Travelling by train to Ghivizzano

linz

New member
Hi
This will be my first trip to Italy. I am flying to Pisa and want to pick up a train to Ghivizzano Coreglia, has anyone done this before? I need to find out how far the station is from Pisa airport, how easy is it to negotiate a ticket (just started to take some on-line Italian lessons, hopefully they will help me a little) and are the stations well signposted ect. Any advise would be appreciated, thanks
 
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I mapped it on Google Maps - you can see it here: https://goo.gl/maps/E4t7i

The Pisa airport is really quite close to the Pisa Central station - there was a train that connected the two but there are works on the tracks right now, so you'll need to take a bus. There are signs showing the way. Along the way, stop at a newsagent - they sell bus tickets. Normally you can also get one on board but it costs more.

Once at Centrale, there are ticket offices as well as multilingual ticket machines to get tickets. Either works fine - if you go to the counter, the easiest thing is to write down the names of your destination on a slip of paper and show that so that there won't be problems with pronunciation ;-) and you don't end up elsewhere.

You'll pass through Lucca so, depending on the schedule, you might have a direct train that continues on to Aulla or you need to change train in Lucca. Large screens show departing trains, times and the binary where you need to head to - just make sure to stamp the ticket in the yellow machines BEFORE you get on the train to validate it. This stamps date and time on the ticket, as being a regional train it is open and you can use it at any time within 2 months. So the stamping in required; if a train master comes by and asks to see your ticket and it isn't stamped, you get a fine and have to pay it on the spot.

In any case, there are signs and the stations have large signs as you near them, plus they are announced over the speaker on the train as you near them so you shouldn't have problems. Am sure your Italian lessons will also help!!
 
Thank you

Thank you so much for your help. I am not travelling until August so hopefully all will be okay by then. I guess my destination is a little off the beaten track. I'm really enjoying learning Italian, its such a lovely language, I just hope learning by myself is enough to get me understood! :)
 
Buying train tickets online

Hi I have a some questions I hope you can help me with
1) If I purchase my return ticket on-line using the Trenitalia website do I still have to validate them in the station?
2) When you purchase on-line you are requested to pick a 'time', does this mean I must get that train, if for some reason I miss it would I have to buy another ticket at the station?

I'm really looking forward to going to Italy, with the exception of having to change trains, I'm really keen not to mess up!
Thanks
 
1. Theoretically if you buy for specific time and train you don't need to, especially the fast trains which do require seat reservations.

2. For fast trains you do need to catch that train. If you know you won't make it and need to make changes, they need to happen before the travel time. For regional trains this does not matter as the tickets are open ended... I don't recommend buying this online in any case. just buy at the station before traveling, for the train you take.
 
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