Best port tour to diy Amalfi or Pisa/Lucca

[BMWman2006]

I would like your advise on which tour I should DIY and which tour to do with a private company.

As we are on a budget we only want to do 1 of the above tours and we are trying to work out which is the easier to DIY.

We would like to do

 

1) Salerno-Amalfi-Ravello we're in port for 11 hours

or

2) Pisa/Lucca and if possible a winery

 

We are already sorted for Rome.

 

Thank you

[maidncruze]

We were there last August and took a private tour in both ports.

 

We had a great tour in the Naples port. We did Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. The highlite was a fantastic lunch high above in Positano overlooking the Amalfi coast.

[euro cruiser]

I would like your advise on which tour I should DIY and which tour to do with a private company.

As we are on a budget we only want to do 1 of the above tours and we are trying to work out which is the easier to DIY.

We would like to do

 

1) Salerno-Amalfi-Ravello we're in port for 11 hours

or

2) Pisa/Lucca and if possible a winery

No question, if you want to see the Amalfi Coast, you should spend your tour money there and handle Pisa/Lucca on your own.

 

Without a car a winery may not be possible, but if you can't afford a car in both places you'll need to trade off which is more important to you, the winery or the Amalfi Coast, because the coast is extremely difficult on your own using public transit.

 

Are you willing to rent a car and drive yourself? That might be the answer that gets you both. A car service/private tour for Amalfi, and drive yourself to a winery from Livorno, with a stop (or stops) in Pisa and/or Lucca.

[chaz2010]

I would like your advise on which tour I should DIY and which tour to do with a private company.

As we are on a budget we only want to do 1 of the above tours and we are trying to work out which is the easier to DIY.

We would like to do

 

1) Salerno-Amalfi-Ravello we're in port for 11 hours

or

2) Pisa/Lucca and if possible a winery

 

We are already sorted for Rome.

 

Thank you

 

Pisa/Lucca is doable on your own, but it depends on how many hours you have. Train goes from Livorno to Pisa, but I'm not sure if it goes Pisa-Lucca. You might have to go to Florence for the train to Lucca. If you have to choose one- Pisa is very touristy with the cathedral complex (leaning tower,e tc). Lucca is more classic old town walled city but no real one knockout sight- the whole town is beautiful to walk around in.

[BMWman2006]

I forgot to mention that we are docking in La Spezia not Livorno. We have 12 hours in port.

 

Amalfi coast sounds absolutely wonderful. We weren't intending to drive, however this may be our best option, I'll look into this.

 

Does anyone have any experience of driving around Amalfi coast? Also can anyone recommend a car rental company in La Spezia.

 

Once again thank you for all the helpful replies.

 

Jay

[aquilegia]

I think euro cruiser was suggesting you hire a car for Pisa, not Amalfi. I am experienced in driving in Italy and I have also spent time in the Amalfi area. There is no way I would recommend you to do the Amalfi drive. The roads are very narrow and winding and can also get congested, particularly when two large vehicles are trying to inch past each other. The road winds around the outside of the cliff and can be quite vertiginous. Even if you felt brave enough to try it, I think it would be pointless because you wouldn't be able to appreciate the dramatic scenery as you'd have to be concentrating on the road.

[euro cruiser]

Right, I was recommending a car service (with driver) for Amalfi. You can drive Pisa/Lucca easily on your own or use the train.

[Carolyn R]

I forgot to mention that we are docking in La Spezia not Livorno. We have 12 hours in port.

 

Amalfi coast sounds absolutely wonderful. We weren't intending to drive, however this may be our best option, I'll look into this.

 

Does anyone have any experience of driving around Amalfi coast? Also can anyone recommend a car rental company in La Spezia.

 

Once again thank you for all the helpful replies.

 

Jay

 

Ah, if you are docking in La Spezia, have you considered the five villages of the Cinque Terre? It is a magical area in Italy and so easy to do on our own from there. :)

 

I agree that a private tour is your best bet for the Amalfi coast.

[rpg]

We were there last August and took a private tour in both ports.

 

We had a great tour in the Naples port. We did Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. The highlite was a fantastic lunch high above in Positano overlooking the Amalfi coast.

 

Could you please let me know which tour company did you use?

Thanks

[BMWman2006]

Ah, if you are docking in La Spezia, have you considered the five villages of the Cinque Terre? It is a magical area in Italy and so easy to do on our own from there. :)

 

I agree that a private tour is your best bet for the Amalfi coast.

 

Hi

 

yes we did consider Cinque Terre, however I was little put off from other posts that mentioned the area was ruined in some places due to the floods. Still not totally organised for La Spezia yet.

Might still consider Pisa/Lucca as we are now booked for Amalfi coast with private company.

 

 

Jay

[theampres]

Hi

 

yes we did consider Cinque Terre, however I was little put off from other posts that mentioned the area was ruined in some places due to the floods. Still not totally organised for La Spezia yet.

Might still consider Pisa/Lucca as we are now booked for Amalfi coast with private company.

 

 

Jay

 

if I may ask, which private company did you choose for Amalfi Coast and why did you choose that co.? no question, private car-driver the way to go along Amalfi Coast! But, I'm having a hard time deciding which co. to go with.. likely will book 2 days, private car-driver. one from Sorrento to see Sorrento sights and get to Pompeii and/or Herculaneum; 2nd from Amalfi to see Positano and Ravello.

 

would be interested in your reply, as well as others. both, which company and why did you choose them, as well as any suggestions for where to go, spec. from Sorrento and from Amalfi - what 'not to miss' if hiring for 2 days.

 

thanks in advance - all feedback appreciated.

[TLCOhio]

Hi. yes we did consider Cinque Terre, however I was little put off from other posts that mentioned the area was ruined in some places due to the floods. Still not totally organised for La Spezia yet. Might still consider Pisa/Lucca as we are now booked for Amalfi coast with private company. Jay

 

Given that you are docking at La Spezia, that does affect your options and logistics. Both Pisa and Lucca are wonderful. We visited there last June. Below are some pictures for the interesting options there. You can see more on our other Med stops last June from my live/blog connected below. Super loved the Amalfi Coast, Rome, etc., etc. So much to see and enjoy there.

 

For the general Pisa/Tuscany area, like around Naples, the honest reality is that there are so many, many great options. This is not a "one-trick pony" where you just walk off of the ship, see things and go back. That's why I would suggest doing a private tour of either Cinque Terre or your desired Pisa/Lucca option. That gives you more time and less wasted efforts trying to do it on your own. From everything I have understood, Cinque Terre is still wonderful and very much worth the visit.

 

I know you are on a budget, but how often do you get in these great areas? With a private tour, you can better added an extra plus, such as a winery and/or more in the scenic Tuscany areas/countrysides. I would look at other areas to save money in order to maximize what you see and do in these "BEST" parts of wonderful Italy.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 83,082 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

In Lucca, this is a closer view of the architectural details for the Chiesa di San Michele in Foro church with its exceptionally tall facade. It was built in the 11th-14th centuries and is in the heart of this walled town.:

 

 

 

The most famous son of Lucca might be the great composer Puccini. Here is his statute on the main street of this charming town that wonderfully lack much contemporary development. Just lots of historic charm and character.:

 

 

 

Lucca has so many cute and interesting shops. Here is one example that we enjoyed so much. It is the Antico Caffe Dei Simo at Via Fillungo 58. Its origins date back to 1846 and has seen famed artists such as Verdi and Puccini pass through its doors.:

 

 

 

There are many, many churches in Lucca. Here is one of older ones in this walled town. This view is framed by the arches of a nearby building structure.:

 

 

 

On our first visit to Pisa, we were very impressed by its famed Leaning Tower. This tower is much taller than I expected. It is 185’ high. Big for that era and their construction tools/techniques! They just completed a major cleaning of the tower in the weeks before our June visit. Below shows its lower ground-level slant, plus a first-view of this unique architectural treasure. Work on the white marble campanile began in 1173, during a period of Pisa’s military success and financial prosperity. The tower began to sink as construction started on the second floor in 1178. This was due to having only a three-meter foundation, set in weak, unstable, sandy subsoil. Construction was halted for almost a century, due to the Republic of Pisa being almost continually engaged in battles with the city-states of Genoa, Lucca and Florence. The seventh floor was completed in 1319. The bell-chamber was added in 1372. Also impressive here are the Pisa Baptistry (begun in the mid 12th century) and Duomo (main) church (construction started in 1064 as a model of Pisan Romanesque style of architecture). Pisa has a couple of major universities here. There is another church here that also has a leaning (and shorter) tower. We drove by that site, also. Two leaning towers in Pisa! How many knew that?:

 

 

 

[Nebr.cruiser]

I agree with the others: if you are going DIY, Pisa would be easier. We just got back from the Med and had a van with driver for the Amalfi Coast. I cannot imagine driving it ourselves; crowded complicated (one-way traffic in certain areas), incredibly windy and steep. I think it would ruin the day trying to figure all this out.

 

That said, the Amalfi Coast was even more stunning than I expected.