Tuscany Villages

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Pisa or Florence airport to Lucca, Pescia and Pistoia

Which airport for Lucca, Pescia or Pistoia? Step-by-step routes from Pisa and Florence airports by PisaMover, tram, train and hire car.

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Last updated: October 2026

Pisa or Florence? It’s the first decision of the holiday, and for this part of Tuscany both work. Here’s how to get from each one to Lucca, Pescia, Montecatini and Pistoia, by public transport or hire car.

Which airport should I fly to?

  • Pisa (Galileo Galilei) is the one for Lucca, the Garfagnana and Barga. It’s also usually the airport with more flights from the UK.
  • Florence (Peretola, also called Amerigo Vespucci) is handier for Pistoia, Prato and Florence itself.
  • Pescia and Montecatini sit in the middle. Either is fine, so pick the cheapest or best-timed flight.

From Pisa airport by train

This is the easy one.

  1. Take the PisaMover from the airport to Pisa Centrale station. It’s a little driverless shuttle train, it takes about 5 minutes, and it leaves from right by the terminal.
  2. Change to a regional train at Pisa Centrale. The PisaMover arrives next to the station, by the old platform 14.
  3. Ride to Lucca in about 25 to 30 minutes. Trains carry on from Lucca to Pescia, Montecatini Terme and Pistoia, and some need a change in Lucca.
The small PisaMover shuttle train on its raised track
The PisaMover, between the airport and Pisa Centrale. Photo: AndrPr, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tickets. A PisaMover single was €6.50 in 2026 (€13 return). Here’s a tip: on the Trenitalia app or website you can buy one ticket that covers both. Just choose “Pisa Aeroporto” as your departure station. Remember that a paper regional ticket needs stamping before you board. My train and bus guide explains how.

Hours. The PisaMover runs every day from 6 am to midnight, and until 1 am from June to September. The last trains to Lucca leave much earlier than that, so if you land late, check the timetable or plan on a taxi.

From Florence airport by tram and train

  1. Walk to the tram. The T2 tram stop “Peretola Aeroporto” is about 2 minutes from the terminal.
  2. Ride to the main station. Get off at “Alamanni–Stazione” for Santa Maria Novella. It takes about 20 minutes.
  3. Take a regional train towards Pistoia, Lucca or Viareggio. Pistoia is about 35 to 50 minutes away, Pescia about an hour, and Lucca about 1 hour 20 to 1 hour 45.
A Florence T2 tram waiting at the Peretola Aeroporto stop
The T2 tram at the Florence airport stop. Photo: Moliva, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tickets. A tram ticket was €2.00 for 90 minutes in 2026. The simplest way to pay is to tap a contactless bank card on the reader on board. You can also use the at bus app or the machines at the stop.

Hours. Trams run from about 5 am to half past midnight, and later on Friday and Saturday nights.

By hire car

Both airports have car hire. At Pisa the rental area is a short walk or a quick shuttle from the terminal. At Florence a free shuttle bus takes you to a separate rental hub nearby.

  • Pisa to Lucca: it’s a short drive north-east, often about half an hour if traffic is kind.
  • Florence to Pistoia, Montecatini, Pescia or Lucca: the A11 motorway starts right by Florence airport and runs west past all of them. It’s a toll road.

Before you set off, please read my driving in Tuscany guide. The big one is the ZTL. Don’t follow the satnav into a historic centre. Lucca, Pistoia and Pisa all have camera-controlled zones, and the fines arrive months later.

Taxis and transfers

Taxis wait outside both terminals. They’re the easy option if you land late, have a lot of luggage or are heading up to a hill village. Agree the price first, or book a transfer in advance so someone is waiting with your name on a sign.

Sorana on its hill with the village of Aramo in the background
Sorana, with Aramo behind, photographed May 2018. The kind of place where a pre-booked transfer is worth every cent

Which way for where?

  • Lucca: from Pisa. PisaMover, then train.
  • Barga and the Garfagnana: from Pisa. Train to Lucca, then the Lucca to Aulla line, or a hire car.
  • Pescia and Collodi: from Pisa or Florence. Train to Pescia, then the bus to Collodi.
  • Montecatini Terme: from Pisa or Florence. Train all the way.
  • Pistoia: from Florence. Tram, then train.
  • Svizzera Pesciatina villages: from either. Hire car or transfer.
Purple wisteria hanging over a green door and a window in Collodi
Wisteria in Collodi, photographed May 2015. Worth the trip from either airport

For life without a car once you’re here, my car-free guide to the Pescia valley has the buses, taxis and a sample week.

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Susan

Photo credits: The PisaMover, between the airport and Pisa Centrale (photo: AndrPr, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons); The T2 tram at the Florence airport stop (photo: Moliva, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons). All other photos are my own.

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