euro cruiser

That's curious, because I'm seeing Frecce trains with the connection. How far in advance are you looking? That may be part of the problem. It doesn't make a difference anyway, as the Port Mobility bus between the train station and the cruise terminal is one of the few buses in Italy that you can pay for the ticket on board the bus, so it's easy enough to just get on and pay if you can't arrange it in advance.

As for getting there, you can take the train from Genova Piazza Principe station (walking distance from the cruise port). There is an IC train at 8:19 (arrives Milano Centrale at 10:00) or another at 9:18 (arrives 10:55). From Milano Centrale to the Last Supper museum you can take a taxi (around three miles but due to traffic and one-way streets will take 20 - 30 minutes) or the metro (line #2, direction either Assago or Piazza Abbiategrasso to the Cadorna stop, followed by a walk of less than half a mile). It's easier than I make it sound, but if you're not comfortable with mass transit the taxi is probably a better option. For the return, there are IC trains from Milano Centrale to Genova Piazza Principe at 14:05 (arrives 15:44) or 15:10 (arrives 16:44). There are other trains in between but they either take longer or require a change en route. Milan metro map:

Well, Vesuvio Express only offers two times, 9:30 AM or 1 PM. I'd go for the earlier one, to be on the safe side. I'm not a birder so I can't comment on what can be seen. I've walked by the zoo and the aquarium but I've never been tempted to go in, so can't help you there either.

Climbing Vesuvio has become a bit more complicated in the past couple of years since they instituted a timed ticket system, but this also limits the number of people there at any given time so the experience is more enjoyable. You can purchase tickets on your own or you can pay extra to have the transfer service buy them for you. While I generally avoid doing the later, in this case when you're only in town for one day it may be worth the extra to let them do it, so you know you have a ticket for the time you can be there. Vesuvio Express is the company that provides the bus service from Naples to Vesuvio and back: Vesuvio Express Transfer For the Vesuvio

There are several large gardens in Naples, including: Real Bosco di Capodimonte, located up on the hill where the Capodimonte art museum is located inside the former royal palace. It was formerly a hunting preserve for King Charles of Bourbon and today features an English garden. Parco Virgiliano, up on another hill overlooking the city and built into terraces, on a clear day you can see Sorrento, Capri, Ischia and Procida from here. Villa Floridiana, on yet another hill this park features lots of walking paths and large lawns, as well as a ceramics museum., Parco Urbano dei Camaldoli, a little further out from downtown and on another hill, this one the highest in the area, this is a more "natural" park, not as groomed as the others but with amazing views. Villa Comunale, this is the parkland that runs along the waterfront in Chiaia, quite close to the port. There are more, but these are the main ones that I can think of. All of these are easily reached from the port using public transportation.

I think you're getting yourself confused. The post on 3/24 at 11:44 was your own, not Bethesda's. They did have a later post that quoted your 3/24 11:44 post, but no where in that post did they suggest avoiding a ship's excursion, as noted above Bethesda simply said that their private tour operator told them not to use the shuttle into town.

There is generally only one shuttle bus at Livorno, the one to Piazza del Municipio. Via Claudio Cogorano is just steps from Piazza del Municipio.

That's offered by the Vatican museums, it's on the list if you keep digging through. I'm only suggesting it as a way to get the museum ticket directly from the Vatican museums. Plus it might be fun to see other parts of the campus.

While there are buses on Capri, within the limitations of a port day you do not have the time to mess around with them. In the off season I've waited on a line and wasn't able to get on the first bus, then waited another half hour for the next one. I don't want to think about how bad it would be in season.

There are very limited crossings from Amalfi, so be sure to nail these ferry tickets down if you decide to go to Capri. The island is very crowded, my personal preference is to grab a taxi immediately upon arrival (they will put six or so people in one taxi, there aren't enough to go around otherwise) and go right up to Anacapri, then work your way back down. Walking between the port, Capri and Anacapri is possible (The Phoenician Steps) but it's pretty steep and, in the summer, very hot. The Phoenician Steps - Itinerari - Island of Capri

Did you dig all the way through the options? For example, there is one tour that doesn't seem to sell out, "Vatican City Tour and Museums - Open Bus", with this you get entry to the museums.

Capri is overwhelmed with tourists, it is absolutely not the place to go if you're looking for a little peace. Ischia much less crowded, and Procida even less than that. It's easy to get to the islands from the cruise port on your own because the high-speed ferry dock is adjacent to the cruise port. Some reading material: Visit Ischia - Official Tourist board Places to visit in Procida – Visita Procida, le migliori cose da vedere e fare nel 2024 (visitprocida.com)

Uber as you understand it (amateur driver with a personal car) does not exist in Italy. Some cities have contracted with Uber to act as a conduit to a professional service, in some places to taxis (Naples), in others to car services (Rome). Civitavecchia has no contract with Uber, as far as I know. Have you asked your hotel if they will provide a pick up? You can take the free port shuttle to the Largo della Pace exit and be picked up there. There may be taxis available there (at the Largo della Pace transportation center) but I would not count on it.

They also need to give you more specificity as to where in/on Piazza dell'Arsenale. According to both Via Michelin and Google maps, it's not a central location, everything from one traffic circle to the other is termed Piazza dell'Arsendale (about 180 meters/one-tenth of a mile). For what it's worth, both Via Michelin and Google maps show a walking route from the area where cruise ships typically port at Livorno (banchine 75, 46-47) to Piazza dell'Arsendale of about 1 km/six-tenths of a mile. If you're allowed to walk there it's pretty close. If they force you to take the shuttle to Piazza del Municipio, the walk back to Arsendale is about a half mile.

Here is the information on the City Sightseeing bus: Shuttle Bus from Naples to Pompeii (city-sightseeing.it) The biggest problem is that you are limited to their times and you can only use the return that goes with your outbound run. That's a lot of extra to pay (vs. 3,30 euro for the public bus or local train) to have less flexibility.

Florence is a long way to go if you aren't truly interested in being there. Maybe Lucca is a good alternative, with a lot less travel involved. Home Page | Turismo Lucca

I agree, the taxi to Pisa is a wise idea.

Their ship doesn't even arrive in Livorno until 9, so best case is arriving in Pisa between 10 - 10:30.

There are a few direct trains, but if a site is giving you quotes in US$ and/or using AM/PM times, you are on a reseller site. Always check the actual Trenitalia site to be sure. There is an IC train that departs Pisa Centrale at 13:42 (1:42 PM) and arrives to Monterosso at 14:53 (2:53 PM). There is a return IC train that departs Monterosso at 17:07 (5:07 PM) and arrives to Livorno Centrale at 18:42 (6:42 PM). That gives you about three and a half hours in Monterosso, maybe enough time to see one other village. Note that the IC trains do not stop in any other CT village, so you'd need to get back to Monterosso to return (or to La Spezia, where you could also pick up this train). The fare will vary based on when purchased, these seat-assigned trains use dynamic pricing. Source material here: EN - Trenitalia

It's very easy to get to Pompei on your own from the port in Naples. You can join a guided tour at the entrance to the ruins for a modest fee, then wander around on your own afterwards. When you are ready to push on to Sorrento there is a local train. Finally, you can take a ferry back from Sorrento to Naples, landing adjacent to the cruise port. What day of the week will you be in Naples, and what are your hours in port? This is important if you will be using public transportation. Perhaps your grandson would enjoy putting this day together, we can provide you with the links for all of the transportation options and timing and help craft the day. I know most of our kids (there was one holdout) enjoyed doing things like this in preparation for a trip, it ramped up the excitement for them and helped fill the time waiting until it was time to go.

Don't forget that the Lazio regional tracks at Termini are three city blocks away from the main track head, so leave yourself enough time to get there.

Okay. For Vatican tours use this link to buy directly from the Vatican Museums: Pilgrims (museivaticani.va) For the Colosseum, use this link to purchase directly: Contact us – Parco Archeologico del Colosseo For that second one a few extra steps may be required, but it is direct.

The fixed fare in Naples cover four passengers, there are extra fees for more than that.

If you purchase the ticket with "Civitavecchia Porto" as the starting point, it will include the 6 euro fee for the bus from the ship to the train station. Be sure to purchase directly from Trenitalia, not from a third party. EN - Trenitalia

Everyone should do what makes them comfortable, understanding the costs and tradeoffs. Successful DIYing requires some up front work and on the ground adaptive skills. Knowing yourself and what's right for you is one the best steps toward a happy trip. When I get back to my computer I'll provide the links and support info, if someone hasn't already done it.