Livorno port to Livorno train station

We are in Livorno port next week on NCL EPic. We plan on visiting Florence on our own and I can't seem to figure out the way there, specifically transportation at the port. At first, I thought I have figured it out: Shuttle from port to Livorno centre, then buy the bus ticket at a nearby tabacchi shop then take the no. 1 bus along the street going to the station. Now, I don't know if this is outdated information and there's a new way. I saw some fairly recent dailies that show NCL providing shuttle from the port straight to the train station for a fee. Can anyone confirm if this is true? Do these shuttle run early (ie., allow us to get to the station around 8/8.30 to catch an earlier train to Florence)??

We cannot speak to whether NCL will offer some kind of shuttle bus from the port to the train station and suspect you will not know this until it happens. But we can tell you that the most efficient way (in terms of cost and time) to get from the pier to the train station is to share a taxi (4 to a normal size taxi) which will cost you around 6€ per person and have you at the station in about 10 minutes. But the tricky part is getting a taxi to do that short haul (most drivers will refuse). That being said, on 20+ visits to this port we have always been able to get a taxi to the station. Our technique is actually simple. We try to be among the first off the ship (beat the crowds and get an earlier train) and immediately walk over to the taxi queue. We then ask for a taxi to take us to the station (Stazione) and often there will be a driver or helpful local (who often tries to organize the taxis) who will accomodate us. If all refuse, we politely, but assertively, ask the drivers for help in finding us another taxi to get us to the station. In some cases one driver will eventually say yes and we have had a few times when a driver will call another taxi to come to the port (this seldom takes more then 10 min).

As to using the shuttle into the center of town (from where you still need to use a local bus or a taxi to get to the station) you really have nothing to lose in trying our taxi technique first. That is because the shuttle buses do not normally begin running to well after you are docked. In fact, we have usually been docked by 7am...with the first shuttle not even leaving the port until after 8:30 (by which time we near Florence). The town shuttle buses are run by the local government and port (not the cruise line) and are intended to get passengers into central Livorno where they hope that folks will spend some time and money. Since businesses are generally not open until 9am (or later) there is no incentive for the city to run a shuttle before 8:30.

Many frequent travelers like to use a term for Italy which is, "Ahhhhhh, it's Italy!" This means you just never can predict how things work in Italy and Italians (and smart travelers) except that situation and just roll with the tide. So one needs to keep their sense of humor (humour for you Brits), smile, keep your flexibility, and do what seems best at the time.

Hank

As per Hank's post, some folk have reported difficulty in getting a taxi at the pier. But we had no worries on our one-and-only visit by RCI cruise ship a couple of years back. We shared an 8-seat taxi (a high proportion of Livorno's taxis are 8-seaters) so the €25 fare cost us just €4 each including a fat tip. Cheaper, and more importantly much quicker and more convenient than the dog-leg of an RCI shuttle to the city centre and a local bus from there to the station.

Coming back we weren't so lucky - had an 8-seater / €25 taxi to ourselves because we couldn't find sharers at the station.

But we did ask a crowd on the station forecourt.

No-one wanting to share, because they were all waiting for a shuttlebus.

An NCL shuttlebus :)

So there's a good chance that NCL will be offering you a (payable) shuttlebus to the station.

JB :)

NCL's shuttle bus to the station will cost you $12 (p or possibly more like $15 now) round trip, per person. I don't know if it is on any sort of schedule, or if they wait for it to fill up, or a little bit of both, but if you need to be at the station very early, this may not be the best choice.

The port/city shuttle takes you into the center of town and I think it is 5 euros round trip. And from there you have to take a public bus to the station. This is the slowest way, but the cheapest way (unless you get very lucky sharing a full cab from the ship to the station and back).

We sometimes like to put this issue in terms of time...something understood by most travelers. When we are among the first off a ship, and grab a taxi to the station, we are often in Florence (if that is our destination) by 9:30! Somebody waiting for the port shuttle-town bus will likely not get to Florence until around 11:30. That is a huge difference on an already short port day.

Hank

Thanks for the responses. I will check with NCL right away about the shuttle to the station and the protocols it entails (schedule, rate) once we get in.

Just that the thought of standing there looking for a taxi in ITALY (which I've been to several times before and not once have I taken this mode of transportation :rolleyes:) and/or coming up to strangers asking to share intimidates me! :eek: But if that's the only plausible way to get there...

Thanks for the responses. I will check with NCL right away about the shuttle to the station and the protocols it entails (schedule, rate) once we get in.

 

Just that the thought of standing there looking for a taxi in ITALY (which I've been to several times before and not once have I taken this mode of transportation :rolleyes:) and/or coming up to strangers asking to share intimidates me! :eek: But if that's the only plausible way to get there...

They are lined up waiting (you don't have to look for them) and they are used to dealing with tourists. The trick is getting one to go to the station -- most are looking for an all-day fare.

Just think of all the extra time you'll get in Florence if you need motivation to try. :D

I was on NCL spirit in July and yes NCL had bus to station. It looked like they waited till full.

Thanks for the responses. I will check with NCL right away about the shuttle to the station and the protocols it entails (schedule, rate) once we get in.

 

Just that the thought of standing there looking for a taxi in ITALY (which I've been to several times before and not once have I taken this mode of transportation :rolleyes:) and/or coming up to strangers asking to share intimidates me! :eek: But if that's the only plausible way to get there...

I've never thought of sharing a taxi or minibus from or to a cruise port as sharing with strangers - it's sharing with fellow-cruisers. Folk who can then become "new friends" or at least passing acquaintances for the rest of the cruise.

But even if you're not gregarious, I very much doubt you'll find it intimidating.

Frequently we've ended up exploring a port mob-handed with folk we're thrown with in a taxi, same as folk we're thrown with at the breakfast table.

At the end of a cruise in the UK it's not unusual for folk in the taxi queue at the cruise terminal to agree to share a taxi from ship to rail station or airport - the limiting factor is usually luggage.

In some places in the world (Cuba is an example) it's perfectly normal for "your" taxi-driver to stop in the street to pick up strangers - two or three different strangers might occupy the seat next to you at various stages of a taxi ride. Now that is at the very least surprising the first time, possibly intimidating.

But that doesn't happen in Italy any more than it does in the UK. You can agree to share, or you can choose to occupy the taxi alone.

JB :)

There were shuttles as you exited the gangways to take you to either the downtown or directly to the train station. It cost 15$ American charged to your onboard account to go directly to and return from train station. Be sure to carefully note how you enter the train station because you will find the bus in the same place when you exit. If you follow the crowd you will be on the opposite side of the station and will not see the bus.

Remember to validate your ticket; the machines are small and there is not a lot of signage for them.

In Livorno today. The NCL shuttle to the station is $15 per person round trip and they said it goes every 30 minutes. We got a late start so I don't know how they handled the initial rush of passengers. We waited less than 10 minutes each way and they did not wait for the bus to fill up.

The shuttle stops at the back entrance of the station, so you have to cross under the tracks to the main hall to get tickets.

Keep in mind that 4 (or more sharing a taxi) would be less then what NCL charges for their shuttle, and if you are lucky, you would be able to get a taxi and be at the station long before their first shuttle departed the pier. Other then the NCL shuttles (which have previously been mentioned on CC) we are not aware of other mass market lines having shuttle service to the train station. Why? The cruise lines want to sell their overpriced excursions. Why would they want to provide a shuttle when they can charge passengers $75-$130 (it varied by cruise line) for a bus to Rome.

Hank

The problem with the scenario is folks still have problems getting out of the port! The shuttle bus that runs from the port to the city center often does not even start running from the port until around 8:30! And a 9:45am bus from the City Center to Florence does not make a lot of sense since those folks would not get to Florence until around 11am! If one can get a taxi to the station early in the morning they will be in Florence by 9:30! An extra 1 1/2 hours in Florence is very meaningful on a too short port day.

We have long thought that Livorno one of the least cruiser-friendly ports in Europe because of the lousy situation in getting out of the ports. With the possible exception of Norwegian, it does not seem that the cruise lines have interest in helping their passengers get to early trains. From the cruise line's point of view, why help the passengers get to Florence when they can sell them an overpriced excursion? Providing some kind of decent shuttle service to the station does not generate much revenue for the shore excursion office.

Hank

However, I have E-mailed the operator three times now to check if it runs OK, but had no reply. Any help would be welcomed

When we were there last week there was also a "last minute shuttle to Pisa" that was 25 euros per person round trip, directly from the ship and back, with about 2 hours in Pisa. I didn't see the timetable, but I suspect there were several departures throughout the day.

I agree with Hank about Livorno, and in the future I think we will just stay on the ship when we dock there. Just not worth it.

There is a bus advertised :

http://www.livornonow.com/direct_bus_service_from_livorno_to_pisa_and_florence

 

However, I have E-mailed the operator three times now to check if it runs OK, but had no reply. Any help would be welcomed

I will tiptoe lightly so as not to violate any board rules. The person that was posting info on that bus appeared to be trying to use CC to air their commercial ad. Those ads now seem to have disappeared from CC (one might suspect the mods intervened). Whether, or not, that bus exists, is reliable, etc. is a big question. The web site seems to be independently owned by a lady and the fact that she personally accepts payments online....would cause me some concern. Guess we will have to wait until somebody here on CC tries the service and posts about the experience. Personally, we would stick with the train. And as we have posted, the schedule for that bus made little sense for most cruisers because of the late hour it departed from Livorno.

Hank

The name of the company is tuscanyBUS. I don't have any first-hand experience with them, but the website looks legit. There is no need to go through the LivornoNOW site to get tickets, although that site also looks it provides useful information, while also making money by working with local outfits, which I suppose is fair enough. I actually wish the port/city of Livorno would put as much effort into helping cruise ship passengers get the most out of the city and the region…

I will tiptoe lightly so as not to violate any board rules. The person that was posting info on that bus appeared to be trying to use CC to air their commercial ad. Those ads now seem to have disappeared from CC (one might suspect the mods intervened). Whether, or not, that bus exists, is reliable, etc. is a big question. The web site seems to be independently owned by a lady and the fact that she personally accepts payments online....would cause me some concern. Guess we will have to wait until somebody here on CC tries the service and posts about the experience. Personally, we would stick with the train. And as we have posted, the schedule for that bus made little sense for most cruisers because of the late hour it departed from Livorno.

 

Hank

Thx Hank

Hi guys, just to update (I'm the OP). We got to Florence just fine. We decided to take the shuttle offered for $15 return. I can't imagine standing outside looking for a taxi (which weren't really visible, they seem to be parked nearby in an enclosure (maybe we were early out?) and there weren't really people who were planning to take one. It seemed that of those exiting, there were two groups--- those taking the shuttle to Livorno centre and those taking the one to the train station. When we got on the bus, there were already quite a few in, I'd say they've been waiting for it get full for about 15-20 minutes, but it was definitely the first shuttle. Anyway, Livorno port was pretty far to the station! We were dropped off behind the station in a car park (I think) and we walked an underground passageway to the ticket booth. We took the 08.52 train to Florence (the supposed earlier one was delayed for like almost an hour, a few minutes past the 08.52), arrived at 10 am.

Can anyone speak a bit more specifically to how we should plan on getting from our ship to the taxi stand/que if we have read that you are not allowed to walk out of Livorno port? I have been confused as to whether we need a shuttle to get out of the port itself vs. the aforementioned city shuttle to Piazza Grande? We are docking on HAL's Eurodam on a Wednesday in April from 7:00am - 7:00pm and planning to grab a taxi so we can get the earliest train possible and maximize our time in Florence.

Also, given we are unsure of the exact time it will take to deal with getting out of the port and to the station, do you advise purchasing our train tickets at the station or if we purchase in advance can we hop on a earlier/later train depending on our arrival time? I keep envisioning us getting to the station just in time fo a train but missing it because we don't have tickets. Trying to get into the Italian "just roll with the flow" mentality, but don't want to be stuck waiting an hour for a train because we just missed one if we can avoid it!

Hi guys, just to update (I'm the OP). We got to Florence just fine. We decided to take the shuttle offered for $15 return. I can't imagine standing outside looking for a taxi (which weren't really visible, they seem to be parked nearby in an enclosure (maybe we were early out?) and there weren't really people .

Did you take the Port/cruise shuttle? Or the "Tuscanybus" mentioned on this thread that isn't connected to the Port or a ship? Was it pretty easy to find?

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Hi guys, just to update (I'm the OP). We got to Florence just fine. We decided to take the shuttle offered for $15 return. I can't imagine standing outside looking for a taxi (which weren't really visible, they seem to be parked nearby in an enclosure (maybe we were early out?) and there weren't really people who were planning to take one. It seemed that of those exiting, there were two groups--- those taking the shuttle to Livorno centre and those taking the one to the train station. When we got on the bus, there were already quite a few in, I'd say they've been waiting for it get full for about 15-20 minutes, but it was definitely the first shuttle. Anyway, Livorno port was pretty far to the station! We were dropped off behind the station in a car park (I think) and we walked an underground passageway to the ticket booth. We took the 08.52 train to Florence (the supposed earlier one was delayed for like almost an hour, a few minutes past the 08.52), arrived at 10 am.

Hi there, can you tell us what time the shuttle left the ship and what time you arrived at the station please? From looking at Dailies, it looks like the shuttle runs from 7:30 am - 5:45 pm, but I'm not sure if that means the first shuttle actually leaves at 7:30 am? Thanks,