Pisa - is it worth it?
 

My husband and I (we are 55+) are leaving for Italy in 3 weeks. We planned to go from Florence to Santa Margherita Ligure on the train, stopping at Pisa for a look at the tower. This will entail checking baggage, then walking to the tower and back. I hope we can do it all in time to catch the IC-plus train to SML at 1:45. If not, we will have to take a regional train and arrive at SML after 5 PM.
Here's my question : Is this worth it? Is the Field of Miracles really a "must see" or an overrated tourist attraction? Would we do better to just get to SML and have a nice glass of wine and think about the next day's Cinque Terre hike?

All replies are in this thread:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35120981

I went on a whim and I thought it was breathtaking. I just ignored the kitsch and carts around it and looked at the trio of buildings for what they are themselves (stunning, IMHO) and I really enjoyed it. I did it as a half day from Florence and would do it again if I had the chance.

I did something like that in 2003. I say it's definitely worth 2-3 hours of time. The artwork in the baptistry and cathedral is much more impressive than the tower, imo. It would be worth the stopover even without the biggest tourist cliche ever in the same area.

The only drawback might be what to do with your luggage. At that time I was not able to find a luggage check at the train station, so I had to take my backpack with me as I visited to Piazza of Miracles or whatever it's called. If you're packing light it probably won't be an issue, but if you have a lot of luggage and can't find a place to check it, then skip it.

I say it's definitely worth 2-3 hours of time. The artwork in the baptistry and cathedral is much more impressive than the tower, imo.

italprof- stop advertising on this site!

badsneakers- I stopped in Pisa for a few hours on my way from Florence to CT and it is doable. You can check your baggage at the station and take the bus across the street to Field of Miracles and back (it would be a long walk).

If time is not important then go dirently to the riviera (S:Margherita) and take a nice day trip to Pisa, you won't have to worry about leaving luggage and hurrying to meet trains.
The travel time from Santa Margherita is about 1hr 30 min and there are trains almost every hour.
Have a great trip!!!

It is interesting how often this "Is Pisa worth it?" topic comes up here.

just to say that I was skeptical about it and didn't see how it could possibly be that much better than the millions of pictures i had seen of it...until I GOT there...the thing can be transfixing and the several other buildings are worth a look as well.

Do yourselves a favor..do not WALK from the station..get a taxi or at least a bus...I mean if you only plan on doing it once....

I echo all of amyb's comments. I was blown away by the sheer beauty of the buildings. Ignore all the tacky vendors around it. It's breathtaking.

We happened to nix it from our original plans after reading posts here, but had to unexpectedly exchange our rental in Pisa, so said "what the heck". It was totally worth a stop over, but I wouldn't stay in town or go a LONG distance out of the way for it.

Buon Viaggio!

Stay in Lucca and visit Pisa.

It has been nearly 14 years since I went to Pisa. I WISH I had spent more time there instead of just stopping while on the way to Florence. I don't care about the other tourists. What I saw and felt there was just amazing and worth any difficulty.

Pisa is more than a tower. There is a reason it has been an important tourist destination for centuries. Check it out. You can have a glass of wine when you get home.

Don't be put off by those who say it's a waste of time--they may be the same folks who don't like Venice.

Echo the sentiments. Was told over and over again that it was a tourist trap. The kids wanted to see it, we went, and we were thrilled.

And I hope you buy the tourist souvenir that I wish I had bought--the leaning coffee cup.

My husband and I are in our 60s and enjoyed the walk (from the train station) to and from Pizza de Miracoli with 2 grandsons last year. We did it as a day trip from Vernazza, so didn't have to worry about bags. It was our 3rd trip to Pisa - we have to keep sharing it with grandchildren! It is well worth the time - I agree with the others - you can just ignore the merchant strip and focus on the beautiful buildings. Be sure to see the inside of the Baptistry and hope for a demonstration of the fantastic acoustics. Also the Cemetario is well worth a visit.

In my opinion, it's not worth it. You can visit and take some pictures and move on with another place.

I would go to Pisa and skip Santa Margherita!!

Josephina, I love my leaning coffee cup!

It is definitely worth the visit. We did have to make the walk back to the train station from the tower and it was a little bit of a walk; but if you have the time to do it, walk back and enjoy the sites of the local culture as well as the touristy area. There were also plenty of cabs and buses going back and forth.
If you want to go into the tower, the tours book really fast and you may have to wait until a later time in the day if you aren't early getting there.
Enjoy!

We had no problem with the walk between the train station and the tower. It is filled with tourists, but it is worthwhile to visit Pisa.

I just returned from Pisa today and was amazed by how few tourists there were aside from the Piazza dei Miracoli. Yesterday was Luminaria night with all the facades of the palazzi lit up by thousands and thousands of candles. Then there were fireworks and music in the streets. I wondered where all the crowds of foreign tourists had gone...maybe to the 5 Terre? : )

Last August we stayed overnight in Pisa. The Tower was a 30-second walk from the hotel. I had been to Italy twice before and never went to Pisa. I know that a lot of people consider Pisa a tourist trap, but I personally liked it. The crowds disappeared around dinner time, and we were practically the only ones hanging around the Field of Miracles after returning from dinner. Since we arrived in Pisa late Friday afternoon, there was no way to visit the old Jewish cemetery, which was closed for the Sabbath. For us, that would have been an interesting visit.

I'd echo the last message. Stay overnight in Pisa, have a lovely dinner and then walk around to the Camposanto (or Holy Field). We did this last summer and we turned the corner to see the Tower, Baptistry and Cemetario, lit by soft light AND we had the place to ourselves- it was truly magical. Compare the next day with the stalls of tourist tat and the unavoidable school parties!!

Carrom, we were also lucky to happen onto Pisa on the feast of San Ranrieri, Pisa's Patron Saint. It is quite the spectacle!

I've said it before and I'll say it again; get away from the Campo di Miracoli and you'll find Pisa an interesting and non touristy town.

Yes it is worth the time to visit. We liked it a lot and would have spent more time there if we could have.

Yes, it is worth it.

Two things people will ask you from a trip to Italy.

1. Did you take a gondola ride?
2. Did you see the leaning tower?

The tower was closed for years due to repair. We were able to climb it on our first trip in 1971 but could not in subsequent trips in 1998 and 1999. Do go up in the tower. The "lean" of the leaning tower is very noticable! Do not just look and take pictures....go into the tower.

I always wonder if people who say it is not worth it have already seen it. I mean it is one of the most famous sights in the world why wouldn't you want to see it when you have a chance. When do you think your next chance will be?

IMHO it is worth paying the exhorbitant price to go up the tower just for the experience and the view- you can book online beforehand. You definitely want to take your own silly photos holding the tower up. You don't have to buy the souvenirs if you don't want them. The baptistery and cathedral are beautiful.

We went in half a day from Florence. We walked from the station - it took about 20 minutes I think and was flat and easy - we are in our 40s and had our teenage kids with us. Pisa itself is quite a nice town from what we saw.

Does it really matter if you get the 5pm train to SML?

Right! How much more time will you have in SML if you take the fast train?


How long is the train trip between the two places?

(Just curious because I will be in SML, too, and might want to make the trip!)

I wish I hadn't gone to all the time and trouble.

For me, standing in front of the Tower was one of those "I can't believe I'm here" moments in Europe. And the frescos in the Duomo are unbelievably beautiful. I didn't have to go through a lot of trouble to reach Pisa as it was a stop on my tour, but for me it was definitely worth it.