from Livorno to Lucca on NOV 1..all saints day

[amanda blake]

I could not find a way to take a train and back to ship on that day...could be that trains are not running...

 

any one have any advice how to get to LUCCA on our own...the ship wants a lot and does Pisa as well...we have been to Pisa..just want to do Lucca...

[euro cruiser]

I'm not sure I understand your question. The trains run every day of the year ... and there are trains from Livorno Centrale to Lucca (with a change at Pisa Centrale) at 8:10 and 9:10 AM.

[amanda blake]

I'm not sure I understand your question. The trains run every day of the year ... and there are trains from Livorno Centrale to Lucca (with a change at Pisa Centrale) at 8:10 and 9:10 AM.

 

I have tried to get a schedule and price on the Trenitalia site..but could not get any information for that day...I have emailed them....maybe on a holiday such as this, the trains do not run?

[amanda blake]

well I have figured it out...the N/A means that the price has not yet been set for that date...but the trains are running...so that solves it....

[Hlitner]

Just keep in mind that many shops (and even restaurants) in Lucca will be closed on that holiday. When traveling in Italy we have always spent a lot of time planning how to deal with holidays, Sundays and Monday mornings when many places are closed. The Italians (and the French) love their holidays and long weekends (can't blame them). During good weather periods Cinque Terre is a good place for holidays since most of the places are open (this is a popular destination for the Italians too). Lucca is just an ordinary city (with great walls and much charm) but treats holidays like most places in Italy....it closes.

 

Hank

[amanda blake]

Hank thank you as always..

 

well I am in a real quandry..not sure we can count on good weather for Cinque Terre..

 

and to walk around Lucca with all shops being closed does not interest me either...love to browse ...

 

we have done pisa and florence...

 

dang all saints day...not a good thing to say if you are supperstitious....

[amanda blake]

hank is cinque terre doable on your own?

 

we only have one day from livorno...

[amanda blake]

I read a previous answer of yours and now know it is not a good idea on your own in one day...

 

the ship offers a 10 hour tour...for $132 pp....that is a lot of money....

 

so really not sure what to do ...

[euro cruiser]

The issue isn't All Saints Day, the issue is that it is a Monday. Any Monday in the winter (after September) shops will be closed until 3:30 in the afternoon, which is about the time a day tripper from Livorno would need to start heading back anyway.

 

Museums and churches in Lucca will be open that day, but if shopping is your intent, you're kind of out of luck on a Monday.

[Hlitner]

We agree with Euro (above) that Mondays make the situation even worse with the Italians thinking of Monday mornings as an extension of Sunday :) As to doing Cinque Terre on one's own, this is the only way we go to Cinque Terre since we have a major dislike of most organized excursions. From Livorno we prefer to rent a car and just drive ourselves to Riomaggiore where we can park for the day. However, that option will depend on whether Hertz (the best bet at Livorno) is working on All Saints Day. As to other options it is also possible to get to Riomaggiore by taking the train to La Spezia and changing to the local train to Riomaggiore (or any of the other 4 villages). But those train connections leave much to be desired (Euro might want to post detailed schedules). To be blunt, this is one of the few places where we actually think the cruise line's excursion to Cinque Terre is a reasonble option (depending on the current cost). As an aside, we met an American couple in Euope last year that told us that they have been spending 1 week a year in Riomaggiore for nearly twenty years. They rent a small furnished apartment and love staying in this town for an extended day. They convinced us its a good idea so we will probably try to do something similar within the next couple of years although we are not certain which of the villages would become our temporary home.

 

Hank

[euro cruiser]

There is an 8:43 from Livorno Centrale that arrives in Riomaggiore at 10:08 (with a change in La Spezia).

 

Returning there is virtually no flexibility. For most cruisers, the only return that works leaves Riomaggiore at 3:41, arriving at Livorno Centrale at 5:15 PM.

[Hlitner]

Since Euro and I are having fun doing the back and forth thing lets keep it going :) Euro's train schedule info raises a red flag in my little mind. When planning "on your own" days one should always have a "Plan B" in case things do not go according to Hoyle. In this case, using the train means you are totally dependent on a a single train to get back to Livorno (and remember you still need to get a taxi from Livorno Centrale back to the Port) and we do not like to totally dependent on trains(especially when the journey involves changing trains en route)...hence "Plan B." The only possible "Plan B" would be to find a taxi to get you back to Livorno from Riomaggiore (where there are few taxis) which would cost several hundred Euros. This is one of those excursions where one should be aware of the ships' next port (hopefully the following day) and the worst case scenario of missing the ship and needing to catch-up the following day. This is not a problem if the ship will be in Italy or France the following day..but it should always be a consideration. We always have a "Plan B" for our port days, and have found that this kind of thinking usually means you will not ever miss a ship :)

 

Hank

[euro cruiser]

I have no come back, since Hank is (as usual) right. (Except about Naples .. I'm still working on changing his mind about that.)

 

Renting a car and driving yourself is the only other alternative to hiring a car and driver, which is very expensive.

[Hlitner]

I have no come back, since Hank is (as usual) right. (Except about Naples .. I'm still working on changing his mind about that.)

 

Renting a car and driving yourself is the only other alternative to hiring a car and driver, which is very expensive.

 

I did figure out how you could change my mind about Naples. A few bottles of good Italian wine (with some Naples pizza) might do the trick. But the next day I would be sober and Naples would still suck :)

 

 

Hank