Overnight in Florence from ship docked at Livorno

[HDS]

Schedule for our Viking cruise in February 2024 shows it docks in Livorno from 8am Monday till 6pm Tuesday.  

We are considering travelling to Florence ASAP Monday morning, staying overnight and returning to the ship on Tuesday afternoon.  This would let us see some of the museums that are closed on Mondays.  

Would like to hear from cruisers who have done this and from cruisers who have decided against this option.

[John Bull]

 

Over the years we've done that sort of thing in a number of ports. 

Never had an overnite stop in Livorno, but it's a classic example of where an overnite hotel makes a great deal of sense in order to avoid duplicating travel to Florence and an opportunity to spend an evening in the city.

A hotel near S. M. Novella station would be convenient for both the historic centre and travel from / to Livorno.

 

I don't think you need permission from the cruise line, altho that may not be true of every cruise line.

But it's a matter of common courtesy to tell Customer Relations and your cabin steward, to avoid any worries about you not re-boarding on Day One or your bed not being slept in.

 

Weather-wise Livorno is a reliable port, but bear in mind that for a variety of reasons the ship might miss the port. So try to book a hotel with a penalty-free late-cancellation policy, same as car rentals, tours etc.

 

The slightly risky overnites are where you play catch-up with the ship when it moves on overnite to another nearby port (eg Livorno to Rome - or much more risky, Ashdod to Haifa), because if that second port is late-cancelled you're in trouble.

 

JB 🙂

 

 

[edinburgher]

We tried to do exactly that, and had overnight accommodation booked, but there was a train strike scheduled and we had to cancel the overnight.  As a precaution, book accommodation which can be cancelled and refunded if you cannot make it, also check the Italian train strike website info for any potential strikes which may affect your plans.  They don't always go ahead, but sometimes they do and you should be aware of that  possibility.

 

Here is a current thread with strike website info:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2927366-venice-to-trieste-possible-train-strike-options/#comment-65110826

 

[Murt22]

On 3/31/2023 at 1:56 AM, HDS said:

Would like to hear from cruisers who have done this and from cruisers who have decided against this option

Did you do this? We have exactly the same situation in September and have been trying to figure out the best option.

[Hlitner]

We think it is a terrific option.  As to train strikes, although rare (and usually announced well in advance) the Plan B can be to simply hire a taxi to get you back to Livorno.  

 

When doing an overnight off a cruise ship always make sure to tell both the Guest Relations desk folks as well as your own cabin steward.

 

Hank

[HDS]

We had to cancel our cruise so did not implement any of our carefully thought out plans.  I have not been following the posts since we decided to cancel.

[Murt22]

Sorry about that, but thanks for the response. I hope you are able to cruise in the future.

[dougygreen]

     I would also like to hear from someone with first hand experience with the commute to Florence for an overnight. It seems hard to find anyone. Have you asked in another thread Murt22?

 

From the research I've done so far I gathered a little bit of info if it helps. Our line, NCL, told us we are free to book a night in Florence and there is no curfew in Livorno - so we could take the latest train from Florence if we wanted, or even arrive at 3 A.M.

 

Most online reviews about it are positive and suggest it's the best way to go, for the best price. I did watch one YouTube vlog that described it as a bit of a hassle, but I think if you just plan well and consider that it's not quite as simple as hopping off the boat and onto the train it should be simple enough.

 

The port shuttle should take us to 'Piazza del Municipio" (The stop can be searched on Google maps). From there, it's getting to Livorno Centrale station and on the train. Options for that seem to be a 10 minute bus or 30-40 minute walk.

 

Still hoping someone who's done it finds this and provides a little extra encouragement, but we think we're going to go for it. We've planned very expensive excursions in other ports so we gotta budget somewhere! The crazy prices for NCL's excursions to Florence just aren't worth it when the city is so doable on your own.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 6 by dougygreen

[marazul]

40 minutes ago, dougygreen said:

     I would also like to hear from someone with first hand experience with the commute to Florence for an overnight. It seems hard to find anyone. Have you asked in another thread Murt22?

 

From the research I've done so far I gathered a little bit of info if it helps. Our line, NCL, told us we are free to book a night in Florence and there is no curfew in Livorno - so we could take the latest train from Florence if we wanted, or even arrive at 3 A.M.

 

Most online reviews about it are positive and suggest it's the best way to go, for the best price. I did watch one YouTube vlog that described it as a bit of a hassle, but I think if you just plan well and consider that it's not quite as simple as hopping off the boat and onto the train it should be simple enough.

 

The port shuttle should take us to 'Piazza del Municipio" (The stop can be searched on Google maps). From there, it's getting to Livorno Centrale station and on the train. Options for that seem to be a 10 minute bus or 30-40 minute walk.

 

Still hoping someone who's done it finds this and provides a little extra encouragement, but we think we're going to go for it. We've planned very expensive excursions in other ports so we gotta budget somewhere! The crazy prices for NCL's excursions to Florence just aren't worth it when the city is so doable on your own.

 

 

 

 

 

You are overthinking this. You already figured out how to get to the train station in Livorno. That is the hardest part.  Reserve a hotel in Florence near the train station. Take the train over. Check in the hotel and enjoy the city.  Look at the food thread pinned at the top of this forum for restaurant recommendations. Enjoy the city at night. If you want to book tickets to the Uffizi or Academia, do it for the earliest time next morning for no crowds. When you are ready, take one of the many frequent trains back to Livorno.

Have a great trip.

Edited March 7 by marazul

[dougygreen]

Yeah, I felt that after posting 😂. Bad habit. Will be my first time overseas so a bit anxious. 

 

Any chance you could offer insight into the Civitavecchia-Rome train in only a day, now that I have you? 😁

Is it any more complicated than LIV-FLO? Maybe not worth the time taken up in transit?

[cruisemom42]

5 hours ago, dougygreen said:

Yeah, I felt that after posting 😂. Bad habit. Will be my first time overseas so a bit anxious. 

 

Any chance you could offer insight into the Civitavecchia-Rome train in only a day, now that I have you? 😁

Is it any more complicated than LIV-FLO? Maybe not worth the time taken up in transit?

 

There's a long thread pinned at the top of this forum with many, many questions that have been answered by posters with experience. I would suggest skimming through it, but if you have a particular question, ask it there and I'm sure it will be answered.

 

In case you can't find it, link is;

 

 

[edinburgher]

 

 

 

 

13 hours ago, marazul said:

14 hours ago, dougygreen said:

I would also like to hear from someone with first hand experience with the commute to Florence for an overnight

 

Referencing my post #3, although a number of train strikes can be planned, they do not always go ahead, but unfortunately ours did and we had to cancel our planned Florence overnight. 

 

 

I would advise you keep a close eye on the Italian websites which list potential strikes, and book accommodation which can be cancelled at short notice without penalty, just in case.

[mapleleaves]

18 hours ago, dougygreen said:

Yeah, I felt that after posting 😂. Bad habit. Will be my first time overseas so a bit anxious. 

 

yes, you're definitely overthinking! And keep in mind that MANY other pax from your ship will also take the train to Florence, so you won't be alone in your journey. Have you asked on your RollCall ? (here or on FB)

I was fortunate that when we stopped in Livorno, NCL was still providing a $25 shuttle from the pier to the station. 

We weren't so lucky in Civi though.  We had to take the Civi port shuttle to the port entrance, then wait for a city bus to take us to the train station.  Similar to what you will experience in Livorno. But it was fine!  We just followed the crowd of fellow cruisers. Once you're there, and in the middle of it, you'll realize that you worried too much. 

[MBP&O2/O]

FWIW .. i have just come back from Florence. In early March the crowds and queues were horrendous. Unless pre-booked, expect at least an hours queue for the museums and once inside be prepared for more crowds and very limited viewing. Our hotel staff said it will get a lot more crowded

If you want a reasonable hotel near to the train station, we stayed at the Grand Hotel Baglioni. It is a 10 min walk to the Duomo area and there are some decent eateries in the area. Less than a 5min walk from the station. Ten mins to the Accadami and twenty to the Uffizi.

[Murt22]

Thank you so much for the information. I did just book a walking tour that would require we stay  overnight so I have been researching the hotels. I don't know what excursions will be offered for our cruise but we do want to do the museums closed on Monday.