April trip itinerary around Pisa with 2 kids

Hi there,

A week is short—adding Siena might be a bit ambitious.

Pisa seems far from the Cinque Terre for a day trip; you’ll spend quite a bit of time on transport.

If you’re traveling by train, try to find accommodation near the station to save time.

Also, I don’t know your exact travel dates, but if it falls around Easter, be aware that it’ll be crowded pretty much everywhere, especially in the Cinque Terre.

Hi there,

Thanks for your feedback. We’ll be traveling from April 15th to 22nd.

For the Cinque Terre, I see some people rent accommodations near La Spezia.

If I start sketching out a rough itinerary, here’s what it looks like right now: - 04/15: Arrival in Pisa in the early afternoon, explore Pisa in the afternoon (staying near the train station in Pisa) - 04/16: Day trip to Florence (round-trip by train) (staying near the train station in Pisa) - 04/17: Full day in Pisa - 04/18: Day trip to Lucca (staying near the train station in Pisa) - 04/19: 2 villages in Cinque Terre (staying in La Spezia) - 04/20: 3 villages in Cinque Terre (staying in La Spezia) - 04/21: Pisa? Siena? - 04/22: Departure from Pisa around midday.

Hello everyone. We’re excited to be heading to Italy for the first time this April with our two kids for a week. We’ve booked our round-trip flight, arriving and departing from Pisa. Our initial plan includes visiting Pisa, taking the train to Florence, and exploring the Cinque Terre. Last night, a friend suggested adding Siena to the list. Our kids are 12 and 9 and are used to walking, but we’re not looking to rush around. We’d love some advice, especially about accommodation. Should we stay in Pisa and take day trips by train, or split our nights between a couple of places? We’re just starting our research and would love your tips. [;)] Thanks in advance!

Hi there,

From Pisa, you’ve got all of Tuscany to explore—Siena, Lucca, Florence, San Gimignano, the Chianti Valley, Val d’Orcia…

Your friend’s suggestion to visit Siena is a great one; it was a real highlight for us!

As for getting around, a car is still the easiest option. [;)]

From Pisa, there’s all of Tuscany to explore! Siena, Lucca, Florence, San Gimignano, Chianti Valley, Val d’Orcia...

Sure, but Contraryo has 6 full days, so exploring "all of Tuscany" (on top of the Cinque Terre?) in that timeframe seems pretty ambitious—unless the goal is to race against the clock and check off boxes just to say, "Siena, done! Florence, done! San Gimignano, done!", etc....

For the Cinque Terre, I see some people rent accommodation near La Spezia.

- 15/04: arrival in Pisa in the early afternoon - 16/04: day trip to Florence (round trip) by train - 17/04: day in Pisa

Yes, for the Cinque Terre in general, tourists stay in La Spezia or Levanto.

One day in Florence seems short to me. I don’t know what you’ve planned, but if you’re thinking of visiting at least one museum, the day will fly by. Not to mention that Florence has lots of beautiful churches that are open and free—you’ll be tempted to pop in, and even if you don’t spend hours there, it still takes some time.

The train station is right in the center of Florence, just a few steps from the Santa Maria Novella church and close to the main tourist spots.

You don’t need a car to get from city to city, and you’ll avoid ZTL-related issues.

Otherwise, it’s hard to advise on how long to spend in each city—it depends on what you want to see. Though I imagine with two young kids, you’re not planning to visit every museum (unless they love museums!).

Thanks to everyone for your various feedback!

To answer your questions: - We won’t be renting a car there; we’ll be using public transport. - The kids aren’t big fans of museums, so we won’t necessarily visit any—except maybe one during the trip. - As for the pace (and you’re right to ask about this), we’re more the "active" type—I’m not sure how to define it, but we’re not the kind to spend 4 days in the same city wandering the same spots over and over. That said, the idea is also to enjoy ourselves and not rush. Far from us the thought of saying we’ve done X, X, X, and X during the trip. The goal is to find a good balance between time, fun, and discovery.

A one-day excursion, especially using public transport, seems way too short for this kind of place. With kids, it’s even more true—they need breaks, a chance to sit on a terrace, grab an ice cream, and just chill out a bit [;)] By allowing a little more time, the visit will be much more enjoyable and a lot less tiring for everyone.

That’s right, we were just talking about it tonight while watching vlogs about the destination.

We were thinking we might "skip" some of the Cinque Terre villages to do something else—or not—but we’d have to make choices.

We were thinking we might "sacrifice" some of the Cinque Terre villages.

I’d "sacrifice" Florence—I don’t think it’s worth going for just a day. To really enjoy it, you should stay overnight. Even if you’re not big on museums, it’s a shame to miss Michelangelo’s David or Botticelli’s paintings, which are "icons" of European culture. They’re in two different museums, so it’s tough to see both in a day trip.

In one day, you’ll only scratch the surface of the city. I’d save Florence for another trip when your kids are a bit older and can appreciate its cultural treasures.

Try visiting towns near Pisa that are accessible by train (Italy has a great rail network) and better suited for a day trip: Volterra? Livorno? Any others?

From Pisa, there’s all of Tuscany to explore! Siena, Lucca, Florence, San Gimignano, the Chianti Valley, Val d’Orcia...

True, but Contraryo has 6 full days, so exploring "all of Tuscany" (on top of the Cinque Terre?) in that timeframe seems pretty ambitious—unless the goal is to race against the clock and tick off boxes just to say, "Siena, done! Florence, done! San Gimignano, done!" and so on...

That’s exactly what I’m saying—why go all the way to the Cinque Terre when Tuscany alone is enough to fill those 6 days? [;)]

Though I’ll admit, without a car, exploring Tuscany isn’t exactly easy...

Thanks for the latest feedback.

To answer the recent questions: - We can rent a car for a few days; - As for Cinque Terre, we really want to go there.

Thanks everyone for your feedback on our Italian trip around Pisa.

The more I look at it, the more I think our initial itinerary is too complex and packed. So, I think we’ll focus this first Italian trip on Pisa, Lucca, Florence, and the Cinque Terre.

We can visit Siena, Volterra, and San Gimignano on a future trip. For example: arriving in Pisa and driving down slowly over several days to fly out of Rome, where 2-3 days should be enough?

For this first trip, here’s what it could look like: - Day 1: Arrive early afternoon at Pisa airport and head straight to Florence (1h30 by train). Arrive in Florence by 5 PM max. // Night in Florence. - Day 2: Explore Florence. // Night in Florence. - Day 3: More of Florence. // Night in Florence. - Day 4: Leave in the morning for the Cinque Terre (2h15 by train), stroll in one or two villages in the afternoon. // Night in La Spezia or one of the Cinque Terre villages. - Day 5: Cinque Terre. // Night in La Spezia or one of the Cinque Terre villages. - Day 6: Head to Lucca (1h30 by train) and explore Lucca. // Night in Lucca. - Day 7: Day in Pisa. // Night in Lucca. - Day 8: Departure late morning.

That’s 3 accommodations total. For the Cinque Terre, that’s 1.5 days with 2 nights on-site to visit the 5 villages. Does this seem better?

For Florence, it's better—at least you won’t be visiting it as a day trip.

On the other hand, the Cinque Terre might feel a bit rushed.

Thanks for the feedback. And if it's too tight for the Cinque Terre, should we prioritize certain villages among the 5?

Thanks for the feedback. And if it's too tight for the Cinque Terre, should we prioritize certain villages among the 5?

Hello,

More time is always better...

But in a day and a half, you’ll have time to visit all five villages. For example: - First afternoon, take the train to Riomaggiore (the closest to La Spezia), then the "Path of Love" trail to Manarola. Return by train. - Second day, train to Monterosso, then the blue trail to Vernazza, and why not continue the blue trail to Corniglia. From what I remember, it’s about 1.5–2 hours of walking between each village, and the views are stunning.

You can do everything by train if you don’t want to walk, but hiking in this park is really nice, and it’s one of the charms of the place. Just know there’s no sea view from the train since it goes through tunnels. You can also do it by boat—check availability for this period.

If the weather’s bad, the trails are often closed, and boats may be canceled. I’d recommend booking refundable accommodations so you can change your plans if the weather isn’t cooperating. The Cinque Terre in the rain loses a lot of its charm.

Happy planning, and enjoy your trip!

Thanks for the latest feedback!

We’ve finally decided. We’ll arrive in Florence on Wednesday at 3 PM and leave on Friday at 5 PM for La Spezia. We’ll get to La Spezia near the train line, ready to visit the villages on Saturday and all day Sunday. We’ll head back to Lucca on Monday morning to explore the city and stay for 2 nights. Tuesday will be dedicated to visiting Pisa before flying home on Wednesday.

In Florence, we’ll have about 2 days and 2 evenings. Which museums should we prioritize with kids aged 12 and 9? Michelangelo and David?

Thanks in advance! ;)

Hi there,

As I mentioned in a previous message: the Uffizi Gallery for Botticelli’s paintings (among others). I hadn’t been to the Galileo Museum, but I’d looked into it, and they offered "scientific" and interactive activities for kids. When I stopped by the Officina Profumo di Santa Maria Novella (a shop for soaps, perfumes, and herbal products), there were beautiful floral decorations—it was magical. You can visit without buying anything.

I really love the Bargello Museum (sculptures), but that’ll have to wait for my next trip. Museums take up so much time, and in Florence, you also need to wander the streets, bridges, viewpoints over the city, gardens, and so on...

Otherwise, there are museums like you’d find anywhere else—the Toy Museum, Train Museum, etc...

Hi everyone, and thanks for the recent feedback.

The trip is coming up fast. We're leaving next week for Florence, and I tried to book a few days ago for Brunelleschi's Dome—too late! So we settled for the secret passages of the Palazzo Vecchio and the Galleria dell'Accademia with David. We're debating whether to climb Giotto's Campanile for a view of the Duomo from above. Just a reminder, we'll be in Florence for 2 full days and 2 evenings.

Thanks for your input!