Pisa/ Tuscany/ Zermatt
 

Hi, Iam hoping someone can help me! We are planning our honeymoon in august. We are flying into pisa and staying in florence for 3 nights then collecting a car and driving into tuscany for a week. None of this is booked or finalised so any other suggestions welcome. We would then want to return the car to pisa and travel probably by train from there up into zermatt. My fiance is really keen on this idea but quite a few family members are telling us it is too much for a 2 week holiday. I am trying to research how to get from pisa to zermatt by train then which airport to fly back from to get us back to uk. It is our first trip abroad together and would really appreciate help and advice! Thanks

Do not stay in Florence. It is very busy, noisy, and dirty. Maybe a day to see the sights and they leave. Piza is fun for a couple of hours, but then go to Verragio which is about 20 miles away right on the beach. Zermatt is amazing and you can only get there by train because cars are not allowed. Make sure you take the chair lift to the top of the Matterhorn.

I don't think this is too much for 2 weeks. You should see what some people try to cram into 2 weeks.

The train from Pisa to Zermatt will take the whole day (around 8 hours) and include 3 or 4 changes. You can see the schedules on bahn.de

If you go to Zermatt I would fly home from there. No point in coming back to Italy for a flight home. Check the airports surrounding Zermatt for the best deals.

In Tuscany try to get an apartment and stay in one place for the week; take day trips to surrounding towns. This would be more relaxing than driving around and changing lodging every night or two. There's enough in any one area of Tuscany to keep you busy.

Florence is a beautiful city and is not dirty. It may be noisy just as any city is noisy (mostly from scooter traffic on the main roads) but most of the city is quiet. The cities will be more quiet in August as people vacate for their vacations in the mountains or at the sea shore.

Pisa is a small town without the train connections that Florence has. I would pick up the car on arrival, tour Tuscany, drop car at the Florence airport (do not drive in Florence!), visit Florence and then take the train north from Florence (about 6 1/2 hours with changes in Milan and Brigg).

For return flights from Switzerland, Geneva or Milan would be the closest major airports to Zermatt.

We took a train from Florence to Zermatt and I don't remember it taking 8 hours but there were several changes with one being in Visp. The scenery was incredibly gorgeous along the train route. Definitely try to fly home from Switzerland. There is plenty to see in Florence so don't skip it.

I agree with ky--get the car in Pisa and see Tuscany first.

thanks so much for your replies, they are realy helpful!! i am slightly dubious about the travelling from pisa to zermatt. im worried that it may take too long and changes on trains might be stressful for our first trip abroad together. is it simple enough to travel by train with such a distance? i was hoping there would be a travel agent or someone who could help me organise and plan the whole trip???

sorry for all the questions haha, you can probably tell im clueless. do we book trains before we go? which airport is closest that would get us back to uk in aug? thanks again for all your help