Getting around by train.

Helen

New member
Hello,

My boyfriend and I are due to fly to Pisa in a couple of weeks, we are staying at a hotel in San Giuliano Terme, can you tell us the best way to get there cheaply as we have been told that taxis can be very expensive! We have been told that there is a train station near to our hotel (Hotel Granduca)

We are staying for 3 days, we are planing on visiting Pisa for one day and thinking about seeing some of the Italian countryside the next day. Any suggestions about where to go/how to get there by train?

Many Thanks.
 
getting there by bus

Ciao Helen,

Is this the hotel where you will be staying at: http://www.hotelgranduca.it ?

If it is, on their website you'll see that they map their location really close to Pisa. San Giuliano Terme is just a few miles outside of town but it seems they aren't located in the town but along the road, Via del Brennero 13, that connects Pisa to San Giuliano.

Google Maps on the other hand doesn't really know where number 13 is along this road so it maps out several spots, one is really close to Pisa, another closer to San Giuliano. If their website maps themselves correctly, then it seems you can get to your hotel by taxi (don't think it should be too expensive in any case) or by public transportation.

I found that bus line P731 run by Viabus goes from the airport to the main train station in Pisa and then onto Via Brennero toward San Giuliano Terme and on to Lucca. You can find the bus schedule here, starting at page 17.
http://www.vaibus.com/pdf/orari/LibrettoOrario_inverno_2009-10_2.pdf
"Orario feriale" at the top right means schedule for Monday through Saturday, while "orario festivo" is for Sundays. Ticket costs € 1,50 per trip or € 2,50 if you buy it on board the bus.

The easiest thing is to write to your hotel and ask for confirmation that you can get to them by bus on line P731 - in any case, tell your bus driver when you get on where you want to go so that he will tell you when to get off!

I recommend you visit Lucca as well which isn't very far from where you're located. You can likely get there better by bus from where you're located rather than by train but once you're at the hotel, I am sure you can ask and get the best recommendations. You can also head toward the sea - from Pisa take a train to Viareggio or take the train from Lucca up into the Garfagnana valley to Barga, a very charming village near the mountains. Three days will pass by really quickly so once you're here, see where you want to head off to.
 
Ciao Lourdes,

Thank You for your fast helpful reply!

Yes that is the hotel we are staying at. We were told that it was just outside Pisa and was close to a train station, the reason why we decided to stay there!

I have had a look on trip advisor and it looks like the Ristorante Salustri is just over the road from the hotel?

Our main concern is getting from the airport to the hotel without getting lost.

Thanks again.
 
Ciao Helen,

After reading some of those reviews, there seems to be a lot of contrasting feelings about the place and its location. The reviews in Italian say it isn't that close to town and you need a car, but that doesn't say much if you don't know exactly at what point of the road it is located. I think the best way to get there will be by bus. If you have doubts, I suggest contacting the hotel directly to pose your question about getting there on public transportation - by the way they reply to your request, you'll be able to better understand their service.

You can also read more about San Giuliano Terme, including address for the restaurant Salustri which seems to be in the town:
http://www.turismo.sangiulianoterme.eu/CMpro-v-p-283.html
The hotel also has their own restaurant.

You shouldn't get lost from the airport on the bus - just clearly tell the bus driver, even if he doesn't speak English, you're interested in "Hotel Granduca, Via del Brennero" - if he drives by it every day, he'll know the appropriate stop and will tell you when to get off. If he smiles and nods (or just nods), you'll know he understood. Most Italians try to be helpful if they can.
 
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