We will fly into and out of Pisa for a trip to Italy summer 2008. Any suggestions on a hotel for one night at the front end and 2 nights on the reutrn end? We have a villa outside of Sienna for most of our stay, but would prefer an inexpesive room in Pisa.
Also, we need to rent a car in Pisa. Any helpful hints here?
If you page down on this page, Tuscany Hotel Reviews you'll see some positive (and negative) hotel reviews for places in Pisa submitted by others on our corresponding travel sight: Slow Travel
Hi Jody, for cars the cheapest option seems to be Europcar. The other option could be E-sixt and its low-cost version sixti.com, all available in Pisa.
I just returned from Pisa and risk the wrath of some fellow members but.......if I had to do it all over....I'd visit for the day and stay as far away as possible!! Not my favorite place in Italy! Naples was nicer and that's not saying much!
No wrath, but just wondering on what basis you give that kind of advice about anyplace. Different people are interested in different things when they go to Italy.
With respect to Pisa, I have a negative reaction to the lamentable tourist traps that abut the Leaning Tower (I think of the restaurants there as Ptomaine Alley) but everything else is Pisa is really quite nice and away from the Leaning Tower it is sooooooooo nice not to be constantly elbow-to-elbow with foreign tourists, as one is in Firenze and Roma. I don't care for Tuscan food, personally, but I ate better in Pisa's non-tourist restaurants than I have in 90 percent of the places I ate in Lucca.
Napoli is one of my very favorite Italian cities, the one I'm most eager to go back to -- so maybe that should tell you that personal experience is no basis upon which to give universal travel advice.
Hi Jody, We stayed at Hotel Verdi in July 2007. Loads more photos here.
I have only just submitted my review (your post reminded me to do so!) and don't know how long it will take to show up in the review section. But we were very pleased with the hotel and would definitely stay here again if we return to Pisa.
Yes, very useful. Your notes really gave me an appreciation for Pisa. The notes are not all about the Tower, unlike nearly everything else I read about Pisa. It was enlightening to read of the many other things to see and do in Pisa. The city really comes to life when you know what you are looking at.
One of your comments that we took to heart was: "...you must look up. Pisa can only be appreciated if you raise your eyes and look at the beautiful buildings." So true, I fell in love with the glowing colours of the buildings.
Anne, love the colorful photo-I know that corner, its just across from the magnificent Palazzo dei Cavalieri di Santo Stefano where I had a book presentation. Half the delight of Pisa is walking the side streets, peeking into churches (the one in your photo has some memorabilia from the Crusades) and palazzi. I've stayed at both Hotel Victoria (very old fashioned-famous since the days of Dickens and the Grand Tour -ask to see their guest books) and Relais dell'Ussero guest house next door . Both are gems.
I am realy happy to hear this! And the photo is amazing!
Actually I have learnt to love Pisa over the years. And I wrote those notes because I think the tower has been a fortune and a misfortune for the city. But there is much more. I am fascinated by the history of the city, by the amount of famous people that chose it as their creative home.
There are more beautiful places for sure, and there are area that should make the local government feel very ashamed. But that's Italy.
We use it as our "last night" hotel for access to early morning flights out of Pisa. It is certainly not elegant, but it is cheap, clean, quiet, and centrally located (easy walk to sites and restaurants). There is on street parking (with a permit provided by the hotel) that we have never had a problem with.
Posts: 725 | Location: Northern Virginia | Registered: 22 May 2006
Also Relais Dell'Ussero looks interesting. Any comments? PS sorry about typos- we have finally gotten cold weather here and my fingers are numb! I'm counting down to summer in Italy...
Alessandro della Spina is certainly a nice hotel, but it is in a very ugly area. Choose something that makes Pisa more enjoyable. Relais dell'Ussero is in an amazing building and it is in a much better place. If you only have two nights to spend in Pisa, be right downtown when everything happens.
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