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Lucca and Pisa or Florence


dogwalfal
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There is no right or wrong on this one.

 

Both would be great in my opinion.

 

It really comes down to person preference.

 

Lucca can involve more walking and it is more about the town including shops and restaurants and its beauty. Pisa of course includes the iconic leaning tower but there is more to the town then that although most tours seem to concentrate on that.

 

Florence is a beautiful city including lovely view and of course all of the art it offers. If you like art this might be a place that you would want to visit.

 

Either one you do will be an interesting day with lots to see.

 

Keith

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Keith is correct as usual. There is no right or wrong answer here.

 

Florence is the more complex destination, probably, in all senses. Further away, more sights to see, etc.

 

We have been to all 3 sites, but don't feel like we have seen enough of Florence, so we would pick Florence.

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There are a lot of factors that might impact this decision, several already noted (art, history, architecture, etc.) but also how this day fits into your entire cruise.

 

On one of our cruises we hit Florence after three prior days of 12-hour port days that were packed from start to finish. By the time we got to Livorno the entire family was wiped out (it was July and beastly hot) so we dropped our planned jaunt to Florence and went to Pisa and Lucca instead (some of the family went back to the ship after Pisa).

 

This is one of the reasons I prefer independent/DIY port days, for the flexibility to adjust to the situation that we face on any given day.

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Orginal poster from which port ? Livorno or La Spezia ?

 

From Livorno Pisa & Lucca are nearest . Lucca is just magical . You can do all three from Livorno by train . Firenze is furtheest and therefore offers less time at the destination ,.

 

From La Spezia both Lucca & Pisa and doable . Firenze is getting a bit far ,. Again easily done from La Spezia by train .

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From Livorno.

 

Orginal poster from which port ? Livorno or La Spezia ?

 

From Livorno Pisa & Lucca are nearest . Lucca is just magical . You can do all three from Livorno by train . Firenze is furtheest and therefore offers less time at the destination ,.

 

From La Spezia both Lucca & Pisa and doable . Firenze is getting a bit far ,. Again easily done from La Spezia by train .

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  • 6 months later...
If I just want to do Lucca, what is the best way to get there. Should I get a driver?

 

You can, but it could get pricey, as the tour companies prefer to provide an all-day excursion. We, for example, are opera fans and wanted to walk in the footsteps of Puccini, so the guide took us to the family cathedral, the seminary and music school where he was educated, the apartment of Elmira Gemignani, and the Puccini study center, and then we ended our visit with a drive out to Torre del Lago to tour the villa, the masoleum, and the amphitheater (note that you'll need tickets for the villa tour).

 

Depending on your familiarity with the locale, you can take the train to Lucca and back, or you could hire a cab to drop you off, and either arrange for the drive to pick you up at the end of the day (and drive out to Torre del Lago) or find a cab outside the city wall. Some of the cruise lines include Lucca among their tour offerings, which may help simplify arrangements for you. And since most passengers prefer to spend their day in Florence, your Lucca tour might be of a manageable size. :-)

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If I just want to do Lucca, what is the best way to get there. Should I get a driver?

We visited Lucca and Pisa last October when our ship docked at Livorno. We booked in advance with TuscanyBus. We took the ships shuttle to Livorno and TuscanyBus picks up at the same spot. I think it was $28eu for transplantation and commentary to Lucca and Pisa. At Lucca and Pisa we were on our own and wandered to explore the sites. We had 3 hours in Lucca and 1 hour in Pisa I think.

Our friends did the Florence Pisa combo for $30eu.

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While either choice is great if you have never been to Florence and do not expect to be in that part of the world again Florence would be my recommendation.

 

I would second this suggestion. Florence with it history, culture and food is ideal. Try to make reservations for the most visited sites. Lucca and Pisa are fun but Florence is memorable.

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I would second this suggestion. Florence with it history, culture and food is ideal. Try to make reservations for the most visited sites. Lucca and Pisa are fun but Florence is memorable.

 

I have been to all three and would say that Lucca was my favourite. It was really busy when I went (first week of November) because there was a Comicon, but I could still see how lovely it was. For me it was preferable to the crowded Florence (that was a July trip).

 

My first choice trip from Livorno would be to Lucca and Pisa. However on my next trip I think I am going to visit Livorno town just because I have never been there and it means i get a lie-in.

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I have been to all three and would say that Lucca was my favourite. It was really busy when I went (first week of November) because there was a Comicon, but I could still see how lovely it was. For me it was preferable to the crowded Florence (that was a July trip).

 

My first choice trip from Livorno would be to Lucca and Pisa. However on my next trip I think I am going to visit Livorno town just because I have never been there and it means i get a lie-in.

 

We did Lucca 2 years ago with ComicCon in town. Crowded but very entertaining and funny. Got great pics of comic and movie star lookalikes. These conventioneers were very serious about this. Great for giggles.

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We did Lucca 2 years ago with ComicCon in town. Crowded but very entertaining and funny. Got great pics of comic and movie star lookalikes. These conventioneers were very serious about this. Great for giggles.

 

I agree that it was fun. I was just a bit shell-shocked because it was my wedding anniversary and in my head I was going to visit a beautiful Tuscan town and wander the streets hand in hand. In the event it was fun but crazy. The tents etc did not go with the architecture. I felt it was a bit of a metaphor for marriage. :'):')

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I agree that it was fun. I was just a bit shell-shocked because it was my wedding anniversary and in my head I was going to visit a beautiful Tuscan town and wander the streets hand in hand. In the event it was fun but crazy. The tents etc did not go with the architecture. I felt it was a bit of a metaphor for marriage. :'):')

Not the best metaphor for that. Must have been a shocker.:eek:

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We visited Lucca and Pisa last October when our ship docked at Livorno. We booked in advance with TuscanyBus. We took the ships shuttle to Livorno and TuscanyBus picks up at the same spot. I think it was $28eu for transplantation and commentary to Lucca and Pisa. At Lucca and Pisa we were on our own and wandered to explore the sites. We had 3 hours in Lucca and 1 hour in Pisa I think.

Our friends did the Florence Pisa combo for $30eu.

 

This is exactly something we would be interested in. It seems easier that to get to the train station.

My only concern is that it leaves Pisa at 4:30 and our ship leaves at 6PM. Would this be any problem?

How long is the ride from Pisa back to Livorno and then back to the ship from where the bus drops you off?

 

Cheers

Len

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Best tour we ever did was papillon out of Livorno , we had 8 total from roll call , new Mercedes van , driver/ tour guide was amazing , we did Pisa for 90 mins , then Florence , they prebought our tickets for museum with David and skipped line. Then walked around shopped wife bought a leather jacket , had a great lunch , we then had option for more time in Florence or a wine tasting at a local vineyard , vineyard was organic and also made there own olive oil, then back to the ship, cost was a little under a hundred each, less if you did not want museum.

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Best tour we ever did was papillon out of Livorno , we had 8 total from roll call , new Mercedes van , driver/ tour guide was amazing , we did Pisa for 90 mins , then Florence , they prebought our tickets for museum with David and skipped line. Then walked around shopped wife bought a leather jacket , had a great lunch , we then had option for more time in Florence or a wine tasting at a local vineyard , vineyard was organic and also made there own olive oil, then back to the ship, cost was a little under a hundred each, less if you did not want museum.

 

This sounds amazing...is it papillonservice dot com? They look like they have some great tours. Not going until next summer, but trying to get organized with some recommended private tours.

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We have stayed in Florence and in Lucca for several days at a time. The latter on several occasions.

 

We find that they are very different experiences so it is difficult to advise anyone without knowing their preferences. Certainly you cannot make the wrong decision since they are both wonderful. We are very so so on Pisa. Worth an hour but the sight does not have, IMHO, anywhere near the ambiance or atmosphere of Lucca or Florence.

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This sounds amazing...is it papillonservice dot com? They look like they have some great tours. Not going until next summer, but trying to get organized with some recommended private tours.

 

Yes, again they were great , most of our trips mostly with fellow roll call was booked about 9 months before we sailed , they are very flexible and easy to talk too. Have a great cruise.

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