Milan or Pisa, is it worth it?
 

I'm going to be in Florence this March for a week. There will be six of us traveling. We will be taking day trips by bus or train. I was just wondering if it's worth the time to go to Milan or Pisa. Is there much to see at either locations? Any other places around Florence that are worth checking out?

Unlike many other posters, I think Milan is worth a visit. However, since you'll be in Florence, I'd recommend day trips to a slew of closer destinations like Siena, other towns in Tuscany, Assisi, etc.

To be honest, we would have been happier spending more time in Siena hills, than Pisa. The tower was dissappointing, but there is more to Pisa than the tower. Research it well, and don't go there just for the tower. IMHO.

Milan is far away,forget it.There are some nice towns:Siena ,Lucca, Arezzo.All of them 1 hour by train from Florence,Train is cheap in Italy.San Gimignano is nice ,but to go there by train ic a bit difficult,it is better to rent a car.The scenry in Tuscany is really beautiful,it is fantastis to stroll in the small towns.Enjoy!

I agree with the above. With only a week in Florence you won't see all of Florence, let alone anywhere else! We spent 7 days there without going on any day trips, though admittedly we were heading on to Lucca, Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano later on. However, as your trip is only 1 week in total it is a good idea to do at least one day trip. May I suggest a combined Pisa/Lucca, as they are not too far apart.

- <BR>I am also one of those few who liked Milan, but during a week's visit I don't know that I'd suggest you going there from Florence. There's better places & closer places to see in consideration of your circumstances. <BR> <BR>You DEFINITELY should take a day trip to Lucca. It's an easy train ride from Florence and is a delightful & very manageableably sized city to visit. <BR> <BR>I didn't get to Pisa until my 3rd visit to Italy --- and yes, it was a half day stop to see the Tower, the Baptistery next door, buy a few souvenirs. <BR> <BR>Florence has so much to offer --- but if you really want to make a Pisa pitstop, it's not that far from Florence so . . . <BR> <BR>And speaking of Florence, you do know that if you're planning on visiting the Ufizzi Gallery or several of the other popular sites that you can purchase tickets ahead of time and avoid having to stand in long lines. You are going in March which should be less crowded --- still it can be easier with a group to have some of those things pre-planned. <BR> <BR>

Here -- meant to include these URL's in my prior post. <BR> <BR>To purchase tickets for Uffizi and other museums in advance: <BR>http://www.weekendafirenze.com/ <BR>Click on the ‘Florence Booking Service’. <BR> <BR>OR another website with info about the city is ‘Florence by Net’ located at: <BR>http://www.florence.ala.it/ <BR> <BR>

I would certainly go to Pisa - I enjoyed it very much. Too bad that you can no longer climb the tower however - that was really fun

Thank you everyone for your input. This is my second time in Florence. Last time I did the site seeing and museums. This time I thought I'd check out the surrounding areas. <BR>Thank you Maxx for the info.