Pisa Airport Guide: How to Get to Pisa, the Leaning Tower, Florence and Lucca
4 hours ago
14 min read
Pisa Galileo Galilei is a small airport with a big job. It is the gateway to the Leaning Tower, to Florence, to Lucca and to the Cinque Terre, and it is also one of the easiest airports in Europe to leave, once you know the moves. I filmed the walk out of arrivals and every option on the way to town, then went back to the official timetables and fare pages so the numbers below are current rather than remembered.
Here is the short version. Take the PisaMover to Pisa Centrale for €6.50, then walk into the old town or catch a train. Take a taxi from the official rank if you have heavy bags or a group. Take the city bus only if you are happy to walk a little to the stop. And do not bother with Uber. Watch the film first, then read on for the detail, including a few things that have changed since I filmed.
Out of arrivals: food, euros and the new terminal
In the film I said the arrivals area can feel chaotic when you first step out, with bags, taxis and shuttle signs all squeezed into a compact terminal. It looks busier than it is. Straight ahead is the exit, and before you go there are two things worth knowing.
First, there is decent food in Arrivals. After the usual aeroplane sandwich you can get a proper Italian coffee, a proper Italian panino or something more substantial before dealing with transport. It is not gourmet, but it is a step up from what you had on the plane.
Second, there are currency exchange bureaux in the terminal and cash machines on both floors. If you need euros, do not take the first rate you see. I recommend checking the Money Maps app before you change cash, to compare exchange options near you and avoid the worst ones. It is free to use, and I recommend it wherever you are travelling.
A note on the buildings. When I filmed, I said a new arrivals terminal had recently been inaugurated, so follow the signs as the layout settles. To be precise, the new 7,100 square metre arrivals building was inaugurated on 12 October, but it needs commissioning and testing before passengers use it, and local reports point to around December for that. Until then expect the existing arrivals hall and temporary signage, and follow the signs on the day. The wider €80 million expansion is planned to finish in 2028.
Option 1: the PisaMover to Pisa Centrale
For most people this is the best option. The PisaMover is a driverless, elevated automated shuttle that runs from the airport to Pisa Centrale station. The operator says the ride takes about 5 minutes, with an intermediate stop at San Giusto/Aurelia, and you step off at the main railway station.
The PisaMover at the airport station. Photo: AndrPr via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
According to the PisaMover operator, a single costs €6.50 and a return €13, and luggage travels free. It runs daily from about 06:00 to midnight, and until 01:00 from 1 June to 30 September. Trains come roughly every 5 to 7 minutes in the middle of the day, and less often early and late. In the film I said it is not the cheapest at €6.50 but I take it whenever I have luggage or am continuing by train, and that is still my advice. The fare was €5 until it rose in 2024. Check the PisaMover site for the current timetable.
In the film I said the signs for PisaMover and the station are usually on the left as you come out of arrivals, and it is a short walk to the platform, where there are ticket machines taking cards and cash. From Pisa Centrale you can walk into the old town, jump on a train to Florence or Lucca, or carry on across Italy.
Option 2: the city bus (and a correction to my film)
In the film I said the local bus, including the LAM Rossa, stops outside arrivals. That is out of date, and I would rather correct it here than have you stand in the wrong place. The LAM Rossa stopped serving the airport in April 2017, when the PisaMover opened. The airport link was cut and the old route no longer reaches the terminal.
What you can do today is take a city bus from the roadside stop on Via dell'Aeroporto, which is a few hundred metres from the terminal across the car park. One local guide puts it at about 420 metres. The urban bus operator, Autolinee Toscane, lists the Pisa city lines on its site. Line 3+ is the one I would look at first, and a local guide puts it at about every ten minutes through the day. From 15 September to 28 February its Pisa terminus has moved to Park Paparelli, so check the line 3+ page before you rely on it. The Leaning Tower bus is now listed as line 1+, the successor to the old LAM Rossa, and it leaves from Stazione 1 at Pisa Centrale, not from the airport.
On price, an urban ticket has been €2.00 since 1 August (it was €1.70 before) and lasts 70 minutes. On board the driver charges €3.00 and wants exact change. You can buy in the at-bus app, with a contactless card at the validator, or at newsagents. In practice, if you do not mind the walk to the stop, it is the cheapest proper option. If you have a heavy case, use the PisaMover.
Option 3: taxi (and why I would skip Uber)
In the film I said the taxis are right outside arrivals and you cannot miss the rank. The official operator is CoTaPi, and the airport lists the taxi rank at arrivals, open 24 hours. Pisa has fixed fares for short trips, but they apply only if you take a taxi from the official rank. A radio-taxi booking is metered with supplements, so a number you read online will not apply.
The city's published fixed fares were about €10.60 to Pisa Centrale and €14.20 to Piazza del Duomo, which is where the Leaning Tower is. Some recent guides quote slightly higher figures, around €10.80 and €14.50, so treat these as a guide and confirm the fare with the driver before you set off. Radio Taxi Pisa is on 050 541600 if you need to book. A taxi is worth it if you have heavy bags, children or a late arrival, and for two or three people sharing it is very reasonable. Use the official rank and ignore anyone who approaches you inside the terminal.
As for Uber, when I looked at the app on the day it quoted about €43 for the Leaning Tower, against a taxi I expected to cost me around €15 to €20. Local guides say Uber and Bolt do not really operate in Pisa, so Uber makes zero sense here. If you want a driver waiting with your name on a board, you can book a private airport transfer in advance.
Option 4: walk
I just walked back from Pisa to the airport, hence the different outfit in the film. It is about 3 km, I reckon 35 to 40 minutes, and it is free. To be honest, the first 15 to 20 minutes are pretty boring. Once you get over the railway bridge and past Central Station it becomes very pretty. On a beautiful day it is a nice walk if you want the exercise. With heavy bags or lots of suitcases, I do not recommend it.
So which should you choose?
PisaMover (€6.50): best for most people, especially if you are carrying on to Florence or Lucca by train.
City bus (€2 in advance, €3 on board): the cheapest option, but you walk to Via dell'Aeroporto and need a little patience.
Taxi (about €10.60 to the station, €14.20 to the Tower): fastest and easiest with luggage, a group or a late arrival, from the official rank only.
Walk (free, 35 to 40 minutes): for travelling light on a nice day.
The Leaning Tower and Piazza dei Miracoli
The Leaning Tower is the reason most people land here, and it sits in Piazza dei Miracoli, the Square of Miracles, beside the Cathedral and the Baptistery. From the station it is an easy walk or a short bus ride, and the whole thing makes a good half-day between a morning flight in and an afternoon train out.
Piazza dei Miracoli. Photo: Paestum via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
Photo: Alex van Terheyden
You do not need a ticket to walk around the square and photograph the Tower, and the lawns are open in many areas. To go inside you do need one, and the official site, Opera della Primaziale Pisana, is the place to buy. A ticket for the Tower is €20 and includes the Cathedral, and there is no reduced rate. Tickets are for a timed slot. Arrive 15 minutes before it, because if you are late you are not admitted and there is no refund. Large bags must go in the free cloakroom, and dogs are not allowed.
There is an age rule many families miss: children must turn 8 by the end of the calendar year to be allowed up, so a seven-year-old whose eighth birthday falls later this year can go, but a younger child cannot. Children need an accompanying paying adult and may be asked for ID. The climb is steep and about 30 minutes in total, with roughly 250 to 300 steps (sources vary, so I will not pretend to a precise number), and it is not for anyone who struggles with stairs or heights.
Book as early as the site allows, because summer slots go. The official FAQ says tickets are on sale from 15 days before your visit, though other pages give different windows, so check the site for the date you want. There are also ticket offices at the entrances to the square for walk-up tickets. The Cathedral is free but needs a pass, and every paid ticket includes it. If you want more than the Tower, a complete visit of the monuments without the Tower is about €11 and with the Tower about €27 (a ticketing partner's figures, so confirm on the official site). In summer the monuments stay open until 22:30 and the Tower until 22:00, so an evening visit is possible. Check the official opening times for your date.
If you only have a few hours, the free walk round the square may be enough. If you do want to go in, browse Pisa tours and tickets on Viator or on GetYourGuide for skip-the-queue and guided options, and compare the price against the official €20.
From Pisa Centrale: Florence, Lucca and beyond
There is no direct train from Pisa Airport to Florence. The route is the PisaMover to Pisa Centrale (about 5 minutes, €6.50), then a Trenitalia regional train on to Firenze Santa Maria Novella (Firenze SMN). The direct Terravision bus is currently suspended, so do not plan around it; the direct buses further down are the alternative if you would rather not change.
A lot of people land here just to go somewhere else, and Pisa Centrale is the hub. The standard way is the PisaMover to Pisa Centrale, then a regional train onward. You can buy at the station machines or in the Trenitalia app. For regional trains the fare is fixed and you do not need to reserve, so you can simply hop on the next one. The Trenitalia timetable changed on 17 October, so check the board on the day.
To Florence
The train from Pisa Centrale to Florence Santa Maria Novella costs about €9.30 to €9.80 depending on the source. In the film I said €9 to €10, and that holds. Look for the Regionale Veloce on the departures board, which takes about 50 minutes, against 70 to 80 minutes for the ordinary Regionale. There are about 55 direct trains a day, from early morning until the late evening. Add the PisaMover and you are looking at roughly €16 and about 1 hour 20 minutes door to door.
Booking your train: regional tickets are sold on Trenitalia, and you can compare and book Italian trains on Trainline or Omio. For a regional train from Pisa Centrale to Florence or Lucca you do not need a reservation, so you can also buy at the station machines and simply hop on the next one.
Florence Cathedral from Piazzale Michelangelo. Photo: Petar Milošević via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
If you would rather not change, there is a direct bus from the airport to Florence. Sky Bus Lines (Caronna) runs about an hour for around €12 by day, and the stop is close to the airport exit. FlixBus also runs from about €15, and Airport Bus Express is around €14 for about 1 hour 10 minutes to Piazzale Montelungo by Santa Maria Novella. The Terravision service I would once have recommended is suspended at the moment, so do not rely on it. In the film I said a taxi all the way to Florence is expensive, well over €150. I could not confirm a current figure, so treat that as a rough warning and get a quote at the rank.
In Florence, book the Duomo pass in advance. On the official Duomo ticket page the Brunelleschi Pass is €30 for adults and covers the Dome, the Bell Tower, the museum, the Baptistery and Santa Reparata, the Giotto Pass is €20 and the Ghiberti Pass €15. The Cathedral itself is free but closed on Sundays, and the Dome slot is fixed and cannot be changed, so plan around it. Florence tours on Viator can help if you want a guide.
To Lucca
Lucca is the easy one. It is about 17 km from Pisa Centrale, around 25 to 35 minutes by regional train, with roughly 30 trains a day and a fare of about €4 (figures from timetable sites, so check the board). It is a Renaissance walled town and a very good day out, or a calmer base than Pisa itself.
Over Lucca's rooftops. Photo: Alex van Terheyden
The walls are a 4.2 km car-free loop for walking and cycling, and many people cycle it. Do the loop first, then climb the Torre Guinigi, the brick tower with oak trees growing on top. It is 45 metres high with about 230 steps and no lift, and the view across the red rooftops is the reward. Lucca's tourist office gives winter hours of roughly 10:00 to 16:00 on weekdays and 10:00 to 17:00 at weekends, which change with the season. It recommends booking ahead on weekdays and requires it at weekends and holidays, and the ticket is around €8, so check before you go.
The walls of Lucca at sunset. Photo: Pepeina8 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
To the Cinque Terre
The Cinque Terre are further: from Pisa Centrale you usually go to La Spezia Centrale (roughly 45 minutes to an hour and a half depending on the train) and change there. The Cinque Terre Train Card covers second-class regional trains between Levanto and La Spezia, plus the trails and park buses. The adult one-day card is €22 until 1 November, then €17.30 from 2 November to the end of the year (two days €29.00, three days €34.00). Those are the park authority's figures, and the card prices change, so check before you go. It works as a long day trip but I would stay a night if you can.
Vernazza in the Cinque Terre. Photo: Mathieu Chollet via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Car hire from Pisa Airport
A car makes sense if you are heading into the Tuscan countryside, where trains and buses thin out fast. I book cars through Discover Cars, and I cover the rental excess with Cover4Rentals rather than paying the desk's pricey top-up. The rental desks and car park are not necessarily in the terminal itself, and some companies run from a separate building a short walk or shuttle away, so read your voucher for where to collect. Remember that Italian historic centres, Pisa and Lucca included, have restricted traffic zones (ZTL) that carry heavy fines, so park outside the old town and walk in.
Practical tips
Luggage
If you are visiting the Tower, the free cloakroom at the monument takes bags, but only for ticket holders. Pisa Centrale has a left-luggage service, though I have not verified its current hours or prices, so check before you rely on it.
Plugs and data
Italy uses two-pin round plugs (types C, F and L), so bring a travel adapter if you are coming from the UK, and charge your phone on the way in. For data, I recommend Roamless. More on that below.
Who flies here
Ryanair has a base at Pisa and flies to dozens of destinations. easyJet, Jet2, British Airways and Wizz Air also serve the airport from the UK and elsewhere, including London, Manchester, Bristol, Glasgow, Birmingham and Leeds Bradford. Routes change with the season, so use the airport's flight board for your own date.
Where to stay
Where to base yourself depends on what you want. Near Pisa Centrale you are an easy walk from the PisaMover and trains for Florence and Lucca, which suits a one-night stop. The old town between the station and the river is more atmospheric, and near Piazza dei Miracoli it is quiet once the day-trippers leave. Use the hotel maps below to compare places and prices.
Hotels in Pisa (the map is centred on Pisa Centrale, the main station)
Hotels in Florence (the map is centred on Santa Maria Novella, the main station)
You can also compare hotels on Booking.com or find an apartment on Airbnb.
Tours and things to do
Once the bags are down, you have plenty to fill a day or two. For guided options, browse Pisa tours and tickets on Viator, Florence tours on Viator or Pisa tours on GetYourGuide.
Stay connected on arrival
Before you leave home, sort your data. In the film I show what happens without it: you land, you cannot get a signal and you cannot find your driver, bus or train. That does not happen to me because I use a Roamless eSIM. It lets me use all the apps I need to get from A to B without any trouble. I can put $10 onto the app and it works across countries until it runs out, then I top up. Use code WONDERING for 20% off if you are a new user, and by supporting the sponsor you help this channel make more videos.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Pisa Airport to the Leaning Tower?
The easiest way is the PisaMover to Pisa Centrale (€6.50), then a short walk or the line 1+ bus to the square. A taxi from the rank costs about €14.20 to Piazza del Duomo, or you can take the bus or walk from the station.
How far is Pisa Airport from the city centre?
About 3 km. The PisaMover takes around 5 minutes.
How much is the PisaMover?
€6.50 single and €13 return, with luggage free.
Does the LAM Rossa still go to the airport?
No. It stopped serving the airport in April 2017. The bus to the Tower is now line 1+ and leaves from Pisa Centrale.
How do I get from Pisa Airport to Florence?
There is no direct train from Pisa Airport to Florence. Take the PisaMover to Pisa Centrale, then a regional train to Florence Santa Maria Novella for roughly €9 to €10. Allow about 1 hour 20 minutes in total. A direct bus takes about an hour for roughly €12 to €15.
How do I get from Pisa Airport to Lucca?
PisaMover to Pisa Centrale, then a regional train to Lucca: about 25 to 35 minutes and roughly €4.
Is Uber available in Pisa?
Not in any useful way. When I checked, the app quoted about €43 to the Tower, and local guides say Uber and Bolt do not really operate in Pisa. Use the official taxi rank.
Can children go up the Leaning Tower?
Only children who are at least 8 by the end of the calendar year, with an adult and ID.
Plan your trip
Hotels: Booking.com Pisa
Apartments: Airbnb
Tours: Viator Pisa and Viator Florence
Tours and tickets: GetYourGuide Pisa
Car hire: Discover Cars plus excess cover from Cover4Rentals
Private transfer: GetTransfer
Mobile data: Roamless (code WONDERING, 20% off)
Euros: Money Maps
Flights
Flying in? Compare fares to Pisa below.
More airport guides: Edinburgh Airport to the city centre, Lisbon Airport, Barcelona Airport and Berlin Brandenburg. Or see my Rome neighbourhood walk. The full playlist is on YouTube.
Sources: PisaMover, PisaMover service page, Autolinee Toscane Pisa lines, urban ticket, Autolinee Toscane tariffs, CoTaPi, Pisa Airport taxi page, Opera della Primaziale Pisana FAQ, ticket advice, opening times, Toscana Aeroporti arrivals building report, Cinque Terre Park, Florence Duomo prices, Lucca tourist office, Sky Bus Lines, FlixBus, Airport Bus Express and Terravision. Fares and times were checked on 27 October and can change. Train fares and journey times, taxi fares in the secondary range and the Lucca and Cinque Terre details come from timetable sites and guides, so confirm them before you travel.
Photo credits: Piazza dei Miracoli (Pisa) 2023 by Paestum, CC BY 4.0; Pisa Mover by AndrPr, CC BY-SA 4.0; Florence Duomo from Michelangelo hill by Petar Milošević, CC BY-SA 4.0; Mura di Lucca al tramonto by Pepeina8, CC BY-SA 4.0; Vernazza harbour panorama by Mathieu Chollet, CC BY-SA 4.0. All via Wikimedia Commons. The photos of the Leaning Tower and Lucca rooftops are my own.
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Safe travels, The Wondering Englishman
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