisa below Siena and Florence but the front of the Duomo in Lucca has to be seen

We were just at Pisa and Lucca last week, combining the two as a day trip from Florence. Yes, it's worth it, but check the train schedules, or you could end up waiting quite awhile for a train to continue onto Lucca.

We took the train from Florence to Pisa Central station, then transfered to the local train from here to Station Pisa San Rossore. From here it's just a 5 minute walk to the Field of Miracles.

Take the underpass of the tracks and get out through Piazza Fancelli. Walk straight on to Via Andrea Pisano. Turn left and go on straight ahead on until you reach Piazza dei Miracoli and the Leaning Tower.

We loved Lucca and had lunch in a beautiful square, walked around the town, where they were having an art and craft show (Saturday, March 29) then rode the city walls on bicycles. They have several shops renting bikes on the northern side of the town. Train station is on the southern side. Trains back to Florence from Lucca ran about every hour with tickets costing around 5€.

Several young Italian kids were playing football in a park area just off the walls, and our grandson was invited to play with them! It was such a wonderful afternoon for him!

Have a wonderful trip!

Good tip about using the station Pisa San Rossore. It is literally 5 min away.

If you have a car, you can park it just opposite the station for 1 Euro per hour...there were plenty of spaces in the pm 3 days ago..

And I second flanners comments that the most amazing things about the tower are its columns, ornate beauty, and placement. The fact that it leans is really rather insignificant, (although that is what has brought it "mass-tourism" fame).

And all of us LOVED Lucca. It is a living town with "some" tourists, as opposed to other historic places which are now overrun. I am looking into going back for a language and history course for a few weeks later this year. It is largely pedestrian, and you get around on "bicis" (bikes) and looks like a truely liveable and comfortable ancient city with charm and sophistication.

Rouss

There are so many lovely towns near there that I would skip Pisa unless you want to see the Leaning Tower. If you are into pottery, go to Deruta which is the pottery capital of Italy

FWIW, I (we) were faced with the same question a few years ago. I had seen it on a HS trip (back when the tower was straight, lol) and didn't really want to go back. DW had never seen it, so was lobbying heavily. She won.

I'm glad she did. I can honestly say that I truly enjoyed it.

I'm going to have to start a thread about Lucca. It works as another stop near Pisa. I didn't find Lucca special.

The "wall" is more modern than I expected, it looks like a contemporary of Ft. McHenry rather than a medieval wall. Perhaps it was way ahead of it's time but I expect it's from Napolean's time. I really like the park they have made out of the wall, but not enough to consider it one of the better "hill" towns.

Inside the town is average. Although not as touristy as San Gimignano, it's also not pretty or interesting IMO.

So what gives? Why so many fans?

Well walls certainly not medieval and were introduced almost as walls became obsolete.

A number of the major buildings are decorated in the same manner as the Tower of Pisa. The city has a number of towers as per StG one of which has a large tree at the top. Looks spectacular from the walls. Then the evening stroll is more fun that in Pisa

Mari5, it has been many years since I went to Carrara, but for what it is worth, my memory is that the marble quarries are not in the town itself. You can drive up into the mountains and see the spectacular white-covered peaks that are marble rather than snow. The quarries are interesting and reachable on winding, scenic mountain roads.

I found it to be 'worth' it.

We got there very early, driving in from Florence. In fact, for a period of time we were the only ones in the tower. That was certainly worth it.

The church is also beautiful and just as impressive as the tower.

The Field of Miracles that the tower and church sit on is also very beautiful, especially if you get there before the tourist buses start rolling in.

So my recommendation is to do it while it is still open to the public and to try to get there very very early. From my perspective, spending two to three hours in Pisa is sufficient. We went to a few other churches but were extremely underwhelmed with them.

I'm checking in with a contrary opinion. In our 4 trips to Italy, the Pisa stop was the most disappointing. Lots of tacky tourist stands with aggressive salespeople. We took the requisite photograph which we now laugh at as the low point of that trip. Skip the trip, buy a postcard and use the extra time going to St. G, Siena, or on the coast.

So, FLJudi, it sounds like you didn't explore any of the buildings in the Field of Miracles. That's a shame. You missed the best parts.

I found the tacky souvenir shops very easy to overlook since I had my back to them as I stared at the buildings.

Well, it all depend on what you're into...just like the pictures, many, many tourists mulling around. Interesting for about 1 1/2 hours if it's on your way like from Cinque Terra to hill country in Tuscany, but I wouldn't alter my plans to go there. Also, and I'm sure some others will argue, Florence is also WAY OVER RATED!!! Boring art, incredibly hot in the summer and absolutely overwhelmed by tourists. Stay in the country, drink lots of wine, see some walled cities like San Giovani. Much more enjoyable!

How far is the Campo dei Miracoli from the airport (where we're dropping off a car)? Is there a bus or train to get there? I need to get back to the train station in 1 1/2 hours--can I make it?

hi niteowl,

to make it from the airport to the campo and back in 1 1/2 hours, you'd need to get a cab, and be OK about NOT going up the leaning tower.

you could easily see the basilica and the baptistry in an hour, and it's about 15 minutes drive each way.

so it's doable - but only just.

regards, ann

I don't understand the preoccupation with souvenir stands. So what? Every major attraction has these and, as has been pointed out above, the reason these are there is that there is something that draws tourists! Do the vendors pursue unsuspecting visitors, pressing upon them aprons imprinted with the tower? How are the sellers aggressive?

Lucca - "The "wall" is more modern than I expected, it looks like a contemporary of Ft. McHenry rather than a medieval wall. Perhaps it was way ahead of it's time but I expect it's from Napolean's time. I really like the park they have made out of the wall, but not enough to consider it one of the better "hill" towns."

The walls are some of the first of this design which became much more common later on. I believe they are at least 200 years earlier than Napoleonic. It is probably not a good example of a hill town as itt is on a plain.

It lacks the showpieces and splendour of Florence and Pisa, but tremains one of my favourite places in Italy.

My personal experience is that I visited Pisa because I was traveling with friends who wanted to see the leaning tower...I could easily have gone without a stopover in Pisa - I can't say it was disappointing because I didn't expect to be impressed with it in the first place. But that's just my opinion.