Pisa/Lucca
Is it worth a side trip to Pisa and Lucca? We will be coming from Venice to Florence then to Siena. We are thinking of spending a night in the area of Florence and wondered about seeing Pisa and Lucca. Thanks!
Patrice
Madison, AL 1/4/13
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It's worth it for those who can afford a day as you can visit both in one day from Florence.
The problem is that any time you spend visiting Pisa and Lucca is time taken away from something else. How many days were you planning to be in Florence? Most people will tell you that Florence will take the best of two days just to do the basics.
Ditto Roberto. I really enjoyed my day in Lucca and Pisa (in that order; it was very nice to arrive in Pisa as the vendors were literally packing up, and the Field of Miracles was bathed in lovely afternoon light). But, I had 6 nights total in Florence, and so taking daytrips (I also went to Siena and Fiesole) did not take any time away from sightseeing in Florence.
If you only find time to do one or the other, Lucca would be my pick. Pisa was not that interesting outside of the tower.
A little clarification would help. How many days will you be spending in Tuscany? Are you planning to visit any towns in addition to Florence & Siena? If the only other towns you're planning to see are Lucca & Pisa then I personally don't think it's worth it. I would opt for a town such as Volterra instead but it's strictly a matter of personal preference. I can't comment on Pisa but we did overnight in Lucca & while I know others really enjoyed Lucca, I wasn't all that impressed and it was my least favorite stop in Tuscany. But, I know someone who has traveled extensively and says that Lucca is his most favorite place in all of Italy so it really is a matter of preference. It's a nice little town and all but I would opt for Volterra over Lucca as there are some really interesting things to see/do in Volterra and Lucca just didn't stand out for me. FWIW, if you're staying in Siena, you could easily take a day trip to Volterra.
I Agree with each of the above posts.
I liked Lucca overall more than Pisa, but still Pisa's Cathedral, Tower, Bapistry are worth seeing. (We visited Tower, climbed to top, tickets purchsed on line) Easy day trip by train to each Pisa & Lucca from Florence, but depending on your pace, I'd give Florence a bare minimum of 2 full days, 4 would be far better. Siena, overall wonderful, but not as ''time worthy'' as Florence.
Suggestion of Volterra is also a very good one, but I can't speak of getting to and fro from Florence with knowledge.
I'll throw another suggestion into the mix, and that's ''San Gimignano'', a UNESCO site, easy to get to from either Florence or Siena, I believe, via bus.(From Florence we had an easy bus change in Poggibonsi) It's location: SW of Florence/ NW of Siena, and north of Volterra.
But...Don't deprive yourself of all Florence's worthy sites in order to rush around to get to other towns.
I am traveling to Florence in February and planned on renting a car and leaving florence around 9 am for a quick drive to Pisa and then onto Lucca for lunch and return by 4 PM. IS this a doable schedule?
"IS this a doable schedule?"
Raj,
It probably is, but I'd recommend two changes.
1. Unless you already have a car rented for a longer period, you don't need or want to rent a car for the day trip you're proposing. Between Florence, Pisa and Lucca you can take buses or trains; these are frequent, easy, and cheap (Rick's book has all the details). If you're still thinking of renting a car, make sure you calculate the cost of gas and parking, understand ZTL's, and have an International Driver's Permit.
2. As I said above, I'd reverse the itinerary, and see Lucca first. Pisa is less crowded in the afternoon, and is more pleasant when the souvenir vendors have gone home.
I loved Lucca and Siena. They are two of my favorite cities in Italy. They are both unique. A day trip to Pisa is sufficient. All there is to see is the church and the tower.
I would choose Volterra or Cinque Terre, or extend in Florence or Siena over either Pisa or Lucca-our least favorite in a month in Italy.