Tourist Information & Conference Venue
ESRA2009 will be held at the Stazione Leopolda, piazza Guerrazzi, in Pisa, Italy, from November 19-22, 2009.
 Piazza dei Miracoli |
|---|
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the Arno River on the Ligurian Sea. The city is known worldwide for its famous leaning tower.
The city has an international airport, Galileo Galilei, which is served by several airlines with weekly flights to national and international destinations. The major low-cost companies have flights to Pisa. There are also regular trains to and from Florence (usually one every hour), to and from Rome (usually one every two hours).
Hotels and B&Bs
Hotels and B&Bs are located in various areas of the town and surroundings.
Downtown hotels are mostly in the area of the Piazza dei Miracoli,
which is 2-2.5km away from the conference location.
The train station area is less than 1km from the conference area,
it has a number of small 2- or 3- star hotels, plus one 4-star.
Peripheral areas offer some newer and larger hotels;
these hotels are generally between 2 and 4 km away from the city centre.
Connection to some of those hotels, at night, might require a bit of walk,
or a taxi, or the hotel's shuttle.
Please, refer to our list of
hotels and B&Bs
for further information.
Getting there
Arriving by Plane: the airport is located at the south-west end of the town, and
you can reach the city center in less than 15 minutes either by bus or by taxi.
The bus has a regular service every 15 minutes and it takes about 15 minutes to get to the city.
Single fare is €1.00, and you can buy tickets inside the airport either at the information desk,
or at Tabacchi (Tobacco shops), or at vending machines placed inside the airport. The bus terminal is in front
of the airport, on the right side when coming out of the terminal building.
Taxis are also available at the airport.
Refer to http://www.pisa-airport.com
for further details on connections to the city centre.
Arriving by Train: there are two railway stations in Pisa:
Pisa Centrale and Pisa San Rossore. Pisa Centrale is the main railway hub of the city.
Pisa San Rossore is a secondary station placed near Piazza dei Miracoli.
The bus terminal is in front of Pisa Centrale. Local bus lines (LAM) have a regular service every
15-20 minutes and it takes about 15 minutes to get to any place in the city. Single fare is €1.00,
and you can buy tickets inside the railway station, at Tabacchi (Tobacco shops).
Taxis are also available at Pisa Centrale.
Refer to http://www.trenitalia.com for further
details on timetables and connections of trains.
Refer to http://www.cpt.pisa.it
for further details on timetables and paths of local bus lines.
Arriving by Car: the preferred highway exit for Pisa is Pisa Centro, which brings you straight to the airport. From the airport you can drive towards the city and reach your destination. Most of the central streets are restricted traffic areas. In case you need help, check with your hotel for instructions. Note that street parking is generally subject to a fee from 8:00 to 20:00 during working days.
Getting around
Once in the city, its main sights are all within walking distance.
You can easily move around either on foot, by bus, or by bike.
Bus lines: There are regular buses around the city. Local bus tickets are available at Tabacchi (Tobacco shops).
LAM rossa (sometimes indicated on the bus as L/R) is a bus line that covers almost every street of the city centre,
including the railway stations and the airport. Single fare is €1.00; you can also buy tickets on the bus from the driver,
but you pay €1.50.
Refer to http://www.cpt.pisa.it for further
details on timetables and paths.
Bike rental: One of the best ways to enjoy Pisa is by bike, since the city is flat and the city center
is closed to traffic. You can rent a bike at various locations throughout the city.
Refer to http://www.comune.pisa.it
for further details on bike rentals.
Car rental: Most car rental companies are based at the Pisa Airport.
If you plan to drive through Pisa, please keep in mind the following: most of the central part of the town is a restricted
traffic area (ZTL); street parking is generally permitted, but on the parking places marked by blue stripes
(basically everywhere) you have to pay a hourly fee between 8:00 and 20:00 during working days. Coin-operated parking meters
are available in those areas, and you can buy tickets for the expected duration of your stop.
Refer to http://www.comune.pisa.it
for further details on car rentals.
Taxi: If you need a taxi, you can call 050-541600 at any time of the day; you will be answered by a machine:
simply state twice where you are, and wait for a confirmation.
Reaching the Leopolda
The Leopolda is a 19th century train station, which has recently been restructured and is used to host conferences, meetings, expositions, and music performances.
|
|
|
|---|
The Leopolda is on the west side of the town, 100 metres from the Ponte della Vittoria bridge, on the south bank of the Arno river. It is within walking distance from all hotels placed in the central part of the town and in the train station area. Alternatively, you can take any bus which stops at the train station, and from there take viale Bonaini, going west (towards the river) to reach the Leopolda in a 5-min walk. If you are coming by car, there are a number of toll parking spots in the nearby streets, at 1€/hour.