Landing at Pisa Galileo Galilei Airport

What PSA is like

Pisa is a small airport fed by low-cost routes from across Europe, and it sits so close to the town that it is almost in it. Most arrivals are not here only for the leaning tower; they are using it as a door into the whole of Tuscany. The building is small enough to cross in a few minutes, and a short automated shuttle connects it to the town's main railway station, which makes getting on to Florence straightforward.

On arrival

Turn the line on as the aircraft is still taxiing, because some flights here park out on the apron and you walk down steps to a bus, which is an awkward moment to be poking at a phone. The arrivals hall is small and there are few belts, so luggage takes longer than walking does. The stop for the shuttle to the railway station is close to the building and signposted; follow the signs on the day, as the walking routes get adjusted now and then. If Florence is the same day's destination, look up the train times before you leave the hall.

How far the airport Wi-Fi gets you

The Wi-Fi here works and is less contested than at a large hub, but it still asks you to register first. The real issue is that this is a place you pass through rather than sit in: many people are outside the building twenty minutes after the aircraft stops, and the rest of the day happens on a train or in a hire car. There is no airport Wi-Fi on the train to Florence, and in the hill villages a lot of these passengers are heading for, the guesthouse connection is often not strong enough for a video call.

Getting into town

A short automated shuttle runs from the airport to Pisa's main railway station, and from there the train to Florence takes about an hour, which is why so many people fly here instead of into Florence directly. The other common choice is to collect a hire car at the airport and drive up into the Tuscan hills, and that is where coverage stops being even, because the road climbs and falls along the ridges and the villages sit far apart. Download offline maps for the area you plan to drive while you are still in the terminal. The train leg into Florence runs about 100 to 150MB, while a day spent driving between hill towns costs more, since you are searching for parking and for somewhere to eat as you go.

What people ask about this airport

• Expect an apron stand — Some flights put you down steps and onto a bus. Switch the line on in your seat so you are not configuring a phone out on the tarmac.
• Map the hills before you drive — Hill villages sit far apart on roads that follow the ridges. An offline map spares you stopping where stopping is difficult.
• Pisa as a door to Florence — The train to Florence takes about an hour, so plenty of people fly here and ride on rather than flying direct.