Europe > Italy > Pisa (PSA)
The city by city Car or no Car advice for Pisa can be broken down into three similar questions - do you need a car in Pisa ; is it worth it (based on costs), and ultimately - should you rent one? (a balance of the two).🚆 🚌⛴️ Do we need to rent a car in Pisa ?
These scores are based on the quality of public transport and other travel options. If these are good enough to see the main points of interest, then you don’t need to rent a car.
💰💶💳 Is it worth hiring a car in Pisa?
These scores reflect the practical factors that affect whether renting a car is convenient, good value, and stress-free.
Once in Pisa, the city is compact and flat. The historic centre is easy to explore on foot, and while the Leaning Tower inevitably draws attention, Pisa is more than just a single landmark. Streets along the Arno, smaller piazzas, and student-heavy neighbourhoods give the city a relaxed, lived-in feel that rewards slow exploration.
🚄 Pisa as a rail hub
One of Pisa’s biggest strengths is its rail connectivity 🚄. Trains to Florence run frequently and take around an hour, making Pisa an excellent alternative gateway for visitors who find Florence Airport restrictive or expensive. From Florence, high-speed services open up onward travel to Bologna, Milan, Rome, and beyond, including longer journeys to Venice, Turin, or Naples.
Pisa is also a key access point for the Cinque Terre 🌊. Regional trains run north through La Spezia, allowing easy, car-free travel to the famous “five lands” without worrying about parking or road congestion. Continuing along this route takes you towards Genoa, opening up further coastal and northern Italian connections.
🚗 When a rental car becomes useful
While Pisa itself and the Cinque Terre favour trains, a rental car becomes valuable if you want to explore rural Tuscany 🌄. Hill towns, vineyards 🍇, and smaller villages are often slow or awkward to reach by public transport. Many travellers choose to rent a car in Pisa specifically for this reason, using the city as a convenient starting point before returning the car elsewhere.
🚗 Visiting Siena and San Gimignano from Pisa
If Siena and San Gimignano are part of your plans, the transport equation shifts slightly. There are no direct trains from Pisa to San Gimignano, and while Siena is reachable by rail, the journey normally requires a change in Florence and can feel slow for what is a relatively short distance. From Florence, regional trains run to Siena, but the onward connection to San Gimignano still involves a bus from Poggibonsi.
By contrast, a rental car allows you to visit both locations easily in a single day while enjoying Tuscany’s rolling hills 🌄, vineyards 🍇, and small villages along the way. This is one of those classic Italian drives where the journey itself becomes part of the experience. While public transport works, driving offers flexibility, scenery, and far less timetable juggling.
🚗 Conclusion: should you rent a car in Pisa?
For Pisa itself, the answer is no ❌. The city is compact, walkable, and exceptionally well connected by rail. Trains cover Florence, the Cinque Terre, Genoa, and onward links across Italy with ease. However, if your plans include rural Tuscany, hill towns such as Siena and San Gimignano, or scenic countryside drives, renting a car in Pisa can be a smart and efficient choice — especially for short, focused road trips before returning to the rail network.