Day Trips from Pisa: Florence, Lucca & the Best of Coastal Tuscany

Pisa’s position on the Arno and the Ligurian coast rail line makes it a remarkably well-connected city for day trips. Florence is an hour east; Lucca just 30 minutes northeast; the coastal resorts and Elba island are to the south. The main rail junction at Pisa Centrale connects services in five directions.

Florence (80 km east, approximately 1 hour by train)

The most visited day trip from Pisa — and one of the most rewarding. The regional train drops you at Firenze SMN in approximately 1 hour; high-speed services take approximately 45 minutes.

Priorities for a single day: the Uffizi Gallery (entry approximately €30, book in advance at uffizi.it — queues without a booking are long and sell out), the Accademia with Michelangelo’s David (entry approximately €16, book ahead), the Duomo exterior and Brunelleschi’s dome (exterior free; dome climb requires booking, approximately €20 combined ticket as of 2026, timed entry). For views: Piazzale Michelangelo (free, 20-minute walk or bus 13) is the classic panorama — accessible without any booking.

Getting there: Trenitalia regional train from Pisa Centrale to Firenze SMN — approximately 1 hour, approximately €9 as of 2026. High-speed Frecciabianca or Intercity approximately €12–15 and takes approximately 45 minutes.

Lucca (25 km northeast, approximately 30 minutes by train)

The most relaxed day trip from Pisa. Lucca is an intact Renaissance walled city with a medieval centre of towers, piazzas, and churches — without Pisa’s tourist density. The city walls (4km circuit, 12 metres wide at the top) are walkable and cyclable. Rent a bike (approximately €3/hour from shops near Piazza Napoleone) and do the full circuit in 30 minutes.

The Piazza dell’Anfiteatro is built on the oval outline of a Roman amphitheatre — the medieval buildings followed the curve of the arena walls. The Torre Guinigi has holm oak trees growing from the top (entry approximately €5 as of 2026). The San Frediano church (free) has a 13th-century Romanesque facade with a Byzantine-style golden mosaic.

Getting there: Trenitalia regional train from Pisa Centrale to Lucca — approximately 30 minutes, approximately €4 as of 2026. Trains run every 30 minutes.

Volterra (50 km southeast, approximately 2 hours by bus)

An Etruscan and medieval hilltop city without the crowds of San Gimignano. The Museo Etrusco Guarnacci (Via Don Minzoni 15 — entry approximately €10 as of 2026) has one of Italy’s finest Etruscan collections — funerary urns, bronze figures, and the extraordinary Ombra della Sera (Shadow of the Evening) — an elongated Etruscan bronze (3rd century BC) that looks uncannily like a Giacometti sculpture. The Roman theatre (1st century BC, partly excavated — entry approximately €5) is partially visible from above for free. Alabaster craft has been practised here continuously since Etruscan times — workshops on Via Porta all’Arco sell handmade pieces.

Getting there: From Pisa, train to Pontedera (approximately 20 minutes, approximately €3), then CPT bus to Volterra (approximately 1 hour, approximately €4). Total approximately 1.5 hours as of 2026. Or car from Pisa (approximately 1 hour).

Elba Island (approximately 90 km south, approximately 2.5 hours)

Napoleon’s island of exile (1814–1815) — today a popular beach destination with some of the clearest water on the Tyrrhenian coast. The island is 28km long and 18km wide; a car on the island is helpful for reaching the best beaches.

Portoferraio is the main town — the ferry dock, a Medici fortress on the headland (entry approximately €6 as of 2026), and Napoleon’s Villa dei Mulini (the emperor’s official residence during his exile — entry approximately €8, combined with Villa di San Martino approximately €12 as of 2026). The beaches: Lacona (sandy, south side), Fetovaia (small but spectacular cove with turquoise water), and Capo Sant’Andrea (rocky but clear water on the west).

Getting there: Trenitalia regional train from Pisa to Campiglia Marittima (approximately 1 hour, approximately €8), then bus to Piombino Marittima port (approximately 20 minutes), then Toremar or Moby ferry to Portoferraio (approximately 1 hour, from approximately €15 each way as of 2026). Book ferries in advance in summer.

Livorno (20 km south, approximately 20 minutes by train)

A working port city with a Venetian-designed historic centre (the Venezia Nuova canal district) and a strong tradition of raw seafood. Livorno is the home of cacciucco — a dense Tyrrhenian fish stew made with at least five types of fish, traditionally served over bread rubbed with garlic (approximately €18–22 for a full portion at a good restaurant, as of 2026). The fish market (Mercato Centrale, Via Buontalenti) is one of the best in Tuscany. The Terrazza Mascagni is a wide chessboard-patterned promenade facing the sea.

Getting there: Trenitalia regional train from Pisa Centrale to Livorno Centrale — approximately 20 minutes, approximately €3 as of 2026. Very frequent services.

Practical notes

• Florence museum tickets (Uffizi, Accademia, Dome) require advance booking, especially May–September — don’t plan a same-day Florence trip in summer without pre-booked tickets
• Elba ferries (Toremar, Moby, BLU NAVY) book up weeks ahead in July–August — reserve both outward and return crossings in advance
• Volterra’s bus connections are infrequent — check CPT timetables at cttnord.it before planning the trip and note the last return bus time
• Lucca and Pisa work well as a single day trip from elsewhere — many visitors combine both cities in one day, which is easily done since the train between them runs every 30 minutes
• Prices listed are approximate as of 2026