FLORENCE: Best way to get there from the port

Hi All,

My boyfriend and I are traveling on the NCL Epic in a couple weeks. This is our first time to Europe and we are feeling a bit overwhelmed with the final planning. We aren't very interested in the cruise tours and would like to go to Florence. Can you advise best way to get to Rome form the Cruise port? Taxi, Rail, etc? If you have an estimate on costs that would be great. Seriously though any suggestions on sites to see would be great as well. HELP! Thanks!

Jen

Join the CC roll call for your cruise. There is most likely a small group of 4-6 others people who are looking to share a private tour.

The cost is typically around €500-550 between the group.

Join the CC roll call for your cruise. There is most likely a small group of 4-6 others people who are looking to share a private tour.

The cost is typically around €500-550 between the group.

Thanks!!

If you want to travel independently, take the train. Direct service hourly or better, takes about 90 minutes, costs about 18 euros day-return. Station in Florence is Firenze S M Novella, right in the centre.

The one downside with the train is getting from the ship to Livorno Centrale station.

You can't walk out of the port.

So either share a taxi to the station (25 euros e/w but they hold 8 passengers so could be only about 3 euros per person.).

Or ship's payable shuttle. Some (NCL?) offer a shuttle to the station, most offer a shuttle to the city centre & you then have a long walk or a short local bus ride to the station.

The trains stop at Pisa. If you want to sacrifice about 90 minutes of your time in Florence you can hop off there on the way or on the way back at no extra cost.

Allow plenty of time (45 minutes?) for rush-hour traffic from Livorno station back to your ship.

JB :)

We have taken the train to Florence from Livorno, very easy to do we took a taxi from the port and got off the ship around 7:30 am. We got to the train station and got on an 8 or 8:30 train. We purchased our tickets ahead of time for the train. We also made reservations for the hotels we wanted to see.

The best way is to go from dock to Florence & back without switching transport. Also most time efficient but of course not most cost effective.

Some options are:

a) Getting together with other people on roll call & try to book compete taxi that comes to the dock. I don't know what they charge for a day now but 300-350 euro per cab per day would be my guess. Some cabs are 4 seater sedans and some - 6 seater minivans.

b) Buy round trip bus transfer from dock to Florence that NCL may be selling. Goes and comes back to the dock. Again don't know the price, It was around $70 pp six years ago,

c) Use public transit. Cab to Livorno station, then local train to Florence with transfer in Pisa. R/T tickets can be bought from a vending machine (don't forget to stamp in yellow machine on platform otherwise you'll be fined). If cab to Livorno station is not around then port shuttle (not free) to Livorno, then bus to station (ticket in tobacco kiosk). Also as train goes through Pisa tower can be visited on the same ticket (its about 5 min walk from S.Rossore station)

Hi All,

 

My boyfriend and I are traveling on the NCL Epic in a couple weeks. This is our first time to Europe and we are feeling a bit overwhelmed with the final planning. We aren't very interested in the cruise tours and would like to go to Florence. Can you advise best way to get to Rome form the Cruise port? Taxi, Rail, etc? If you have an estimate on costs that would be great. Seriously though any suggestions on sites to see would be great as well. HELP! Thanks!

 

Jen

Hi Jen,

As I see from the threads you asked the same about Rome, for both ports we decided it would be easier to combine a tour with getting to each city because of the distance. We are using RomePrivateExcursions for both, a tour for up to 8 people so we can sit in comfort on the long ride and get a bit of history from the driver.

The best way is to go from dock to Florence & back without switching transport. Also most time efficient but of course not most cost effective.

 

Some options are:

 

a) Getting together with other people on roll call & try to book compete taxi that comes to the dock. I don't know what they charge for a day now but 300-350 euro per cab per day would be my guess. Some cabs are 4 seater sedans and some - 6 seater minivans.

 

b) Buy round trip bus transfer from dock to Florence that NCL may be selling. Goes and comes back to the dock. Again don't know the price, It was around $70 pp six years ago,

 

c) Use public transit. Cab to Livorno station, then local train to Florence with transfer in Pisa. R/T tickets can be bought from a vending machine (don't forget to stamp in yellow machine on platform otherwise you'll be fined). If cab to Livorno station is not around then port shuttle (not free) to Livorno, then bus to station (ticket in tobacco kiosk). Also as train goes through Pisa tower can be visited on the same ticket (its about 5 min walk from S.Rossore station)

Definitely VALIDATE your tickets in the yellow machine. (Some stations have updated and now have cream-colored ones.) We have been checked EVERY time we have taken the train between Florence (Firenze) and Livorno!

Hi we are stopping in Livorno on our cruise I am disabled and use a mobility scooter to get about can we get out of the port on foot [excuse the pun] and if so is ther anywere

to go or shops and cafes to go to [not many taxis like to load the scooters ]

thank you

Hi we are stopping in Livorno on our cruise I am disabled and use a mobility scooter to get about can we get out of the port on foot [excuse the pun] and if so is ther anywere

to go or shops and cafes to go to [not many taxis like to load the scooters ]

thank you

Can't offer any help, but ships the size of Anthem berth deep inside the port and walking (or presumably scootering ;)) out of the port isn't permitted.

Ships' transfer buses shuttle to the city centre, you really need to contact RCI about taking your scooter on those buses. Most taxis are large (carry 8 passengers) but again I don't know their attitude toward scooters.

You may well have similar issues at other ports. :(

JB :)

Can't offer any help, but ships the size of Anthem berth deep inside the port and walking (or presumably scootering ;)) out of the port isn't permitted.

Ships' transfer buses shuttle to the city centre, you really need to contact RCI about taking your scooter on those buses. Most taxis are large (carry 8 passengers) but again I don't know their attitude toward scooters.

 

You may well have similar issues at other ports. :(

 

JB :)

Thank you for your reply I will check with the coaches + Taxi firms we

have taken it on some taxis in other ports as it folds I suppose it depends

on the driver

Once again thank you for the information

we are on the indie on this one

Nannynette