In mid-August, exactly between 14-17, I was on a short city break in Pisa. I chose this destination because it was affordable and it was in a country where I could travel with a Green Pass, without other restrictions. While everyone was huddled in a seaside destination, we wanted a destination to explore something we had never visited before, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa won. Plus that Wizz Air flights they benefited us greatly, flying around noon and taking him back and forth.
After I scored a lot of the most interesting sights to visit in Pisa, we scheduled two day trips to Florence and the Cinque Terre.
On August 15 we chose to go to Florence, keeping the day of August 16 for a short trip to the famous villages in the coastal area that forms the Cinque Terre: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore.
Pisa - Florence
From Pisa to Florence I traveled by Trenitalia regional train, and the journey took about an hour and twenty minutes. There are many rail connections between the two cities, so you have many options for scheduling your trip.
Trains arrive at Firenze Santa Maria Novella Station, close to most of Florence's attractions. In addition to the famous art galleries, museums and famous sights, you can stroll through the winding medieval streets. We chose to go to Piazzale Michelangelo, a market that offers a unique view of the city. The square dates from the XNUMXth century and has a bronze copy of Michelangelo's David sculpture. Time passes very quickly when you let yourself be carried away by curiosity on the streets of Florence.
We chose to spend part of our time enjoying a coffee in front of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Novella. I had lunch on a terrace in Piazzale Michelangelo. We also enjoyed the view along the train tracks that meandered on the hills of Tuscany. All in all, it was a beautiful day in which we drew new memories and relaxed.
Pisa - Cinque Terre
We have long wanted to reach the famous Cinque Terre region. As soon as we booked our tickets for Pisa, we looked for the most efficient route to the beautiful coastal villages. We took the train from Pisa to La Spezia, and then we took the Cinque Terre Express train.
It has a station in every village, and the area is easy to explore on foot. Travel time from one city to another is about 10-15 minutes, so it is easy to visit each village in one day. Trenitalia also runs on all routes, as well as between Monterosso and Pisa, which takes about 90 minutes each way.
We chose to go directly to Monterosso Al Mare because we also wanted an area with a beach. The village has a public beach called Fegina, but also some private beaches. Walking through the village, you will discover many restaurants, terraces and promenade areas from where you can admire the sea.
The weather is changeable with clouds and sun, with hot weather or temperatures below 20 degrees. It's a mountainous area though and it's understandable. We were not lucky enough to enjoy the hot temperatures, although it was 35 degrees in Pisa, but it was an experience we will not forget too soon. One day is enough to get there, to enjoy a little beach, to have lunch, to walk the streets and eventually to reach some tourist attractions in the area. But the Cinque Terre area deserves much more, maybe even a city break for a few days.
From Pisa you can travel very quickly and comfortably to Siena, Lucca, Viareggio, equally beautiful and spectacular cities. Italy's railway infrastructure is very well developed. Trains run at speeds of over 120-150 km / h. In our travels we had clean trains, even if not all of them were new or impressive. Some of them had USB sockets and ports, others were multi-storey, but I also found trains with old wagons. Ticket prices are acceptable, up to 10 EURO per person on the routes mentioned above. Something more expensive were from Pisa to Monterosso. Find tickets between 11.6 EURO and 17 EURO, depending on the chosen train. Intercity costs 12.5 EURO.
That being said, I hope I have piqued your interest in these areas of Italy. Pisa is one of the main gateways to Tuscany. But about this region in another article.