Confused in Florence

[fa]

If anyone can clarify...I am arriving in Florence on the Allure in June. I am in the process of booking excursions. I sent an email out to a company who has informed me that we will be landing in Livorno not Florence. That it is a 3 hour drive to Florence. Can anyone confirm if this is true, are we actually arriving in Livorno?

[texancruzer]

Florence is no where near the ocean…..so yes you will be docking in Livorno.

 

It is about an hour and a half (1.5) drive each way - so not 3 hours there and 3 hours back.

 

https://maps.yahoo.com/directions/?lat=43.66787161011749&lon=10.785140991210938&bb=43.99182651%2C10.17745972%2C43.34415628%2C11.39282227&o=Livorno%20LI%2C%20Italy&d=Florence%2C%20italy

[dogs4fun]

If anyone can clarify...I am arriving in Florence on the Allure in June. I am in the process of booking excursions. I sent an email out to a company who has informed me that we will be landing in Livorno not Florence. That it is a 3 hour drive to Florence. Can anyone confirm if this is true, are we actually arriving in Livorno?

Right ~ you will be docking in Livorno, not Florence. Florence is located on the Arno river - not on the ocean. Livorno is on the ocean.

It is about a 90 minute drive into Florence (or you can take the train from Livorno to Florence). Pisa is even closer to Livorno (again, both by auto or train).

[fa]

Thank you that really helps!

[Twickenham]

If anyone can clarify...I am arriving in Florence on the Allure in June. I am in the process of booking excursions. I sent an email out to a company who has informed me that we will be landing in Livorno not Florence. That it is a 3 hour drive to Florence. Can anyone confirm if this is true, are we actually arriving in Livorno?

 

Actually, if you look at the RCI website listing of cruises on the Allure in June, they list the actual port as La Spezia, not Livorno, which is considerably further from Florence.

[dogs4fun]

Actually, if you look at the RCI website listing of cruises on the Allure in June, they list the actual port as La Spezia, not Livorno, which is considerably further from Florence.

I just checked the ports for the Allure and La Spezia is, indeed, your port - not Livorno! The person who told you that Livorno is the port at which you will dock is mistaken. Good thing that Twickenham checked.

La Spezia is about 3 and a half hours via auto (one way) from Florence.

Edited April 20, 2015 by dogs4fun

[fa]

Wow, you're right, thank you again for clearing that up. I will have to clarify that to the tour company who also believes it to be Livorno.

[euro cruiser]

Getting to Florence from La Spezia requires real commitment, you've got to want to go there. The drive will be about two and a half hours each way ... that's a lot of your port day just in transit.

[fa]

The more information I'm getting, the more I feel like I may not even leave the ship.

I do not want to be in a car for hours and hours and it doesnt appear to be anything nearby. Any recommendations?

I am travelling with my father and his wife who are in their 80's and i just wanted to book a tour that would provide us with a overview of the area with hopes of one day returning.

[marazul]

The more information I'm getting, the more I feel like I may not even leave the ship.

I do not want to be in a car for hours and hours and it doesnt appear to be anything nearby. Any recommendations?

I am travelling with my father and his wife who are in their 80's and i just wanted to book a tour that would provide us with a overview of the area with hopes of one day returning.

 

Two options.

1. Go to Cinqueterre, or

2. Go to Lucca

 

Google them both and search these boards for lots of info on both.

And look at a map.

Edited April 20, 2015 by marazul

[hubofhockey]

The more information I'm getting, the more I feel like I may not even leave the ship.

I do not want to be in a car for hours and hours and it doesnt appear to be anything nearby. Any recommendations?

I am travelling with my father and his wife who are in their 80's and i just wanted to book a tour that would provide us with a overview of the area with hopes of one day returning.

 

I don't think you should give up on Florence so easily or pay attention to the time estimates provided by others on this thread. Google says it's a 1 hour 50 minute drive and Royal Caribbean gives it 2 hours on a coach and their prices aren't bad. There are two excursions, similarly priced and both provide three hours on your own in Florence and one provides a walking tour of 2 and a half hours. Five and half hours in Florence is better than spending the day on the ship. Florence is one of my favorite cities in the Med. I love it more than Rome. The only thing you might want to do is find a skip the lines tour of the Accademia to see the original David. That is just amazing.

 

Shore Excursions

A Taste of Florence - LL06 ($115 adults and $85 kids)

 

OVERVIEW: Enjoy a 2 ½ hour guided tour of the highlights of Florence followed by approximately 3 hours to explore at your leisure and pace. HIGHLIGHTS: Visit Piazza del Duomo to see the famous cathedral, baptistery and bell tower. Your next stop is Piazza della Signoria to see a copy of Michelangelo's David and a stop to see the exterior of the Church of Santa Croce. Explore at your leisure for 3 hours. NOTES: An escort will be on the coach to/from Florence to answer questions. A comfort stop will be made at a leather factory en route to Florence. The drive between La Spezia and Florence is approx. 2 hours each way. Shoulders and knees must be covered at religious sites.

Ready to reserve this excursion?

 

Explore the birthplace of the Renaissance, as you embark on a guided walking tour of Florence before enjoying 3 hours to roam on your own. Stroll bustling city streets alongside your guide for 2.5 hours, passing Piazza del Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, and the 14th-century Church of Santa Croce. Traverse the city at your own pace, eating pasta and paninis, visiting renowned galleries and museums, wandering the leather market, or atop Ponte Vecchio bridge.

[dogs4fun]

The more information I'm getting, the more I feel like I may not even leave the ship.

I do not want to be in a car for hours and hours and it doesnt appear to be anything nearby. Any recommendations?

I am travelling with my father and his wife who are in their 80's and i just wanted to book a tour that would provide us with a overview of the area with hopes of one day returning.

Oh, I definitely would not stay on the ship!

You could go to Lucca (only an hour away by car): http://lucca-italy.org/

or

You could visit the lovely Cinque Terre (5 villages). It takes about an hour to reach Riomaggiore by car: https://www.incinqueterre.com/en/

I love the Cinque Terre but Lucca is also quite charming.

 

I googled the distance from La Spezia to Florence and the distance is about 2 hours by car. Since you are traveling with parents in their 80's, please note that the area from the duomo to ponte vecchio is pedestrianized and cars are not allowed. Your elderly parents would need to walk - although Florence is a magnificent city, you might wish to consider whether or not your parents are fit enough to walk if you plan to visit Florence.

Edited April 20, 2015 by dogs4fun

[Hlitner]

We would add that we do not normally recommend that cruisers going into La Spezia plan on going to Florence. Spending about 4 hours (round trip) in a bus in not the generally the best use of one's time in Italy. From La Spezia, the best tour option is to enjoy the villages of Cinque Terre (Riomaggiore is the closest village to the port). But if you simply must go to Florence (a wonderful city) then enjoy :).

 

If on the Allure cruises out of Civitavecchia we would recommend spending a few extra days in Italy so you can spend at least a couple of nights in Florence.

 

Hank

Edited April 20, 2015 by Hlitner

[marazul]

fa -

your cruise offers a tour to Cinque Terre. You would get a lot more actual sightseeing time on this one than on the others offered.

[texancruzer]

Another suggestion - check your itinerary carefully….. it will list where you dock each day. Do not count on tour companies to know - they can be wrong. You really don't want to book a tour and be in the wrong place :eek:

[fa]

Thank you for your recommendations, I will look for a tour to Cinque terre, or go into Zla Spezia and spend sometime there. I am annoyed that RCL markets this cruise by saying Florence is one of their stops. I was looking forward to seeing this beautiful city, I never realized it would be so far.

[katsmom1]

The Cinque Terra villages are a quick, inexpensive train ride away from La Spezia and can easily be done without a tour.

[Turtles06]

Thank you for your recommendations, I will look for a tour to Cinque terre, or go into Zla Spezia and spend sometime there. I am annoyed that RCL markets this cruise by saying Florence is one of their stops. I was looking forward to seeing this beautiful city, I never realized it would be so far.

 

Did they literally say they are "stopping" in Florence? Respectfully, I suspect not. I've just looked at RCI's web site for the Allure itineraries in June, and what it says is: "Florence/Pisa" and immediately under that it says "(La Spezia)", which is the actual port, just as it says "(Civitavecchia)" under "Rome."

 

Pretty much all of the cruise lines do similar marketing. E.g. showing London as the point of debarkation, when London (like Rome), is not on an ocean or large sea, and you are actually leaving from Dover, Harwich, or Southampton, all a good distance from London. The actual port info will typically show on the marketing and the itinerary.

 

I hope that you have a very enjoyable cruise.

[hubofhockey]

Thank you for your recommendations, I will look for a tour to Cinque terre, or go into Zla Spezia and spend sometime there. I am annoyed that RCL markets this cruise by saying Florence is one of their stops. I was looking forward to seeing this beautiful city, I never realized it would be so far.

 

Livorno is the usual port for this stop and is 90 minutes away. This is 25 more minutes. It's a two hour coach ride and RCI provides a couple tours there that so many people will go on. From reading your posts, you have never been to Florence, which is one of the greatest cities in the world. Cinque Terre is very nice, but it's not Florence. You are passing up a chance to see the Duomo, Michelangelo's David, Piazza della Signoria, the leather markets, Giotto's Tower, the Ponte Vecchio, and of course, the best gelato anywhere. Maybe you'll be back there or maybe, as someone else suggested, you have a few days before your trip in Italy. I have never regretted my long trips into Florence. Well, I'm sure that you'll have an enjoyable day. I hope you don't regret not seeing this amazing city.

[dodger1964]

Livorno is the usual port for this stop and is 90 minutes away. This is 25 more minutes. It's a two hour coach ride and RCI provides a couple tours there that so many people will go on. From reading your posts, you have never been to Florence, which is one of the greatest cities in the world. Cinque Terre is very nice, but it's not Florence. You are passing up a chance to see the Duomo, Michelangelo's David, Piazza della Signoria, the leather markets, Giotto's Tower, the Ponte Vecchio, and of course, the best gelato anywhere. Maybe you'll be back there or maybe, as someone else suggested, you have a few days before your trip in Italy. I have never regretted my long trips into Florence. Well, I'm sure that you'll have an enjoyable day. I hope you don't regret not seeing this amazing city.

 

yes you can see all those things, but you might not have the time to actually enjoy them with the added travel time from La Spezia...

 

We have done Florence twice from Livorno (once bus drop off tour and once rented car), and we did Cinque Terre from La Spezia last trip(rented car).

 

I would do Cinque Terre again if port was La Spezia.

[cruisemom42]

We can quibble all we like based on our own opinions (I have zero interest in Cinque Terre, but it's a long way to Florence, thus I might consider somewhere else, perhaps Lucca.)

 

But the bottom line is that OP needs to do some research and figure out what sounds best to THEM, keeping in mind the amount of transit time and total available time to sightsee.

[love2cruisegal]

The more information I'm getting, the more I feel like I may not even leave the ship.

I do not want to be in a car for hours and hours and it doesnt appear to be anything nearby. Any recommendations?

I am travelling with my father and his wife who are in their 80's and i just wanted to book a tour that would provide us with a overview of the area with hopes of one day returning.

 

As others have said, do not stay on the ship especially if you haven't been to the area. Do some research as recommended and check your itinerary. If you think Florence is too far and too much walking for your parents then check another shore excursion as recommended such as Pisa and Lucca. Since you are leaving soon I would recommend reviewing the excursions on RCI website for your cruise and decide and reserve online soon as some may be full by now. Do not wait till on ship as your selection may be nil.

 

We are booked on a Med cruise for May 2016 and already reviewing what types of excursions are available.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[fa]

Thanks to all, I have booked a tour with RCL, not Florence but at least Ill get to see the Tuscan countryside. Ill have to come back to Italy and see Florence and try the gelato, I know its hard... but somebody has to do it...

[hubofhockey]

Thanks to all, I have booked a tour with RCL, not Florence but at least Ill get to see the Tuscan countryside. Ill have to come back to Italy and see Florence and try the gelato, I know its hard... but somebody has to do it...

 

That is the tough thing about these threads. We don't know if you have future plans to get back to Italy. For some, this is a once in a lifetime trip. On some cruises, I know I won't be back to certain areas in the future and will travel 2+ hours to get to certain cities (Berlin and Normandy come to mind). Florence is one of those cities that I will go out of my way to get to. I don't mind the long rides. It gives me a chance to relax, wind down, and listen to music.

 

Have a great time in Tuscany.

[creative artist]

yes you can see all those things, but you might not have the time to actually enjoy them with the added travel time from La Spezia...

 

We have done Florence twice from Livorno (once bus drop off tour and once rented car), and we did Cinque Terre from La Spezia last trip(rented car).

 

I would do Cinque Terre again if port was La Spezia.

 

Going on the Vision of the Seas Sept 13- sys La Spezia for the port but we have 12 hrs there- been to Florence before and Cinque Terre- think I will do Florence again