Princess - Livorno to Florence on your own MUST read this!

[STLPilot]

Well I just got back from the Venice to Barcelona and did the entire trip on our own, which was the best decision of our lives. I pity anyone that takes the Princess shore excursions and really doesn't matter how much money you have. Princess wastes more time, getting everyone out of the boat late, waiting for buses, slow tours and too large of groups. How do I know ... heard the complaints. Well if that is your thing so be it. However there is one scam you MUST stay away from if you are doing this trip on your own.

 

When you get to Livorno Princess "supplies" a shuttle that costs $15 r/t that takes you into Livorno, that you have to take another bus to get to the train WHICH IS RIDICULOUS! Let alone the fact the shuttle doesn't leave until "on the hour" which can screw up your whole day in both directions. Do not ... I repeat DO NOT take this shuttle. You've been warned.

 

Look right behind the shuttle you will see cabs that will take you right to the train for $20. These cabs seat 8 people so if you can find a group your net cost will be $5 per person round trip.

 

Boat let us out at 7:05 and we were on the 7:30 train to Florence. Versus about 9:00 am had we taken the "shuttle". On the return train we took the 3pm ish train back to Florence and stopped in Pisa. When you get off the train in Pisa there is a bus right out front the train for $1 that takes you to Pisa in 10 minutes. Goto tabbachi shop in Pisa train station to get tickets. If you are fast enough you can get off the train and back on before the next one comes back in 1 hour.

 

Anyone taking the Venice to Barcelona either direction can send me a message. We were a group of 8 20-30's something that all met on the first day of the trip. We saved ALOT of money and didn't spend a dime on a private excursion. We also saw twice as much as anyone else on the boat. Ask me how ... I will tell you.

 

Princess does their customers a great injustice with this shuttle and they should be ashamed. I will be posting more on your own advice about different situations when time allows.

 

My biggest piece of advice for self guided ... ASK QUESTIONS ... where, how, why ... ask people and don't hesitate to do so. Every other person speaks English.

[ab0si]

Just for the record...

 

the Livorno shuttle is a port regulation .. you are not allowed to walk out of the port. Some cruise lines subsidize it (fully or in part); some do not.

[STLPilot]

Just for the record...

 

the Livorno shuttle is a port regulation .. you are not allowed to walk out of the port. Some cruise lines subsidize it (fully or in part); some do not.

Sorry, shuttle is not regulation. There are cabs right next to the shuttle, which are right next to the boat. Shuttle is a scam at $15 per person RT just to drop off in town and still have to take bus to train station, I would hardly say it was subsidized. Fill the bus, which they do, that's $950 per bus load round trip for less than 5 miles.

[cruisemom42]

Most people who make their way to this board are already looking for information on how to DIY or book a private tour. You might have better luck posting this on the Princess board where you're more likely to reach those who prefer to book ship's excursions...

[Hlitner]

The situation regarding the Livorno shuttles has oft been discussed here (I have personally posted more than my share of info) so the OP is just repeating old news. Princess should not be singled-out since the situation is identical with most other cruise lines. Another problem with those shuttles in Livorno is that they usually do not even start to operate until well after 8 am....while the informed would have grabbed a taxi to the train station in time to be on a train before 8.

 

Hank

[ab0si]

Sorry, shuttle is not regulation. There are cabs right next to the shuttle, which are right next to the boat. Shuttle is a scam at $15 per person RT just to drop off in town and still have to take bus to train station, I would hardly say it was subsidized. Fill the bus, which they do, that's $950 per bus load round trip for less than 5 miles.

 

Unless things have changed, one is not allowed to walk through the port. So, it's a cab or the shuttle. Also, please note that I wrote that some lines subsidize the shuttle and some do not.

 

I did not address whether or not it is a rip-off (since the answer seems obvious).

[rmldc1990]

You didn't leave an email address and I'd love to hear your take on Mykonos. Did you use the princess shuttle to get to Mykonos town? How much was it? Is there any alternative? We are heading into town for awhile and then using the town buses to get to the beach. Have heard there are 4 cruise ships in port while we are there and am a little concerned.

 

thanks much!

Michaelann

[Susan-M]

Look right behind the shuttle you will see cabs that will take you right to the train for $20. These cabs seat 8 people so if you can find a group your net cost will be $5 per person round trip.

 

 

Was it $20 U.S. or 20 euros?

 

I'm impressed that you were able to get on the 7:30 train ...much nicer to have that extra hour in Florence than spend the time trying to get to the train station in Livorno. That's money well spent on the taxi!

[peachquilter]

Sorry, shuttle is not regulation. There are cabs right next to the shuttle, which are right next to the boat. Shuttle is a scam at $15 per person RT just to drop off in town and still have to take bus to train station, I would hardly say it was subsidized. Fill the bus, which they do, that's $950 per bus load round trip for less than 5 miles.

 

I must say you have given me some confidence. We will be in Livorno in July on NCL Jade. I read many stories on CC last night where most people do NOT recommend doing Florence on your own. In fact many said the cabbies would NOT drive you to the train as the fare is so small. I would love to hear more details about your trip to and from Livorno. How much time did you end up having in Florence? Thank you.

 

Marilyn

[STLPilot]

Thanks for shuttle info in Livorno. I am debating whether I should do Sorrento or Capri first on Naples day. I think there are more sailings to/from Capri -Naples than Sorrent-Naples. If travelling to Sorrento by train, is the train station close to Piazza Tasso ? If travelling to Sorrento by ferry, which bus takes you from the dock area to Piazza Tasso ? I am leaning towards Sorrento first because the last time I was there on a Princess tour we had lunch there & afterwards we had one hour of shopping. However, most shops were closed except for Princess recommended shops. Siesta ! Also, which bus does one take to get to AnaCapri ? It would be wonderful if you could also tell me all the tips for the remainder of your cruise. Please email me @ truffles68@hotmail.com

Thank you !

I'll be putting together a day by day Grand Med for self guided in the next few days. Mine will be VCE to BCN, so times may vary if you are going the opposite route. However I spent the entire day in Capri and it was well worth it. However in re: Ana Capri, there are lots of buses on Capri. We rented a 6 person cab for the day at $120 for all of us. These cabs are beautys too, convertible limousines, just bring your own wine and limoncello.

 

I must say you have given me some confidence. We will be in Livorno in July on NCL Jade. I read many stories on CC last night where most people do NOT recommend doing Florence on your own. In fact many said the cabbies would NOT drive you to the train as the fare is so small. I would love to hear more details about your trip to and from Livorno. How much time did you end up having in Florence? Thank you.

Same as above, will post day by day in next few days. If you PM me I will send you my email, or you could even call me if you like. The trick is to find other people with your same interests who want to save money alongside with you. In re: Florence, very simply town to navigate and compact. We went right to the church with the big dome. Went up the dome and it was breathtaking, much like the one in the Basillica in Rome. 450 steps to top, but worth it. Then we left, went to the church with the famous dead Italians. Went to the river, saw some bridges. And then we found a GEM of an Italian Market that was HUGE!!! It was hidden in an old train station and it's ABSOLUTLEY amazing. Free samples from hundreds of vendors. Some samples are entire sandwiches. Then we had some wine, saw some Piazza's and then headed back to train round 3 for Pisa. Got off train, took $1 bus to Pisa, took some pics holding up the tower, turned around and was back on the next train coming through. Even had enough time to spend in Livorno for an hour before we caught a cab back to the boat. Give me a few days and I'll post it all with prices. Like I said, we saw twice as much as any best excursion and saved upwards of 95% in costs. Our most expensive day for travel was $20 PP for the Capri taxi. More info forthcoming.

[Host Karen]

Anyone taking the Venice to Barcelona either direction can send me a message. We were a group of 8 20-30's something that all met on the first day of the trip. We saved ALOT of money and didn't spend a dime on a private excursion. We also saw twice as much as anyone else on the boat. Ask me how ... I will tell you.

 

 

This is exactly what we would like to avoid here. Please be willing to share your information with members ON THE BOARDS, not offline. That way everyone can benefit from your experience.

 

If anyone has any questions, please post them here and hopefully STLPilot will answer them here.

 

Karen

HostKaren@CruiseCritic.com

[STLPilot]

Will do Karen, putting the package together as I type this message.

 

TY

[brighton seagulls]

This is really interesting reading as we have sailed with the Ocean Village ships twice and certainly in Mykanos the shuttle into town ( albeit 5 minutes) was free last year!

 

Again in Livorno, last year we caught the OV service into town which was 1 euro each return.

 

We did see a lot of coaches with Royal carribean etc boards on them but didn't realise they were that expensive.

 

We are doing the Celebrity Summit in August this year, but have not booked any excursions yet.

[STLPilot]

You didn't leave an email address and I'd love to hear your take on Mykonos. Did you use the princess shuttle to get to Mykonos town? How much was it? Is there any alternative? We are heading into town for awhile and then using the town buses to get to the beach. Have heard there are 4 cruise ships in port while we are there and am a little concerned.

 

thanks much!

Michaelann

Yes, Princess shuttled us to town. It's not that far and it's free. Although I did see that we had passed a few scooter/ATV rentals on the way in town, close to boat. Had I saw them, we would have just walked over to scooters instead.

 

Take my advice, rent the scooters or ATV. They are BY FAR the best way to get around Mykonos and are only about E15. I said before in another post that everyone that we talked too that didn't rent a scooter regretted it. You don't need license, heck or ever a credit card, just your boat card to rent. ATV's are easy to ride if you can't handle scooter. BUT GET ONE and go explore. You can't get lost on that island.

[baljaffray]

Hi there,we are cruising RCCL next month and intend doing Rome & Florence on our own. Train to Rome seems easy, but from Livorno it seems hassle. Could you tell me the cost of train tickets,the price quoted by someone was 17 euro each,which seems high compared to the 9 euro brig to Rome. Many thanks.

[destiny1976]

I'll be putting together a day by day Grand Med for self guided in the next few days. Mine will be VCE to BCN, so times may vary if you are going the opposite route. However I spent the entire day in Capri and it was well worth it. However in re: Ana Capri, there are lots of buses on Capri. We rented a 6 person cab for the day at $120 for all of us. These cabs are beautys too, convertible limousines, just bring your own wine and limoncello.

 

Same as above, will post day by day in next few days. If you PM me I will send you my email, or you could even call me if you like. The trick is to find other people with your same interests who want to save money alongside with you. In re: Florence, very simply town to navigate and compact. We went right to the church with the big dome. Went up the dome and it was breathtaking, much like the one in the Basillica in Rome. 450 steps to top, but worth it. Then we left, went to the church with the famous dead Italians. Went to the river, saw some bridges. And then we found a GEM of an Italian Market that was HUGE!!! It was hidden in an old train station and it's ABSOLUTLEY amazing. Free samples from hundreds of vendors. Some samples are entire sandwiches. Then we had some wine, saw some Piazza's and then headed back to train round 3 for Pisa. Got off train, took $1 bus to Pisa, took some pics holding up the tower, turned around and was back on the next train coming through. Even had enough time to spend in Livorno for an hour before we caught a cab back to the boat. Give me a few days and I'll post it all with prices. Like I said, we saw twice as much as any best excursion and saved upwards of 95% in costs. Our most expensive day for travel was $20 PP for the Capri taxi. More info forthcoming.

thanks for the advice! I am planning to do Capri on my own too. would love to hear more from you about this!!

[GSPLover]

Hi there,we are cruising RCCL next month and intend doing Rome & Florence on our own. Train to Rome seems easy, but from Livorno it seems hassle. Could you tell me the cost of train tickets,the price quoted by someone was 17 euro each,which seems high compared to the 9 euro brig to Rome. Many thanks.

 

If you have train questions, check the train link in my sig line. Information from somebody who has taken 150+ trains in Italy over the years.

[STLPilot]

Hi there,we are cruising RCCL next month and intend doing Rome & Florence on our own. Train to Rome seems easy, but from Livorno it seems hassle. Could you tell me the cost of train tickets,the price quoted by someone was 17 euro each,which seems high compared to the 9 euro brig to Rome. Many thanks.

Train to Livorno is a snap if you get a cab out of the port without hesitation. $20 right to the train station and cabs hold 8 seats. Just goto Trentalia.com for the scedule. Like I said, out of boat 7:05 and on 7:30 train to Florence with time to spare.

 

Here is a tip, can't find 8 people. Go on the shuttle that is sitting there waiting for the grass to grow and recruit people that are getting on or haven't paid yet. When you return from Florence, get a meeting spot for the train back to Livorno and all meet there. If they don't show up, just walk up and down the train looking for someone to get in your cab. If you are on one of the trains getting to Livorno hour or two before the boat leaves, plenty of people on the train are on your boat looking for a cab share.

[STLPilot]

thanks for the advice! I am planning to do Capri on my own too. would love to hear more from you about this!!

Capri on your own. Take the jet ferry. And the only advice I can give you is to rent a cab that holds 6 and have them give you a price of E120. They will haggle. Have them take you all over the island. Blue Grotto, Ana Capri, Chair Lift to top, Some old church with a cool floor, Capri and back of Island, which is a gem. Have lunch anywhere you like ... all a good view. Bring your bathing suit if you want to go to the beach for a little while. I suggest the one in the back of the island near the 3 big rocks. Enjoy!

[dritan]

If you have train questions, check the train link in my sig line. Information from somebody who has taken 150+ trains in Italy over the years.

 

 

Your train page/s have been in my favourites for the last couple of weeks - so just wanted the opportunity to say thanks - these are great:D

[Susan-M]

Train to Livorno is a snap if you get a cab out of the port without hesitation. $20 right to the train station and cabs hold 8 seats.

 

$20 U.S. or €20?

[boontj2003]

Ok STL...I'm anxious to read your comments!!! I'm going on a western med. cruise in a couple of weeks and have not set up anything with Florence as we just don't know what do do. Any advice on wine sampling?

 

 

Train to Livorno is a snap if you get a cab out of the port without hesitation. $20 right to the train station and cabs hold 8 seats. Just goto Trentalia.com for the scedule. Like I said, out of boat 7:05 and on 7:30 train to Florence with time to spare.

 

Here is a tip, can't find 8 people. Go on the shuttle that is sitting there waiting for the grass to grow and recruit people that are getting on or haven't paid yet. When you return from Florence, get a meeting spot for the train back to Livorno and all meet there. If they don't show up, just walk up and down the train looking for someone to get in your cab. If you are on one of the trains getting to Livorno hour or two before the boat leaves, plenty of people on the train are on your boat looking for a cab share.

[SunFunCruiser]

Train to Livorno is a snap if you get a cab out of the port without hesitation. $20 right to the train station and cabs hold 8 seats. Just goto Trentalia.com for the scedule. Like I said, out of boat 7:05 and on 7:30 train to Florence with time to spare.

 

Here is a tip, can't find 8 people. Go on the shuttle that is sitting there waiting for the grass to grow and recruit people that are getting on or haven't paid yet. When you return from Florence, get a meeting spot for the train back to Livorno and all meet there. If they don't show up, just walk up and down the train looking for someone to get in your cab. If you are on one of the trains getting to Livorno hour or two before the boat leaves, plenty of people on the train are on your boat looking for a cab share.

 

Is there a reason to rush onto this 7:30 train?

[dancem30]

On the return train we took the 3pm ish train back to Florence and stopped in Pisa. When you get off the train in Pisa there is a bus right out front the train for $1 that takes you to Pisa in 10 minutes. Goto tabbachi shop in Pisa train station to get tickets. If you are fast enough you can get off the train and back on before the next one comes back in 1 hour.

 

quote]

 

Question - I've read everywhere that all trains to/from Florence stop in Pisa. Can you just get off in Pisa run to the tower, do your thing and get back and catch the next train to Livorno, or do you have to buy your tickets as florence - pisa, pisa - livorno. Thanks!

[GSPLover]

Question - I've read everywhere that all trains to/from Florence stop in Pisa. Can you just get off in Pisa run to the tower, do your thing and get back and catch the next train to Livorno, or do you have to buy your tickets as florence - pisa, pisa - livorno. Thanks!

 

Buy you ticket from Florence to Livorno. Get off in Pisa and enjoy yourself. Get back on the next available Regionale train. Do not validate your ticket in the Pisa station - not necessary!