Docking in La Spezia - Pisa/Lucca or Cinque Terre?

DH and I will be sailing on BOS in June with our DD who will have just turned 13. We are debating what to do when we dock at La Spezia. Our original plan was to go to Pisa & Lucca with an independent tour company, but a close friend who has been to Cinque Terre convinced me to consider that option instead. I know that the Cinque Terre is closer to port than Pisa/Lucca, so that's definitely a plus. I'm struggling because we have never been to Italy and aren't sure we'll have the opportunity to go back. If you had to choose between these two options under these circumstances, which would it be? Thanks in advance for any input!

Not knowing anything about you or your interests, budget or other limitations, your cruise and any other stops, it is hard to make any recommendations.

However, having been to both Lucca/Pisa and the Cinque Terre, I would suggest Cinque Terre.

Thank you for the feedback. In my effort to be succinct, I left out some details!

Here is our itinerary, with the plans we've made so far for our port days:

Day 1: Embark in Barcelona

Day 2: Cannes (train to Nice on our own)

Day 3: La Spezia*

Day 4: Civitavecchia*

Day 5: Sea Day

Day 6: Sea Day

Day 7: Athens (private tour with PK Travel)

Day 8: Kusadasi (private tour with Best of Ephesus tours)

Day 9: Santorini (debating between going out on our own or booking a private tour)

Day 10: Sea Day

Day 11: Valletta, Malta (on our own)

Day 12: Sea Day

Day 13: Disembark in Barcelona

*I started tour shares for Pisa/Lucca and Rome on RomeInLimo's tour sharing site, but no one has joined yet. If no one joins our Rome tour, we'll do a private tour with RomeInLimo. That will be pricey at $550 for the three of us, but we're willing to splurge to make sure we see as much a possible. If no one joins the Pisa/Lucca tour, we'll have to make other plans -- either seeing those places another way or going to the Cinque Terre. A private tour with RomeInLimo for the three of us would cost $650, and we're not willing to spend that much.

My friend who has been to the Cinque Terre thinks we should consider going there as Plan A, and not just if no one joins our Pisa/Lucca tour. The area looks beautiful and I think we would enjoy it, but I'm not sure I'm willing to give up seeing and climbing the Leaning Tower since we will be relatively close by.

ETA: As far as budget, I'd like to stay under 300 Euros for the 3 of us if possible.

My question on your itinerary was what other stops in the area you had, so perhaps you would get Florence/Pisa/Lucca from Livorno, for example. And mobility...as the Cinque Terre can be tough on people with limited mobility, as it is a lot of up and down, and not much flat.

For Cinque Terre, all you need is a few euros for the train, or a few more for train and ferry (which i highly recommend), and some walking shoes. So some money saved there might be available for your Rome tour.

I think- my opinion only, but have been to all of your stops but Malta- that your big days are Rome and Ephesus. Enjoy them to the fullest, take the private tours, they are wonderful stops. Nothing wrong with any of the other stops, but Rome and Ephesus are top of the line.

Santorini can be done on your own very easy. Make sure you get to Oia.

I have been to both and would vote for Cinque Terrre, it was beautiful.

I love your itinerary, I would really enjoy that but my DH only likes 7 day cruises so we have not got to Greece yet.

We went to Valleta on our first cruise - the harbour is really lovely.

One reminder - don't forget to take your bikini with you on day trips. We even have ours (and one of those travel towels) for the walk back from Civitavecchia and we have a dip in the sea. It is much nicer than the teacup sized swimming pool on the ship.

I really need to go on another cruise, Asap!

My question on your itinerary was what other stops in the area you had, so perhaps you would get Florence/Pisa/Lucca from Livorno, for example. And mobility...as the Cinque Terre can be tough on people with limited mobility, as it is a lot of up and down, and not much flat.

 

For Cinque Terre, all you need is a few euros for the train, or a few more for train and ferry (which i highly recommend), and some walking shoes. So some money saved there might be available for your Rome tour.

 

I think- my opinion only, but have been to all of your stops but Malta- that your big days are Rome and Ephesus. Enjoy them to the fullest, take the private tours, they are wonderful stops. Nothing wrong with any of the other stops, but Rome and Ephesus are top of the line.

 

Santorini can be done on your own very easy. Make sure you get to Oia.

Thanks so much for your input. We don't have mobility issues and would like to save some money since we'll be spending a bundle in Rome. CT is looking like a great option. We definitely plan on going to Oia in Santorini and would like to visit a beach as well. Do you have a recommendation?

I have been to both and would vote for Cinque Terrre, it was beautiful.

 

I love your itinerary, I would really enjoy that but my DH only likes 7 day cruises so we have not got to Greece yet.

 

We went to Valleta on our first cruise - the harbour is really lovely.

 

One reminder - don't forget to take your bikini with you on day trips. We even have ours (and one of those travel towels) for the walk back from Civitavecchia and we have a dip in the sea. It is much nicer than the teacup sized swimming pool on the ship.

 

I really need to go on another cruise, Asap!

Thanks for you reply! I'm going to fully explore the Cinque Terre idea. If it's even a close call, the proximity alone is probably a good reason to go that route. We'll be schlepping big time the next day when we dock at Civi.

Thanks so much for your input. We don't have mobility issues and would like to save some money since we'll be spending a bundle in Rome. CT is looking like a great option. We definitely plan on going to Oia in Santorini and would like to visit a beach as well. Do you have a recommendation?

Beaches in the Med are not what you may think. A few are sandy, most can be covered with rounded rocks of just about any size. Usually the best (with the most sand) are owned/controlled by someone (hotel, city, etc.) and will probably charge. So beaches aren't usually a priority in the Med for us.

Much of Santorini is up 6-800 feet above the water. There are a couple of beaches- look on the Greece board- but we didn't go to them.

Well with a teenage son I would do Pisa and Manarola on the CT all in the one day . Taxi to La Spezia station train to Pisa 65 minutes, pre book LT admission via LT website (date and time specific), then train Pisa - Savzana - Manarola . Explore both halves this CT village then train back Manarola to La Spezia Centrale . (NB: Pisa Rossore is nearest station to LT and Field of Miracles.)

Weekday train times: All regional trains - no seat reservations required.

La Spezia Centrale Dep 0908 or 1020 direct 65 mins to Pisa Rossore .

Pisa Rossore Dep 1440 Savzana Arr 1530 Change trains Savzana Dep 1540 Manarola Arr 1605 Manarola Dep 1652 La Spezia Centrale Arr 1705

It is 30 minutes walk from La Spezia port to La Spezia Centrale station, or 10 minutes by taxi . Other train time options here :

eurail.com/plan-your-trip/eurail-timetable

CT with a combination of boat, walking and train !!

We took the boat (north - south) from Monterosso to Riomaggori. The view of the villages from the sea was spectacular. Then we walked and visited a few villages, then caught the train.

Thanks so much for your input. We don't have mobility issues and would like to save some money since we'll be spending a bundle in Rome. CT is looking like a great option. We definitely plan on going to Oia in Santorini and would like to visit a beach as well. Do you have a recommendation?

Santorini does have a few decent beaches, but they are best accessed with a rental car and are not particularly close to Oia. Our favorite beach is the somewhat remote Red Beach. Kamari is also a pretty decent black sand beach, but too commercial for my taste.

Hank

Thank you, everyone! We've decided to visit the Cinque Terre and are excited about it! Kuldalai, I love the idea of going to Pisa to climb the tower AND seeing one of the villages, but we're not seasoned travelers and that plan intimidates me! Hank, thank you for the Santorini beach suggestions.

Thanks for you reply! I'm going to fully explore the Cinque Terre idea. If it's even a close call, the proximity alone is probably a good reason to go that route. We'll be schlepping big time the next day when we dock at Civi.

Ha ha Lisa You reminded me of how much I enjoy cruising and I booked a cruise yesterday!! It is the same Med cruise that I have done so many times but this time I am going to go in April. It really will be a change to go to Rome when it is not 38 degrees or more!!

When I went on the NCL website I saw that they were throwing in the drinks package for free which made the whole week a bargain. Thanks for the inspiration. My birthday at sea! A first for me. :D:D

Thank you, everyone! We've decided to visit the Cinque Terre and are excited about it!

We love the Cinqueterre, unfortunately it is now a well know jewel of Italy.

Tourist flock there and has become intolerable between the months of May and September. The trains are overcrowded, almost as bad an the Indian network. The ferries have a tendency to be cancelled even with the slightest sea swell so transport in the area can become a nightmare especially if you have a tight schedule.

The first thing I would do is check on the number/size of cruise ships in La Spezia and Livorno which will be a good indicator on the tourist density that day. If you are the only ship then I would take a chance and plan on the trains and ferries otherwise I choose private transport.

Go to Manarola for a few hours then onto Monterosso ideally by ferry, don't stop at Vernazzia as it all be too time consuming. On your return a car/tourist van journey on the high road back from Monterosso to La Spezia is very scenic and will cap off your day.

For the best info on the are check out - http://www.cinqueterreinsider.com

This is very helpful..how can we check on the number of ships in port on the day of our visit?

This is very helpful..how can we check on the number of ships in port on the day of our visit?

http://www.cruisetimetables.com/cruises-to-la-spezia-italy.html

You can use the same website for Livorno if you are porting there, but most cruisers porting in Livorno will head elsewhere. For La Spezia, most everyone will head to Cinque Terre

We love the Cinqueterre, unfortunately it is now a well know jewel of Italy.

Tourist flock there and has become intolerable between the months of May and September. The trains are overcrowded, almost as bad an the Indian network. The ferries have a tendency to be cancelled even with the slightest sea swell so transport in the area can become a nightmare especially if you have a tight schedule.

 

The first thing I would do is check on the number/size of cruise ships in La Spezia and Livorno which will be a good indicator on the tourist density that day. If you are the only ship then I would take a chance and plan on the trains and ferries otherwise I choose private transport.

Go to Manarola for a few hours then onto Monterosso ideally by ferry, don't stop at Vernazzia as it all be too time consuming. On your return a car/tourist van journey on the high road back from Monterosso to La Spezia is very scenic and will cap off your day.

For the best info on the are check out - http://www.cinqueterreinsider.com

I'll be on Harmony and was thinking Cinque terre also. It seems it will be the only ship at the time I'm there. How do you think the crowds will be if I head to the train right away. I was thinking maybe hang on the ship a little to give the crowds a chance to dissipate. Thanks

I'll be on Harmony and was thinking Cinque terre also. It seems it will be the only ship at the time I'm there. How do you think the crowds will be if I head to the train right away. I was thinking maybe hang on the ship a little to give the crowds a chance to dissipate. Thanks

Get off ASAP to maximize your time.

I know you have now decided on CT but personally I would recommend Pisa and Lucca they are both beautiful. The sight of the field of miracles with the sun shining on all that white marble is breathtaking. Hiring a bike to cycle along the top of the wall at Lucca is fun too.

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Have to agree with one of the prior posts. We have long enjoyed Cinque Terre and fondly remember before there were any cruise ships stopping at nearby La Spezia. So while we applaud the cruise lines (and we are very frequent cruisers) for making Cinque Terre easily accessible to cruisers, we are also cognizant that a large cruise population will likely ruin this neat area (similar to the way it has ruined St Thomas). We do have mixed emotions since we adore Italy and love to see others experience places we love. But we sure wish the cruise lines would stay in the major ports and leave the more charming areas alone..or for the more adventurous to discover. When we now do lengthy driving trips in Italy, France, etc. we do find ourselves going to areas that we know cannot be accessed by cruise tours. While this has become more difficult as cruise lines more into new ports, there are fortunately some areas that remain "out of range" of the dreaded cruise line excursion.

Hank

I agree...cinque terre is awesome!! It has gotten super busy though. I really noticed a difference this past summer compared to two years prior. Both times were July. I would still go for sure though!!

I'll be on Harmony and was thinking Cinque terre also. It seems it will be the only ship at the time I'm there. How do you think the crowds will be if I head to the train right away. I was thinking maybe hang on the ship a little to give the crowds a chance to dissipate. Thanks

Harmony is a massive ship with a lot of passengers.

My advise would be, try to get ahead of the crowds, since the trains carry relatively small numbers as they only have 3 or 4 carriages. Preferably I would try to a arrange a group of say 8 and get a taxi to drop you off in Manarola. Go down thru the village to the harbour (just check immediately if the ferries are running) enjoy this the most beautiful of all the villages for a hour or so then take the ferry direct to Monterosso. This will be a very scenic trip enabling you to photograph the villages from the sea. Monterosso al Mare is the last village of the Five-Lands, there is an old part and newer larger part of the town. Typically Italian with fabulous homemade gelato and don't forget the best Calamari you will ever taste (they know how to cook squid like no others). I would then meet your taxi driver for the return back to La Spezia, the high coastal road will provide many photo stops on the short journey back to the ship.

Remember it may cost a little more than using the train but you will have certainty which the overcrowded train will not, giving you time to enjoy this fabulous part of Italy and knowing you will get back to the ship on time. Another important point is it is easier to walk down thru the village than up, believe me, Manarola is steep but Monterosso is relatively flat so will be less tiring for the less active amongst you.

It maybe the only time you will visit the area, do it in a little style rather than most cruiser do, penny-pinch and forever regret.

we docked in Livorno and went to CT and a quick photo in Pisa on the way back to Livorno. Fabulous day! one of my favorite memories EVER.

we used Papillion Service Company...they were fantastic! Patient, kind, responsive with all of my questions. worth the money!

Thank you for the feedback. In my effort to be succinct, I left out some details!

 

Here is our itinerary, with the plans we've made so far for our port days:

Day 1: Embark in Barcelona

Day 2: Cannes (train to Nice on our own)

Day 3: La Spezia*

Day 4: Civitavecchia*

Day 5: Sea Day

Day 6: Sea Day

Day 7: Athens (private tour with PK Travel)

Day 8: Kusadasi (private tour with Best of Ephesus tours)

Day 9: Santorini (debating between going out on our own or booking a private tour)

Day 10: Sea Day

Day 11: Valletta, Malta (on our own)

Day 12: Sea Day

Day 13: Disembark in Barcelona

 

*I started tour shares for Pisa/Lucca and Rome on RomeInLimo's tour sharing site, but no one has joined yet. If no one joins our Rome tour, we'll do a private tour with RomeInLimo. That will be pricey at $550 for the three of us, but we're willing to splurge to make sure we see as much a possible. If no one joins the Pisa/Lucca tour, we'll have to make other plans -- either seeing those places another way or going to the Cinque Terre. A private tour with RomeInLimo for the three of us would cost $650, and we're not willing to spend that much.

 

My friend who has been to the Cinque Terre thinks we should consider going there as Plan A, and not just if no one joins our Pisa/Lucca tour. The area looks beautiful and I think we would enjoy it, but I'm not sure I'm willing to give up seeing and climbing the Leaning Tower since we will be relatively close by.

 

ETA: As far as budget, I'd like to stay under 300 Euros for the 3 of us if possible.

Hi Lisa,

My husband and I are on the same cruise and we are also looking into the possible option of sharing some private tours with fellow cruisers. We did this a couple of years ago on the Serenade of the Seas and shared several tours in this way and found it to be a less expensive and a much more flexible way to visit each of the destinations, than using the official ship's tours. I went to the Groups section of Rome in Limo and saw that there was a group looking for others under the name of Tippins for Rome. Is that your group? We might be interested in joining the tour but just want to know whether instead of visiting the Vatican in the afternoon, we could just go off on our own, as we visited the Vatican the last time and are not that bothered about going back again. We are more interested in discovering Ancient Rome and going down into the catacombs, which we didn't get to do on our last visit. We might also be interested in sharing a private tour from La Spezia if you are thinking of setting something up but might just follow some of the advice from other posters here and catch a train to CinqueTerre. We are the only ship in La Spezia on June 21, so there should be less competition for seats on the train.

Hi Lisa,

My husband and I are on the same cruise and we are also looking into the possible option of sharing some private tours with fellow cruisers. We did this a couple of years ago on the Serenade of the Seas and shared several tours in this way and found it to be a less expensive and a much more flexible way to visit each of the destinations, than using the official ship's tours. I went to the Groups section of Rome in Limo and saw that there was a group looking for others under the name of Tippins for Rome. Is that your group? We might be interested in joining the tour but just want to know whether instead of visiting the Vatican in the afternoon, we could just go off on our own, as we visited the Vatican the last time and are not that bothered about going back again. We are more interested in discovering Ancient Rome and going down into the catacombs, which we didn't get to do on our last visit. We might also be interested in sharing a private tour from La Spezia if you are thinking of setting something up but might just follow some of the advice from other posters here and catch a train to CinqueTerre. We are the only ship in La Spezia on June 21, so there should be less competition for seats on the train.

Hi Lanzalady! I apologize for the delay in responding. We've been out of town and I haven't been on CC for awhile. Yes, that is our group that you came across. We have never been to Rome and definitely want to go to the Vatican. Do you know whether RomeInLimo will allow us to go separate ways for that portion of the tour?

I had a group set up for Lucca/Pisa on RomeInLimo's site at one point, but we decided to do the CT on our own instead.