Lucca or San Gimignano
 

Hello Fodors Universe,

We are in a bit of a conundrum; to visit either Lucca or SG from Pisa. I have little knowledge of both, but my more well-informed partner has suggested spending a day at SG and Livorno, while I am somewhat more inclined towards Lucca. The trouble is that I think we can only spend one day between these two (or maybe three, considering Livorno) areas, since we have agreed that 2 days should be spent on Pisa itself and Florence. I thus come seeking expert advice on this matter. If it makes a difference, we'll be visiting these areas in about a week.

I would also like to enquire whether you think our plan to travel around Tuscany by train is the best option (we both have railpasses), or whether taking buses may be more advantageous. Neither of us has taken up driving, unfortunately, so that rules that out.

With Thanks in Advance,
Rosencrantz

buses are the better bet around Tuscany simply because trains do not go to all the proverbial Tuscan hill towns and if they do like Siena they drop you at the bottom of the hill but buses go to near the top. Lucca however has excellent rail service from Pisa - you can take a trian to San Gimi as well but the train station is about six miles away with buses from the station to the hilltown.

Lucca was to me one of the finest medieval-looking walled towns I've seen in Europe.

San Gimi was nice too but not my favroite hill town - I'd take Siena over it though Siena is much larger or the likes of Montepulciano or Volterra.

For lots on trains in Italy check out these fab IMO sites - www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com.

a railpass for Italy can be a good deal if traveling enough and especially if going first class, which years of relentless railing around Italy makes me adamantly recommend first class for the average tourist on the trip of a lifetime - it is a much more relaxed travel especially for folks hauling around luggage - keep in mind with passes you will pay between 3 and 10 euros per train extra above the pass for the mandated seat reservations - on regional trains like those from Pisa to Lucca and Pisa to San Gimignano (change in Empoli) you can just hop on but these are dirt cheap so you may not want to use a day on a pass on those.

Why would you stay in Pisa for 2 days, after the tower area and a couple of churchs what will you do?

I'd chose Lucca

I agree--stay in Lucca.
San Gim. is much harder to access without a car.

I think you could do both. By the second full day in Pisa, you could get to San Gim for a half day and then train to Lucca the next day.

Although I loved Pisa and stayed there for several days, hub and I used it as great base because it wasn't so touristy. Beyond the Field of Miracles, there were some great places to stroll and eat. Some ships have been unearthed since we were there.

Never made it to Livorno so can't help you there. Expect you've looked online and in good travel books to help decide.

www.lucca.info is awesome better food activity closer

hike bike city walls the high point.. easy close

by regional train a couple of euros booking.com

for good central hotels...

While I liked SG, I found it far more touristy than most places in Tuscany. Lucca and Siena both have some tourist shops and tourist restaurants, but SG seems almost completely made up of them. I mention Siena because if you are travelling by train, Siena would probably take the same travel time as SG, and is my favourite city in Italy (and possibly the world). In terms of sights, Siena is stunning and worth a full day at very least.

My second favourite city in Italy is Lucca, but I love it for it's atmosphere and "livability". In my opinion it lacks the wow factor of Florence, Siena or even Pisa, but it is a lovely town with much going for it. Bilboburgler and I disagree on Pisa - I think it is very under rated, but given the choice, I would stay in Lucca.

Hotel Ilaria & Residenza dell'Alba

wonderful central from 60 euro double

Lucca-Pisa-SanGim-Livorno: like comparing apples to oranges to pineapple to watermelon. It depends on what you like and what you're looking for.

Lucca is a lovely town with interesting churches and towers (one with an olive grove at the top), a piazza built on the site of an old Roman amphiteatre, encircled by massive walls you can stroll or bicycle on.

Pisa has the tower, of course, and Field of Miracles and makes a good base because transportation connections are excellent. You can easily get just about anywhere from Pisa either by rail or bus. And the airport is small and quickly accessible from the town. It's also a university town so you have the energy generated by 1000s of young people and also reasonably good and affordable places to eat.

San Gimi is better viewed from afar, I think, especially if you are visiting during the season when tourists turn the narrow streets and stairs in the towers into heaving masses of bodies, a season which extends through spring, summer and fall now. That said, it's an interesting town for the architecture and the views, and it is possible to find quiet corners here and there, but it's main attractions appear to be ceramics, wild boar and gelato shops in recent years.

Livorno is a place to catch ferries to Corsica and other points west, and other than that it appears to be an economically depressed town with a lightly industrial feel to it. There is a somewhat interesting part of town not far from the port that has some neoclassical buildings and is crisscrossed by a network of canals with small bridges. They call it the Venice district, though it's not particularly attractive except in the evenings when reflected lights paint patterns on the waters of the canals and darkness hides the general untidiness.

I was there once on a feast day of a local patron saint and there was a festive air to the town, with processions through the streets and boating competitions at the port, which was fun. But unless you have a particular reason to go there, I wouldn't generally recommend it.

If you want a sunny afternoon at the seaside, walking on a beach and eating gelato, I would suggest Tirrenia which is only a 20-minute bus ride from Pisa. It's a tourist town, but the tourists are almost all Italians from nearby towns having a day out with their families, or students from Pisa, the beach is ok, sunsets can be extravagantly colorful and it's surrounded on the back side by pine forest.

Ditto everything julia1 said, except I had a more lukewarm response to Lucca. We gave it a second chance on another trip, but still no spark for me.

I think San Gim and Siena are both too far for a day trip using public trans (probably at least 2 hours each way).

I would personally want more than one day in Florence, but if that's enough time to satisfy you then consider combining Lucca and the spa town of Montecatini Terme (30 minutes apart by train). These towns are complete opposites in architectural style, history and atmosphere. There is a funicular connecting the main town of Montecatini Terme with the medieval Montecatini Alto.

http://www.funicolare1898.it/english...tini_alto.html

I would not waste days off your train passes for most of these routes as they only cost 6-7€. Florence/Pisa is about 6€ and Florence/Siena 7€.

I don't care for Lucca, but you will find more transport options from there than in San G.

It's hard to tell how many days you have from your post. If you only have three days total, I would stay in Florence and do a day trip to one other town if you have time.

Okay I think we're pretty much set on Lucca. San Gim seems like it may be shut since it's a pretty small place, and Lucca looks like it has more substantial attractions

"Shut?"

Yes. Well, will it not?

St Gim is not that small

And San Gimignano is never "shut"!

Another vote for spending more time in Florence.

Two days split between Florence and Pisa? Inconceivable to me.

Personally, I'd use Florence as a base and make daytrips to Pisa and Lucca.

Except I'd probably recant when I arrived in Florence and wd end up dropping Pisa or Lucca to spend more time in the incomparable Florence.

San Gimignano is a pretty, atmospheric place in which to spend 2 hrs max, IMO.