Pisa, Italy

Location: Pisa, Italy

Time Frame: May, 2 nights and 2 days

Lodging

Type. We cheated a little on this one.  We stayed at at DoD (Department of Defense) recreation center, at Camp Darby, Italy.  The Sea Pines Lodge is for military members and DoD civilians.  So, this is not a facility that most people would be able to use.  There are plenty of B&B's and small hotels in the Pisa area.

Cost. This room cost us about $84 a night.

Amenities. The room had two double beds, a sofa bed and we had asked for a baby cot.  It had a full bathroom (shower only), small kitchenette, with fridge and stove top, sink and dishes/cookware.

Other. This hotel also allowed access to other base facilities such as the Commissary, Base Exchange, and the food court.  The base also had a private beach on the Mediterranean, which had it's own price list for access.

Kid Friendly Rating: I would give this hotel three stars (***) for kid friendliness.

Transportation

Driving. We drove from our home in Germany, and it took us around 16 hours. Driving in the area was a little crazy, and the hotel did offer parking. We drove to most of our outtings, as the hotel was a ways out.

Public Transportation. Pisa did not appear to have a great public transport system, but there were many public parking areas.

Walking. The main center of Pisa was very pedestrian friendly, and you could walk to most of the main attractions in the area.

Food

Since we had a kitchenette, we made breakfast and dinner at the hotel.  Lunch we had out on the town, mostly from take away places.  We didn't forget to stop for some good Italian gelatto.

Fast Food. Italy is home to many of those restaurants which we know and love (McDonalds, Burger King, etc). They also have several that are more cultural.  Restaurants in Pisa seemed small and more geared toward the cafe crowd.

Sit Down.There were a large variety of sit down restaurants ranging from casual cafes to upper crust fancy places.

Attractions

Most of the major sites of Pisa are located around the Field of Miracles, behind the old city wall.  You can ticket information on all the major attractions, as well as opening times at Opera della Primaziale Pisana's website.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

Times:

DECEMBER AND JANUARY

Leaning tower                 Ordinary: 10:00 - 16:30 (last climb)

NOVEMBER AND FEBRUARY:                

Leaning tower                 Ordinary: 09:30 - 17:30 (last climb)

MARCH:                

Leaning tower                 Ordinary: 09:00 - 17:30 (last climb)

FROM APRIL TO SEPTEMBER:                

Leaning tower                 Ordinary: 08:30 - 20:00 (last climb)

                                        Extraordinary from June to August: 08:30 - 23:00

OCTOBER:

Leaning tower                Ordinary: 09:00 - 19:00 (last climb)

Costs:

Tower:   euro  15   on site              euro  17   online

Comments:   The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of famous wonders of the world, and definitely a sight to behold.  The climb up the tower does cost a bit, and children under 8 years old are not allowed, so you may have to take turns here.  Even if you don't get a chance to go inside, don't forget to have your picture taken!

Il Battistero - Baptistery

Times:

DECEMBER AND JANUARY                   
Baptistery   Ordinary: 10.00 - 17.00

NOVEMBER AND FEBRUARY:                

Baptistery   Ordinary: 10.00 - 17.00

MARCH:                                   
Baptistery   Ordinary: 09.00 - 18.00

FROM APRIL TO SEPTEMBER:                

Baptistery                       Ordinary: 08:00 - 20:00

OCTOBER:
Baptistery                          Ordinary: 09.00 - 19.00
                     

Entrance to the monuments is allowed 30 minutes prior to closing time.

Costs:
1 Monument:   euro  5
Baptistery or Monumental Cemetery or Opera Museum or Sinopie Museum

2 Monuments:   euro  6
A choice between Cathedral, Baptistery, Monumental cemetery, Opera del Duomo Museum, Sinopie Museum

4 Monuments:   euro  8
Baptistery, Monumental Cemetery, Opera Museum and Sinopie Museum
 From 1 November to the end of February

5 Monuments:   euro  10
Cathedral, Baptistery, Monumental Cemetery, Opera Museum and Sinopie Museum
 From 1 March to the end of October

Il Duomo Pisa

Times:
DECEMBER AND JANUARY
Cathedral                        Ordinary: 10.00 - 12.45 / 14.00 - 17.00
NOVEMBER AND FEBRUARY:
Cathedral                        Ordinary: 10.00 - 12.45 / 14.00 - 17.00
MARCH:  
Cathedral                        Ordinary: 10.00 - 18.00
FROM APRIL TO SEPTEMBER: 
Cathedral                        Ordinary: 10.00 - 20.00
OCTOBER:
Cathedral                        Ordinary: 10.00 - 19.00

Costs:
Cathedral:   euro  2

Free entrance from 1st November to end of February.
In ogni caso l'ingresso per la preghiera, presso la Cappella del SS. Sacramento, è sempre consentito.

2 Monuments:   euro  6

A choice between Cathedral, Baptistery, Monumental cemetery, Opera del Duomo Museum, Sinopie Museum

5 Monuments:   euro  10

Cathedral, Baptistery, Monumental Cemetery, Opera Museum and Sinopie Museum From 1 March to the end of October


Comments:  A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is a sight to behold.  If you are interested in cathedrals or architecture, this is a place to see.  Your kids can mark the occasion by lighting a candle (my kids love this practice, and yes they know what the candles are for).

The Mediterranean Sea

Most of the beaches in Pisa are "for a fee", even the American beach is!  We managed to find a sliver of beach that wasn't private and had a nice afternoon playing in the sand and water.  After a hard day of sightseeing, a nice cool dip in the ocean is wonderful!


Toilettes

When you travel with little ones, bathrooms are an important thing to be able to find. Europeans are generally not big on public restrooms.

Availability: Public restrooms can be found, but are scattered and not always easy to find. Your best bet is to make sure to make use of restrooms offered in the restaurants, museums, and other attractions that you visit. Most of the major attractions have restrooms.

Public/Private: Most available restrooms are actually going to be in some type of business, whether it is a restaurant or attraction.

Cost: Costs for restrooms can run from free to around 1 euro per person. Occassionally bathroom attendants will allow an adult to take a child into the restroom and only charge for one person (I did this with my kids, and even when I took both potty trained children, I usually only had to pay for me).

Nearby Amenities

Laundry: The base did offer a laundrette, but I did not see any similar facilities in the town.

Groceries: We certainly made use of the base commissary, but there were also grocery stores and shops in the town.

Review


Pisa was easily a one day trip, but if you like the water, you might want to add a day or two to enjoy the tempid waters of the Med.

Trip Highlights

- Field of Miracles
- A dip in the Med
- Gelattoa

Overall Rating

With all it's world history, Pisa is a 4 star location.