Tuscany Day Trip | The Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is something that we both saw years ago and- while we liked it- had removed from our list of “must see’s” upon returning to Tuscany in the summers.

However, with kids, it’s an easy and fun option to do out for Florence. Plus, it was just under an hour door-to-Tower for us, so it makes for a great option for spending half the day out and half the day being lazy/doing something else.

You can take a train from Florence to Pisa really easily- they run often from Florence’s main station, Santa Maria Novella and are cheap. (Maybe €6 the last time I took it?) Once you arrive to the station, you can either trek across town following the signs or hop in a local bus or taxi. But we had a car, so we opted for driving right on up, parking in a paid lot about 300 yards from the tower and cruising in.

What’s great about the tower is that you can visit it for free! Take all the classic “holding it up with one finger” pics that your heart desires for not a single penny. However, to climb the famous tower- you’ll need to reserve a time slot and pay €18. I’ve been there probably 8 times and never climbed up... and to be honest, I don’t feel like I’m missing out at all. (Do chime in below if you have climbed up and think I’m wrong!)

We took loads of pictures- most mainly bad and hilarious. Then wandered down a side street stuffed with tourist shops and cafes in search of something along the frozen-dairy category for a great. We got popsicles at a little cafe and scooted back to the tower to enjoy them on the curb. (Fine dining with a view, of course.)

After about an hour all in- we decided we had enough of the Pisa experience and headed out to the car park. A million men selling random trinkets will, of course, try to intercept you. We ended up with a hot pink fan for €1 for a certain 5 year old, and hit the road.

This is a really fun, cheap and easy day trip when you’re staying in Florence. With a gaggle of little kids, having a car made it really easy on us- but if you had a small baby or older kids, a train would be a fabulously simple route to the iconic tower, too!