DIY Pisa advice please

[Jo and Rob]

We will be in Livorno on Friday 5th August with Celebrity. As we have Rome the next day and we are travelling with our children (6 and 8) we think that it might be too much to try and do Florence as well so we think Pisa might be a better option.

 

 

1. How much would a taxi be to Pisa from the port?
   
2. Is there a local bus that anyone has tried?
   
3. Celebrity doesn't offer the trolley train that P&O offers in Pisa, can we do this on our own?
   
4. How much does it cost to climb the tower?
   
5. How long should we spend in Pisa?
   

many thanks

[realtrip]

I too was hoping to do this. I hope replies come in!:)

[hubofhockey]

I don't think kids would enjoy a day in Pisa. Not much for kids after climbing the tower and they won't allow your younger one to climb it because of the age restrictions. Florence is a better option. Just my opinion. Others here may know of some good things for kids to do in Pisa.

[Jo and Rob]

I don't think kids would enjoy a day in Pisa. Not much for kids after climbing the tower and they won't allow your younger one to climb it because of the age restrictions. Florence is a better option. Just my opinion. Others here may know of some good things for kids to do in Pisa.

 

I thought they might find the leaning tower fascinating. I was looking at the website and saw the age restrictions but thank you for also pointing it out. What is there for "kids" to do in Florence? How do you think it will appeal to our children?

[Hlitner]

I recall a comment we once heard which was "children are people too." Your 8 year old should be old enough to contribute some ideas if you turn it into a fun activity. At that age they can do some of their own research and you can solicit ideas. As to a 6 year old, good luck. Some kids are fine and others will get bored in 5 min.... I am an adult and Pisa bores me in about 15 minutes :)

Hank

[ariawoman]

You can do Pisa really quickly. For a first timer, I'd say the MAX you'd need in pisa is like, an hour, and that's if you were to go in the tower and such. There's not all that much to do there, and I know I personally didn't want to pay money to go into the baptistry/tower as I felt the price was a bit more than it should be just to see the inside of the buildings.

 

You go there, do the requisite photos holding up the leaning tower, wander about, then be on your way. Beware of the people that attempt to prey on the cruise ship folk whatever you do. They are usually a group of women and I believe they might even try to distract people by tossing their baby at the person (this is what the tour guides mentioned I didn't witness it though we did see a group of them on the way back to the bus). Just be very mindful of pickpockets there and these sorts of groups. This isn't to scare anyone, just to make sure everyone is aware when visiting. I'd say the same for other cities like Rome, Naples, Barcelona....new york city lol.

[hubofhockey]

I thought they might find the leaning tower fascinating. I was looking at the website and saw the age restrictions but thank you for also pointing it out. What is there for "kids" to do in Florence? How do you think it will appeal to our children?

 

We are faced with the same choice this coming summer. Our kids will be 13 and 11. My wife and I did a driver guide tour that included both Pisa and Florence. While I am glad we climbed the Leaning Tower, if that was all my day was going to be at that port, I would have been very disappointed. The Field of Miracles is nice to look at and walk around. But, to us, this was an hour.

 

As to Florence, as Hank suggested, we talked to our kids. They love Greek and Roman gods and mythology and sculpture. After a few clicks of the mouse, we decided on a visit to the Bargello Museum. We will also see a replica of the David (outdoor version), grab a nice lunch, see the Duomo and the Bell Tower from the outside, walk along the Ponte Vecchio, grab some gelatos, and maybe even cringe as my wife and daughter hit the leather market. :eek: When you take the train like we are doing, our itinerary maybe a little overoptimistic. Florence has so much more of a vibe than Pisa and that's because it's a real city. I think passing it up for Pisa would be a huge mistake.

[Dorset Cruiser]

Train to Pisa (and Florence) is easy. Get early taxi to the station - don't go on the shuttle bus as it takes you right into Livorno and you have to come out again to get to the station. Pisa is not very far (about 20 minutes from memory but someone can correct me on that probably). The walk from the station is quite a way but nothing too major if you are all fit and healthy:)

 

I would say go into Florence first and then, if you have time, visit the Leaning Tower on your way back to Livorno .

 

Another very nice place to visit is Lucca, also by train and again from memory you change at Pisa. Lucca is absolutely lovely and much more child friendly I would think.

[DavidA23]

I will second the Lucca idea. It is a wonderful little town and you can easily rent bikes for a few hours and ride the ramparts that surround the city. Pisa is on the way and will not be worth more than an hour, as others have said. There are lots of posts telling you how to get to the train station in Livorno, which bus to take in Pisa, etc. The train station in Lucca is a very short walk from the city. Train travel is very simple in Italy, but do beware of strikes. There are websites that can tell you when strikes are planned. Be sure and check before you leave. There are also unannounced strikes, so leave a little extra time in your schedule.

 

I would also recommend looking up to see how many ships will be in port the day you will be there. I think CruiseTT has that information. If there are several ships in port that day, Florence can become very crowded (even moreso than usual). That might influence your decision on where to go.

 

Have fun! You will love it no matter what you decide to do.

[slidergirl]

You could also rent a car to drive to Lucca, avoiding any issues with unannounced strikes. It's a very easy drive from Pisa to Lucca. I stayed at an agriturismo about halfway between the two towns. Walking or riding bikes on the fortress walls is fun - the kids could wear themselves out running up on them!