Pisa: the tower without the lines
Updated October 2026
A cheaper base for Tuscany: the airport next door, trains to Florence and Lucca, and the Leaning Tower from a rooftop terrace, with no lines.
Pisa at a glance
- Best time
- April to May, October
- Price level
- moderate
- Getting around
- walkable, trains everywhere, airport minutes away
- Best for
- food, art and day trips
- The catch
- Less to see than Florence, and the area around the tower is crowded and full of souvenir stands.
When to go
Temperatures are average daily highs in °F and °C (WeatherSpark). Ratings are our own. $ = cheapest, $$$ = most expensive. 🔥 = heat, ★ = big event.
Who Pisa is for
Pisa suits couples and solo travelers well, and families fairly. Walking is flat and easy.
When to go
The best months are April, May and October. March, June and September are good too.
Getting around
You walk the center, and trains go to Florence, Lucca and Cinque Terre. The airport is just minutes from downtown.
What Pisa costs
On a budget, about $105 to $145 per person per day. In comfort or luxury, about $330 to $460. The lower number is the quiet season, the higher one peak season.
Includes your stay, food, activities and local transport, not flights. Converted at about $1.10 per euro. Estimates only.
Flights from the US and Canada
Fly into: Pisa (PSA). Typical economy fares per person, round trip, with a connection. Canadian fares are in Canadian dollars. Not live prices, so always check before you book.
What Pisa does best
Its strengths: food and restaurants, wine, and history and art.
Day trips
Pisa makes a good, cheaper base for Tuscany: trains run often, so stay in one hotel and do day trips.
A walled old town where you can bike around on top of the walls.
We haven’t been here ourselves, so this is based on other travelers’ reports.
The sandy beaches and promenade of the Versilia coast.
We haven’t been here ourselves, so this is based on other travelers’ reports.
The Renaissance city.
Andrea Bocelli’s Teatro del Silenzio and the hill village of Peccioli.
Five villages on the cliffs above the sea.
Food and wine
Tuscany on a plate: a typical four-course menu, and the wine to go with each.
Soccer
Even if soccer isn’t your sport, a home game is one of the best evenings you can have in Italy: the singing, the flags, the whole crowd living every pass. Tickets usually cost a fraction of a pro game in the US or Canada.
- Pisa, Serie B, in town · Tickets
Kickoff times are set only a few weeks ahead, so check the club’s website for the schedule.
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