Livorno Florence Tour Cancelled - Last Minute Help??

[Hydro ergo]

Hi Everyone,

 

We had a tour booked through ItalyTours for our day in Livorno. It was a full day to Florence with part of it a guided tour and then a few hours of free time.  We were looking forward to an "easy" option for a longer port day (9-830pm).  We had wanted to see Florence, but aren't interested in a stop at Pisa.  We also want to be able to actually SEE some of Florence.  Of course one day isn't nearly enough, but we felt like with a guided 2-hour tour of some of the major sites in the city and about three hours on our own, we would get a decent taste.  Turns out no one else feels this way and the tour has been cancelled because we were the only ones to sign up.  We leave on Saturday to fly to Rome from the US.  Livorno is at the end of our cruise, November 1, but now we are scrambling and hoping for some suggestions??  

 

Here's what we have run into so far...

--We are comfortable taking trains, but the timing is crummy for Florence (no real surprise).  The best we could manage with safely getting back to the ship is about 3.5, MAYBE 4 hours in Florence.  Doesn't really feel worth it for an equal (or greater) amount of travel time.

--We were actually originally considering Lucca.  Looks like a lovely place easily reachable by train.  We could manage about five hours there with plenty of cushion in the am and pm.  However...Lucca Comics & Games - Much more than a festival (luccacomicsandgames.com)  this is happening, first day is when we are in port.  We are actually big nerds that have been to several comic conventions (including DragonCon many years in Atlanta, GA).  But, we are imagining what the con footprint is like in Atlanta and not sure we would want that type of experience while in Lucca for the day.  The website says they cap attendance at 80K and have sold about 40K tickets so far for Nov 1. Looking at the map... Official Map 2023 | Lucca Comics & Games (luccacomicsandgames.com) it appears to be spread out through a lot of downtown Lucca.

 

So...would love to hear thoughts on 

1. what it might be like going to Lucca anyway with this type of crowd

2. any suggestions on a last-minute tour we might be able to jump on from Livorno  (we are open to options, don't feel like Pisa is necessary, would like to actually be able to see something vs. spending all our time in transit)

3. any suggestions for our adventure this day period.  I'm open to just about anything at this point!

 

Thank you to all you fabulous cruisers out there---this website is a vacation saver!! 😅

 

[cruisemom42]

I’m traveling right now with limited access to info but there is a bus that departs from the main square in Livorno (the place where many ship shuttles drop passengers off from the port). It’s a tourist bus, prices are good and they have a timed departure back to the ship. You’re on your own once in Florence. Maybe this will work for you? It’s been posted about on this forum several times in the past if you search.

[mapleleaves]

I think cruisemom is referring to TuscanyBus.  

Tuscany Bus - Low cost buses from the cruise terminal of Livorno to Pisa, Florence, Lucca and Livorno

[mapleleaves]

The Tuscany Bus trip will only give you 4-5 hrs in Florence, but keep in mind that the historical area of Florence is pretty small.  ie it's only a 15 minute walk from the Duomo to the Ponte Vecchio and 20 minutes up the hill to Piazza Michaelangelo from Ponte Vecchio.

 

Another thought ... try the ItalyTourShare web site.  With this company you indicate which date your ship is in port, pick a tour, and then others can sign up.  Saves you the hassle of trying to find other people from your rollcall.  But if ItalyTours cancelled for lack of participation, it doesn't bode well for ItalyTourShare either,

[Hydro ergo]

@cruisemom42, thank you (again!!) you are such an amazing wealth of knowledge!

@mapleleaves, I did a quick search and I think it is Tuscanybus/Shore Experience/Sightseeing Experience... they appear to all be the same website even if you search them individually.  I had found them separately before and was a bit weary because of this.  Sightseeing Experience doesn't seem to have great reviews, but those for Shore Experience aren't bad. Tuscany Bus has only been mentioned here, and I trust the gang on this site.  

I did try the ItalyTourShare site, thank you for that suggestion.  Unfortunately, nothing was available.  I think the combo of it being a National Holiday (just learned that), approaching the end of the season, only one ship in port...not having much luck.  

I think right now we are looking at probably taking a chance on one of the three (same?) companies above and getting a transfer.  4+ hours in Florence is better than just hanging around Livorno all day.  I'll make a decision by tonight. 😁

 

thank you both!

[marazul]

1 hour ago, Hydro ergo said:

Hi Everyone,

 

We had a tour booked through ItalyTours for our day in Livorno. It was a full day to Florence with part of it a guided tour and then a few hours of free time.  We were looking forward to an "easy" option for a longer port day (9-830pm).  We had wanted to see Florence, but aren't interested in a stop at Pisa.  We also want to be able to actually SEE some of Florence.  Of course one day isn't nearly enough, but we felt like with a guided 2-hour tour of some of the major sites in the city and about three hours on our own, we would get a decent taste.  Turns out no one else feels this way and the tour has been cancelled because we were the only ones to sign up.  We leave on Saturday to fly to Rome from the US.  Livorno is at the end of our cruise, November 1, but now we are scrambling and hoping for some suggestions??  

 

Here's what we have run into so far...

--We are comfortable taking trains, but the timing is crummy for Florence (no real surprise).  The best we could manage with safely getting back to the ship is about 3.5, MAYBE 4 hours in Florence.  Doesn't really feel worth it for an equal (or greater) amount of travel time.

--We were actually originally considering Lucca.  Looks like a lovely place easily reachable by train.  We could manage about five hours there with plenty of cushion in the am and pm.  However...Lucca Comics & Games - Much more than a festival (luccacomicsandgames.com)  this is happening, first day is when we are in port.  We are actually big nerds that have been to several comic conventions (including DragonCon many years in Atlanta, GA).  But, we are imagining what the con footprint is like in Atlanta and not sure we would want that type of experience while in Lucca for the day.  The website says they cap attendance at 80K and have sold about 40K tickets so far for Nov 1. Looking at the map... Official Map 2023 | Lucca Comics & Games (luccacomicsandgames.com) it appears to be spread out through a lot of downtown Lucca.

 

So...would love to hear thoughts on 

1. what it might be like going to Lucca anyway with this type of crowd

2. any suggestions on a last-minute tour we might be able to jump on from Livorno  (we are open to options, don't feel like Pisa is necessary, would like to actually be able to see something vs. spending all our time in transit)

3. any suggestions for our adventure this day period.  I'm open to just about anything at this point!

 

Thank you to all you fabulous cruisers out there---this website is a vacation saver!! 😅

 

You could be at a "bite the bullet" situation.  While you check on bus and train schedules,  also email tour companies and get a quote on a private tour.  Check out Rome-inLimo or one of the frequently mentioned companies. Go directly to the company, not to a consolidator. A private tour may be the only way to accomplish your plans for Florence and give you a decent amount of time there.

[Hydro ergo]

Thank you @marazul, we would love to do a private tour but unfortunately it's simply out of our price range. 😥  

[marazul]

14 minutes ago, Hydro ergo said:

Thank you @marazul, we would love to do a private tour but unfortunately it's simply out of our price range. 😥  

Sorry. Wrong post.

Good luck with your plans.

Edited October 17, 2023 by marazul

[askjojo]

Looking for transfer-only option for Nov 24. If you wouldn't mind posting any option you find, especially while you are there on the 1st, it would be appreciated.

[Hydro ergo]

On 10/17/2023 at 3:10 PM, askjojo said:

Looking for transfer-only option for Nov 24. If you wouldn't mind posting any option you find, especially while you are there on the 1st, it would be appreciated.

@askjojo we had booked the Tuscany Bus transfer for about $70.  It operates under several names, which made me a little nervous. Our paperwork was listed under a company called Shore Excursions. I wish I could give you more detail but unfortunately we ended up sick and had to miss getting off the ship that day.  I did reach out to the company that morning to let them know via the emergency number they provided.  I just didn't want anyone waiting around for us.  Anyway, it took them a few hours to respond with a brief message saying "no good news. we cannot issue refund."  I wasn't expecting, nor had asked for, a refund.  I was a little surprised that it took a few hours to get a response from an "emergency" number.  Unfortunately, that's all I have to share.  I hope you have a lovely time and are able to find some good options for transit!

[Hlitner]

I will toss out an idea to help others who might stumble on this thread.  Depending on your ship's itinerary, you might have another option.  If your ship is going to be in Civitavecchia and Livorno on consecutive days, you might want to consider taking the train into the first port city (Rome or Florence) and spending the night.  The following day you simply take the regional train to the other port, continue enjoying Italy, and later take the train back to the port.  This is also an option when you toss Naples into the mix.  This kind of plan has several advantages (i.e. may be cheaper than tours, gives you an evening/night in a decent Italian city, etc).  The downside risk is that for some very unusual reason, your ship would miss the 2nd port (where you plan to rejoin the ship.  This risk is slight, but independent travelers understand the various risks and generally have a Plan B.

 

Spending a night off a ship, while in Europe or Asia, is an option, that has been used by we independent folks, for decades!  The benefits can be huge!  Consider that Florence becomes a fabulous city in late afternoon, when many of the day-trippers leave the city.  In Italy, most places come alive around 4pm,  (shops that close in the afternoon reopen until at least 7) and spending a night gives you an opportunity to enjoy a nice dinner (cities like Florence and Rome have lots of terrific restaurants).  Also consider that a couple booking 2, full day ship excursions, might spent around $1000 on those two excursions (multiplied by 2 passengers).  The cost of an overnight (i.e. hotel, dinner, and train) might be a lot less, and you get many more hours in the destination cities.

 

Hank