The Arno
Following the river corridor, from Florence to Livorno
The book carries the river and the writing. It carries no opening hours, no prices and no train times, because a Kindle cannot be edited once it is on your device and those go stale in a season. This page is where they live instead, and it is rebuilt every morning from the same catalogue that runs the rest of the site.
Pick your length
The same road, three ways. End to end it is 2 h 25 of driving and 127 km, which every one of these covers. The difference is how many times you stop.
A weekend
One base in Pisa. The train does the rest.
Day 1 Pisa beyond the tower
Morning. Park at the station, then Corso Italia, the Ponte di Mezzo and the Lungarno.
Afternoon. The south bank and the parapet with the students on it. The tower for half an hour only if you must.
Sleep: Pisa
Day 2 The baths and the port
Morning. San Giuliano Terme and the Bagni di Pisa on a weekday, on a day ticket.
Afternoon. Livorno: the Terrazza, the market, and a plate of fish at the counter.
Sleep: Pisa, or home
Five days
Two bases: Pistoia for the first half, Pisa for the second.
Day 1 Pistoia
Morning. Arrive by train from Florence. The Piazza del Duomo, the silver altar, the frieze on the old hospital.
Afternoon. The café case at four, which is the hour that matters here.
Sleep: Pistoia
Day 2 Up the mountain
Morning. Abetone and the Val di Luce, with Cutigliano on the way up.
Afternoon. Back down the same road for dinner in the city.
Sleep: Pistoia
Day 3 The spa and the truffle
Morning. Montecatini: the Tettuccio, and the funicular up to the old town.
Afternoon. South to San Miniato for a late lunch on the hill, then on to Pisa.
Sleep: Pisa
Day 4 The factory and the city
Morning. Pontedera and the Museo Piaggio, two hours.
Afternoon. Pisa, and the south bank at six.
Sleep: Pisa
Day 5 Baths, then the sea
Morning. San Giuliano on a weekday morning.
Afternoon. Livorno for lunch and the port.
Sleep: Pisa, or the ferry
Two weeks
Two bases and a flat at the end: Pistoia, Pisa, then Livorno.
Day 1 Into Pistoia
Morning. Train from Florence, twenty-five minutes, and no car yet.
Afternoon. The duomo, the altar, and the town at walking pace.
Sleep: Pistoia, for five nights
Day 2 Florence, and out again
Morning. Back on the train for the Uffizi.
Afternoon. The Oltrarno, then out before dinner. Sleeping in Pistoia is the whole trick.
Sleep: Pistoia
Day 3 The mountain
Morning. Abetone, and the Val di Luce.
Afternoon. Cutigliano and the bar on the piazza.
Sleep: Pistoia, or the Val di Luce if it is August
Day 4 Florence again
Morning. The second city morning: whatever the first one missed.
Afternoon. Out before dinner, as before.
Sleep: Pistoia
Day 5 Down the hills
Morning. Montecatini and the Tettuccio.
Afternoon. Montecatini Alto by funicular, then west.
Sleep: Pistoia
Day 6 Move to the river
Morning. South over the marsh to San Miniato.
Afternoon. The hill, the duomo, and lunch with the truffle grated at the table.
Sleep: Pisa, for five nights
Day 7 Vinci and Empoli
Morning. Vinci, and the museum of the machines.
Afternoon. Empoli, and back along the river.
Sleep: Pisa
Day 8 Pontedera
Morning. The Museo Piaggio.
Afternoon. The river road back into Pisa.
Sleep: Pisa
Day 9 Pisa, properly
Morning. The Campo dei Miracoli early, before the coaches.
Afternoon. The south bank, the market, and a bowl of ramen.
Sleep: Pisa
Day 10 The baths
Morning. San Giuliano on a Tuesday.
Afternoon. A robe, a cocktail and a plate of tramezzini at four.
Sleep: Pisa
Day 11 Move to the port
Morning. Down the coast road past Marina di Pisa and Tirrenia.
Afternoon. Livorno. Rent a flat and stop moving.
Sleep: Livorno, for three nights
Day 12 Eat fish
Morning. The Mercato Centrale, at the counters round the hall.
Afternoon. The Terrazza Mascagni, and the port doing its work.
Sleep: Livorno
Day 13 The beach
Morning. Tirrenia or Calambrone, whichever is emptier.
Afternoon. Back for the cacciucco where the cacciucco comes from.
Sleep: Livorno
Day 14 Home along the coast
Morning. North, with the sea on your left.
Afternoon. Pisa airport is in the city, which is the last kindness of this road.
Sleep: Home
Florence to Livorno
Every drive time here is computed from the same road data the rest of the site runs on, and every distance is the road distance, not the distance across the map. End to end the road is 2 h 25 of driving and 127 km, before you stop for anything.
start
Florence
from Florence
Where the road starts and does not stay. Take the northern way out, through the nurseries.
Twenty-five minutes to Pistoia by train, which is the better way to do it.
Pistoia
from Florence
On the railway
The base for the first nights. A city the size of a town, with a striped duomo, a silver altar and the best pastry on this road.
1 h46 km
Abetone Cutiglianoside trip
from Pistoia
Up the Apennines through San Marcello and Cutigliano to the pass at 1,388 metres. A ski village that is better in August.
19 min18 km
Montecatini-Terme
from Pistoia
On the railway
West along the foot of the hills to the grandest spa in Tuscany, usually empty. The Tettuccio, and the funicular up to Montecatini Alto.
43 min35 km
San Miniato
from Montecatini-Terme
On the railway
South over the Fucecchio marsh to the river and up onto the ridge. Park at the bottom and climb. This is the truffle town.
Vinci and Empoli are twenty minutes east and make one easy day.
26 min25 km
Pontedera
from San Miniato
On the railway
West with the river to the factory town, and the Vespa museum, which is worth two hours and is more than the Vespa.
33 min29 km
Pisa
from Pontedera
On the railway
Along the Arno into the city. Park at the station, walk the south bank, and give the tower half an hour at most.
Marina di Pisa and Tirrenia are this commune's own coast, on the way south.
21 min14 km
San Giuliano Termeside trip
from Pisa
On the railway
The baths under Monte Pisano, ten minutes north. On a weekday, with a day ticket.
24 min20 km
Livorno
from Pisa
On the railway
The coast road past Marina di Pisa, Tirrenia and Calambrone to the port. End of road, and the best seafood on it.
The tables
These are the tables I actually eat at. Everything below this section is somebody else's recommendation, and it is labelled as such.
14 places, in road order, every one of them written up in the book.
Pistoia
The café off the Piazza del Duomo with the savoury case
Off the square
Torta salata, the sandwich on crusty bread with cured pork and salad, and the rest in a paper bag for later. Four in the afternoon is the hour.
Abetone Cutigliano
Abetone
The spa hotel in the Val di Luce
Val di Luce
The one with the outdoor pool and the table by the window. Tagliatelle with hare, polenta with mushrooms, the six-hour peposo. Open in August only because somebody is holding a conference, so check.
The rifugio in the Val di Luce
Higher up the valley
It stays open in summer. Gnocco fritto, prosciutto, Lambrusco from over the pass, and an owner who will talk to you for an hour because nobody else has come in.
Cutigliano
The bar on the piazza
Cutigliano
For the coffee and the card game.
Montecatini-Terme
La Pecora Nera
In town
A fancy room with the food to match, and a table available without a reservation, which tells you about the town rather than about the kitchen.
San Miniato
Pepenero
Piazza del Duomo
A notch above a trattoria without tipping into ceremony, and a terrace over the whole valley. Classic Tuscan plates with the truffle grated over them at the table. The bottoni are the dish.
Papaveri e Papere
In the upper town
Same idea, a little more polished. Tuscan cooking with a truffle on top. Good, and knows it.
Pontedera
No table. The museum is the meal.
Pisa
MIU Ramen
South bank
The bowl that got us into the city properly. Go before the kitchen shuts for the afternoon.
San Giuliano Terme
The Shelley bar at the Bagni di Pisa
At the baths
A cocktail and a plate of tramezzini in a robe, at four, after the pools. The room alone is worth the day ticket.
Livorno
Stuzzicheria di Mare
In the old town
The working counter and the best seafood I have eaten anywhere. Whatever came in that morning, fried or in the red sauce, with a kilo of bread.
Kirù Bistrot & Drinks
Piazza Mazzini
The same fish in an upscale room with a proper drinks list. If you want the massacre with a tablecloth, this is it.
Mercato Centrale
In the hall
Buy the fish, or do not, and eat at the counters round the hall. The whole city in one room, and the cacciucco where the cacciucco comes from.
The bar near Piazza Orlando that opens before it should
By the port
For the black coffee, the too-sweet pastry, and on the last morning the ponce.
The pub near the same piazza
By the port
For beer and wine and a plate of octopus that had no business being that good in a place you go to drink.
What the guides pick
Not our picks. Places the guides put their name to, worth a table when you pass through.
Pistoia3 places the guides rate
- La BottegaiaTrattoriaGambero Rosso2 GamberiSlow FoodChiocciola
- Baldo VinoRistoranteGambero Rosso2 Forchette · 82/100
- Locanda del Capitano del PopoloTrattoriaGambero RossoGambero Rosso listed
Abetone Cutigliano2 places the guides rate
- Nonno CiancoRistoranteSlow FoodChiocciola
- Da FagiolinoTrattoriaGambero Rosso2 Gamberi
Montecatini-Terme2 places the guides rate
- Caffè Storico TettuccioCaffèLocali StoriciLocali Storici
- Enoteca GiovanniRistoranteGambero Rosso1 Forchetta · 77/100
San Miniato4 places the guides rate
- Papaveri e PapereRistoranteGambero Rosso2 Forchette · 81/100MichelinMichelin Selected
- PepeneroRistoranteMichelinMichelin Selected
- Antico Ristoro Le ColombaieTrattoriaSlow FoodChiocciolaGambero RossoGambero Rosso listed
- MaggeseRistoranteGambero Rosso2 Forchette · 81/100L'EspressoTop 300
San Giuliano Terme1 place the guides rate
- Locanda Sant'AgataRistoranteMichelinMichelin Selected
Livorno5 places the guides rate
- Azzighe Osteria a metàTrattoriaMichelinBib GourmandGambero Rosso2 GamberiSlow FoodChiocciola
- NanniniRistoranteMichelinMichelin Selected
- OscarRistoranteGambero RossoGambero Rosso listedMichelinMichelin Selected
- CiglieriRistoranteGambero Rosso1 Forchetta · 77/100
- La PersianaRistoranteGambero Rosso1 Forchetta · 77/100
Where to sleep
The book carries no hotels on purpose. These are the beds the guides put their name to. We have not stayed in them.
Montecatini-Terme1 place the guides rate
- Grand Hotel & La PaceHotelLocali StoriciLocali Storici
San Giuliano Terme1 place the guides rate
- Bagni di Pisa Palace & Thermal SpaHotelLeading HotelsLeading Hotels of the World
The year
Months rather than dates, because a date goes stale in a year and a month does not. Most of these move by a week or two between years, so check before you book a flight around one.
- March
The marzuolo truffle fair San Miniato The spring truffle, at La Serra. Smaller and quieter than November.
- May
The philosophy festival Pistoia Late in the month, and the city fills with people arguing politely.
- June
Luminara di San Ranieri Pisa Religious & traditional
The Gioco del Ponte Pisa Late June. Two halves of the city pushing a carriage at each other on the Ponte di Mezzo.
The Luminara di San Ranieri Pisa The sixteenth. Every window on both Lungarni outlined in candle. The best night on this road.
- July
Effetto Venezia Livorno Arts & performance
Giostra dell'Orso Pistoia Religious & traditional
Pistoia Blues Pistoia Early July, in the Piazza del Duomo, which is the right size for it.
- August
Effetto Venezia Livorno Arts & performance
San Bartolomeo San Giuliano Terme The twenty-fourth, and the same feast day up at Cutigliano.
San Genesio San Miniato The twenty-fifth.
The feast of Bartolomeo San Giuliano Terme The commune's patron saint
The feast of Genesio di Arles San Miniato The commune's patron saint
The feast of San Bartolomeo Abetone Cutigliano The commune's patron saint
- September
The Sagra del Bombolone Pontedera A doughnut festival, and no apology for it.
The Sagra del Fungo Pistoia Mushrooms, in the hills above the city.
- October
Terre di Pisa food and wine Pisa The province on tables, for a weekend.
- November
Mostra Mercato Nazionale del Tartufo Bianco San Miniato Food & wine
The white truffle fair San Miniato Three weekends, and the reason to come in November. Book a table before you book a train.
- December
Santa Barbara Montecatini-Terme Montecatini's own, in the quiet month.
The feast of Santa Barbara Montecatini-Terme The commune's patron saint
Practical
Take the train
This is the one road in the three books that works on rails. Florence to Pistoia is twenty-five minutes. The Florence to Pisa line stops at Empoli, San Miniato and Pontedera, and Pisa to Livorno is another fifteen. Pisa's airport is inside the city. If you are not going up the mountain or out to the baths, you do not need a car at all, and parking in these centres is the worst part of the day.
The three things the train cannot do
Abetone and the Val di Luce, the baths at San Giuliano, and the coast south of Pisa. Hire a car for those days and give it back.
Every centre has a camera
Park outside and walk in. Pistoia has a city lot, San Miniato's is at the bottom of the hill, Pontedera's is next to the museum, and in Pisa you park at the station and stay on foot. The fine finds your rental company months later with a handling fee attached.
When to come
Spring and autumn are the months. Winter is for the baths and for Pisa in the rain, which is better than it sounds. August works only for Abetone, where the whole point is that the mountain is cool. November is the truffle, and the buses that come with it.
Keep going
Everything we have written from this road.
- Abetone & Tuscan Alps | A Ski Village in August Abetone Cutigliano
- Bagni di Pisa | The Tuesday Cure San Giuliano Terme
- Livorno | The City With No Time For You Livorno
- Montecatini Terme | The Bath Without People Montecatini-Terme
- Pisa | Beyond the Tower Pisa
- Pistoia | Mini-Florence with Better Pastry Pistoia
- Pontedera | The Museum That Is More Than the Vespa Pontedera
- San Miniato | The Truffle I Couldn’t Taste San Miniato
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