This page explains how to buy train tickets from Pisa to other European cities at the cheapest prices, buying online direct from the operators, usually with print-at-home tickets. Click here to buy tickets starting in another city.
I want to go from
Pisa to...
Before you buy your
tickets...
Take a moment to read these important tips for buying European train tickets. It answers all the usual questions, "Do I need to book in advance or can I just buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or just buy a €35 point-to-point ticket online?". And most important, click here to understand how far ahead you can buy train tickets.
Which
station in Pisa?
-
Pisa Centrale is the main station, used by all trains and the people mover to and from the airport. It's 23 minutes walk from the famous Leaning Tower, see map here.
-
Pisa S. Rossore is a secondary station served by regional trains, but it's closer to the Leaning Tower, only 12 minutes walk away, see map.
European train travel
FAQ...
Pisa to Florence for €9...
-
Regional trains run from Pisa Centrale to Florence SMN (the main station in Florence city centre) at least twice an hour through the day. Some are Regionale Veloce trains taking 48 minutes, others are plain Regionale making more stops and taking between 1h13 & 1h21.
The Regionale & Regionale Veloce trains are comfortable and usually air-conditioned, they have toilets and plenty of luggage space. Being local trains they are 2nd class only, there's no 1st class. There are no seat reservations, you sit where you like.
Tip: If you're visiting the Leaning Tower, some trains start from Pisa S. Rossore station which is a bit closer to the tower, see map of Pisa showing Leaning Tower & stations. However, trains from Pisa Centrale are much more frequent.
-
Pisa to Florence costs around €9. This is a fixed price good for any train, unlimited availability, it cannot sell out.
-
Buy tickets at the station from the staffed ticket office or from the self-service machines and hop on the next train. Or buy online at the same price, which merely saves time at the station, using either www.raileurope.com, www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com. These sites sell the same tickets at the same prices.
1. www.raileurope.com is easy to use, it's written in plain English, it can be used in €, £ or $, small booking fee.
2. www.italiarail.com is also easy to use, it's in plain English, it can be used in €, £, $ & Aus$. Their small booking fee will be refunded if you email seat61@italiarail.com after you book. It can be cheaper than Trenitalia.com for 2 or more people travelling together as explained here.
3. www.trenitalia.com is fairly easy to use but it uses Italian-language place names and has a few quirks, so see this advice on using it.
-
Ticket validation: If you buy at the station they give you an open ticket, so you need to validate it before you board the train in the little green validator machines, see the photo here. Once validated, tickets are good for any train in the next 4 hours.
If you buy a regional ticket online it comes pre-validated for 4 hours starting from the time of the train you buy it for - so if you miss that train, or change your mind and want a later one, you can simply hop on any train leaving in the 4 hour after the train you originally selected.
-
For more information, see the Train travel in Italy page.
Pisa to Rome...
-
There are two significantly different routes from Pisa to Rome:
Option 1, Pisa Centrale to Florence SMN by regional train then from Florence SMN to Rome Termini by Frecciarossa high-speed train over the modern high-speed line at up to 320 km/h (199 mph). Total journey time between 2h48 and 3h05.
Option 2, Pisa Centrale to Rome Termini by direct train using the classic conventional line through Livorno & Civitavecchia. The best trains on this route are Frecciabianca trains taking 2h56, others are comfortable InterCity trains taking 3h27, a few are slow Regionale Veloce local trains taking over 4 hours.
Option 3, just to complete the picture, there are one or two direct Pisa-Rome high-speed trains every day routed via Florence then over the Florence-Rome high-speed line taking just 2h15. A great option if their timing suits you, but the early morning and evening departures are aimed at Italian business travellers rather than tourists.
The Man in Seat 61 says: "I'd choose option 2, as a direct train is the better choice if you have luggage and kids. Ideally choose a Frecciabianca although the older InterCity trains are fine. Option 3 is great if the timings of the one or two direct high-speed trains suit you, but there are only two departures per day and these aren't ideally timed for tourists.
-
Check times & buy tickets from Pisa Centrale to Rome Termini at either www.raileurope.com, www.italiarail.com or Italian Railways' own site www.trenitalia.com. These will show all options, so browse the search results with brain engaged.
All 3 sites sell the same tickets, all offer ticketless travel for Italian intercity & high-speed trains, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone. Regional trains tickets are printed out. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead, except when the mid-June & mid-December timetable changes are imminent when the booking horizon shrinks to less than this with some trains loaded before others.
1. www.raileurope.com is easy to use, it's written in plain English, it can be used in €, £ or $, small booking fee.
2. www.italiarail.com is also easy to use, it's in plain English, it can be used in €, £, $ & Aus$. Their small booking fee will be refunded if you email seat61@italiarail.com after you book. It can be cheaper than Trenitalia.com for 2 or more people travelling together as explained here.
3. www.trenitalia.com is fairly easy to use but it uses Italian-language place names and has a few quirks, so see this advice on using it.
-
For more information see the Train travel in Italy page.
Pisa to Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi, Capri...
-
There are two significantly different routes from Pisa to Naples:
Option 1, Pisa Centrale to Florence SMN by regional train then Florence SMN to Naples Centrale at up to 320 km/h (199 mph) by Frecciarossa over the modern high-speed line, total journey time as little as 3h41. This is the route I'd normally recommend...
Option 2, from Pisa Centrale to Rome via the conventional route through Livorno & Civitavecchia, then Rome to Naples either on the new high-speed line or the classic conventional line. This still involves a change of train, so option 1 above is better as it's much faster.
Option 3, just to complete the picture, there are one or two direct Pisa-Naples InterCity trains every day taking 5h40, early morning and mid-afternoon. Much slower than option 1 as they use the conventional (non-high-speed) line for both Pisa-Rome & Rome-Naples, but if you aren't in a hurry and positively insist on avoiding any change of train, you may want to seek these out.
-
Buy Italian train tickets online at either www.raileurope.com, www.italiarail.com or Italian Railways' own site www.trenitalia.com.
All 3 sites sell the same tickets, all offer ticketless travel for Italian intercity & high-speed trains, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone. Tickets for regional trains are simply printed out.
Booking opens 4 months ahead, except when the mid-June & mid-December timetable changes are imminent when the booking horizon shrinks to less than this with some trains loaded before others.
1. www.raileurope.com is easy to use, it's written in plain English, it can be used in €, £ or $, small booking fee.
2. www.italiarail.com is also easy to use, it's in plain English, it can be used in €, £, $ & Aus$. Their small booking fee will be refunded if you email seat61@italiarail.com after you book. It can be cheaper than Trenitalia.com for 2 or more people travelling together as explained here.
3. www.trenitalia.com is fairly easy to use but it uses Italian-language place names and has a few quirks, so see this advice on using it.
-
To get from Naples Centrale to Sorrento, Pompeii, Capri & Amalfi see the Train travel in Italy page.
Pisa to Venice...
-
Take a regional train to Florence SMN and a high-speed Frecciarossa from Florence SMN to Venice Santa Lucia.
-
Buy tickets at either www.raileurope.com, www.italiarail.com or Italian Railways' own site www.trenitalia.com.
All 3 sites sell the same tickets, all offer ticketless travel for Italian intercity & high-speed trains, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead, except when the mid-June & mid-December timetable changes are imminent when the booking horizon shrinks to less than this with some trains loaded before others.
1. www.raileurope.com is easy to use, it's written in plain English, it can be used in €, £ or $, small booking fee.
2. www.italiarail.com is also easy to use, it's in plain English, it can be used in €, £, $ & Aus$. Their small booking fee will be refunded if you email seat61@italiarail.com after you book. It can be cheaper than Trenitalia.com for 2 or more people travelling together as explained here.
3. www.trenitalia.com is fairly easy to use but it uses Italian-language place names and has a few quirks, so see this advice on using it.
-
Tip: The system will work out appropriate connection times. But if you want to have longer in Florence, perhaps a few hours stopover, just book each train separately.
Pisa to Siena for €11...
-
Regional trains link Pisa Centrale with Siena at least twice per hour through the day with one easy change of train at Empoli, total journey time around 1h44, fare around €11 one-way.
-
No reservation is necessary or even possible, tickets for regional trains have a fixed price and unlimited availability so you can always just turn up, buy a ticket & hop on the next train. You sit where you like. The Regionale & Regionale Veloce trains are comfortable and air-conditioned, they have toilets and plenty of luggage space. They are 2nd class only, there's no 1st class.
If you're visiting the Leaning Tower in Pisa, some trains start from Pisa S. Rossore station which is closer to the tower, see map of Pisa.
In Siena, the station is at the foot of the hill and it used to be a steep trek up to the old town. However, there's now a series of modern escalators and moving walkways that ferry you almost painlessly to the top of the hill, from where it's just a minute or two's walk to the Porta Camollia at the entrance to the old town. From the Porta Camollia it's a pleasant 15 minute stroll to the famous Piazza del Campo.
-
Buy tickets at the station from the staffed ticket office or from the self-service machines and hop on the next train. Or buy online at the same price to save time, using either www.raileurope.com, www.italiarail.com or Italian Railways' own site www.trenitalia.com. They all sell the same tickets at the same prices.
1. www.raileurope.com is easy to use, it's written in plain English, it can be used in €, £ or $, small booking fee.
2. www.italiarail.com is also easy to use, it's in plain English, it can be used in €, £, $ & Aus$. Their small booking fee will be refunded if you email seat61@italiarail.com after you book. It can be cheaper than Trenitalia.com for 2 or more people travelling together as explained here.
3. www.trenitalia.com is fairly easy to use but it uses Italian-language place names and has a few quirks, so see this advice on using it.
-
Ticket validation: If you buy at the station they give you an open ticket, so you need to validate it before you board the train in the little green validator machines, see the photo here. Once validated, tickets are good for any train in the next 4 hours.
If you buy a regional ticket online it comes pre-validated for 4 hours starting from the time of the train you buy it for - so if you miss that train, or change your mind and want a later one, you can simply hop on any train leaving in the 4 hour after the train you originally selected.
-
For more information, see the Train travel in Italy page.
Pisa to Cinque Terre...
-
You'll find a direct InterCity train from Pisa Centrale to Monterosso in Cinque Terre every few hours. Monterosso is the largest of the five villages of Cinque Terre, but the other 4 each have their own station. To reach the other 4, a change of train at La Spezia is needed.
-
Simply run your journey through the journey planner at either www.raileurope.com, www.italiarail.com or Italian Railways' own site www.trenitalia.com. All sites sell the same tickets at the same prices.
1. www.raileurope.com is easy to use, it's written in plain English, it can be used in €, £ or $, small booking fee.
2. www.italiarail.com is also easy to use, it's in plain English, it can be used in €, £, $ & Aus$. Their small booking fee will be refunded if you email seat61@italiarail.com after you book. It can be cheaper than Trenitalia.com for 2 or more people travelling together as explained here.
3. www.trenitalia.com is fairly easy to use but it uses Italian-language place names and has a few quirks, so see this advice on using it.
-
Tickets for InterCity trains are train-specific and come with a reserved seat. There are cheaper fares if you pre-book. It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone. Tickets bought online for regional trains must be printed out, they are good for the train you choose and for any other regional train leaving in the following 4 hours. There are no seat reservations on regional trains, you sit where you like.
-
Ticket validation: You don't need to validate tickets for regional trains bought online as they come pre-validated for a 4-hour time period, nor tickets for Frecce or InterCity trains however you buy them. But regional tickets bought at the station must be validated by putting them in the little green validator machines, see the photo here. Once validated, regional tickets are good for any train in the next 4 hours.
-
For more information, see the Train travel in Italy page.
Pisa to Palermo, Catania, Siracuse & Sicily from €39.80...
Option 1, Pisa to Sicily by daytime train. Pisa to Sicily in a day...
-
You can travel from Pisa to Palermo, Catania or Siracuse by train in a single day, albeit with an early start and late evening arrival. You take a comfortable InterCity train from Pisa to Naples, then the afternoon InterCity train from Naples to Sicily. The journey takes you along the coast past cliffs and beaches to the toe of Italy, then the Naples-Palermo/Catania/Siracuse train gets shunted onto a ferry to cross the Straits of Messina, a unique experience, have your camera ready. There's no restaurant car, so bring your own picnic and bottle of wine or beer.
-
Fares start at just €39.80 in 2nd class or €59.80 in 1st class. Book ahead for Trenitalia's cheap Super-Economy and Economy prices.
-
Buy tickets at either www.raileurope.com, www.italiarail.com or Italian Railways' own site www.trenitalia.com.
All 3 sites sell the same tickets, all offer ticketless travel for Italian intercity & high-speed trains, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone. Booking opens up to 4 months days ahead, except when the mid-June & mid-December timetable changes are imminent when the booking horizon shrinks to less than this with some trains loaded before others.
1. www.raileurope.com is easy to use, it's written in plain English, it can be used in €, £ or $, small booking fee.
2. www.italiarail.com is also easy to use, it's in plain English, it can be used in €, £, $ & Aus$. Their small booking fee will be refunded if you email seat61@italiarail.com after you book. It can be cheaper than Trenitalia.com for 2 or more people travelling together as explained here.
3. www.trenitalia.com is fairly easy to use but it uses Italian-language place names and has a few quirks, so see this advice on using it.
-
For more information see the Train travel in Italy page.
Option 2, Pisa to Sicily by direct sleeper train. An epic ride in your own private sleeper, direct to Sicily...
-
A direct sleeper train leaves Pisa Centrale just after midnight, travelling along the scenic coast towards the toe of Italy next morning, before being shunted onto a ferry to cross the Straits of Messina, a unique experience, have your camera ready. It arrives in Sicily late afternoon. This sleeper train originates in Milan.
It has Comfort couchettes with 4-berth compartments, ideal for families. It has a sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin. The couchettes convert to seats for daytime use, the sleepers convert to a private sitting room with sofa. There's no restaurant car, so bring your own picnic and bottle of wine or beer. See more information & photos of Italian domestic sleeper trains.
-
Fare start at €39.90 including a Comfort couchette or from €79.90 with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper. Book ahead for Trenitalia's cheap Super-Economy and Economy prices.
-
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.italiarail.com (recommended) or Italian Railways' own site www.trenitalia.com (trickier).
All 3 sites sell the same tickets, all offer ticketless travel for Italian intercity & high-speed trains, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead, except when the mid-June & mid-December timetable changes are imminent when the booking horizon shrinks to less than this with some trains loaded before others.
1. www.raileurope.com is easy to use, it's written in plain English, it can be used in €, £ or $, small booking fee.
2. www.italiarail.com is also easy to use, it's in plain English, it can be used in €, £, $ & Aus$. Their small booking fee will be refunded if you email seat61@italiarail.com after you book. It can be cheaper than Trenitalia.com for 2 or more people travelling together as explained here.
3. www.trenitalia.com is fairly easy to use but it uses Italian-language place names and has a few quirks, so see this advice on using it. You will need to understand Italian to book sleepers as the site does not translate sleeper types, if you're not happy with this, I recommend sticking with www.raileurope.com or Italiarail.com.
Option 3, by InterCity train to Rome then sleeper. Time-effective, but better timed than option 2 so probably the option I'd choose...
-
Catch an early-evening train to Rome, then a direct sleeper train from Rome to Palermo, Catania or Siracuse. In the morning the sleeper train is shunted onto a ferry to cross the Straits of Messina, a unique experience, have your camera ready. It arrives in Sicily late morning. See more information & photos of Italian domestic sleeper trains.
-
Pisa to Rome starts at €19.90, Rome to Sicily starts at €39.90 including a Comfort couchette or from €79.90 with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper. Book ahead for Trenitalia's cheap Super-Economy and Economy prices.
-
Buy tickets at either www.raileurope.com, www.italiarail.com. If you'd like longer in Rome between trains (perhaps plan to have dinner there, or an afternoon wander) book each train separately, it makes no difference to the price.
Pisa to all other Italian destinations...
-
Just run your journey through either www.raileurope.com, www.italiarail.com or Italian Railways' own site www.trenitalia.com.
All 3 sites sell the same tickets, all offer ticketless travel for Italian intercity & high-speed trains (you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone) and print-your-own tickets for regional trains. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead, except when the mid-June & mid-December timetable changes are imminent when the booking horizon shrinks to less than this with some trains loaded before others.
1. www.raileurope.com is easy to use, it's written in plain English, it can be used in €, £ or $, small booking fee.
2. www.italiarail.com is also easy to use, it's in plain English, it can be used in €, £, $ & Aus$. Their small booking fee will be refunded if you email seat61@italiarail.com after you book. It can be cheaper than Trenitalia.com for 2 or more people travelling together as explained here.
3. www.trenitalia.com is fairly easy to use but it uses Italian-language place names and has a few quirks, so see this advice on using it. You will need to understand Italian to book sleepers, if you're not happy with this, stick with www.raileurope.com or Italiarail.com.
Pisa to Paris from €48.90...
Option 1, Pisa to Paris by daytime train. The scenic option...
-
Step 1, travel from Pisa Centrale to Turin Porta Susa in as little as 4h05 with one easy change at Florence SMN.
You travel from Florence to Turin by Frecciarossa at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Turin is a great city, one of Italy's most under-rated, so personally I'd plan a stopover, even of just a few hours. Luggage lockers are available.
Pisa to Florence costs a fixed-price €9, Florence to Turin starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class, those fares vary like air fares.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, making sure you arrive in Turin at least 1 hour before your chosen onward trains leaves. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.
-
Step 2, travel from Turin Porta Susa to Paris Gare de Lyon on one of 3 daily TGV high-speed trains in around 5h40, see the timetable here.
If you want to go from Pisa to Paris all in the same day you'll need the afternoon TGV leaving Turin Porta Susa shortly after 16:00. Though an overnight stop in Turin then a morning TGV to Paris is worth considering!
The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. The journey takes you from Italy into France through the Alps via Modane. There's great scenery, mostly enjoyed at low speed - only the last 2 hours of the Turin-Paris journey is made on a high-speed line. See the train photos, scenery photos, travel tips & video here.
Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €44 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
Pisa to Monaco, Nice, Cannes & South of France...
-
Step 1, travel from Pisa to Genoa Piazza Principle by Frecciabianca train in 2h02 or by InterCity train in 2h34.
Fares start at €9.90 in 2nd class or €19.90 in 1st class. Book ahead for the cheapest prices.
-
Step 2, travel from Genoa Piazza Principe to Ventimiglia on the French border in as little as 1h56 either by fast InterCity train or slower regional train. It's a lovely journey along the Ligurian coast.
Fares start at €9.90 in 2nd class or €19.90 in 1st class. Book ahead for the cheapest prices.
-
Step 3, travel from Ventimiglia to Menton, Monte Carlo, Nice or Cannes by TER local train, these run twice an hour, Ventimiglia to Nice takes 60 minutes, no reservation necessary or possible.
The fare is a fixed-price €8, although promotional fares of €7.50 or even €5 are sometimes offered.
-
Buy tickets from Pisa Centrale to Monte Carlo, Nice, Antibes, Cannes or Marseille as one easy transaction at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. Booking usually opens up to 4 months ahead. Look in the search results for a 2-change journey.
If you have any problems, book from Pisa to Ventimiglia, then add a local ticket Ventimiglia to Monte Carlo, Nice or Cannes separately, or even just buy that ticket at the station when you get to Ventimiglia. More information about the journey from Genoa to Nice.
Trenitalia intercity & Frecciabianca trains are ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone. For Trenitalia regional trains you print your own ticket. For French TER trains you either print your own ticket or select a mobile ticket to show on your phone.
Pisa to Switzerland from €48.90...
-
Step 1, travel from Pisa Centrale to Milan Centrale by InterCity train in around 4h08.
Fares start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
Step 2, take a fast and comfortable EuroCity train from Milan Centrale to Lausanne, Geneva, Lugano, Basel or Zurich.
The EuroCity train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Milan to Zurich takes just 3h17, with great scenery through the Alps, see the scenery video here.
Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
Book from Pisa to Switzerland at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com. it's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.
-
Tip: You may have problems booking journeys which involve a change of train within Switzerland and which therefore involve a Swiss domestic element.
For example, Pisa to Zermatt involves a Brig to Zermatt Swiss domestic sector. Pisa to Interlaken involves a Spiez to Interlaken Swiss domestic sector. Another example, Pisa to Lucerne is easy to book if the chosen journey uses one of the few direct Milan-Lucerne trains, but other departures involve a change at Arth-Goldau which means a Swiss domestic Arth-Goldau to Lucerne sector is involved. The Italian ticketing system cannot access fares or tickets for Swiss domestic journeys, Raileurope.com can source Swiss tickets through its connection to the French system, but these won't be print-at-home so need to be posted and can't be posted to non-UK addresses.
The solution is to split the booking! Book Pisa to the interchange point in Switzerland (in these examples, Pisa to Brig, or Pisa to Arth Goldau) then buy the Swiss domestic element at either www.thetrainline.com (keeping all your bookings in one place, small booking fee) or the Swiss Railways website www.sbb.ch which gives print-your-own tickets. Not rocket science, once you know what the issue is!
Pisa to all other destinations...
-
For Spain & Portugal, Toulouse, Montpellier & Bordeaux...
Step 1, travel from Pisa to Marseille as shown above.
Stay overnight in Marseille. See suggested hotels with good reviews near the station.
Step 2, travel from Marseille to Barcelona & Spain as shown on the Trains from Marseille page.
-
For Slovenia...
Step 1, travel from Pisa to Venice as shown above.
Step 2, travel from Venice via Trieste to Ljubljana as shown on the Venice to Ljubljana page.
-
For all other destinations including Germany, Austria, Brussels, Amsterdam, Budapest, Prague, Copenhagen & Scandinavia...
Step 1, take a regional train from Pisa Centrale to Florence SMN taking between 0h48 and 1h21, fare around €9, buy tickets at either www.raileurope.com, www.italiarail.com or Italian Railways' own site www.trenitalia.com.
Step 2, see the Trains from Florence page for train times, fares & how to buy ticket from Florence SMN to key cities throughout Europe.