Pisa + Florence or Cinque Terre With Kids?

[CactusGirly]

We are docking in La Spezia, and travelling with 3 kiddos, (ages 9,10,12), so Pisa is a must do. We will not be climbing the tower, just taking the train there to look around, take some photos and allow the kids their glorious moment of "I was here!"

 

What to do with the rest of our time in port?

 

1. Start the day in Florence and stop in Pisa on the way back? If so, where should we go / what is a manageable itinerary with kids while there?

 

2. Start the day in Pisa and spend the rest of the time in Cinque Terre? If so, which village would be most appealing for kids? Best place for a great lunch with a view?

[epixx]

You have a big problem with your plan. Your kids are going to demand to climb the Tower as soon as they see it! Our kids certainly did. Reconsider the Tower climb. It's a fabulous activity for kids of that age, and it's something they'll remember for many years.

 

We took our kids to Florence at that age and Cinque Terre when they were older, but, if I had a do-over, I'd visit Cinque Terre when they were younger, about the ages of your kids, and then Florence when they're older.

 

Vernazza is a great town for kids and has excellent lunch spots with amazing views. We went into the water in Vernazza. We didn't visit Monterosso, which also has a beach, or Manarola, which has a swimming hole, but these are also options, as long as the kids wear a swimsuit under other clothes.

 

Have fun!

[kitkat343]

epixx-

 

Do you think cinque terre is manageable for toddlers? Is there any way to avoid hiking on cobblestone hills? Or is this something we should save for later?

[Antonintassie]

I would seriously think about a private tour in a mini van for this port stop ,you will be off the ship and at Pisa before the crowds get stupid and then on to Florence do the city and grab a gelato on the way out back to the ship.

[kuldalai]

Forget Firenze with kids it wore be boring for them. Pisa and Leaning Tower yes, but you would be crazy not to climb the tower. Just be sure to pre book admission tickets, date and time specific in advance via LT website. CT easily done from La Spezia by train. Concentrate on Vernazza and Manarola then 20 minute walk on Villa d More coastal trail from Manarola to Riomaggiore.

[epixx]

epixx-

 

Do you think cinque terre is manageable for toddlers? Is there any way to avoid hiking on cobblestone hills? Or is this something we should save for later?

 

My experience is not as extensive as kuldalai's (above), but from what I saw I do think you could manage this with toddlers. I do not recommend doing what we did, which is taking the train to Corniglia (highest up on the hill of the Cinque Terre) and hiking from there to Vernazza. The hike was definitely not for toddlers.

 

I'm guessing you would be better off in Monterosso, with the beach. Here's a photo:

http://www.kimolsonphoto.com/blog/beach-in-monterosso-al-mare-cinque-terre-italy-daily-photo/

 

Ask someone more knowledgeable than me, either kuldalai (who helped us plan our day) or on Tripadvisor.

[slidergirl]

I think people are getting the wrong idea about Cinque Terre. The hikes between each village is not a requirement - you have the trains and sometimes the ferries. With the exception of the .5 mile long paved path between Riomaggiore and Manarola (which is currently still closed for reconstruction after the landslides), you are merely walking on the sidewalks and streets and stairs of the villages. Those are cobbled, and there are some uphills/downhills to be done. The trails are something that really doesn't transfer to the new influx of daytrippers from the cruise ships - leave them to the people who have the time and and are prepared to hike the Blue Trail between the villages (by "prepared", I mean ample water supply, good pair of hiking shoes (the trails can get muddy/slippery), and knowing they are in decent physical shape for miles of hiking. The trails aren't something you just decide to do and start walking in your flip-flops.

You will just be wandering in the villages. I'm not sure if kids would be interested in it, other than being able to do the trains/ferries and do the little beaches at Vernazza or Monterosso. CT is a place to relax, savor, not a place to hurry around and "see sights." This is what distresses me that so many ships are porting in La Spezia - too many people who do not understand the beauty of the setting and want to "do something, see something".

[chipmaster]

My 2cents is I opted for the Pisa / Florence, did it private and saved a ton of time ( not any more money ), and port time is priceless.

 

As another poster said we were off the ship before even the bus tours lined up. We were at Pisa right at the opening of the climbs. We didn't pre buy tickets but there were plenty available for the next climb. I would say if the climb is available do it. The experience and climb doesn't take much time and is priceless walking the worn steps and feeling the lean in the building. Even my 77 year old dad at the time went for it and made it to the top!

 

I opted for the boring Forence tour, the kids saw "David" and so many other iconic sites, they were ruined out but the memories IMHO are fare more memorable for us than the other alternatives we considered.

 

 

 

[euro cruiser]

The Cinque Terre is too far from Livorno to accomplish on a port day unless you either rent a car and drive yourself, hire a car service, or take a ship's tour. You cannot combine it with Pisa realistically.

 

Only you know your kids and their interests. It's a long day of travel, whether by car or by train, to Florence and, assuming this cruise is during the summer vacation, it's going to be hot. Florence has a great deal to offer, including a whole lot of Renaissance art ... which may or may not be of great interest to your kids.

 

Another alternative to consider that requires much less travel time is Lucca, where you can rent bikes and ride on top of the city walls. That might catch their interest more than art.

[euro cruiser]

Regarding walking/hiking along the coast in the Cinque Terre, as of this moment the coastal routes are still closed. The upper routes are open but they are more difficult.

 

If you check the map linked below (the national park's web site), the blue routes are considered easy walking. Green are more difficult and yellow are for "expert" hikers. Red paths are closed entirely.

 

http://www.parco****onale5terre.it/sentieri_parco.asp?id_lingue=1

[Hlitner]

epixx-

 

Do you think cinque terre is manageable for toddlers? Is there any way to avoid hiking on cobblestone hills? Or is this something we should save for later?

 

If you can carry the toddlers (some of the time) you will be fine. The concern in some of the villages would be crowds of people more then dealing with the walkways.

 

Hank

[slidergirl]

The Cinque Terre is too far from Livorno to accomplish on a port day unless you either rent a car and drive yourself, hire a car service, or take a ship's tour. You cannot combine it with Pisa realistically.

 

Only you know your kids and their interests. It's a long day of travel, whether by car or by train, to Florence and, assuming this cruise is during the summer vacation, it's going to be hot. Florence has a great deal to offer, including a whole lot of Renaissance art ... which may or may not be of great interest to your kids.

 

Another alternative to consider that requires much less travel time is Lucca, where you can rent bikes and ride on top of the city walls. That might catch their interest more than art.

 

The OP is docking at La Spezia, not Livorno. That also would mean Florence would be a long trek from La Spezia. I think Pisa and somewhere else would be better for a family. Perhaps add Lucca...

[kuldalai]

Kids aged 9,10 and 12 are hardly toddlers and the CT would be quite achievable and easy for them especially if the Villa da More coastal path between Riomaggiore and Manarola is re opened.

 

The original poster indicated the cruise docking in La Spezia not Livorno.

 

Lucca is quite doable by train from La Spezia with a change of trains at Viareggio. But. Lucca is more history and Puccini, so for younger children the LT at Pisa and a taste of the CT in. Vernazza, Manarola and Riomaggiore would be more interesting.

 

Alternatively forget Pisa and just do the CT. Take Bus P from stop P in Via Garabaldi near Corso Cavour (La Spezia) to Portovenere, 30 mins travel time. Buses depart stop P at 25 and 55 minutes past the hour. Then take ferry from Portovenere waterfront at 11.00am to CT calling at Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza and terminating at Old Monterosso 60 minutes later.

 

Take in lunch at old Monterosso then walk through the shared use pedestrian/road tunnel to train station in New Monterosso. Take the train up to Vernazza and explore, train up to Manarola and finally train back to La Spezia Centrale.

 

Get detailed CT train times from CT tourist offices at La Spezia station or any of five CT train stations. Check CT ferry times on Gulf of Poets. ferry website.

Edited May 10, 2015 by kuldalai

[epixx]

Kids aged 9,10 and 12 are hardly toddlers

 

The OP has kids 9, 10, and 12, but there's another poster, kitkat343, who asked (post #3 or so) about taking toddlers to Cinque Terre.

[katsmom1]

While Florence is wonderful and great for looking at art and architecture, I do not recommend taking kids that age there from La Spezia for a few reasons: Approximately two hour ride each way (which can be hard and boring for kids that age), waiting in lines at the museums (which isn't exactly appreciated by preteens even if they really love renaissance art), and limited options for much physical activity besides walking between museums and other attractions.

 

My daughter is 11 and on our Mediterranean cruise this summer, I'm taking her to Cinque Terre instead of Florence. From La Spezia, we are taking a train to Vernazza, walking around a bit, then hiking from there to Monterosso, where we'll end our time there enjoy the beach.

 

If you are going to have a long culture/history tourist attraction focused day in Rome the following day, kids especially enjoy having a bit more relaxed activities in La Spezia.

Edited May 10, 2015 by katsmom1

[slidergirl]

While Florence is wonderful and great for looking at art and architecture, I do not recommend taking kids that age there from La Spezia for a few reasons: Approximately two hour ride each way (which can be hard and boring for kids that age), waiting in lines at the museums (which isn't exactly appreciated by preteens even if they really love renaissance art), and limited options for much physical activity besides walking between museums and other attractions.

 

My daughter is 11 and on our Mediterranean cruise this summer, I'm taking her to Cinque Terre instead of Florence. From La Spezia, we are taking a train to Vernazza, walking around a bit, then hiking from there to Monterosso, where we'll end our time there enjoy the beach.

 

If you are going to have a long culture/history tourist attraction focused day in Rome the following day, kids especially enjoy having a bit more relaxed activities in La Spezia.

 

The best time to hike Vernazza to Monterosso is right in the morning before it gets too hot. That trail is largely exposed and it does get hot. Be sure you have plenty of water (not one of those 16 oz bottles, either) and sunscreen!!! Otherwise, you will be too exhausted to enjoy the beach at Monterosso. I would bank on maybe 2.5 hours for you and your daughter for the trail - little legs can't go up/down those stairs as fast…

[katsmom1]

The best time to hike Vernazza to Monterosso is right in the morning before it gets too hot. That trail is largely exposed and it does get hot. Be sure you have plenty of water (not one of those 16 oz bottles, either) and sunscreen!!! Otherwise, you will be too exhausted to enjoy the beach at Monterosso. I would bank on maybe 2.5 hours for you and your daughter for the trail - little legs can't go up/down those stairs as fast…

 

 

We are going to try to get there as soon as possible in the morning but since we aren't docking until 8:30 a.m. I think we'll miss the early trains to Vernazza. I'll make sure to bring extra water. My daughter is pretty athletic so I'm not worried about her too much. Its my little legs that are not going to enjoy going up and down those stairs.:)

[CactusGirly]

Thank you all for the great advice! Lots to consider, but seems like Florence is out. We'll have to hope we make it back again one day for another visit.

[gibby71]

We are docking in La Spezia, and travelling with 3 kiddos, (ages 9,10,12), so Pisa is a must do. We will not be climbing the tower, just taking the train there to look around, take some photos and allow the kids their glorious moment of "I was here!"

 

CatctusGirly, I've got a 9 yo and we'll be on Allure in a couple of weeks. I'd love to hear any advice you have after you return. THANKS

[hubofhockey]

Mine were 13 & 11 when we had a port day in Livorno. My wife and I had done a Med cruise before and did a share private excursion that included both Pisa and Florence. After our first tour, I felt as if any time in or traveling to Pisa robbed of of time in one of the beautiful cities of the world, Florence. We opted for a full day in Florence with the kids. There still is plenty for kids to do in Florence and seeing the David is great for anybody and so is the Piazza della Signoria with all of the outdoor statues. If you want a climb, go for the Bell Tower, which is right next to the Duomo. We also took the kids to the Bargello for the sculptures of the mythological gods. We did things like that along with a nice sit down lunch and a gelato stop and we found Florence to be friendly to kids. As someone pointed out, waiting in lines with precious port time with kids is awful, make sure you get a skip the lines entrance to the Academia to see the David. That's what we did as our driver was able to secure that for us.

 

From La Spezia, I think you may be even more limited because of travel time and I would not opt for BOTH Florence and Pisa with kids. The significance of a poorly executed building of a tower versus a great city was never really a choice for me. However, many cruise passengers would disagree with me and view the Leaning Tower as more significant than Michelangelo's David. I'm not kidding.

Edited June 7, 2015 by hubofhockey

[ican82]

I think people are getting the wrong idea about Cinque Terre. The hikes between each village is not a requirement - you have the trains and sometimes the ferries. With the exception of the .5 mile long paved path between Riomaggiore and Manarola (which is currently still closed for reconstruction after the landslides), you are merely walking on the sidewalks and streets and stairs of the villages. Those are cobbled, and there are some uphills/downhills to be done. The trails are something that really doesn't transfer to the new influx of daytrippers from the cruise ships - leave them to the people who have the time and and are prepared to hike the Blue Trail between the villages (by "prepared", I mean ample water supply, good pair of hiking shoes (the trails can get muddy/slippery), and knowing they are in decent physical shape for miles of hiking. The trails aren't something you just decide to do and start walking in your flip-flops.

You will just be wandering in the villages. I'm not sure if kids would be interested in it, other than being able to do the trains/ferries and do the little beaches at Vernazza or Monterosso. CT is a place to relax, savor, not a place to hurry around and "see sights." This is what distresses me that so many ships are porting in La Spezia - too many people who do not understand the beauty of the setting and want to "do something, see something".

 

Slidergirl: Your comment about flip-flops brought back a memory and made me laugh. We hiked the trail from Monterossa to Vernazza several years ago with another couple, all of us in our early 50s. We thought we were doing really well, but we became aware of 3 young women gaining on us. As they began to pass us, we were shocked to see that they had on flip-flops, as well as swimsuits and cover-ups. The world being the strange place that it is, the woman from the other couple recognized one of the girls as a neighbour from Toronto. The walked with us for awhile to talk, but eventually we were holding them back, so they took off in their flip-flops and left us in their dust.

 

Your point about the trails, however, is valid. It took us 90 minutes for that part of the trail, then after lunch, another 90 minutes to go from Vernazza to Corniglia. We all agreed that was enough for one day.

[windplayer]

Galileo Museum in Florence is good for kids about that age. We took our then 9 and 11 year old eighteen months ago. Telescopes and gadgets and some things they can get their hands on. It's a bit different to art and statues.

[Gig103]

Galileo Museum in Florence is good for kids about that age. We took our then 9 and 11 year old eighteen months ago. Telescopes and gadgets and some things they can get their hands on. It's a bit different to art and statues.

And adults! I loved that museum!

[nomadiccrocodilehunter]

I believe that kids need to be at least 10 years old to climb the tower, so I suggest the OP check the official website to confirm whether your whole family can climb the tower. If you do decide to climb the tower I would recommend that you book a time in advance so that you are guaranteed the opportunity to climb.

 

Earlier this month we travelled on Allure of the Seas and on the day in La Spezia we visited Cinque Terre with our 6 year old. It is a great place. I recommend Monterosso Al Mare as the most kid-friendly village to visit. Vernazza is very beautiful. Forget the hiking trails and then the kids will have no significant problems getting around with you, although the villages are very crowded in the summer months.

 

Lucca is amazing. I am writing this from Lucca where I am sad that we will soon be leaving after 13 nights here. With 3 kids my recommendation from La Spezia would be to visit either Pisa or Lucca or CT in preference to Florence. Florence is amazing but the long travel time may make it a tough day for the kids for little reward. Climbing the tower or swimming at CT or running or cycling around the Lucca walls are all great kid-friendly options.

 

My final thought is that I would hesitate to do more than one of these towns on a single cruise ship day unless you take an organised shore excursion or private driver. If you DIY with three kids then I recommend you only choose one town to visit to get a more relaxing day for all five of you.

 

Have a great cruise.

[epixx]

I believe that kids need to be at least 10 years old to climb the tower, so I suggest the OP check the official website to confirm whether your whole family can climb the tower.

 

No; the kids need to be 8:

 

http://www.opapisa.it/en/plan-your-visit/practical-information/ticket.html