Taxi fare from Lucca to Livorno

[caroak]

We would like to take the train to Lucca from Livorno as we will not have a problem getting a taxi from the port to the train station. After reading about the issues trying to get a taxi back to the port we would consider a taxi back from Lucca to the train station if the fare is not overly expensive. Also, I wonder if there would be a problem finding one in Lucca that would make the trip.

[euro cruiser]

I'm sure you could find one, but you'll pay for a round trip even though you'll only be going one way. That could be pretty pricey, since Lucca is about 30 miles from Livorno.

 

A better strategy is to write down the phone number for the radio taxi company that serves the Livorno train station (you can find it posted at the station in the morning). Call for a taxi when you are changing trains in Pisa.

 

Or you could arrange with the taxi who brings you to the station in the morning to pick you up in the afternoon, ensuring that he'll be there by offering to pay double the fare. That would be a lot cheaper than a taxi from Livorno.

[roberts2005]

The trip back from the train station is not a problem. The bus stop is right in front of the train station and goes close to the dock.

[GSPLover]

We would like to take the train to Lucca from Livorno as we will not have a problem getting a taxi from the port to the train station. After reading about the issues trying to get a taxi back to the port we would consider a taxi back from Lucca to the train station if the fare is not overly expensive. Also, I wonder if there would be a problem finding one in Lucca that would make the trip.

 

What ship are you going to be on and when? That can make a big difference as to where you dock. I would guess a taxi from Lucca to Livorno docks to be €50-€80, pssibly more. Take the train.

[caroak]

If the bus is right there at the train station back to the port I wonder why I've never heard anyone mention this as a back-up plan if a taxi is not available. Perhaps the buses don't run often.:confused:

[euro cruiser]

The bus runs quite frequently and many users of this board have posted about taking it, as I have.

 

The issue is that you can't walk around the port, so a bus that gets you "close" still doesn't do the job.

[lalawgirl]

If the bus is right there at the train station back to the port I wonder why I've never heard anyone mention this as a back-up plan if a taxi is not available. Perhaps the buses don't run often.:confused:

 

buses run all the time... quite easy. Bus is No. 1. (again, easy).

 

Buy your ticket 1E at the newstand at the train station. you take the No. 1 bus, and just let the driver know you need to get off at the port. More likely than not, you will not be only the cruise day tripper doing this.

 

Plan on taking the bus to the train station in the am as well as the cab drivers will not take you there (they want the "big fare" to Pisa, Lucca or Florence).

[Hlitner]

WOW. I must admit to being totally confused (my DW tells me that all the time) but do find this bus talk interesting. Wondering just what bus is being discussed? We have never seen a bus that goes between the train station in Livorno and the Port (either way), but we have only been to that port 15+ times so perhaps we missed it. Yes, there is a public bus that one can take from the train station into the center of Livorno, but then you still need to find a taxi, or possibly a shuttle bus. As to taking a bus from the port to the Livorno Station in the morning, the shuttle buses (when they even have shuttle buses) do not usually start leaving the port until 8:30 or 9 and they only take you into the center of Livorno. You then still need to take the local bus to the station by which time you will have missed all the early trains to Florence (or elsewhere). Furthermore, assuming you need to pay for that shuttle (most ships are now charing $7) this means 4 persons would pay $28 total for the shuttle plus another 4 Euros for the local bus (total cost is now $33) vs just taking a taxi from the ship to the station for a total cost of about $30 (for 4). Now using that taxi you are going to add more then an hour to your time in Florence (of anywhere else) over buses, shuttles, etc because you will be at the station and on a train while the bus crowd is still sitting at the port.

 

Hank

[GSPLover]

Hank,

I could not have said it better than you did.

Bottom line: Grab a taxi at the port.

Don't argue with Hanks experience at the port of Livorno.

 

Bus is a fallback. Last bus we were on lost its transmission 3 blocks from the station. Lotsa walking followed!

[euro cruiser]

WOW. I must admit to being totally confused (my DW tells me that all the time) but do find this bus talk interesting. Wondering just what bus is being discussed? We have never seen a bus that goes between the train station in Livorno and the Port (either way), but we have only been to that port 15+ times so perhaps we missed it. Yes, there is a public bus that one can take from the train station into the center of Livorno, but then you still need to find a taxi, or possibly a shuttle bus.

I suspect that they are talking about the #1 bus. Most cruise passengers get off at Piazza Grande, to take the shuttle back to the port. The #1 continues on about three blocks closer to the waterfront(Via Grande at Porto Mediceo) before turning south, so maybe that's what they're talking about. The problem is that you're still not AT the port, and you still can't walk to your ship (or at least most of the time you can't).

 

Google maps Italia has an interesting feature for cities like Livorno that don't have good public transit web sites. It looks like it's still in Beta, but it's something to keep an eye on: http://maps.google.it/intl/it/landing/transit/#dmy

[Hlitner]

I suspect that they are talking about the #1 bus. Most cruise passengers get off at Piazza Grande, to take the shuttle back to the port. The #1 continues on about three blocks closer to the waterfront(Via Grande at Porto Mediceo) before turning south, so maybe that's what they're talking about. The problem is that you're still not AT the port, and you still can't walk to your ship (or at least most of the time you can't).

 

Google maps Italia has an interesting feature for cities like Livorno that don't have good public transit web sites. It looks like it's still in Beta, but it's something to keep an eye on: http://maps.google.it/intl/it/landing/transit/#dmy

 

Euro, we can tell a tale of woe of trying to get between a ship and the entrance of the port of Livorno. The port security folks absolutely forbid anyone from walking and there was no port bus. So, the only way to do it was to get a taxi to drive through the port (about 1 mile) and taxis being what they are the only taxi that would do that one mile charged 20 Euros! This is part of the reason why we hate the port of Livorno and have taken a secret pledge to toss all the port officials into the drink.

 

Hank

[euro cruiser]

This is part of the reason why we hate the port of Livorno and have taken a secret pledge to toss all the port officials into the drink.

:D :D :D

 

Livorno doesn't have much to recommend it, which is too bad, because it could be so much better with relatively few adjustments. I guess there's really no financial upside to making it better ... they're not going to attract more cruise traffic if they improve it (it seems like almost every ship in the Med goes there), and probably not going to lose any if they don't, so from their perspective, why do anything?

[caroak]

I'm also confused! So we would get the bus from the train station to the center of town and then have to take a shuttle bus to the port or, better yet, a taxi if one is available. Do the shuttle buses run often later in the day and is there a drop off right inside the port near where the ships are docked? I think renting a car is a better idea if we can find one near the port or perhaps they would drop off a car. We've been to Florence many times and would just like to do Lucca for the day.

[euro cruiser]

I'm also confused! So we would get the bus from the train station to the center of town and then have to take a shuttle bus to the port or, better yet, a taxi if one is available. Do the shuttle buses run often later in the day and is there a drop off right inside the port near where the ships are docked?

If you use the ship's shuttle, yes it is a two step process. The ship shuttle buses drop off near Piazza Grande, which is almost two miles from the train station at Piazza Dante. Most people who use the ship shuttle then take the #1 bus line directly to the station. The ship shuttles pick up alongside the ship and return there in the afternoon, and they run fairly frequently throughout the afternoon.

 

I think renting a car is a better idea if we can find one near the port or perhaps they would drop off a car. We've been to Florence many times and would just like to do Lucca for the day.

It's certainly one way to go, but since Lucca is so easy by train, I don't think I'd bother. I'd spend the money taking a cab directly from the ship to the train, and again for the return. It can be difficult to get a cab on the way back, but you can call for one if there isn't one at the stand.

[caroak]

I assume the ship shuttles are actually public port shuttles not shuttles offered by individual cruise lines. We are on Oceania and they do not offer any shuttles.

 

Hertz and Europcar do have locations which are suppose to be near the port but I'll have to get some more specific info and will probably call the local agency direct. We like the freedom of renting a car and DH does not mind doing the driving. Our GPS has maps of Europe so it's really not difficult to find your way.

[euro cruiser]

I assume the ship shuttles are actually public port shuttles not shuttles offered by individual cruise lines. We are on Oceania and they do not offer any shuttles.

The cruise I was on did not mention shuttle ahead of time, it was a night before, reading the daily news learning. The port requires a shuttle from most berths.

 

Hertz and Europcar do have locations which are suppose to be near the port but I'll have to get some more specific info and will probably call the local agency direct. We like the freedom of renting a car and DH does not mind doing the driving. Our GPS has maps of Europe so it's really not difficult to find your way.

Several rental car companies were set up with tents alongside the ship, there was no need to go into town or to their locations.

[caroak]

This is the first I've heard of rental car agencies setting up tents at the port which would be great. I assume you have to book them in advance.

[lalawgirl]

I suspect that they are talking about the #1 bus. Most cruise passengers get off at Piazza Grande, to take the shuttle back to the port. The #1 continues on about three blocks closer to the waterfront(Via Grande at Porto Mediceo) before turning south, so maybe that's what they're talking about. The problem is that you're still not AT the port, and you still can't walk to your ship (or at least most of the time you can't).

 

Google maps Italia has an interesting feature for cities like Livorno that don't have good public transit web sites. It looks like it's still in Beta, but it's something to keep an eye on: http://maps.google.it/intl/it/landing/transit/#dmy

 

Yes -- I was talking about the no. 1 bus. it was about a 2 block walk from where my Oceania ship docked last week. There was at least one other ship that docked much further away. We got lucky.

 

That said, no one that morning was able to get a cab to take them to the train station. So we walked about 2 blocks to the main drag and picked up the no. 1 bus. took it back too (Again about a 2 block walk back to the port).

 

good luck!

[lalawgirl]

This is the first I've heard of rental car agencies setting up tents at the port which would be great. I assume you have to book them in advance.

 

Avis set up a tent right along side our ship last week.

[jmb4534]

Several rental car companies were set up with tents alongside the ship, there was no need to go into town or to their locations.

 

In 2008 we had pre-arranged a car w/Maxirent, The agent e-mailed us right before we left the US saying that he could not get into the port with the car. No one was helpful and we never located the spot where we were supposed to pick up the car. (outside the port) We went back to the ship and there was one car left at the Hertz tent. (Hertz was the only company represented and almost all of their cars had been booked through the excursion desk on the Zuiderdam. ) After a rough and rainy start, everything worked out very well and we had a great day driving through the wine country and seeing San Gimangnano.

 

All this being said...we are going back in early November and would like to rent a car again. I want to make SURE this time that I can pick a car up inside the port this time. Do any of you have a suggestion on how I can assure that I am renting a car that can be picked up at the dock? We always pre-arrange car rentals, but I'm tempted to just wait until we dock in Livorno. Thsnks!

[caroak]

As much as I would like to rent a car it sounds like too many uncertainties so I think we'll plan on taking the train to Lucca but if a rental car is available at the dock then we'll rent it. If we reconsider I would call some of the rental car agencies in Livorno and speak to them directly although after many trips to Italy I've learned to always anticipate confusion and sometimes heated discussions.:D

[screwcork]

This is my reply to a similar question regarding this "problem":

 

 

Last year we rented a car in Livorno (delievered at the gangway). We first drove to Lucca (45 min.), spent several hours there, including lunch and stopped in Pisa on the way back to Livorno. Avis has an excellent service in Livorno, and I believe we paid less than USD 100 for the whole package. If you don't have an GPS with European maps, it would be wise to have one delivered with the car.

 

Please see my photos from Lucca and Pisa in this link:

 

http://travel.webshots.com/album/573...xAGNfF?start=0

 

 

Good luck!

 

Screwcork

[Cheesi]

This is the first I've heard of rental car agencies setting up tents at the port which would be great. I assume you have to book them in advance.

 

Caroak - We booked with Hertz in advance for a rental car. Here's the link to the website: http://www.sifracar.com/home.htm When you click on the link look upper right hand corner and you should be able to change it to English. I dealt with them via e-mail. We walked off our ship (9/4/10) at Port Medieco and she was right there at a table and all ready for us. Some of the best service we received for any of the cars we rented during our cruise (we rented at St. Tropez, Cannes, Monte Carlo and Livorno). Our plan (which we did) was to drive to Lucca and then back to Pisa. She gave us maps for the route (we also had a Tom Tom GPS) and maps for the locations themselves highlighting parking areas. In both locations we easily found the parking areas she had pointed out to us. She also suggested an alternate more scenic route back we we also took. After filling up with gas, we dropped the car and put the keys in the visor. I then printed our final receipt off the Hertz website - all charged exactly as promised. I had heard good things about this location and I want to echo I thought the process was seamless and I wouldn't hesitate to rent with them again. For us, renting a car was the way to go to set our own schedule.

[Eileen G]

Some of the confusion about the bus is due to the two different docking places. Smaller ships like Oceania and Azamara dock right near downtown and you can easily walk about 10 minutes to the #1 bus to the train. When we were there on Azamara the port provided a shuttle to P. Grande. The larger ships dock in the industrial port where the ships provide a shuttle for a fee to P. Grande. One block from P. Grande you can catch the #1 bus to the train station but make sure you get on it going the right direction. The easiest way to get to the train station is to get a cab at the ship and share with others to the train. When we were at the industrial port on the Oosterdam there was a guy directing the cabs and he took one from the end of the line to take us to the station.

[caroak]

Thanks for all the suggestions. This is encouraging so I'll contact Hertz at that Livorno location and also Avis. We have our own GPS with maps of Europe that we bought just for our trips. We mostly do land trips and this will only be our second cruise.

 

Nice photos Screwcork. Wasn't Santorini spectacular!