Pisa instead of Florence?
 

EEEK! We planned to end our Italy trip in Florence before flying back to London, but have found the airfares from Pisa to London are much cheaper. Does anyone know how long the train ride is from Florence to Lucca, and Lucca to Pisa?

Cannot be too long as it is an easy drive. <BR> <BR>If the fare is that much cheaper, I would do it if it is also a direct flight to London. If you don't save that much I would enjoy the extra time in Florence and forget the hassle of switching trains. Have you considered a one way car rental? Check that out also and you can go straight to Pisa. It is good road all the way.

Florence to Pisa is about an hour by train. Lucca to Pisa is less than half an hour.

I agree rent a car drive to Pisa, no drop-off charge with Autoeurope.com. <BR>Easy drive.

Pisa is a important to our history, both the tower and the basicala next to it. The tower is where Galaleo test and formulated the law of falling bodies and the basicala where he formulated the law of the pendulam. The are also digs now where they have found a number of roman ships going back two thousand years. I don't know if much of that is oopen to the public though. <BR>

I certainly wouldn't rent a car just for the trip from Florence to Pisa. The train will be cheaper and simpler. You won't have to figure out how to get out of Florence or how to locate the Pisa airport. Both of those tasks can be a pain if you're unlucky.

Check www.fs-on-line.com for the railway schedule and it will give you exact times. M.

Did you check on airfares from Florence to London on Meridiana? I did it last summer and foind it to be a terrific little airline and not at all expensive.

One may also take a train from Florence directly to the airport in Pisa without having to change trains. Travel time varies from 1 to 2 hrs depending on departure time from Florence's Sta. Maria Novella station. <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR>

When I was planning our [alas, postponed:(]trip to Florence and Rome the advice I was given on this forum was to avoid the Florence airport and to use Pisa whenever possible instead. The "take" was the the Florence airport is a small regional one and is also subject to fog delays and that Pisa was a bigger airport with fewer delays. [Always a relative matter in Italy I gather..] <BR>Hope this helps.

I was in Florence last week. (actually yesterday). I took the train to Pisa and it was around an hour or 1 1/2 hours depending on what train you took. THe cost was about $5 (8000 lira). Another factor you must plan is what time are you leaving. If it is early in the morning, the first train is around 7:00 I think (not sure). I know that Merridiana Airlines flys from Florence to London direct. There is a stop at the Pisa airport, it is the stop after the Pisa Central---Just make sure the train you take stops at that stop. I do not understand the Lucca reference for the train is direct to Pisa Airport.