Gateway to Tuscany (Galileo Galilei Pisa International Airport (PSA))

Name: vhart

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Product:	Galileo Galilei Pisa International Airport (PSA)
Date:	26/05/01 (1160 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Has everything you need from an airport

Disadvantages: Quite small, trains stop running quite early

Pisa International Airport is the largest airport in Tuscany, which really isn't saying a lot! It is used as a gateway to Florence, and the connections from Pisa Airport to Florence are very good, but I'll come back to that in a moment.

Even though it is the main airport of Tuscany, Pisa is quite a small airport, especially if you are used to flying out of the UK. It isn't the kind of airport you should leave to do your shopping in, let's just put it that way!

Located to the west of Pisa, it is easy to find. There are trains directly from Santa Maria Novella Station in Florence to the Airport itself and also trains from Pisa. It costs roughly 7000 Lire to Florence (about £2.30 and the journey takes an hour).

There are also buses which run both into Florence and into Pisa. The bus into Pisa is a local route and costs 1500L (50p) and I don't know how much the bus to Florence cost, because the train is much easier!

Inside the airport itself there is a coffee bar/pizza shop, which is good for snacks and the like and not excessively expensive.

There is a restaurant and a self service restaurant upstairs, which is overpriced and not very pleasant, so avoid if at all possible.

There is a newsagent which sells some books and magazines in a range of languages, a fine wine and food shop, a gift shop which is very expensive and some kind of clothes shop which I didn't investigate fully. And that's about it!

There is a tourist information point where the staff speak English and where you can buy the train tickets to Florence or Pisa (if you want a train ticket to anywhere else you have to go into Pisa - I know because the woman at the information was rather shocked when I tried to buy a ticket for Rome.. she gesticulated profusely and asked me why I hadn't flown directly to Rome (!!)- I don't think it was a common request!.

There is a bureau de change in the airp
ort and a bank as well, and some car hire desks, but it isn't the most comprehensive airport you will find, but it serves its purpose well enough.

Once through security there is a duty free shop, but I've never been in it, as both times I was at Pisa Airport, it was closed!! So don't count on spending your last lire at the last available opportunity!

If you do fly from Pisa, it is worth noting that the last train to the airport leaves at roughly 6pm, so if you have a later flight you will have to get the bus, or even a taxi to Pisa Central station(which costs about £3 - it isn't such an awful thing to have to do!). There are trains that run from Pisa Central into Florence at all times!

Buon viaggio!

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