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Table of Contents:
When to travel to Montecatini Terme
How to get to Montecatini Terme
How to get to Montecatini Terme from Pisa
How to get to Montecatini Terme from Florence
Where to stay in Montecatini Terme
What to see in Montecatini Terme
When to travel to Montecatini Terme
Despite the fact that Montecatini Terme is not a beach resort, it is still one of the ten most visited towns in Tuscany. This is due to the fact that thermal springs were discovered in the town in the 19th century, and since then Montecatini has become a popular thermal resort in Italy. The main thermal springs here are the Regina, Tettuccio, Rinfresco and Leopoldina springs. Their healing properties are used in all the spas of the resort.
After some research, I decided to put together information I have previously found out and create a complete guide on how to organize a holiday in Montecatini Terme. I figured out how to get to the resort town, where to stay & what to do there. I really hope this detailed information will help you plan your trip to Montecatini Terme.
Montecatini Terme is a year-round resort. The spa and treatment centers are open here any season of the year. In winter, you can diversify your leisure time at the resort with various excursion trips to Lucca, Pisa or Florence. In summer, the nearest beach resort of Viareggio is only 50 km away.
How to get to Montecatini Terme
Where do you fly into to get to Montecatini Terme? You can get to Montecatini Terme via one of the major cities located nearby. There is no airport in Montecatini, but it is located midway between Pisa (50 km) and Florence (65 km). Both cities have airports. You can also get to Montecatini from Rome (320 km) or Milan (315 km), located at a greater distance. The current flight timetable can be checked via specialized online services such as Aviasales and others. I often use this online service as it helps me a lot to compare different flight options and choose the optimal one.
How to get to Montecatini Terme from Pisa
Montecatini has its own railway station, so you can get here from any major city in Italy by train. So, the travel time from Pisa is 1 hour; from Florence is 50 minutes; from Rome is 2 hours 40 minutes; from Milan is 3 hours.
By train: Direct trains between Pisa and Montecatini run a few times a day. The travel time is slightly less than 1 hour. You can also use a train connection with a change in Viareggio. These trains run more often – twice an hour. The travel time varies from 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, depending on the duration of the change. You can check the current train timetable and purchase tickets in advance at the Raileurope booking service. I can totally recommend Raileurope as I often use it when planning my own trips and, in my opinion, it has a very reliable and convenient search.
By taxi: From Pisa or Florence airports you can also get to Montecatini Terme by taxi or transfer service. A taxi can be found near the airport entrance. If you don’t know your way around well and don’t want to be bothered by finding a car upon arrival, then it makes sense to order transfer services in advance. Transfer services are provided by many companies, incl. Kiwitaxi and others. The travel time by taxi or transfer service is 45 minutes. Based on my research, Kiwitaxi has a lot of positive reviews that is why I can recommend it. For sure, there are a lot of other taxi services available at the airport.
By rented car: As an option, you can rent a car in Pisa. If you have an international driver’s license, the application procedure will take no more than 20 minutes. Rental offices can be found both in the center of Pisa and at the airport. Car rental in Pisa is considered to be a popular option for traveling around Tuscany. You can book the desired class of car in advance via various online services, such as Discover Cars, Economybookings and others. According to my map research, Pisa and Montecatini Terme are connected with #A11/E76. The distance is 54 km. The travel time by car is 40-50 minutes one way (see on the map).
How to get to Montecatini Terme from Florence
By train: There are direct trains between Florence and Montecatini Terme, running once an hour during the day. The travel time is slightly less than 1 hour. Trains depart from Florence M.S.N. station and run to Montecatini Central Station. You can check the current train timetable and purchase tickets in advance at the Raileurope booking service. It is one of my favourite online planners which I use pretty much often when going to Europe. To my mind, it has a convenient search and a lot of useful filters to narrow down the results and find out the best available one.
By taxi: As an option, you can also take a taxi or a transfer service to get from Florence airport to Montecatini. It is particularly useful in case you arrive at night when public transport does not operate. You can find a taxi car upon arrival or book a transfer service in advance via the different online services such as Kiwitaxi and others. The travel time by taxi or transfer service is approximately 35 minutes.
By car: Tourists can also rent a car to travel to Montecatini and around Tuscany. It is a very popular option among travellers as Tuscany is such a region when travelling by public transport is not as good as travelling by car. Rail connection is not developed well here and bus routes do not cover the whole region. You can find rental offices both in the city districts and at the airport. You can also book a car in advance via the different international services such as Discover Cars, Economybookings, etc. Based on my experience, both online services are good. I would recommend comparing them to find out the best available variants. Florence and Montecatini are connected with #A11. The travel time is about 40-50 minutes (see on the map).
Where to stay in Montecatini Terme
As I discovered, Montecatini Terme has an excellent hotel infrastructure. Tourists can stay in hotels of any star category, from the most fashionable of 5 and 4 stars to affordable hotels of 1-3 stars or without stars.
In addition, apartments in Montecatini Terme are becoming increasingly popular; it is believed that this is a more budget option for accommodation compared to hotels. The resort also has several holiday homes, guest houses and B&B`s.
Most hotels in Montecatini have a number of additional options for their guests, such as breakfast included in the price, swimming pools on site (typical for 4 and 5 stars) and other services.
After some research I did a list of popular accommodation options in Montecatini and it includes the following hotels:
Hotel Columbia Wellness & Spa 4* is located in the central part of Montecatini and has a wellness center with a salt cave, a sauna and a restaurant in its area. Wi-Fi is provided free of charge. Private parking is available on site upon reservation and at an additional cost. The hotel has standard rooms, as well as junior suites;
Hotel Ercolini & Savi 4* is located close to the local thermal baths and has several restaurants, free Wi-Fi and a terrace. Public parking is available nearby and at an additional cost. The hotel has classic and superior rooms of single, double and triple capacity;
SmArt Hotel Bartolini 3* is an affordable three-star hotel that offers its guests a bar and free Wi-Fi. The hotel is located 300 meters from the thermal complexes. There is also a train station nearby. The hotel has standard, superior rooms and junior suites to stay in;
Residence Gloria 2* is an apart-hotel which offers its guests accommodation in apartments with their own kitchen and balcony. As a bonus, the hotel offers discounts on visits to the Baths of Montecatini. There is a fitness center and free Wi-Fi on site. Public parking is available within walking distance and at an additional fee. Guests can choose from studio, one- or two-bedroom apartments;
Appartamento La Gardenia apartments are located within a distance of 1 km from the thermal baths. The apartments have 2 bedrooms, garden views and free private parking. In the apartments you can find a terrace, TV, a safe, air conditioning, an iron, etc. The kitchen is equipped with a refrigerator, a dishwasher, an oven, a stove, a toaster, and a coffee pot.
What to see in Montecatini Terme
Montecatini Terme has a charming little historic center, where you can take the local funicular and see the area from above. But, of course, the main attraction of the resort is its thermal springs. In the area of the town there are several large thermal complexes that provide a wide range of therapeutic and restorative procedures.
Baths of Montecatini
The main component of a holiday in Montecatini Terme is the thermal springs. You can try their effect on yourself in one of the thermal complexes. The most famous in this sense are the thermal complexes called “Tettuccio”, “Redi” and “Excelsior”, although in total there are 9 more thermal baths in the area of Montecatini. In addition to the ones mentioned above, this is also the thermal pool “Grosso”, thermal baths “La Solute”, thermal baths of Leopoldina, thermal baths “Tamerichi” and “Torretta”. Each of the thermal complexes has its own specialization; this is due to the fact that the local mineral springs have different degrees of water hardness. Thus, some are suitable for drinking, while others are only suitable for swimming.
Treatment with thermal springs in Montecatini is usually combined with hiking, because the resort, located on the hills, has an amazing microclimate. The resort’s main attractions are located in the old part of the town, the so-called Montecatini Alto district. You can get here by special funicular; the area is located on one of the hills, so it offers panoramic views of the local nature and surrounding villages.
Montecatini Alto has all the cozy restaurants and cafes with the best views, and the main historical attraction is the fortress built in the 13th century. In addition, you can take a walk in Montecatini to numerous landscaped parks that will enchant you with their views. The local villas, built in Art Nouveau style and impressive with their elegance, will not leave you indifferent.
While on holiday in Montecatini, go for one day to neighboring towns, for example, to Pistoia to see the local exotic zoo or to Pisa to see the famous “leaning” tower with your own eyes. If you definitely want to go to the sea, then the nearest beach resort is Viareggio. To my mind, Viareggio is a wonderful resort town with, perhaps, the best sandy beaches in Tuscany.
Take a note! When going on a trip to Italy, do not forget to take out travel insurance, which is useful for receiving a tourist visa and for solving emerging medical problems when travelling in another country. You can purchase insurance via online services, for example, via EKTA and others. You can choose from different modes, including quiet, active or extreme rest.
Photo above the article: Alex Hoekerd
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Julia is an experienced traveller, BA in International Relations and Languages and true lover of planning trips in advance. Learn more about the author…