Trains to and from Pisa Airport (PSA)

Pisa Airport is located in Italy’s Tuscany region, only 2 km away from the city center of Pisa. It is considered as a major gateway to this popular tourist area, and is well connected to all the main Tuscan towns by bus and railway transport. The airport has its own railway station situated only 40 meters away from the airport. This airport is also known as Galileo Galilei Airport, or the Pisa-San Giusto Airport, as it is found in the district of San Giusto.

The Pisa Aeroporto Railway Station is easily accessible from the single terminal building by a covered walkway, just outside the Check-in area. From here, passengers can travel by train to the Central Railway Station in Pisa, where there are trains available to all the major Italian cities. The airport’s station is directly connected to the Pisa Central Station by twenty-five trains a day, and it is a quick five minute journey. Passengers can also travel to Florence directly from the station at the airport, and arrive at the Santa Maria Novella Station in Firenze. This journey takes approximately an hour, and there are six trains available every day. Trenitalia is the company which provides this train service to Florence. The trains for this route also stop at either Pontedera and Empoli, or in Lucca, Montecatini, Pistoia and Prato.

The railway station at Pisa Airport consists of only two platforms, and the line running to Pisa Central Station is 1.445 km long. There are also many trains available from the Central Station to the airport’s railway station.

Pisa is connected to many other Italian cities by three train station. The Airport Railway Station (mentioned above), the Pisa Central Railway Station and the Pisa San Rossore. The Pisa Central Station is the main railway station in Pisa, and is served by three main long-distance lines: The Pisa-Livorno-Rome line, the Pisa-La Spezia-Genoa line and the Pisa-Florence line. This major train station is located along what is know as the Tyrrhenic railway line, connecting Pisa to Rome, Naples, Turin, Livorno, Grosseto, Florence and Genoa.

The Pisa Central Railway Station serves approximately 15 million passengers per year, and is considered to be one of the major railway junctions of Tuscany. The station is popular with tourists and commuters. There are twelve platforms at the station, all equipped with elevators, and they are linked by two subways. Many useful amenities are also available at the large passenger station building, such as domestic and international ticketing services, a baggage storage area, newsagents, a pharmacy, various fast food and cafeteria outlets, three bars, a tobacconist and a few other shops. The Central station was recently upgraded in 2008 with a computerized control center to facilitate the movement of rail traffic.

The Pisa San Rossore Railway Station is the smaller of the three railway stations in Pisa, and is located nearby the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Trains from this station connect Pisa to Lucca, a 25 minute journey, and to Pistoia. It is also linked to the Pisa Central Train Station.

Passengers arriving at Pisa can purchase train tickets from the Information Desk in the Arrivals area. A one-way ticket to the Florence Santa Maria Novella Station will cost 5.70 Euro. Keep in mind that all tickets priced from 5 Euro to 20 Euro purchased from the airport are charged with a commission fee of one Euro. Tickets costing more than 20 Euro will incur a 2 Euro commission fee.

When traveling to the Pisa Airport Railway Station, or to the Pisa Central Railway Station, passengers can purchase train tickets at the stations. Every Trenitalia station has a ticket office available for the purchase of tickets and reservations. At larger stations there may even be two ticket offices. One will sell tickets for use on the same day, while the other will handle tickets and reservations for later train travel. It is recommended to ask for a reservation when buying your ticket, even if the train service you will be using does not require a reservation, as you are only guaranteed to have your own seat with a reserved ticket. Otherwise, the seats on the train may be full, and you will endure the journey standing up.

Train tickets can also be purchased from ticket machines. The big, yellow ones sell all kinds of tickets, while the light blue machines only sell local train tickets. These may be more common at smaller railway stations. The larger machines are operated through a touch-screen, and your choice of language can be selected. Ensure that you know where and when you want to go before trying to use one of these machines. It is quite easy provided you are clear about the details for your journey. Cash and credit cards are accepted by the ticket machines, although some machines may be used only with credit cards. Local train tickets are also available from newsagents and tobacconists, and all tickets can purchased online from Trenitalia’s website, at www.trenitalia.com. This website has an English version as well.

Your train ticket must be validated before boarding the train at one of the yellow machines on the platforms, or around the station. If you are unsure of how to validate your ticket, or if the validating machines are not working, it is wise to find a conductor who will then be able to assist you.

Further information about the train services is available from the Information Desk in the Arrivals area. There is also a Tourist Information Desk just outside the Arrivals area providing information on attractions in Pisa and the Tuscan region.