Coach & Minibus Hire in Italy

Pisa and the Tuscan Coast by Minibus

Most groups give Pisa half a day, and that is fine. The square of miracles is compact, the walk from the bus park is short, and the afternoon is free for Lucca, the coast or the marble mountains. The one fixed point is where the day begins.

Every bus calls at Pietrasantina first

Pisa lets buses drive only along its designated corridors. Every bus coming into the city, minibuses included, first goes to the check point at the Pietrasantina park-and-ride, along Via Aurelia and Via Pietrasantina, even if the permit was already bought online. Pisamo runs the scheme for the city.

The check point is staffed 08:30 to 19:30, every day, and takes cards only; the driver shows the vehicle's registration document. A vehicle arriving late in the evening collects its permit after 08:30 the next morning, which is worth knowing if your flight lands at night.

Executive Sprinter minibus, exterior
Executive Sprinter minibus, exterior

TS or TTS: which permit you need

A TS permit lets the vehicle park at Pietrasantina and move outside the central zones. That covers the classic visit, because Piazza dei Miracoli is a short walk from the bus park. A TTS permit is needed only to drive and stop inside the central zones, for instance to set a group down at a hotel near Piazza dei Cavalieri. It needs approval in advance, and the hotel also registers the vehicle's transit in the city's ZTL portal.

Flying in to Pisa

Stops worth making in Pisa

  • Livorno (cruise port, day trip) — Livorno is the cruise port for Pisa and Florence shore excursions.
  • Lucca (day trip) — Walled city north-east of Pisa.
  • Piazza dei Cavalieri and the Lungarni — Inside the historic centre ZTL; coaches enter only with a TTS permit authorised in advance, and only to set passengers down.
  • Piazza dei Miracoli (Torre pendente, Duomo, Battistero, Camposanto) — Run by the Opera della Primaziale Pisana. Coaches first go to the Pietrasantina coach park (parcheggio scambiatore) north-west of the square; coaches may not drive in the built-up area outside the set bus corridors.

Easy pickup points

  • Marina di Pisa / Tirrenia (coast)
  • Pisa airport area
  • Lungarni
  • Pisa Centrale station / Corso Italia
  • Centro Storico / Borgo Stretto
  • Piazza dei Miracoli / Porta Nuova

The Tower, then somewhere else

The Duomo, Baptistery, Camposanto and Leaning Tower are run by the Opera della Primaziale Pisana; arrange your group's tickets with them before you travel. Pisa San Rossore station is the closest to the square if anyone is joining by train.

Lucca, inside its walls, is about 35 minutes away; Viareggio about 40; the marble quarries of Carrara about 1 h 5 min. La Spezia, for the Cinque Terre by train or boat, is about 1 h 25 min. Volterra and San Gimignano make fine hill-town afternoons, each a little under two hours away.

What travellers ask us

How close is Pisa airport?

Very close. The terminal is roughly 5 km from the Leaning Tower; with light traffic the drive takes about 15 minutes. The Pisa Mover shuttle also links the airport with Pisa Centrale station.

We arrive on a cruise at Livorno. Does Pisa work as a shore excursion?

Yes. Livorno port is about 40 minutes from Pisa by road, and Pisa pairs easily with Lucca for a fuller day ashore.

Can we pay for the permit in cash at the check point?

No. Pietrasantina accepts payment cards only. Permits can also be bought through Pisamo's web app before the trip.

How far is Florence from Pisa?

About 100 km, roughly 1 h 40 min each way, so the two cities can share a long day.

More trips we arrange

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