I will be in Florence in May and I want to visit Pisa. Is it best to take the train or bus on my own or is a guided tour/excursion a better way to go. If I should do a tour does anyone have any recommendations on a specific tour company?

The bus and trains are in the same locations so it wont really matter which one. Very easy and no need to take a tour unless you would like to visit other places on the way.

Hi Lori03,

My family took the train this past Dec. from Florence to Pisa and it literally was a piece of cake. From the train station in Pisa you can take the bus or walk to the Tower.

I just followed the instructions someone had posted on this site on how to take the bus from the Pisa train station to the Tower.

My only warning is to be careful of the restaurants near the Tower as they can be very expensive.

==Mike

Hi Lori: I posted daytrip directions, use pisa and walter in the Search Box.
In '98 on the 'spur of the moment' I took a Pisa tour from Florence.
Actually and I'm not a bus tour person it was OK. Esp if your time in Florence is limited and you want a relaxing (half-day) daytrip.
The tour I took left ~2pm which gave me the morning in Florence plus time for lunch.
Drove straight to Pisa, tourguide told the history of the Piazza and Tower plus a guided tour of the Duomo.
The guide then took the group to visit Galileo's neighborhood nearby...meaning we're going to a souvenir shop where I receive a commission . I used this time to walk around the Piazza.
We got back to Florence ~7:30. Regards, Walter

Meant to add: The hotel desk will probably be happy to book a tour for you, they receive a small commission fee.
Regards, Walter

Hi Lori,

If you take the train to Pisa and spend 1/2 day there, you can return to Florence by way of Lucca, and see a really nice, old, walled town.

Lori, you say you want to visit Pisa... But you only want to visit the tower/duomo/battisterio, I reckon, because there is not a lot to see besides this in Pisa.
So either, you can take a half day tour as someone describes, or you can make your day more profitable/interesting by doing the trip by train and by stopping in Lucca.
I would go to Lucca, walk in and around the old town, have lunch there and then take the train to Pisa in the afternoon, after which you could take the train back to Florence.