La Spezia, the town, the castle, then Pisa by train. La Spezia is a small gateway town to Pisa or Florence, or to visit some marvellous beaches. 

SPEZIA

Given the distance to Pisa or Florence, however easy, we suggest you do that first and get back to Spezia in time to enjoy the town. If you wish to see the castle and the view from the top, once you are back, do that first as it can close early. There is a lift up to the castle, it is in two stages. Jean shows you where it is, the castle and the view.

PISA

From La Spezia port you can either take the bus to the train station (the bus stop is located under the Cathedral, just turn right from the terminal) or it is about a 20-minute walk through town. You must MUST validate your ticket on the bus or before boarding the train, no excuse will be accepted. Whole families can get fined. When we were on the train we saw a Chinese family get fined 50 euros a person because they had not validated their tickets. It was an honest mistake, but the ticket collector said that he could not let them off as he had fined an Italian person that day and it would be unfair. The train takes about 45 minutes to an hour depending on if you get a slow or a fast train. If you watch the video, we explain the ticket buying and train journey. Most buses are card touch payments and you can choose number of travellers.

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WHICH STATION ?

When you arrive at Pisa there is a stop Pisa S. Rossore (the one before Pisa Centrale) which is right by the leaning tower. You walk about a hundred yards down the road before you see it. It is signposted as soon as you leave the station and shown on our film.

Pisa was a powerful city in the Middle Ages. The Leaning Tower is one of twenty historical churches. It is located in the Field of Miracles. The Tower is the free-standing Tower of the Cathedral right next to it. Entrance to the Cathedral is free and it is one of the finest buildings in Tuscany. You have to cover your shoulders but don’t worry if you forget because they will supply you with a paper wrap. You have to pay a small charge to visit the other buildings in the Field of Miracles but they say that all the money goes towards their upkeep. 

IN OUR FILM – La SPEZIA to PISA

0:00 – La Spezia 0:40 – Lift 0:50 – Museum 1:15 – Castle 1:40 – view from top 2:31 – Lift down 3:09 – Bus to station 3:28 – Station 3:50 – Pisa Station 4:00 – walk to Duomo 4:25 – entering Pisa 4:55 – Cathedral 5:30 – that pose 5:45 – walk into town 6:10 – Pone di Mezzo 6:51 – Pisa Station

GAME OF THRONES TAKE ON DUBROVNIK  OUR ANGELS & DEMONS TAKE ON ROME

Outside the Tower on one side (the station side) is a market for souvenirs. If you walk through and leave on the other side it is a short walk to the charming winding streets of Pisa. There are designer shops, pavement cafes, and bars. Keep walking to the River and take Ponte di Mezzo across to the main station, Pisa Centrale where you can hop on the train back to La Spezia. Allow plenty of time in case there is any problem with the trains, but it is easy to do Pisa in half a day. We were back by 4 pm and had two and a half hours before we had to get back on our ship so had a relaxing walk through La Spezia which was an unexpected bonus.

PISA

PISA

If you are cruising the West Mediterranean, it is likely your cruise may include Civitavecchia for ROME.

 Fred Olsen cruises to Pisa (Livorno) – view now on the Fred Olsen site here Saga Cruises to the Mediterranean – view there site here by clicking now Marella Cruises to the Western Mediterranean – click here for Marella Cruise’s own web site page for – Western Mediterranean Cruise deals page

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BOOKS SET IN PISA. Dancing to the End of Love is set in Pisa; When internationally successful singer Siobhan McGovern turns up at the launch of Robert Lanaghan’s latest book in Dublin, it’s the start of a stormy, passionate affair. Kindle available