This post was published in September 2026. We paid for this break ourselves. Always check with venues direct for the most up to date info before heading out.
During a recent trip to Tuscany, we had a morning return flight from Pisa. We were staying in a fairly remote area and would have needed to hire an (expensive) driver for our transfer to the airport in the early hours which we didn't really want to do so instead, decided to travel to Pisa by train the day before our flight and spent the evening here.
Pisa airport is very close to Pisa City (in fact some people walk to the airport from the city!) and there's a very convenient airport shuttle train (called the Pisa Mover) which takes around 5 minutes from Pisa Central Station to the airport. The shuttle is 6.5 euros and simply follow the signs for the Pisa Mover in the station and buy your ticket from the machine on the Pisa Mover platform before boarding.
Pisa airport is very close to Pisa City (in fact some people walk to the airport from the city!) and there's a very convenient airport shuttle train (called the Pisa Mover) which takes around 5 minutes from Pisa Central Station to the airport. The shuttle is 6.5 euros and simply follow the signs for the Pisa Mover in the station and buy your ticket from the machine on the Pisa Mover platform before boarding.
As we'd be aiming to get to the railway station for around 6:30am, we decided to book the closest possible hotel to the station which was NH Pisa. It was fairly expensive at around £230 for a night but it's literally across the road from the station.
I would stay here again and recommend, it's within walking distance of the main sights, the rooms are modern and air conditioned and there's a self-service paid bar in the hotel lobby. The staff were all nice and friendly too.
I would stay here again and recommend, it's within walking distance of the main sights, the rooms are modern and air conditioned and there's a self-service paid bar in the hotel lobby. The staff were all nice and friendly too.
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| The view of the Railway Station from our bedroom at NH Pisa. |
After checking in and freshening up, it was around 4pm. First of all we walked to the Leaning Tower of Pisa which was around 25 minutes from our hotel. I was actually shocked at how much it is leaning in real life - it's quite a bit! We walked around the exterior and admired the Cathedral too. We had already visited a few Cathedrals on this trip so were all Catherdral'd out but it did look like it was worth a visit.
There are some little shops, market stalls and restaurants directly in the vicinity around here. We were not bothered by anyone at all which was refreshing in such a touristy area. We decided to grab a drink and just take in the atmosphere. It was fairy pricey around here compared to the rest of our trip (20e for 500ml of wine and an Aperol Spritz still isn't too bad).
We had pre-booked a table at Kirste Pizzeria just around the corner. I'm pleased we did as walk ins were not given a table with a view. Ours however was perfect and the service and food were both good. It was a cheap and cheerful tea and a bargain too (my margarita pizza was just 7 euros!).
You may notice we have our Toon Tops on and that's because Newcastle United were playing Leeds that night. I had researched places that were likely to show the game and The Scarecrow Bar looked like our best bet. Plus is was only an 8 minute walk straight from our hotel.
I loved walking through Pisa at night - there are some lovely little squares with lots of outdoor dining and the area around the river was nice and vibrant. I felt super safe. You are likely to walk past some churches with their doors open too - you can just pop in. If you're lucky (as we were) you may be treated to a free music recital.
We arrived at The Scarecrow and it's very quirky - an ecclectic mix of The Beatles, Liverpool Football Club, Halloween (in Summer) and an Irish Bar. There was plenty to look at and they even had a Grand Piano in the loo. They serve a good selection of beers, a decent pint of Guiness and the staff recommended a brilliant red wine from Sicily for me to try. They weren't playing the game by default but we asked and they put it on in the back bar for us which was nice.
Earlier in the evening a random Geordie spotted our tops, approached us and asked us where we were watching the game and they joined us. Plus two of our friends who happened to be in Pisa on the same night popped along too. Apart from the score, it was a canny night. One of those bars you would never usually go in but will probably remember forever. KO was 9pm and we were back at our hotel not long after 11pm.
Other ideas for things to do in Pisa:
Earlier in the evening a random Geordie spotted our tops, approached us and asked us where we were watching the game and they joined us. Plus two of our friends who happened to be in Pisa on the same night popped along too. Apart from the score, it was a canny night. One of those bars you would never usually go in but will probably remember forever. KO was 9pm and we were back at our hotel not long after 11pm.
Other ideas for things to do in Pisa:
- The Botanical Gardens
- Pisa Food Tour / Italian Cooking Class
- Stop for Gelato
- Shopping
- National Museum of Royal Palace
- Museum of Anatomy
- Open Air Bus Tour
- Climb the Leaning Tower and visit the Cathedral
- Palazzo Blu Art Gallery
I have to be honest, I had not heard anyone sing the praises of Pisa and although it was not one of the best places I have visited in Italy, I am still very pleased we visited and enjoyed it more than expected. It's definitely worth adding a night's stay here before a flight.
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