La Spezi to Florence

[BIGJAN]

Have just booked Harmony for next September and have noticed that the ship is docking in la Spezia. RC don't seem to have a "Florence on your own" trip, they all seem to be with guides. How easy is it to get from La Spezia to Florence on your own? Thank you

[Clarea]

You may also wish to post your question in the Italy Ports of Call forum:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=595

[caseymorgan]

It's an easy train ride. Check out trenitalia.com for advance tickets.

[caseymorgan]

And take a look at TripAdvisor (parent company of Cruise Critic). You can search the forums and get a more detailed answer.

[HACKT]

We were just there on Allure last month. One caution is the ship docks in cargo ship areas so is away from the towns at all stops. So you'll also need transport to/from train station. Taxis weren't always evident at ship.

We booked "Taste of Florence" for a reasonable price which gave us 6 hrs there. First 3 were with guide, rest were by ourselves inc lunch on our own.

I rec you book some type of transfer that gets you from ship to city and back again as it's a 2 hr trip to Florence. Good news is, if you miss ship departure, it's an easy train ride to next stop outside Rome. [emoji41]

[Hlitner]

I will jump in because of another post. The train is not an easy situation! Depending on the actual train it will take about 2 hours plus (each way) and involve a change along route. So at best, you are looking at a minimum of 4 hours of trains (round trip) which does not include the time to get to and from train stations, to the platform and waiting time. This is why we do not normally recommend going to Florence from La Spezia...but rather recommend enjoying the nearby villages on Cinque Terre. That being said, yes, it is possible to get to Florence if you think its worthwhile with all those hours of transport.

 

Hank

Edited October 21, 2015 by Hlitner

[jimb98]

Can anyone advise how easy is it to get to Pompeii from La Spezia on public transport

 

Cheers,

 

Jim

[Host Hattie]

Are you calling at Naples ? It's much easier to get to Pompeii from there. It's quite a long way from La Spezia.

[jimb98]

I was just about to edit my post but you were too quick for me. Yes we do dock at Naples as well as La Spezia.

 

Cheers,

 

Jim

[kuldalai]

Its a 2 hour 15 minute trip each way La Spezia Centrale - Pisa Centrale - Firenze SMN .

 

Maximize your time seeing NOT travelling . Do the Cinque Terre by train from La Spezia Centrale . Nearest village is Riomaggiore 10 mins travel and furthest Monterosso el Mare is 30 mins from La Spezia. Alternatively visit Pisa which is an hour by train from La Spezia.

 

Pompei is visited from Napoli . Take the Circumvusia private train from separate platforms downstairs at Napoli Centrale station in the direction of Sorrento and alight at Pompei Scavi NOT Pompei .

[Hlitner]

Can anyone advise how easy is it to get to Pompeii from La Spezia on public transport

 

Cheers,

 

Jim

 

Sometimes we get the feeling that posters do not look at maps or train schedules. In your case, it would take about 6-7 hours each way (using trains) which is not a good thing on a port day. If Pompeii is on your personal agenda then you want a cruise that docks in either Naples or Salerno or tenders into Sorrento. From those ports it does make sense to visit Pompeii. As an alternative you could drive the 400 miles (one way) in about 6 hours (one way) if you are a fast driver.

 

Hank:eek::confused:

Edited October 22, 2015 by Hlitner

[jimb98]

Sometimes we get the feeling that posters do not look at maps or train schedules. In your case, it would take about 6-7 hours each way (using trains) which is not a good thing on a port day. If Pompeii is on your personal agenda then you want a cruise that docks in either Naples or Salerno or tenders into Sorrento. From those ports it does make sense to visit Pompeii. As an alternative you could drive the 400 miles (one way) in about 6 hours (one way) if you are a fast driver.

 

Hank:eek::confused:

 

My apologies once again. The one thing I can't be accused of is not looking at maps, it's an integral part of my swotting-up. As I said I confused Naples with La Spezia; we are docking at both.

[Hlitner]

My apologies once again. The one thing I can't be accused of is not looking at maps, it's an integral part of my swotting-up. As I said I confused Naples with La Spezia; we are docking at both.

 

LOL and you haven't gotten to Happy Hour yet :). From Naples it is very easy to get to Pompeii and takes less then 30 min via train. And its only about 20 miles via car/bus. There are several options and if you want to simply do it on your own its relatively easy (many posts here on the details). Keep in mind that if its a hot day it will be even hotter in the ruins where you have little shelter. So take a hat and put on your sunscreen.

 

Hank