Budget/Backpacker Travel Guide: Pisa
Experience authentic local culture on a shoestring budget with hostels, street food, and public transport
Daily Budget: €52-105 per day
Complete breakdown of costs for budget/backpacker travel in Pisa
Accommodation
€25-45 per night
Dorm beds in the hostels near the train station or across the Arno River in quieter neighborhoods. You'll find shared bathrooms and sometimes the distant hum of scooters on cobbled streets. They're sociable. They're walkable to the main sights.
Browse budget/backpacker accommodation →Food & Dining
€20-35 per day
Morning cappuccino and a cornetto standing at a bar counter. A quick slice of focaccia from a bakery for lunch. A plate of pasta or pizza from a trattoria with worn wooden tables for dinner. You might taste the salty tang of pecorino on your pasta. You'll notice the crisp, charred crust of a pizza bianca.
Transportation
€2-5 per day
Walking is your main mode. The city center is compact. You'll feel the cool shade of medieval alleyways and hear your footsteps echo. An occasional city bus ticket for trips to the outskirts or the train station.
Activities
€5-20 per day
Seeing the Leaning Tower from the outside. Wandering the marble expanse of Piazza dei Miracoli to hear the bells. Exploring the free riverside paths along the Arno. Maybe one paid museum entry, like the Camposanto Monumentale, to see faded frescoes.
Currency: € Euro
Money-Saving Tips
Eat your main meal at lunch. Many restaurants in Pisa offer a 'menù del giorno' (fixed-price lunch menu) that is typically 30-50% cheaper than dinner service for nearly identical dishes.
Stay across the Arno River. Accommodation in the Oltrano district is often cheaper than near the tower. You get to walk across the historic bridges each day. You'll see the river reflect the old buildings.
Buy a combined ticket for the Piazza dei Miracoli monuments. It's significantly cheaper than purchasing individual entries to the Cathedral, Baptistery, and museums.
Walk everywhere. Pisa's center is remarkably compact. Avoiding buses and taxis saves nearly all your daily transport budget. You'll hear the city's ambient sounds up close.
Fill your water bottle from public fountains. The cold, clean water from Pisa's many 'nasone' fountains tastes fine. It eliminates the cost of bottled water.
Visit in the late afternoon. Lines for the Leaning Tower are shorter. Some museum tickets can be cheaper closer to closing time.
Common Budget Mistakes to Avoid
Paying to climb the Leaning Tower on the first day without checking the weather. The view from the top is obscured on cloudy days. It makes for poor value compared to a clear day.
Eating in the restaurants directly on the Piazza dei Miracoli. Prices here are often double what you'd pay just a few blocks away. Walk towards the river.
Taking a taxi from Pisa Airport into the city. The PisaMover shuttle train to the main station is a fraction of the cost. It takes only five minutes.