Pisa has one main train station, Pisa Centrale, just south of the historic centre. Two other stops matter for travellers: Pisa San Rossore, the closest station to the Leaning Tower, and Pisa Aeroporto, the terminus of the PisaMover shuttle to the airport. For almost every visit, book Pisa Centrale. If your only reason for coming is the Tower, look for a service that stops at San Rossore instead. Before you pay, check the exact station name on your ticket.
Pisa’s three train stations at a glance
Pisa is “Pisa” on every booking site, but you will see at least three different “Pisa…” stations in the timetable. The main one is Pisa Centrale, in the city. Pisa San Rossore is a small suburban stop just north of the historic centre, beside the city walls. Pisa Aeroporto sits inside the airport itself and is reached on the PisaMover, an automated people mover rather than a normal train.
For almost every visit, Pisa Centrale is the right choice. San Rossore matters because it puts you a few minutes’ walk from the Leaning Tower complex, which is a stiff twenty to twenty-five minute walk from Centrale. Pisa Aeroporto only matters when you are flying.
| Station | Where it is | Mainly used by | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pisa Centrale | City centre, south of the Arno | Most Trenitalia long-distance and Regionale services; some Italo | Almost every visit to Pisa |
| Pisa San Rossore | Just north of the historic centre | Some Regionale services towards Lucca, Viareggio and La Spezia | When the Leaning Tower is your main reason to come |
| Pisa Aeroporto | Inside Pisa Galileo Galilei Airport | The PisaMover shuttle from Pisa Centrale | Airport transfers only |
Pisa Centrale, the station almost every train uses
Pisa Centrale is the city’s main station and the one to aim for unless you have a specific reason not to. It sits on Piazza della Stazione, on the southern side of the old town, about a ten minute walk from the river Arno. It is owned by the Italian rail infrastructure company RFI and acts as a through station on four lines: Pisa to Livorno and Rome, Pisa to La Spezia and Genoa, Pisa to Florence, and the local Lucca to Pisa line. Trains usually run through rather than reverse.
The station has around sixteen platforms and the practical things you would expect at a station this size. There is a staffed ticket office, ticket machines, a left-luggage office close to the platforms, food and drink outlets, accessibility assistance through the Sala Blu service, and a Casa Italo point for Italo passengers. Left-luggage hours change, so confirm them on the day rather than relying on an older guide.
If you are walking into town, head straight out the front of the station onto Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II and keep going north. The Arno is roughly ten minutes away on foot, and the old town opens up across the bridges.
Pisa San Rossore, the station closest to the Leaning Tower
If the Leaning Tower is your real reason to come to Pisa, San Rossore is the station you want. It is small and unstaffed-looking, but it puts you on a quiet street about four hundred metres from the western entrance of Piazza dei Miracoli, where the Tower and Duomo are. That is a five to eight minute walk. From Pisa Centrale, the same walk takes twenty to twenty-five minutes.
The catch is that San Rossore is much quieter than Centrale. Only some Regionale services call there, typically trains running between Pisa and Lucca, Viareggio or in the La Spezia direction. A useful quirk is that several of the Regionale trains from Florence to La Spezia call at San Rossore after Pisa Centrale, so if you read the timetable carefully you can ride straight through to San Rossore on a single ticket.
Before you leave the station for the Tower, look at the departure board for your return service. Trains from San Rossore are less frequent than from Centrale, so it is worth picking the train you want to come back on and planning your visit around it. If the timing looks awkward, walk or bus back to Pisa Centrale.
Pisa Aeroporto and the PisaMover to the airport
For Pisa Galileo Galilei Airport, you take the PisaMover, not a train. The PisaMover is an automated people mover that replaced the old airport train link, and it runs on its own elevated guideway between Pisa Centrale and Pisa Aeroporto in a few minutes. The platform at Pisa Centrale is at the far end of the underpass that runs beneath the railway tracks, on the opposite side from the main entrance. Follow the signs.
Tickets are sold from machines at both ends. They were around €2.70 each way at the station machines at the time of writing, and the service typically runs from early morning until around midnight at five to eight minute intervals through most of the day. Both the fare and the timetable can change, so check the live PisaMover hours and price before relying on it for an early or late flight.
There is no longer a direct train between Pisa Centrale and the airport, so older guides that describe a “Pisa airport train” are out of date. The PisaMover does the same job, and you do not need a national rail ticket to use it.
How to reach the Leaning Tower from Pisa Centrale
If you arrive at Pisa Centrale and want to see the Tower, you have three sensible options. With time and light luggage, walk. It is about twenty to twenty-five minutes through Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, across the Arno on the Ponte di Mezzo, and up through the old town. The route is flat and the streets are easy to follow.
For the quickest no-luggage option, take the LAM Rossa city bus, the red line. It runs from outside Pisa Centrale to the Tower and is timetabled to stop at “Torre”, just by Piazza dei Miracoli. Tickets are around €1.70 from the machines at the station and cost more if you buy from the driver. Stamp the ticket as soon as you board.
The rail traveller’s option is to hop one short Regionale train from Pisa Centrale to Pisa San Rossore, then walk the last few hundred metres. This only makes sense when a suitable train is due in the next twenty minutes or so. Check the departure board on arrival at Centrale and pick whichever option is fastest.
Operators and tickets at Pisa
Two operators run the long-distance trains through Pisa. Trenitalia is the national operator and the dominant presence here. It runs Frecciargento and Frecciabianca high-speed services to and from cities such as Rome, Genoa and Milan, plus Intercity trains and the regional Regionale network across Tuscany. Italo, the second high-speed operator, also serves Pisa Centrale on some of its services, so it is worth checking both when you book a long-distance ticket.
Booking site names can confuse people. Trainline, Omio, ItaliaRail and Rail Europe are resellers, not train companies. They sell tickets for Trenitalia and Italo, sometimes with a booking fee, so a comparison between “Trenitalia and ItaliaRail” is really a comparison between an operator and a reseller of that operator’s tickets. For short Tuscany hops to Lucca, Florence, Livorno or Viareggio, you will be on Trenitalia Regionale trains, which do not need seat reservations and can be bought on the day. For high-speed services on routes such as Rome in about two hours, book ahead, since advance fares are usually cheaper than buying on the day.
Frequently asked questions
How many train stations does Pisa have?
Pisa has three stations travellers commonly meet: Pisa Centrale in the city centre, Pisa San Rossore just north of the historic centre near the Leaning Tower, and Pisa Aeroporto inside the airport. Pisa Centrale handles almost all long-distance traffic; the other two are useful in specific cases.
Which Pisa station is closest to the Leaning Tower?
Pisa San Rossore. It is about four hundred metres from the western entrance of Piazza dei Miracoli, a five to eight minute walk. From Pisa Centrale, the same walk takes twenty to twenty-five minutes.
Is there a train from Pisa Centrale to Pisa Airport?
No. The PisaMover, an automated people mover, replaced the old airport train link. You take the PisaMover from a platform at the back of Pisa Centrale to Pisa Aeroporto in a few minutes.
How much does the PisaMover cost?
Tickets were around €2.70 each way at the station machines at the time of writing. Both the fare and the timetable can change, so check the live price before you travel.
Can you walk from Pisa Centrale to the Leaning Tower?
Yes, in about twenty to twenty-five minutes. The route is flat, through Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II and across the Arno on the Ponte di Mezzo. If you have heavy luggage or limited time, the LAM Rossa city bus or a hop on a Regionale train to Pisa San Rossore is faster.
Which operators run trains from Pisa Centrale?
Trenitalia is the main operator, running Frecciargento, Frecciabianca, Intercity and Regionale services across Tuscany and the country. Italo also serves Pisa Centrale on some of its high-speed services.
Where can I leave luggage at Pisa Centrale?
There is a left-luggage office close to the platforms inside the station. Hours change, so check on the day rather than relying on an older guide. Independent deposit services also operate near the station.
