Help Planning an Overnight in La Spezia

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Hi all,

 

Looking for some help in planning an overnight stop in La Spezia for the first week of May 2024. We want to see Florence and Pisa, and I think Cinque Terre as well. For context, we are also visiting Santa Margherita (will visit Portofino while we are there), Civitavecchia (going to Rome), and Naples (undecided, but probably want to see Capri, Sorrento, or Positano). This is our first time to any of these ports.

 

But for La Spezia, from my research, I came up with two options. 

 

Option 1:

Day 1: Early train to Florence, spend as much time as we can, and take a later train back.

Day 2: Excursion to Pisa and Lucca, some seem to include a wine tasting which we would like

 

Option 2:

Day 1: Florence and Pisa "on your own" excursion, which seems to include about 3.5 hours in Florence and 1-1.5 hours in Pisa

Day 2: Cinque Terre on our own via trains or ferries

 

So I guess my question is, what would you do? Keeping in mind what we'll be doing in the other ports. I want to see Cinque Terre, but is it worth rushing the day in Florence? Or is Pisa/Lucca worth missing a day in Cinque Terre?

 

In Pisa, it's more about snapping a photo of the tower for us, so the hour+ there seems a waste, but I think the only way to avoid that is a private tour, right? But that = $. I was thinking of a private transfer to Florence from La Spezia via Pisa for a quick photo in the morning, and then train straight back to La Spezia when we're ready at night, but I'm having a hard time finding a company that offers one way private transportation. Any recommendations?

 

And as a side note, how does it work if we were to take a later train back from Florence on our first day in port? From what I've read, you can't walk right to the ship, but need to take a bus into the actual port. Do the buses run late into the night? We will be on Celebrity if that makes a difference. 

 

Thanks in advance!

[cruisemom42]

Oh the agony of so many good choices!

 

This is one of those cases where you have to decide what matters most to you. Are you a city/art/foodie/history type person (if so, spend as much time in Florence as you can and skip Cinque Terre).  Or are you the type that's happy to just soak in gorgeous views and cute pastel villages on hills, maybe with a glass of wine (if so, get to Cinque Terre).

 

However, I can give you a few thoughts and random facts from my own experiences:

 

• Granted, you're going in early May, but the Cinque Terre can quickly get overrun with tourists, making it not so much fun. The trains and ferries get overloaded. It's hard to enjoy.
• If you are already going to Santa Margherita and Portofino, you will already be getting a similar experience to the Cinque Terre.  I'm not saying they are all the same but they are cute pastel towns on hills facing the water....
• If you want the Pisa experience, it is easy, on a long day in Florence, to make a stop on the train in Pisa on your way there and get your mandatory photo. There is a bus or tram from the train station that takes you pretty easily to the Field of Miracles where the tower is, and then back. Trains from Pisa to Florence run often. If you are quick you may not even need a second ticket, just hold on to the one you have from Livorno.
• As to the port buses, I am not sure how late they run. It's a question you'll probably not get a good answer to unless someone has come back late and can tell you. I would guess with a ship overnighting there, they would be running at least up until 9 or 10pm, but.....just a guess.