Tuscany by Train: How to Travel Between Florence, Pisa, Siena, Lucca and Beyond

Travelling through Tuscany by train works extremely well if your itinerary is built around cities and larger towns. Florence, Pisa, Lucca, Livorno, Arezzo and the eastern rail corridor are easy to combine, and even places such as Siena, Cortona, San Gimignano and Montepulciano can be reached with sensible train-and-bus planning. What the railway does not do particularly well is reproduce the freedom of a car in the countryside. The trick is to let the train handle the routes it is good at and avoid forcing it into a rural itinerary that was never designed around stations.

Florence is the natural rail hub

Firenze Santa Maria Novella, usually written Firenze S. M. Novella or Firenze SMN, is the key station for most first-time visitors. It sits beside the historic centre and is served by high-speed trains from Rome, Bologna, Milan and other major Italian cities as well as regional services across Tuscany.

From Florence you can travel directly or with simple connections towards Pisa, Prato, Pistoia, Lucca, Livorno, Arezzo, Cortona and several other destinations. The official Trenitalia Toscana pages are the best place to confirm schedules close to travel.

If your holiday is city-focused, staying near the centre rather than beside the station specifically is usually more pleasant; Florence’s core is compact enough that the station is walkable from many central areas. See our Florence guide for neighbourhood ideas.

Florence to Pisa: one of the easiest routes

Florence and Pisa are one of the simplest city pairs in Tuscany. Regional trains run frequently through the day, and Pisa Centrale is within walking distance of much of the city. Some services are faster than others, so check duration rather than simply boarding the next departure.

This route is easy enough for a day trip, but staying overnight has an advantage: early morning and evening reveal a calmer Pisa after many excursion groups leave. If you want to continue to Lucca, the rail network makes that combination straightforward.

When travelling with luggage, leave a little extra time at Firenze SMN. Platform information can appear relatively close to departure, and the station is busy. There is no advantage in sprinting for a regional train when another service may follow soon after.

Pisa and Lucca make a natural rail pair

Pisa and Lucca are close geographically and easy to link by train. Lucca’s station is just outside the Renaissance walls, which means you can step off the train and reach the historic centre on foot without needing a taxi. This is one of the reasons Lucca is such a rewarding car-free destination.

A very efficient western-Tuscany itinerary is Florence → Pisa → Lucca → Viareggio, with nights allocated according to your interests. It combines art cities, a walled town and the coast without requiring a rental car. The TuscanyLINE service also connects Florence, Prato, Pistoia, Montecatini, Pescia, Altopascio, Pisa and Lucca along useful regional corridors.

For ideas once you arrive, read our Lucca guide.

Siena by train: possible, but compare the bus

Siena has a railway station, but it is below and outside the compact historic centre. Local transport and escalator connections help bridge the elevation, yet the station is not as naturally placed as those in Florence, Lucca or Pisa. Depending on where you start, a direct bus can be more convenient.

From Florence, many travellers compare train and bus rather than assuming rail must be best. Train is comfortable and reliable for many journeys, but the bus can deliver you closer to central Siena. If you have luggage, check the location of your accommodation and decide which arrival point is easier.

This is a good example of a general Tuscany rule: choose transport by the final kilometre, not by the first hundred. Our Siena city guide includes practical arrival context.

Arezzo and Cortona are excellent by rail

The Florence–Arezzo corridor is one of the strongest train-friendly choices for travellers who want a different side of Tuscany. Arezzo’s station is close to the historic centre, making the city easy for a day trip or overnight stay. From there, the rail line continues towards the Valdichiana area and Rome.

Cortona itself sits on a hill, while the principal rail access is lower down at Camucia-Cortona or Terontola-Cortona. That means the journey requires a local bus or taxi for the final climb. It is still very manageable, but this is not a station-to-piazza experience.

Trenitalia also promotes integrated “Link” services on selected routes, combining train and onward bus. These can simplify destinations whose historic centres are not directly on the railway.

San Gimignano and Montepulciano need a second step

San Gimignano has no railway station. A common route is train to Poggibonsi-San Gimignano followed by a bus to the hill town. It is perfectly possible as a day trip, but check the return bus before you start wandering among the towers; evening frequency is not something to guess.

Montepulciano is similar in principle. The rail network gets you into the wider area, then a bus completes the trip to the historic hill town. Depending on your starting point, Chiusi-Chianciano Terme can be a useful rail gateway. Train-plus-bus journeys require more attention than a direct rail trip, but they are a realistic option for travellers who do not want to drive.

If your holiday contains several hill towns in a row, however, this is where a rental car starts to earn its keep. One difficult connection is interesting; five consecutive ones can dominate the trip.

Regional tickets: keep the process simple

For regional trains, buy the correct ticket for the journey and follow the validation rules shown by the operator or app. Digital ticket procedures have evolved over time, so do not rely on an old blog post or a memory from a previous trip. The Trenitalia app and official website show the current requirements.

High-speed trains are different: they normally come with a reserved seat and are tied to a specific service and fare conditions. If you are arriving from Rome or Milan and connecting to a regional train, leave a reasonable buffer rather than creating a five-minute connection with luggage.

Keep your ticket available until after you leave the destination station. Inspectors work on regional services, and phone batteries have a habit of failing at exactly the wrong time. A small power bank is one of the more useful travel accessories on a multi-city rail trip.

Luggage on Tuscan trains

Regional trains are practical with normal suitcases, but storage is not identical on every train. Travel lighter if you plan to change bases frequently. A medium suitcase that you can lift yourself is far easier than a giant case when a platform change involves stairs or a crowded carriage.

Do not leave valuables unattended in luggage areas. Keep passports, phones and wallets with you. At busy stations, use the same common-sense awareness you would use in any major European transport hub.

If your accommodation has a late check-in, ask whether you can leave luggage before the room is ready. That can turn a travel day into a sightseeing day rather than spending several hours waiting beside your suitcase.

Day trips that work especially well by train

Some combinations are almost made for rail. Florence to Pisa is easy. Florence to Arezzo is easy. Pisa to Lucca is easy. Florence to Pistoia and Prato is straightforward. Lucca to Viareggio brings you from walls to seaside without worrying about parking.

Cortona is manageable with the final local connection. San Gimignano works with train plus bus. Siena can be reached by rail, although the bus deserves comparison. The coast is generally much more rail-friendly than many inland hill towns.

Do not attempt to prove that every famous Tuscan village can be done as a day trip from Florence. The most satisfying no-car itineraries usually choose places that fit the network naturally rather than collecting destinations from a checklist.

Strikes, engineering works and Sunday schedules

Italian rail travel is generally straightforward, but strikes and engineering works do happen. Check the operator the day before an important journey, especially if you are connecting with a flight. Weekend works can replace trains with buses on some sections, and late-evening frequency may be thinner than daytime service.

On Sundays and public holidays, buses that complete rural connections can run less often. That matters more than the train itself when visiting a hill town. Always check the return leg before setting out.

If a journey is critical — for example, getting from Lucca to Pisa Airport for an international flight — choose a connection with generous spare time. A holiday train day should feel relaxed, not like a chain of exact-minute dependencies.

When a train trip becomes better than a road trip

A train-based holiday avoids ZTL cameras, parking searches, fuel stops and the responsibility of driving after dinner. It also lets everyone look at the landscape instead of one person watching the road. For Florence, Pisa, Lucca and Arezzo, those advantages are substantial.

A car wins when your priority is vineyards, isolated agriturismi, small villages and spontaneous stops. Many travellers find the best solution is a hybrid: use trains for the first city section, then rent a car for three or four countryside days, returning it before the final urban stay.

If you want to avoid driving entirely, continue with our Tuscany without a car guide

Where to stay for this trip: Where to Stay in Tuscany Without a Car: Best Bases for Trains and Easy Day Trips. Check prices & availability

Final thoughts

Tuscany by train is not a compromise if you choose the right route. Build the trip around Florence, Pisa, Lucca, Arezzo and other rail-friendly places, use buses thoughtfully for selected hill towns, and resist the temptation to squeeze a rural road trip into a public-transport timetable. Done well, the train gives you a slower, easier Tuscany with far less logistical stress.