Livorno - Been to Pisa and Florence

My family of 4 are going on a cruise this summer. 2 years ago we did a land tour of Italy that included a stop at Pisa. I've been to Florence twice on previous trips, though the kids have not. Trying to figure out where we could go that would be new to me and the hubby. Kids are 9 and 11 so wine tasting is out.... Thanks for any suggestions you have.

We love Lucca and have visited a couple of times from the cruise port. It's a typical Italian walled city. We've travelled by train via Pisa explored the city , had lunch.

San gimignano is beautiful but you'd need to join a tour or have a car to get there.

Lucca is just magical. Walls all around it and you can ride bikes right around the top of the city walls. (Hire bikes that is )

This is Puccini's birthplace and is just so magical, a bit off the beaten tourist path .

Give me what times you will be off boat in Livorno and what time you need to be back by and I will give you the current train times.

Another vote for Lucca! Volterra is another possibility, but you'd need a car to get there.

We are there from 7 am to 7 pm. Bike riding sounds great!! How long is the train ride to get there?? Or would we be better off hiring a car? Thanks!!

Another vote for Lucca!! We did a tour with a private guide who took us to an olive grove/vineyard - that was great and OK for kids I'd think. They don't need to taste the wine, it is more about seeing the place. The we went to Lucca where we hired the bikes and rode the town wall. It really was amazing to see the wall from that perspective. The town is beautiful too. I've been there twice now - on our recent trip we returned and I so wish we'd had time to ride the bikes again!!

The Cinque Terre would be my choice. I did the cruise ship excursion there and it was my favorite one to date. The kids will enjoy it too.

We are there from 7 am to 7 pm. Bike riding sounds great!! How long is the train ride to get there?? Or would we be better off hiring a car? Thanks!!

The train from Livorno to Lucca is about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Roundtrip tickets are 9.20 Euros. It was quite easy to do and there were plenty of time options each way. Once you arrive in Lucca, you just cross the street and enter the city through the wall.

You would, however, need to get from the port to the Livorno train station. There are taxis lined up right when you get outside. It was 15 Euros (each way) for 4 of us, but the taxis can fit up to 8 people I believe for the same price. You can also take the ship's shuttle into town and then take the bus from there to the train station, but I think it would be easier to take a taxi.

Hope this helps in deciding about hiring a car vs going on your own.

This one is so simple do yourself using public transport and walking around Lucca. Based on being off the ship around 0800 and having to be back by 1800 here are the current Weekday train times.

Livorno Centrale Dep 0829 Pisa arr 0850 Change trains Pisa dep 0900 Lucca arr 0936

Lucca Dep 1612 Pisa arr 1643 Change trains Pisa dep 1700 Livorno Centrale arr 1714

Trains run on this route via Pisa in both directions on half hourly frequency .

When you arrive in Lucca walk out front of the station and it is a short walk to Porta San Pietro in the City walls . Through there and you are living history in one of Italy's truly hidden hill towns that seems to have escaped the ever increasing tourist locust swarms .

Based on being off the ship around 0800 and having to be back by 1800 here are the current Weekday train times.

 

Livorno Centrale Dep 0829 Pisa arr 0850 Change trains Pisa dep 0900 Lucca arr 0936

 

Lucca Dep 1612 Pisa arr 1643 Change trains Pisa dep 1700 Livorno Centrale arr 1714

I'm not seeing the same schedule as kuldalai (on fsitaliane.it); nevertheless, that return is too late - they still need to get from the train station to the port, and there's no pad if something goes wrong along the way.

There are slightly earlier trains that will work, however, such as the 3:42 PM that arrives in Livorno at 4:48, allowing plenty of time to get back to the ship.

Another vote for Lucca. We stopped off at Pisa and then took a bus to Lucca, a great place to visit, you can just walk the city , stop at a cafe and enjoy.

My vote is for Cinque Terre, I have been to Florence and Pisa twice and taking my daughter this May so for hubby and my cruise in october I was planning on doing Cinque Terre only to find we do not have a stop in Livorno and it's too far from the other ports. Guess I need to do another land trip to Italy!!

We spent 3 nights in the Cinque Terre on our trip 2 years ago. It was a magical place. I hope it's back to normal after the floods. I'd love to go back, but I'd want to spend a week or so.

Lucca is sounding better and better. Thanks for all the replies

As much as the rest of the area has to offer I know I'd want to explore both Pisa and florence with my kids. I know I could spend a few days for sure in Florence, yes I'd force them to spend a day at the Uffizi :D

We love Lucca and have visited a couple of times from the cruise port. It's a typical Italian walled city. We've travelled by train via Pisa explored the city , had lunch. San gimignano is beautiful but you'd need to join a tour or have a car to get there.

Agree with the above UK poster, plus the many others, for how wonderful is Lucca. Below are some of my notes on this great, historic city. Plus, San Gimignano is wonderful, too. As "evidence", below are some of my photos to prove it!!

Lucca is a bit of contrast/conflict as Europe's mightiest Renaissance walled city that has not seen a battle since 1430. Its ramparts are like a circular park. It is a two-and-a-half mile circuit around the walls. Lucca's walls took lots of work and money, but they combined with clever diplomacy to earned the city a long period of independence, wealth and power.

In its heyday, Lucca was packed over 100 towers within its walls. Each tower was the home and private fortress of a wealthy merchant family. Towers were single rooms stacked atop each other: shop, living room and then the kitchen, etc. One of Lucca's tallest surviving tower is famous for being capped with a bushy little forest. As the home town of famed composer Giacomo Puccini, Lucca has many connections with one of the world's greatest opera composers and other artists. Puccini's arias capture the spirit of this wonderful part of Italy.

Lucca's appeal is in its relaxed, old-world ambiance. Walk around!! Take the time to let this city unfold to capture your heart. Romanesque churches seem to be around every corner, along with piazzas and interesting architecture. The main pedestrian street is Via Fillungo. Strolling here, past classy old store fronts, you will get a samples of Lucca's rich past and charming present. Piazza Amphitheater was built around an ancient Roman arena. The arena is long gone, but its oval shape is a reminder of the city's classical heritage. Locals have been gathering here for two thousand years. Piazza San Michele also has ancient roots. It has hosted a market since Roman times, when it was the forum. Today, it's dominated by the Church of San Michele.

San Gimignano is a small, walled, hill town in Tuscany. Famous for its medieval architecture, especially its towers, San Gimignano was founded as a small village in the 3rd century BC by the Etruscans. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance era, it was a stopping point for Catholic pilgrims on their way to Rome and the Vatican. The city flourished until 1348, when the Black Death, affecting all of Europe, compelled it to go under the control of Florence. San Gimignano became a secondary location until the 19th century, when its status as a touristic and artistic resort became famous.

Tea with Mussolini, a 1999 drama about the plight of English and American expatriate women during World War II, was filmed in part at San Gimignano. The frescoes that the women save from being destroyed during the German Army's withdrawal are inside the Duomo, the town's main church. Lots of charm and character here in this unique location all of its historic treasures/beauty. Plus, whether needed or not, lots of shops, tourists, etc.!!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 116,838 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

In Lucca, this is the Duomo Cathedral, dedicated to St. Martin, built and re-built in the 11th-15th centuries. It has a slim and powerful Campanile. Inside are several famed works of art and sculpture.:

In Lucca, this is the San Michele church, built in the 11th-14th centuries. It is in the heart of this walled town with its exceptionally tall facade.:

The most famous son of Lucca might be the great composer Puccini. Here is his statute on the main street of this charming town that wonderfully lack much contemporary development. Just lots of historic charm and character.:

Lucca has so many cute and interesting shops. Here is one example that we enjoyed so much. It is the Antico Caffe Dei Simo at Via Fillungo 58. Its origins date back to 1846 and has seen famed artists such as Verdi and Puccini pass through its doors.:

There are many, many churches in Lucca. Here is one of older ones in this walled town. This view is framed by the arches of a nearby building structure.:

We had visited San Gimignano in 1999 with our son, but it is a town that is always impressive in history and architectural styles. We had lunch here. Below is a long-shot of the hill town with its tower from the wonderful countryside below and nearby.

The train times I gave were an example. As I pointed out the trains run 1/2 hourly on this route so if one needs to be back earlier then just catch the train from Lucca either a half or one hour earlier.

One can check the latest train times at this website before you sail :

eurail.com/plan-your-trip/timetables

The train times I gave were an example. As I pointed out the trains run 1/2 hourly on this route so if one needs to be back earlier then just catch the train from Lucca either a half or one hour earlier.

 

One can check the latest train times at this website before you sail :

 

eurail.com/plan-your-trip/timetables

This is why you are giving people wrong information. The most accurate train information for Trenitalia trains is from their web sites, either http://www.trenitalia.com or http://www.fsitaliane.it.

We have been to Lucca and loved it! Not only it is closer to Livorno, but as much as we also loved San G, Lucca was less crowded.

Do the trains run on Sundays ? We will be in Livorno on October 5, and would like to take the train to Lucca. I'm having trouble finding a train schedule for this day.

Anne

Yes, the trains run every day of the year. The reason you can't find the schedule is because the trains between Pisa and Lucca are all regional trains, and they don't load those schedules this far in advance. Just look at the schedule for this Sunday and you'll have a good idea of what will be available.

We have spent several days in each of Lucca and Cinque Terre (Riomaggiore).

These are very different experiences. We enjoyed them both immensely.

You certainly need a few days in each place. A quick day trip won't let you truly appreciate these towns, let alone experience them.