Pisa/Florence (or other suggestions) first time

[Beanb41]

We will be in Livorno on the Celebrity Constellation in June next year. We will be there for the day only and our likelihood of returning is slim to almost zero. Our plan is to catch the train from Livorno to Pisa and go direct to the tower and venture up the tower and back to the train station. We will then catch the train to Florence and go direct to Accademia to see "David" and if time permits the Uffizi Gallery. We then catch the train direct back to Livorno. We are going to prepurchase all train tickets and entry to both the Tower and Accademia and Uffuzi Gallery on line before leaving home. We accept that our fleeting visit will be but a snapshot but you cant do everything in a day.

[yoolykeme]

Did this last week.

 

My mom and I just walked outside and talked to a taxi operator. Ended up getting a group of 8 piled into a nice Mercedes Van with wifi that took us through Tuscany, 2 hours in Florence on your own, and like 30 minutes to take picture in Pisa for $50 each.

 

The drivers try to make at least $300/day, so once you get 6 people, you're good to go.

[maidut]

Florence is an amazing city with so much to see. It's very easy to navigate on foot and take in a bit of La Dolce Vita. I suggest spending as much time there as possible.

 

I completely understand wanting to see the Leaning a Tower of Pisa with your own eyes. If you take the train or a taxi from Livorno to Pisa, you can take a 10 min taxi (from the train station it's about €10, not sure from the port) ride to The Tower, have a 10 minute Kodak moment, take a taxi back to the train station and hop on the next train to Florence.

 

I've been to the tower a few times, but when I traveling with others who have never seen it, we've done this quick glimpse and they were always happy they did.

[Beanb41]

We changed our plans slightly from that proposed. We caught he train to Florence from Livorno and went straight to Uffuzi , followed by Accademia. We prebooked our entry times and tickets to both places on line. 10.30 for Uffuzi and 2.30 for academia. Manged both with ease. We caught the train back to Pisa and the bus to and from the station to the tower. We never bothered the climb and quite frankly I believe we lost nothing in the process. Train back to Livorno and back to the ship. It was a rushed day but well worth it. Whilst we never visited everywhere we saw in our opinion the must sees even if only for some from the outside

[Wingman2010]

Last Med cruise we took, we decided to do Pisa AND Florence in one day. It certainly is doable, but when all was said and done we regretted not having more time in Florence. The leaning tower is a neat photo op but Florence has more to offer......

[sueajp]

We arrive on The Celebrity Constellation October 29 th which unfortunately is a Monday. So museums are NOT open! booooo

Trying do decide whether to organize private tour or use ship for Florence and Pisa. The ship description says it is a 15 minute walk from the bus park to the city and must be able to walk 3.5 miles.. Part of our little group has trouble walking long distances. Has anyone actually done this and can say how strenuous it really is? Are there opportunities to sit and rest? Also many of the options include a stop at a leather factory. Is this just a shopping scam? Thanks for your input.

[Beanb41]

A taxi from the port to the train is 25 euros each way which can be done with up to 6 people per cab. Saves any hassles with ships shuttles and catching public buses. Train each way to Florence is 9.9 euros each way. Within a 5 minute walk from the Florence train station are the markets which included more leather stall all selling quality leathergoods that will empty your wallet if allowed. We will be there in November having been there last year and our goal is to buy the wife a quality leather hand bag. I purchased a man bag last year for about half the cost of an equivalent at home

[communication]

A taxi from the port to the train is 25 euros each way which can be done with up to 6 people per cab. Saves any hassles with ships shuttles and catching public buses. Train each way to Florence is 9.9 euros each way. Within a 5 minute walk from the Florence train station are the markets which included more leather stall all selling quality leathergoods that will empty your wallet if allowed. We will be there in November having been there last year and our goal is to buy the wife a quality leather hand bag. I purchased a man bag last year for about half the cost of an equivalent at home

 

 

10 years ago, I bought a leather bag from a stand in Pisa. I still use it and it is in good shape.

 

Do the taxi cabs take credit cards? dollars? or only euros? So to get from the ship to Florence you have to take a taxi to the train station?

[Beanb41]

If you want to travel independently you could also catch the bus shuttle from the ship into town and then the bus from the drop off point to the station. Drop off point can be found on "Tom's cruise ports"

[cruisinsince75]

If you do only one. Do Florence. Much more to see.

[renee48rmt]

Hmm, the tower was built in the 14th Century. You can stand outside and view and photograph it for free. Hardly a tourist trap. It's charming to see, and I was glad we saw it.

 

Six of us did a private tour out of Livorno. We left the ship quickly and got to Pisa very early, before the tour buses. We had the place to ourselves, took our photos, and then went on to Florence, where we had hours, including a visit to the Accademia to see the David.

 

Very do-able.

 

Do you remember what company you used for the private tour out of Livorno? Did the driver pick you up right at the ship? Did the driver just wait for when you were ready to move on to the next place and to get you back to the ship at the end of your day? Planning a last minute trip at the end of May and feeling a bit overwhelmed!:o

[Giantfan13]

Maybe this isn't about Pisa and Florence, but the meaning is still the same. A couple of years ago we did a post cruise stay in London. We wanted to take the Eurostar to Paris for a day. EVERYONE told us-- too much time to travel, you can't see Paris in one day, too much rushing around. All true, but we figured it was going to be our one chance to see Paris and we did--AND we had a grand time. Yes, it WAS rushed and YES we couldn't see all of Paris in a day and YES we spent over 4 hours traveling, but, you know what, we came home with wonderful memories and marvelous pix and that is what we wanted.

So, if you want to see a place, even for a short time and if you go home and don't see it, will you be kicking yourself afterwards, then GO FOR IT, regardless of what anyone else says. You will not regret it one bit.

Cheers

Len

[caripoo]

We were in the Tuscany area 3 times before we saw Pisa.....At some point it is a must see, you really don't spend much time in Pisa...Have been to Florence 3 times....1 day does not do it justice, along with an over 4 hr round trip. My suggestion is if you think you will be back, spend more time there, go to San Gimignano, Chianti area, Lucca...or a quaint seaside town Forte de Marmi......lots of options other than Florence, which gets soooo hot and crowded in the summer.....ENJOY

[DaisyDebmo]

I did both. What is considered a tourist trap? It costs nothing to see the leaning tower of Pisa. Some of us want to see it. It brings enjoyment. Who are others to judge? Yes Florence is wonderful too. Three hours six hours really is not going to make much of a difference. We don't like to run around like nuts. We chose the ship's "on your own" bus transfer. Others might not agree with my choice. But it was the right choice for me. Perhaps one day we'll get back to Florence and be able to enjoy the museums at a leisurely pace. But for now we have our short visits to Pisa and Florence and we have lasting memories.

 

 

Hi, I was looking at this "on your own" ship excursion on the NCL Epic. Mainly because I would like to see Pisa and David, I don't see many tours including both. Did you venture to David? Not sure where the bus would actually drop you off in Florence? Thank you!

[NancyW12]

I am a 51 year old female solo traveler.

Forget the ship's tour. I did Pisa for 15 euros round trip!! You can also do variations of that to Florence or Lucca for not much more. Frankly, I was exhausted by that point in the trip and just did Pisa. Here's how:

- take the shuttle to the local bus stop outside of port

- buy the 2E bus ticket to the local shuttle drop off point

- walk across the street from the shuttle drop off point and enter the tobacco shop. Buy 2 local bus tickets (1.50E each) to get you to the train station and back and also buy your regional train tickets (Pisa was 2.80E each way).

- walk back out the door and take a right (away from your bus). Walk right one block to the square and up one block to the bus stop directly in front of H&M.

- grab any bus headed to STAZIONE.

- when you get to the train station, grab the next train to Firenze (Florence). Pisa is the first stop and it is 20 min from Livorno.

- exit the Pisa train station to the noisy side (if you end up in a neighborhood, go back in and exit the other side).

- go to the tobacco shop and buy a local bus ticket (1.50E)

- look for the bus stop outside the train station. There will be a lot of people there. Get on the bus with the stop marked TORRE

- get off where everyone else does.

 

I had also purchased a bus ticket for the trip back to the station but chose to make the lovely 1 mile downhill walk instead. It was wonderful and quiet and allowed me to enjoy this charming little city. Had a nice lunch along the way and went back to the ship.

 

Do it yourself travel is easy if you take the time to find the information. At 100E less than the ships tour and 50-80 less than a private tour, it allows me to travel more often and more local. try it!