Florence overnight from La Spezia

[deb18]

Hi. My husband and I  have never been to Florence and our cruise is going to be overnight in La Spezia and leave at 6 pm the next day (one night).  I was thinking of getting a hotel in Florence and going to the Academia and maybe other attractions.  Is this doable?   What other attractions would you recommend?  We want to do a walking tour at night which we have booked.   How do I get to and fro Florence and  are there any recommended hotels ( or B&B)  near the city center?  We are also docking in Santa Margherita so I am not interested in cinque Terre (sp) from La Spezia.  Also is it worth stopping at Pisa to hold up the leaning tower?  TIA

[Hlitner]

Yes, it can be done but you certainly should notify (in advance) your cruise line Guest Relations folks and also let your cabin steward be aware of your night away.  As to getting between the two places, the most obvious solution would be to use the train.  Just be aware that most of the train options are about 2 1/2 hours and do involve 1 change.  There are a few faster trains so you would want to look at the schedule as the big day draws near.

 

Hank

[euro cruiser]

Yes, it's quite doable and, in fact, with an overnight is the only way I'd see Florence from La Spezia.  The cruise lines are getting far too lenient in their definitions of ports.

[edinburgher]

3 hours ago, deb18 said:

We are also docking in Santa Margherita so I am not interested in cinque Terre (sp) from La Spezia

SM is a pleasant seaside resort to explore with a few attractions. We liked it a lot. Get some sightseeing ideasand images  from the usual Tripadvisor, YouTube, Tourist Information websites etc.  Ditto Portofino.

 

If you have no interest in CT, do consider doing a side trip the short distance  to  Portofino instead. From SM it can be reached on foot, by public bus, taxi or the short 20 mins ferry ride between SM and P.  The ferry trip  is super scenic and I recommend you take it at least one way if not both.  P is teeny tiny but picturesque and you wouldn't need more than a couple of hours there max. By combining the two, you will have a really enjoyable day. P ortofino can be pricey, so if planning to have lunch somewhere ashore, there will be less costly and more options in SM.

 

Past threads for you to read here:

 

Portofino

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=portofino&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=464

 

Santa Margherita.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q="santa margherita"&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=464&updated_after=any&sortby=relevancy

[cruisemom42]

3 hours ago, deb18 said:

I was thinking of getting a hotel in Florence and going to the Academia and maybe other attractions.  Is this doable?   What other attractions would you recommend?  We want to do a walking tour at night which we have booked.   How do I get to and fro Florence and  are there any recommended hotels ( or B&B)  near the city center?

 

Florence is very small. Any hotel near the historic center will situate you so that you can walk most anywhere.

 

If you do choose to use the train for transport, a hotel near the train station might be a good idea, not that you will have a lot of luggage for an overnight, but the station is fairly central and in a fine area, so you might as well consider it. I stayed at the Grand Hotel Minerva near the station last time I was in Florence, but it's pricey (I was there out of season). I believe @slidergirl knows of a reasonably priced hotel in the vicinity.

 

Things to do: Visit the Duomo (main cathedral); climb the Duomo tower, visit the Baptistery (across from the Duomo and one of my favorites), stroll across the Ponte Vecchio (and return via the bridge next to it for the best views/pics of Ponte Vecchio) visit the Palazzo Vecchio and the adjacent Piazza della Signoria. Visit the Basilica of Santa Croce. Visit the Uffizi Gallery (if you are a Renaissance art enthusiast).

 

If you're a foodie, you must visit the Mercato Centrale. Good place to grab a quick lunch or dinner. 

 

Definitely pick up at least a pocket guide to Florence with hours for all the sites you might visit. Florence is unusual in that its sites tend to close on a rotating basis and you need to plan for what will be open on the day(s) you will be there to make best use of your time.

 

 

 

[euro cruiser]

I've stayed a couple of times at the Machiavelli Palace hotel, reasonably priced and just five minutes on foot from the train station (about two-tenths of a mile).

 

3 Star Hotel in the Historic Center of Florence - Hotel Machiavelli Palace

[Fairgarth]

5 hours ago, deb18 said:

 I was thinking of getting a hotel in Florence and going to the Academia and maybe other attractions.  Is this doable?   What other attractions would you recommend?  We want to do a walking tour at night which we have booked.   

 

Oh my, where to start?  It depends very much on your interests.

 

Academia, yes.  Uffizzi no, we were bored.  Sorry!  Santa Croce is much more interesting than the Duomo except that if you are up for it, excuse the expression, you must climb to the top of the Brunelleschi dome.  The same ticket will take you to the top of the Campanile.  Palazzo Vecchio is worth the visit.  Walk across the Arno and up to Piazza Michelangelo for a great view back across Florence.  Rent a Ferrari for twenty minutes.  If you have time, go to the top of the hill to San Miniato.  Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli gardens.  There's a super museum, the Galileo, just upstream from Uffizzi if you are interested in science and engineering.  Incredible what these renaissance pioneers got up to.  On the way to Mercato Centrale you will pass through the San Lorenzo street market.  OK, enough, already.

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, Fairgarth said:

 

Oh my, where to start?  It depends very much on your interests.

 

Academia, yes.  Uffizzi no, we were bored.  Sorry!  Santa Croce is much more interesting than the Duomo except that if you are up for it, excuse the expression, you must climb to the top of the Brunelleschi dome.  The same ticket will take you to the top of the Campanile.  Palazzo Vecchio is worth the visit.  Walk across the Arno and up to Piazza Michelangelo for a great view back across Florence.  Rent a Ferrari for twenty minutes.  If you have time, go to the top of the hill to San Miniato.  Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli gardens.  There's a super museum, the Galileo, just upstream from Uffizzi if you are interested in science and engineering.  Incredible what these renaissance pioneers got up to.  On the way to Mercato Centrale you will pass through the San Lorenzo street market.  OK, enough, already.

LOL, rent a Ferrari?  Keep in mind you technically need a International Driving Permit (IDP) even to drive a Ferrari :).  I also love that you mentioned the Galileo Museum.  We actually enjoyed that venue more then the Uffizzi (we are not fans of Renaissance art).  I hate to admit that on an upcoming driving trip in Italy we reserved a Jeep Renegade!  Sigh :(.

 

Hank

[deb18]

4 hours ago, Fairgarth said:

 

Oh my, where to start?  It depends very much on your interests.

 

Academia, yes.  Uffizzi no, we were bored.  Sorry!  Santa Croce is much more interesting than the Duomo except that if you are up for it, excuse the expression, you must climb to the top of the Brunelleschi dome.  The same ticket will take you to the top of the Campanile.  Palazzo Vecchio is worth the visit.  Walk across the Arno and up to Piazza Michelangelo for a great view back across Florence.  Rent a Ferrari for twenty minutes.  If you have time, go to the top of the hill to San Miniato.  Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli gardens.  There's a super museum, the Galileo, just upstream from Uffizzi if you are interested in science and engineering.  Incredible what these renaissance pioneers got up to.  On the way to Mercato Centrale you will pass through the San Lorenzo street market.  OK, enough, already.

Thank you.  You all have given me much to look into 

[Fairgarth]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

LOL, rent a Ferrari?  Keep in mind you technically need a International Driving Permit (IDP) even to drive a Ferrari :).  I also love that you mentioned the Galileo Museum.  We actually enjoyed that venue more then the Uffizzi (we are not fans of Renaissance art).  I hate to admit that on an upcoming driving trip in Italy we reserved a Jeep Renegade!  Sigh :(.

 

Hank

 

Yes, indeed, Hank.  Don't know if they still do it, this was pre-Covid.  They had two convertible Ferraris available.  You can have ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty minutes.....  Luigi wrote down details from my Canadian licence and off we went, He comes too.  Of course, you are in city streets so you can't get the thing out of second gear.  Still, bucket list.  Check!

 

[Hlitner]

13 minutes ago, Fairgarth said:

 

Yes, indeed, Hank.  Don't know if they still do it, this was pre-Covid.  They had two convertible Ferraris available.  You can have ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty minutes.....  Luigi wrote down details from my Canadian licence and off we went, He comes too.  Of course, you are in city streets so you can't get the thing out of second gear.  Still, bucket list.  Check!

 

Bummer.  I would want to take it for a spin on a German Autobahn :).  

[slidergirl]

The hotel I stayed at was The Market Urban hotel.  I loved it and will stay there again the next time I'm in Florence.  A quick and easy walk from the SNM train station.  A couple of blocks from Mercato Centrale and maybe a 10 minute walk to the Duomo.  I walked everywhere from there, day and night.