geeper

We are disembarkign a cruise in Civitavecchia in mid June and have a flight the next day from Pisa to Paris. Looking for things to do and an interesting place to stay the night that is convenient to the airport . Kids want to see the tower so we are taking the train from CIvi to Pisa then ??? Pisa itself? Lucca? somewhere else?

dfourh

The tower doesn't take that long to see, but the kids will love it! If it were me I would go straight to Pisa and get a hotel in Pisa near the train station. (look at www.venere.com or www.bookings.nl )

Check in (or just drop the luggage if you are too early to get a room). Then decide if you want to see the tower right away (it is a quick bus ride from the train station, or a long and quite boring walk from the train station - - there IS nothing else in Pisa) or whether you want to jump off and somewhere else first and come back to see the tower in later in the day (June being midsummer, when nights are long - - I can imagine what the shadow must be like!). Lucca is easy from Pisa. An alternatve, if the kids really want some beach, is Viareggio, just a few minutes away by train. Viareggio is not a foreign tourist town (no sights just beach), it is instead a classic Italian seaside resort. There is a bit of a hike from the train station to the beach, but MILES of nice beach once you get there. More extreme alternatives are Florence (not THAT far away by train) and the Cinque Terre (2 hours or so each way by train).

klondiketoo

I agree with dfourh to make a beeline for Pisa and settle in for the day & night. I think Pisa is a great place and find a lot to see and do there, personally. The men selling "Rolex" watches and other trinkets around the Campo and the main thoroughfares are the only negative in Pisa.

I can personally recommend the Hotel Bologna if it is in your budget.

http://www.hotelbologna.pisa.it/default_de.php

They have a wonderful flowered patio area where you can relax and have drinks before heading out to see the sites. The hotel has excellent service, a fantastic breakfast buffet and a shuttle service to the aiport; be sure to let them know that you will need the shuttle service so you have reserved seats at the time you want. I think they have the best beds I've ever slept in away from home. It is in a quiet, safe neighborhood but easy to reach the Campo dei Miracoli from there on foot.

Maybe your family would enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride to get the layout of Pisa's old town first and get an overview of what there is to see and do. We did this our most recent trip (they have 3 different routes with 3 different prices; we took the "middle-the-road" price) and enjoyed it very much and thought it was well worth the 50 euros for the 3 of us. They are located right in front of the tower, on the street near the cherub statues and the Museum del Opera, which we found extremely interesting as it contains many originals of paintings and outside statues, but I don't know how old your kids are so don't know if that would hold their interest. It has a great, uncrowded view of the leaning tower from either its cloister garden or the secondfloor patio.

There are botanical gardens nearby and plenty of pizzerias and gelaterias for kid-friendly pick-me-ups. There are the ancient walls, Roman bath ruins and fun, narrow back streets to discover...you won't have any trouble spending one day here!

annhig

you will need to book your slot for climbing the leaning tower at www.opapisa.it.

you need to get there at least 10 mins before to pick up your tickets and put any bags in the lockers provided [in the ticket office]. the campo dei miracoli [where the tower and baptistry are] is wonderful, and IMHO transcends the hawkers and itinerant sellers of knock-off watches that congregate there, and Pisa itself is a lovely town, especially when all of the coaches have gone.

i've not stayed at the Bologna [we stayed at the Hotel Royal Victoria, but it's not a patch on what it was like 25 years ago - then again, neither are we] but klondike has sold it to me!

have a great time!

Mimar

Yes, stay in Pisa within reach of the airport. Don't rely on Italian trains to get you any distance to the airport on the day of your flight. Stuff happens: strikes, breakdowns, etc. From Pisa you could always take a taxi or a bus.

Vttraveler

The tower is only one of four things to see at the Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa. The others are the Duomo, the Baptistry and the Camposanto. You should plan on some time to see all of them. The whole complex is a UNESCO World Heritage site

geeper

Any other hotel recommendations? Even in other towns? Hotel Bologna looks great but is a bit pricey. Would like to stay <200E for the night if possible

annhig

hotel Royal victoria is by the river and is the epitome of faded elegance. we first stayed there over 25 years ago and then had the hugest room with a bathroom the size of our bedroom at home. when we made the mistake of going back a few years ago with our kids, the public rooms hadn't changed, but the bedroom we had was miniscule, and the bathroom didn't have room for a walking cat, let alone one you could swing. it is however reasonably cheap and you might be luckier than us with your room.