Italy

How to get from Milan to Pisa

In this in-depth route guide, you’ll find the best ways to travel the 218 kilometre (135 miles) distance from Milan to Pisa. By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly how to get there — whether you want to travel on a budget, reach Pisa as fast as possible, or enjoy the ride in comfort. We base our information on verified schedules, ticket prices, and on-the-ground insights from recent travellers.

Written by Ela - Senior Travel WriterReviewed by Maarten - Trip Planning Expert

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Why visit Pisa?

Pisa is a historical gem in Italy’s Tuscany Region. Famous around the world for its iconic Leaning Tower, thousands of tourists visit the province every year.

What few of us know is that Pisa is one of the country’s main cities of art. From architectural beauties like the Pisa Cathedral and the Baptistery to the artistic wonders on display in its many museums, you will not run out of jaw-dropping sights in Pisa!

What are the 2 ways to travel from Milan to Pisa?

There are 2 ways to travel the 218 kilometre (135 miles) distance from Milan to Pisa. You can choose between the bus + train via Florence and train. The journey takes 4 hours 10 minutes to 7 hours 30 minutes and the quickest way is by train. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus + train via Florence with tickets starting at €19.90 ($23).

Transport

Duration

Pricing

Transport Options

Bus + Train via Florence

5h 25m - 7h 30m

From €19.90 ($23)

Train

4h 10m - 4h 20m

From €25.50 ($29.50)

Book Tickets

Milan to Pisa by Bus + Train via Florence

Duration: 5h 25m - 7h 30m

Costs: €19.90 ($23)

Duration: 5h 25m - 7h 30m

Costs: €19.90 ($23)

If you want to take a bus from Milan to Pisa, you can only do so by making a stop in Florence. This option is cheaper than any of the trains, although travel time can take longer.

Keep in mind that this journey involves taking a bus to Florence, a tram to the centre or railway station in Florence, and a train to Pisa.

Florence, Italy’s so-called Renaissance Capital, is definitely worth a visit so it can also be a great opportunity to stay here for one or more nights before continuing the journey to Pisa. If you don’t have this time, you can also explore the city for a few hours before transferring to the train.

Step 1: Milan to Scandicci by Bus

Duration: 4h - 5h 35m

Costs: €9.30 ($10.80)

Duration: 4h - 5h 35m

Costs: €9.30 ($10.80)

Florence is located 310 km south of Milan. There are several bus trips available from Milan to Florence throughout the day.

You can reach Florence by bus in around 4h - 5h 35m, and tickets cost around €9.30 ($10.80). Note that the bus fare still depends on the day of your trip and how early you book your ticket.

We recommend taking an early morning trip. This way, you can spend most of the day exploring Florence or arrive early in Pisa.

Milan Lampugnano

Standard

Florence Villa Constanza Bus Station

00:10

4h 45m

04:55

09:20

4h 55m

14:15

10:45

15:45

13:30

4h 50m

18:20

22:30

5h 24m

03:54

Itabus

From €9.30 ($10.80)

Milan San Donato

Standard

Florence Villa Constanza Bus Station

00:55

04:55

11:30

4h 15m

15:45

15:00

4h 40m

19:40

23:45

4h 15m

04:00

Itabus

€9.30 ($10.80)

Milan

Florence

05:10

5h 10m

10:20

05:30

4h 30m

10:00

08:05

4h 40m

12:45

10:30

4h 50m

15:20

20:05

4h 10m

00:15

22:00

4h 15m

02:15

FlixBus

€12 ($13.90)

Get Your Tickets

Milan Lampugnano

Standard

Florence Park Villa Constanza

14:50

19:50

Autolinee Federico

€20.50 ($23.50)

Get Your Tickets

Milan Malpensa Airport T1

Standard

Florence Villa Constanza Bus Station

19:40

5h 35m

01:15

MarinoBus

€31 ($36)

Get Your Tickets

Milan Lampugnano

Standard

Florence Villa Constanza Bus Station

20:25

4h 50m

01:15

MarinoBus

€38.50 ($44.50)

Get Your Tickets

Milan Via Giuseppe Impastato

Standard

Florence Villa Constanza Bus Station

21:05

4h 10m

01:15

MarinoBus

€38.50 ($44.50)

Get Your Tickets

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Most buses depart from Lampugnano Bus Station, which is around 10 km northwest of Milan city centre and is accessible by taxi.

You will be dropped off at Villa Costanza Bus Station in Scandicci.

Step 2: Scandicci to Florence by Tram

Duration: 25 minutes

Costs: €2 ($2.30)

Duration: 25 minutes

Costs: €2 ($2.30)

The Villa Constanza bus station in Scandicci is around 10 km away from the train station where you need to go next. Luckily, there are tram stations just outside the bus station in Villa Constanza and the train station in the city centre.

You need to take Tram 1 right outside Villa Constanza, which is the first station on this line, and get off at Alamanni Stazione.

Trams are available as early as 05:00 until midnight, and there are additional trips every Friday and Saturday until 02:00. The interval of tram departures ranges from 4 to 10 minutes.

Travel time can take 25 minutes, and fares are just €2 ($2.30).

Step 3: Florence to Pisa by Train

Duration: 1h - 1h 30m

Costs: €9.10 ($10.60)

Duration: 1h - 1h 30m

Costs: €9.10 ($10.60)

At Santa Maria Novella train station, trains can directly take you from Florence to Pisa without any transfer. Note that only Regionale trains are available for this route.

Florence Santa Maria Novella

Standard

Pisa Central

08:05

1h 25m

09:30

08:28

1h 8m

09:36

08:53

1h 19m

10:12

09:28

1h 8m

10:36

09:38

1h 28m

11:06

14:28

1h 8m

15:36

14:53

1h 19m

16:12

15:00

0h 59m

15:59

15:28

1h 8m

16:36

15:38

1h 29m

17:07

15:53

1h 19m

17:12

Trenitalia

€9.10 ($10.60)

Get Your Tickets

We recommend booking your tickets online through BookAway. Their site is intuitive, provides a clear picture of what you can expect, and offers great customer service. If you’re eyeing the best deals, you might occasionally find slightly cheaper tickets on Omio.

Trains operate several times every hour from early morning to late evening with an additional midnight trip. This means there would still be time to enjoy a charming dinner in Florence! Note that if you take the midnight train, you’ll be arriving in the wee hours of the morning in Pisa.

Train tickets start from €9.10 ($10.60) and the journey takes around 1h - 1h 30m.

Same as the train option from Milan to Pisa, the trains departing from Florence arrive at Pisa Centrale.

Milan to Pisa by Train

Duration: 4h 10m - 4h 20m

Costs: €25.50 ($29.50)

Duration: 4h 10m - 4h 20m

Costs: €25.50 ($29.50)

The train is a convenient way to travel from Milan to Pisa.

Trains from Milan to Pisa are available from 05:10 to 21:10. Note that most of the train rides require one or two transfers, and only very few trains directly go to Pisa.

You can choose from 2 types of trains when travelling from Milan to Pisa.

High-speed trains

Frecciarossa is the fastest and most expensive train for this route. Travel time from Milan to Pisa takes 3.5 hours at most, including the transfer in Florence. This train also offers the most trips in a day, giving you more options with departure times. Tickets cost €66 ($76).

Meanwhile, Intercity is the only train with direct trips from Milan to Pisa. Travel time takes 4 to 5 hours and ticket costs start around €37 ($43).

Regional trains

Regional trains cost the cheapest for this route with rates from €25.50 ($29.50). However, this option requires you to make 2 stops. Since they are old trains, the travel time takes longer at 5-6.5 hours.

Train schedule from Milan to Pisa

Milano Centrale

Standard

Pisa Central

08:05

4h 12m

12:17

14:05

4h 19m

18:24

Trenitalia

€25.50 ($29.50)

Get Your Tickets

Milano Centrale

Standard Premier

Pisa Central

08:05

4h 12m

12:17

14:05

4h 19m

18:24

Trenitalia

From €30.50 ($35.50)

It’s best to pick a train that goes directly from Milan to Pisa.

Departure and arrival station

Most of the trains depart from Milan Centrale, located around 4k north of Milan Cathedral.

You will get off at Pisa Centrale. This train station is about 3 km away from the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Rounding it up

We hope this guide was helpful in planning how to get from Milan to Pisa. If there's anything else you're wondering about, drop us a comment and we'll do our best to answer you within a few days.

PS: If you've recently travelled this route, share your experience with fellow travellers and help us improve this post. Thanks for helping out our travel community!

Frequently Asked Questions about Milan to Pisa

What is the distance from Milan to Pisa?

The distance from Milan to Pisa is 218 kilometre (135 miles).

What is the fastest way to get from Milan to Pisa?

The fastest way to get from Milan to Pisa is by train and takes 4 hours 10 minutes.

What is the cheapest way to get from Milan to Pisa?

The cheapest way to get from Milan to Pisa is by bus + train via Florence with ticket costs starting from €19.90 ($23).

About the author(s)

Ela

Ela is a storyteller, content producer, solo traveller and a mermaid-in-training. When she’s not in front of her laptop, you will find her barefoot and living her best tan on some island in the Philippines… Or exploring the depths of its seas as a budding freediver. An island girl at heart, she’ll be happy anywhere there is sea, sand, sun and coffee.

Maarten

Based in Bali, Maarten’s passion for travel is undeniable. In 2016, he decided to quit his job as a stock analyst and started doing what he always dreamed of: travelling through South East Asia and helping other people plan their trips. When he is not working on Gecko Routes, you’ll find him surfing in the ocean or exploring the best gems of Indonesia.