Train from Livorno - Looking for advice

[Aquahound]

Currently, I have a ships excursion booked that tours Florence and Pisa. However, in looking to avoid certain disadvantages to a bus load of people from a ships excursion, I saw the train option.

 

Does anyone have experience with this train and its routes. What we would like to do is take the train from Livorno to Florence then from Florence to Pisa. Then, perhaps grab a taxi back to Livorno. We are in port 11 hours. How feasable is this and is it a good idea? Thanks.

[cberge]

Currently, I have a ships excursion booked that tours Florence and Pisa. However, in looking to avoid certain disadvantages to a bus load of people from a ships excursion, I saw the train option.

 

Does anyone have experience with this train and its routes. What we would like to do is take the train from Livorno to Florence then from Florence to Pisa. Then, perhaps grab a taxi back to Livorno. We are in port 11 hours. How feasable is this and is it a good idea? Thanks.

There is a ton of info on this board re your very question as it is asked all the time. Just do a search on the board re train to Florence/Pisa and I am sure you will find a lot of info.

[Aquahound]

There is a ton of info on this board re your very question as it is asked all the time. Just do a search on the board re train to Florence/Pisa and I am sure you will find a lot of info.

 

 

Thank you, but I did do a search. I didn't find info specific to the route I'd like to take.

[euro cruiser]

Many of us have done this. It gets a little more difficult adding the stop at Pisa, but it's still quite possible.

 

My best advice is to (1) be one of the first off your ship and (2) get a taxi from your ship to the train station, not the shuttle bus into town. The buses drop you off at Piazza Grande, which is a mile and a half from the train station. Most people take the local bus from Piazza Grande to Piazza Dante (the train station), which means you arrive there with about 50 other people who all have the same idea and get in the same line to purchase tickets. Don't do it! Spend the 20 Euro or so on a cab, and share it with up to six people.

 

The train from Livorno Centrale to Firenze (Florence) Santa Maria Novella station takes about 90 minutes (some a little more, some a little less) and costs Euro 8,20 each way. On the current schedule there are trains at 7:30, 7:43 and 8:12.

 

To avoid lines at the station you can purchase your tickets on line, but you have to wait until seven days prior to do so, regional tickets are not available on line before that. However, if you have a port stop in Rome or Naples the day before (or any other Italian city with a train station, for that matter) you can buy tickets there as well.

 

On the return, all of the regional trains between Florence and Livorno stop at Pisa Centrale, so you can just get off and grab a cab to the tower area, the Piazza dei Miracoli (about a mile from the train station).

 

You don't need to get different tickets for the return because regional tickets are good for six hours from the time you validate them, which you do just before getting on the train. Therefore, you've got plenty of time to get off in Pisa, go see the tower area, get back to the station and get on a train to Livorno, all on the same ticket.

[euro cruiser]

If you want to climb the tower you should pre-reserve tickets. You can go that on line, a month or two prior to being there, at this site: http://boxoffice.opapisa.it/Torre/first.jsp

[Aquahound]

euro crusier, thank you very much. I've seen some of your other posts and you are very helpful.

 

What do you think? Is it worth doing this, or do you think I should stick with the cruise ship excursion that is already going to both? I'm not considering this to save money. I'm just looking to avoid missing out on some things due to a bus load of people, some of which may not be in the best shape. We are in our 30s and will be on a Holland America cruise.

 

What is your advise on that?

[euro cruiser]

I'm the last one to ask about that, because I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than get on another cruise ship tour. Too many people, too many complaints, too much lost time, and too many unnecessary shopping stops.

 

If money isn't an issue you might consider one of the car & driver services, that would be the easiest way to accomplish everything and give you the most time. If that's beyond what you want to spend, then the train is a great alternative.

[NCMtnBoys]

euro cruiser, thank you for your answers, this is excellent information, especially the link to pre-book the LToP, and the info regarding the regional ticket being good for six hours so we don't have to purchase a 2nd ticket. I think we may be looking to do the same thing as the OP.

 

This board is full of information, but sometimes all the information on the board doesn't answer a very specific question. Thank you again.

[euro cruiser]

You don't need to get different tickets for the return because regional tickets are good for six hours from the time you validate them, which you do just before getting on the train. Therefore, you've got plenty of time to get off in Pisa, go see the tower area, get back to the station and get on a train to Livorno, all on the same ticket.

I should have posted a link to this information. Unfortunately, this page does not appear on the English language version of the Trenitalia site, but I'll give you the link in Italian: http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=34a55081a06ba110VgnVCM1000003f16f90aRCRD#2

 

The relevant paragraph is:

La convalida e la durata

Di regola, la validità oraria del biglietto decorre dal momento della convalida mediante le macchinette obliteratrici di stazione. Il viaggio deve concludersi

entro 24 ore dall’ora della convalida

(in Trentino entro le ore 24.00 del giorno di emissione). Per percorrenze fino a

200 Km

il viaggio deve essere terminato entro 6 ore dall’ora della convalida (in Lombardia entro 3 ore, per percorrenze fino a 50 Km).

What this says is that for trips of 200 kilometers or less (about 125 miles), regional train tickets are good for six hours from validation.

 

 

[Aquahound]

Thank you, once again, euro cruiser. You are a wealth of knowledge. :)

 

I got a good laugh out of your cruise ship excursion comments. That's exactly why I am looking at other options. :D

[CathyCruises]

We did this exactly on our cruise last November--worked very well, just as Eurocruiser describes, although we just bought our tickets at the station. We took a cab from the train station in Pisa to the tower and then caught a bus back when cabs were suddenly scarce. It was a piece of cake and we got to do everything at our own pace. You may also want to consider prebooking tickets to the Accademia to see the David--I believe it is totally worth the price of admission, and only takes about 1/2 an hour (YMMV), leaving you lots of time to see more of Florence.

 

Laughed out loud at the pins-in-the-eyes description--I feel exactly the same way. Never ever again. Last one we did was years ago in Florence, ironically, and that sealed the deal.

[Aquahound]

Thank you Cathy. This stop will be day 10 of a 12 night cruise, so while I might be able to get online while on board, I won't be able to print the tickets.

 

Was it much of a hassle buying tickets there? I don't know a lick of Italian, so is it pretty easy to figure out only speaking English?

[CathyCruises]

Thank you Cathy. This stop will be day 10 of a 12 night cruise, so while I might be able to get online while on board, I won't be able to print the tickets.

 

Was it much of a hassle buying tickets there? I don't know a lick of Italian, so is it pretty easy to figure out only speaking English?

 

Yes, it was very easy. We just said, due biglietti per Firenze, Santa Maria Novella, per favore. And they answered in English! You can imagine that the train station in Livorno sees MANY MANY English speaking passengers wanting to go to Florence!! We have never pre-purchased tickets in Italy, always buy them that day. (However I did just buy Eurostar tix for the Chunnel because they were so cheap, but that's a different system altogether).

 

This sounds more complicated than it is--it is pretty slick.

[euro cruiser]

We just said, due biglietti per Firenze, Santa Maria Novella, per favore. And they answered in English!

I can't tell you how depressing it is, after years of studying Italian on-and-off, that people still answer me in English when I speak to them in Italian. Not always, but generally in situations where they are in a hurry (like a train station with a long line behind me). I sound so authentic to myself (:D), but obviously not to them!

[CathyCruises]

Haha! I don't speak any Italian at all, we decided tonight that I speak "Franish"! I spent a summer living in the French speaking part of Switzerland, and took French in high school and some in college, and was doing okay at it. Then I moved to Mexico for three and a half years--I never took a Spanish class but was forced to learn the language, street-style. Now when I try to speak French, half the words come out in Spanish--it's pretty frustrating (and amusing to DH who speaks great French.)

 

Anyway, we have picked up just a smattering of Italian words, enough to get what we need, and I am sure we are as ungrammatical as he**, but we have fun trying. So I am grateful when they answer me in English!!!

[euro cruiser]

Now when I try to speak French, half the words come out in Spanish

I have the same problem. I took French throughout high school and undergraduate school and taught it to my Goddaughter when she was young. She went on to major in French and lived and studied in France for a couple of years. I went there to visit her after I began learning Italian and after a couple of days she told me that I now "stomp all over my R's" like an Italian, while the French "dance lightly around them".

[Aquahound]

Living in S. Florida, I can muddle my way through Spanish, but I would never attempt it in a Spanish speaking country. I figure my Spanglish would be disrespectful. My one attempt at Italian, last time I was in Rome, I was mistakenly saying Presto instead of Prego when saying you're welcome. I gave up. I don't even try anymore.

[TERRIER1]

We arrived twice in Livorno. The first time we docked in the industrial section of the port and since this was our first cruise ever we elected to take the astronomically expensive ship's tour "on your own" to Florence. Not worth the time or the money especially since you guys seems young and mobile.

 

The second time we arrived at the small pier since our cruise line is of the smaller version and we could dock there. This dock is close to the Plaza were you pick up the bus to the train station. If your ship docks where the larger vessels port than share a cab to the train station. We walked to the bus stop and took the bus to the train station. You can walk but in the morning time is of the essence since there is a big gap in the train schedule after 10 am until the next outward bound train. One caveat - be aware that on Italian holidays the train doesn't run as often. We were there on Italian independence day and the station was mobbed and the trains were running erratically. The express to Firenze seemed to be on schedule but we were going to Pisa and then onto Lucca.

 

Our shipmates took the express to Florence and got back to the ship before us. They said it was smooth traveling with no delays. You buy your tickets (round trip) at the station in Livorno and they speak English. We disembarked the ship at 8 am and sailed at 6 pm and everyone made it back with plenty of time.

 

You will have a great time. Enjoy.