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Train travel from Genoa to Florence via Pisa

Mumbai
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11 posts
36 reviews
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Train travel from Genoa to Florence via Pisa
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I am taking a train booked through from Genoa to Florence, but with a change at Pisa. How easy or difficult is it to change platforms/trains in Pisa? Is 9 minutes connecting time too short or should I take a later connection?

Are there escalators to platforms at Pisa station (I may be carrying baggage too heavy to lug up and down stairs, and that too in a hurry)

Do they make announcements in English?

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21,565 posts
147 reviews
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1. Re: Train travel from Genoa to Florence via Pisa
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Pisa station is very small, but still you might have to go by underpassages to your track. I can't remember whether there are any elevators and in any case my advice would be to pack light. No announcements in English but you have charts of the major trains at every track.

washington, dc
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2. Re: Train travel from Genoa to Florence via Pisa
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Take a look at the schedule on:

http://www.trenitalia.it

and you will see that trains run very frequently.

It really doesn't matter if you miss one, there will be another one coming along.

They are regional trains with no reserved seats and no advance booking.

Mumbai
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11 posts
36 reviews
38 helpful votes
3. Re: Train travel from Genoa to Florence via Pisa
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Thanks for the responses, Anon and georgehlesser, they're very helpful.

Newcastle upon...
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53 reviews
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4. Re: Train travel from Genoa to Florence via Pisa
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As people have said the trains from Pisa to Florence are extremely frequent and they are the local trains with no reserved seating. So they are different to the trains from Genoa to Pisa. Pisa does have lifts going up and down into the underpasses so its no problem if you have a suitcase. I lived in Genoa for a year and was always backwards and forwards to Pisa as I always flew from their airport and I never had a problem with delayed trains so 9 minutes should be fine. You can use the ticket machines in Genoa to buy a ticket to Florence which will print you out two tickets, one from Genoa to Pisa and one for Pisa to Florence. Also all train stations have announcements in English, they did in Genoa which isn't an overly tourist place and they most definitely do in Pisa.

Edited: 14 years ago
Mumbai
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11 posts
36 reviews
38 helpful votes
5. Re: Train travel from Genoa to Florence via Pisa
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Thanks sarahlou444!

washington, dc
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6. Re: Train travel from Genoa to Florence via Pisa
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Sarahlou

I am guessing, but if Ageof gets two tickets, I assume that means he must validate the ticket from Pisa to Florence, if that is an open, non-reserved ticket for a regional train.

If so, Ageof, make sure you find the little punch-clock on the platform and stamp your Pisa-Florence ticket in it, so that if a conductor checks tickets on the train yours will be valid.

Newcastle upon...
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641 posts
53 reviews
54 helpful votes
7. Re: Train travel from Genoa to Florence via Pisa
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Yeh that is correct and a good piece of advice for people who haven't travelled in Italy before! All tickets which do not have a specific time train, with seat reservation printed on them must be validated. The validation things are on all platforms so when you get to your platform at Pisa you can do it then. Similarly if you intend on using local buses, you must validate your bus ticket when you get on the bus.

washington, dc
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8. Re: Train travel from Genoa to Florence via Pisa
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The same is true in France and elsewhere in Europe. In France, you see signs everywhere reminding you to "composter" your ticket, but I haven't seen such signs in Italy.

Just to be on the safe side, I "composter" everything, regardless. Nobody has ever given me grief for having "composted" something that didn't need it.

Mumbai
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11 posts
36 reviews
38 helpful votes
9. Re: Train travel from Genoa to Florence via Pisa
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hey, that's a very important tip - thanks guys!

Newcastle upon...
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641 posts
53 reviews
54 helpful votes
10. Re: Train travel from Genoa to Florence via Pisa
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well its better to validate everything even if it doesn't need it to be on the safe side. I have never had anyone check my ticket whenever I have been travelling on local trains but I have seen people get fined and thrown off buses for not having a validated ticket.

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