DIY to Florence/Pisa from Livorno...Doable?

We would like the experts to again scrutinize our planned DIY to Florence/Pisa in the hopes of making this work. We will not be going to any museums but instead will just explore Firenze outside and do a little shopping. Appreciate all the comments!

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LIVORNO PORT – TRAVEL TO FLORENCE AND PISA ITINERARY

July 26, 2012 - Thursday

Ship arrives at 7a, leaves at 7p.

7:10-7:15 – Disembark. On our way to Livorno Centrale train station.

+ Map of Livorno

+ We need to take a taxi to Livorno Centrale Station. According to CC board, some taxis will only take 6-8 passengers so prepare to team up with other cruisers if necessary. Ask the guy directing taxis to direct us to taxi for train station. Cost is about EUR5 per person.

+ Purchase Roundtrip tickets to Florence (Firenze) in a tobacco shop (Tabacchi) to avoid the line at the station. Price should be EUR 6.70 one way.

+ Validate the ticket in a yellow machine before boarding the train. Validate the ticket that only says:

+ Head for the stairs down through the underground passage that will take you to the platform you need. You can check the platform number at the Departure board.

8:12a - The train ride to Firenze Santa Maria Novella (final stop) will take 1 hour and 20 minutes. Next train is 9:06.

9:32a – Arrival at Florence at Firenze Santa Maria Novella

+ Map of Florence. Sightseeing and shopping only. No museums. Get map at train station information booth.

9:45-12:45p - Explore Firenze

+ Walk from Piazza della Stazione to Via deglu Avelli.

+ Walk towards Santa Maria Novella Church. Walk towards Via del Tornabuoni (a street of luxury fashion boutiques) bypassing hotel Pensione Ferreti, Via del Moro, Leonardo House.

+ Walk towards the River and on the side at Lungamo degli Acciaioli.

+ Next bridge is Ponte Vecchio bridge (jewelry, artworks, tacky souvenirs).

+ Walk back to the side of the river bypassing Museo Galileo. Briefly visit outside Uffizi Palace.

+ Walk to Via della Nina and continue to Via dei Neri.

+ Get gelato at Gelateria dei Neri (Via dei Neri 26)

+ Continue to Via dei Neri towards Via de Benci. Continue up to Via de Benci crossing Piazza Santa Croce. Briefly explore Santa Croce.

+ Walk towards Via dell Anguillara. Continue walking until reaching Piazza di San Firenze.

+ Take Via de Gondi until reaching Piazza della Signoria.Take Pictures.

+ Take Via dei Calzaiuoli. Turn to Via Porta Rossa towards Via Calimala.

+ You’ve reached Mercato del Porcellino (rub the boar’s snout for good luck).

+ Take Via Roma/Calimala towards Via degli Speziali. You’ve reached Piazza della Repubblica. Take Pictures.

+ Continue taking Via Roma/Calimala. On the left is La Rinascente Dept. Store where you can see the Duomo at the top floor. Can also use for lunch break.

+ At the end of Via Roma is The Duomo

+ Walk towards Via Ferdinando Zannetti. Continue to Via del Conti.You’ve reached Medici Chapel and Basilica of San Lorenzo on the right (entrance fees).

+ Take Via dell Ariento towards bypassing Via de San’t Antonino.

+ You’ve reached Mercato Centrale. Get some snacks and souvenirs.

12:45-1p - Walk towards Firenze SMH station for lunch. Take Via Nacionale towards Piazza della Stazione

1p-1:40p - Lunch near Firenze train station

1:53-3:06 - Train ride to Pisa Centrale.

3:10 – Arrival in Pisa Centrale. Take the bus/taxi to the leaning tower of Pisa.

3:30-4:20 - Picture taking at Leaning tower of Pisa. Take taxi to Pisa Centrale for train.

4:33 – Departure from Pisa Centrale to Livorno Centrale. Arriving at 4:48p.

+ Plan B. Take a Taxi from Pisa Centrale to Livorno port (EUR ___)

4:50 – Arrival at Livorno Centrale Station. Take a taxi to the port. If difficult to get a taxi, alternative option is to catch a bus:

+ Catch Bus #1 at Livorno Central Station to Piazza Grande Square. Buy the bus ticket (EUR1) at a little tobacco shop (Tabacchi) or at a news-stand kiosks. Once you get into the bus, validate ticket in the machine.

+ Ride to Piazza Grande Square takes 10 minutes depending on the traffic. Buses arrive every 10 minutes.

+ Take the cruise shuttle bus (make sure the NCL EPIC Name is on the front) back to the port.

5:15 - 5:30 - Arrival at Livorno port

Will you actually be able to leave the ship at 7:10 if it arrives at 7:00?

WOW! You could get a job as a tour planner :). We have a friend who plans the same way as you except she would have an exact time at each line-item. I think her family disowned her after one of those days when she drove them all crazy herding them to keep to their schedule. But, everything you have is doable. If the ship is truly docked by 7 you might be able to get off around 7:15. If you are among the first off the ship and get lucky with the taxis (many will not want to take fares to the station) you might even make the 7:43 (we have done this previously). But I do wonder what happens if you happen to glance down a street not on your itinerary and it looks cute and inviting. Do you just keep marching to the itinerary or do you plod-on to keep to the schedule :)

Hank

Your details are great but I would be very surprised if you could be off the ship that early. Maybe as Hank says you can be off that early. I seem to remember it taking us longer, but I could be wrong.

I am glad that you have ninety minutes to spare when you get back until the ship leave recognizing that you need to be back on 30 minutes prior to dialing.

If I made one suggestion is to have a fall back plan if you are unable to get off the ship until 7:45 AM or even 8:00 AM. Basically, I recommend a plan B.

I hope it works out and I complement you on your plan.

Keith

WOW! You could get a job as a tour planner :). We have a friend who plans the same way as you except she would have an exact time at each line-item. I think her family disowned her after one of those days when she drove them all crazy herding them to keep to their schedule. But, everything you have is doable. If the ship is truly docked by 7 you might be able to get off around 7:15. If you are among the first off the ship and get lucky with the taxis (many will not want to take fares to the station) you might even make the 7:43 (we have done this previously). But I do wonder what happens if you happen to glance down a street not on your itinerary and it looks cute and inviting. Do you just keep marching to the itinerary or do you plod-on to keep to the schedule :)

 

Hank

LOL, thanks Hank. We're hoping to get off the ship at 7:15. But I am flexible with my schedule as I do get distracted once in a while. My plan is to cross off some of the places we picked to get back to schedule. I have a list of what places to cross off ;). My sister and her family are all marathon runners so I am not worried about the pace - I might be the one lagging behind them :D

Your details are great but I would be very surprised if you could be off the ship that early. Maybe as Hank says you can be off that early. I seem to remember it taking us longer, but I could be wrong.

 

I am glad that you have ninety minutes to spare when you get back until the ship leave recognizing that you need to be back on 30 minutes prior to dialing.

 

If I made one suggestion is to have a fall back plan if you are unable to get off the ship until 7:45 AM or even 8:00 AM. Basically, I recommend a plan B.

 

I hope it works out and I complement you on your plan.

 

Keith

Thanks Keith. Our plan B in case we are unable to get off the ship early is to take the train to Pisa first (I still have to get the schedule for that) so we don't have to wait another hour for the Florence train, do some picture taking for 30 minutes at Pisa, and then get to Florence.

Does this makes sense?

Hey Dee!!

WOOWWW!

I am so glad my family is touring Pompeii with you:D

You are doing a plan, like this for Pompeii, yes?:cool:

Stephanie

Hey Dee!!

 

WOOWWW!

I am so glad my family is touring Pompeii with you:D

 

You are doing a plan, like this for Pompeii, yes?:cool:

 

Stephanie

Hey Stephanie,

I'm actually letting Umberto taking lead for our Naples tour as I got exhausted doing Rome and Florence :p. But I did download Rick Steves' Pompeii audio and map so I'll know what to look for. I just haven't started on this as I still have to think about what we're going to do in Marseilles and Cannes :eek:

For my Plan B, I have two questions.

1. Is there another station at Pisa that I should look into that is nearer to the Leaning Tower coming from Livorno Centrale Station?

If our disembarkation is delayed, our Plan B is to leave Livorno Centrale Station and go straight to Pisa instead of waiting another hour to go to Florence.

We will spend about 30 minutes picture taking at Pisa and then hop the train to Florence, so my other question:

2. What train station in Pisa should I take going to Firenze SMH?

Thanks!

There is a closer station to the tower in Pisa, called Pisa San Rossore, but unless your timing is just perfect it will be just as fast to get a cab from Pisa Centrale. You'd need to change trains at Pisa Centrale and, in most cases, that requires a ten or fifteen minute (or longer) wait; as the Piazza Dei Miracoli (where the tower, duomo, etc. are located) is less than two miles from Pisa Centrale it's just as fast to simply jump in a cab vs. wait for the next train.

As for going on to Florence, there are a few trains each day that go from San Rossore to Florence and if your timing works out you could take one of the them. Most of the time, however, you'd wind up taking a train from S. Rossore back to Pisa Centrale and changing there for a train to Florence.

There is a closer station to the tower in Pisa, called Pisa San Rossore, but unless your timing is just perfect it will be just as fast to get a cab from Pisa Centrale. You'd need to change trains at Pisa Centrale and, in most cases, that requires a ten or fifteen minute (or longer) wait; as the Piazza Dei Miracoli (where the tower, duomo, etc. are located) is less than two miles from Pisa Centrale it's just as fast to simply jump in a cab vs. wait for the next train.

 

As for going on to Florence, there are a few trains each day that go from San Rossore to Florence and if your timing works out you could take one of the them. Most of the time, however, you'd wind up taking a train from S. Rossore back to Pisa Centrale and changing there for a train to Florence.

Thanks Euro Cruiser! How much is the cab fare from Pisa Centrale to Piazza Dei Marcoli?

I don't remember what we paid, but I'd guess it was more than five but less than ten Euro.

For my Plan B, I have two questions.

 

1. Is there another station at Pisa that I should look into that is nearer to the Leaning Tower coming from Livorno Centrale Station?

 

If our disembarkation is delayed, our Plan B is to leave Livorno Centrale Station and go straight to Pisa instead of waiting another hour to go to Florence.

 

We will spend about 30 minutes picture taking at Pisa and then hop the train to Florence, so my other question:

 

2. What train station in Pisa should I take going to Firenze SMH?

 

Thanks!

You might want to take the express train from Livorno all the way to Florence first and if time permits stop at Pisa on the way back. This way if you get delayed for any reason you are closer to Livorno coming back. Most people don't want to cram in the two places on the same day.

You might want to take the express train from Livorno all the way to Florence first and if time permits stop at Pisa on the way back.

The trains between Livorno and Florence are all regional trains, and they all stop at Pisa Centrale.

Hey Stephanie,

I'm actually letting Umberto taking lead for our Naples tour as I got exhausted doing Rome and Florence :p. But I did download Rick Steves' Pompeii audio and map so I'll know what to look for. I just haven't started on this as I still have to think about what we're going to do in Marseilles and Cannes :eek:

Hey Dee,

I agree, it will be nice to have Umberto doing the planning and you deserve a break!!:D

Great work!

Can't wait to meet you,

Stephanie

You might want to take the express train from Livorno all the way to Florence first and if time permits stop at Pisa on the way back. This way if you get delayed for any reason you are closer to Livorno coming back. Most people don't want to cram in the two places on the same day.

From my understanding, it will take another hour for us to wait for a train to go to Florence if we miss the 8:12a train, while trains to Pisa Centrale are more frequent.

This way, we don't have to waste an entire hour given our tight schedule:

My Plan B as follows:

If disembarkation is delayed. Go first to Pisa and then Florence

8:29-8:50 - Livorno Centrale to Pisa Centrale.

+Take a cab to Piazza dei Marcoli

9-9:30 - Pictures at Leaning Tower

+ Take a cab back

9:54-11:07 - Train to Firenze S.M. Novella. Next train is 10:32-11:32a.

11:10-3p - Explore Florence

3:28-4:48 - Firenze SMH to Livorno Centrale

+ Take a taxi to the port.

5:15 - 5:30 - Arrival at Livorno port

I'm going in September and would like to do something similar. I wonder if you're currently on your cruise... I would like to know how it worked out, any tips you may have, if you think I should just book a tour because it would be easier, etc etc.