Livorno

[Darlene Velasquez]

We are trying to decide on an excursion for this day 03/19 2024 Star Legend between:

A) Livorno and Cinque Terre Or

B) Livorno and Pisa, Lucca, Tuscan winery?  

Any thoughts and/or  others willing to form a group of 8 and share a private transfer to A or B?

[John Bull]

Hi, and welcome to Cruise Critic,

 

For excursion-sharing, post on your cruise RollCall https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/20-roll-calls/  

(menu page to RollCalls to your cruse line to your ship to your sailing date. Sailing dates aren't consecutive, each post puts that cruise to the top). As per CC rules, don't use other forums for things specific to your cruise - such posts are irrelevant to 99% of members and clog up the forums

 

Cinque Terre is iconic - but about 2 hrs e/w from Livorno by road, and problematic due to crowding in the villages.

The day of the week, the time of year, how many cruise ships are in La Spezia or Genoa, etc  are all immaterial as we discovered to our dismay during a shoulder season vacation on a mid-week day when there was only one cruise ship in La Spezia. The frequent, convenient & good value Cinque Terre trains from La Spezia and from village to village were packed, the villages were packed - we saw a fight between two families of circling "vultures" when folk vacated one restaurant table, and our planned lazy lunch at an outside table on the harbour of one village became takeaway sandwiches sat on a convenient wall. We were lucky to get a ferry between two villages, which got us out of the hubub and the wind in our hair for about 20 minutes.

If your proposed excursion involves travel from village to village by boat that's probably the best way to do it but it'll be expensive, esp including a van between Livorno and Cinque Terre.

If it's all by van, the quiet winding roads between villages will be welcome breaks from the crowds, but the villages have roads restricted to locals etc and/or parking restrictions so expect one or two long walks.

Don't expect a great response to an offer of excursion-sharing for this one - it's to far from Livorno and most folk will have their eyes on Florence and/or Pisa

 

Pisa / Lucca / Winery sounds much more relaxing.

Lucca via Pisa is about 40 minutes e/w from Livorno, much more sensible.

Pisa's Field of Miracles of course is iconic - it'll be busy, but spacious grounds with plenty of room to breathe. We've been twice - both times it was easy to get a drink and a meal on the road of cafes bars & restaurants just off-site, but that's no guarantee.

On a road-trip we had a few days based near Lucca. Attractive & historic walled city, un-crowded, plenty of shade and people-watching from behind a long cold beer. But not "iconic", unlikely to be of great interest to first-timers in Italy.

A winery is a great way to round-off an excursion in Tuscany.

I don't know how popular it will be with your fellow-cruisers - Pisa is cheap & easy by train, and Florence will be top of the list for many,  but there will be those who've been-there, done-that.

 

First job - find and browse your cruise Roll-Call, and at least post on there to say Hi to your cruise-mates.

 

JB 🙂

[edinburgher]

5 hours ago, Darlene Velasquez said:

e are trying to decide on an excursion for this day 03/19 2024 Star Legend between:

A) Livorno and Cinque Terre Or

B) Livorno and Pisa, Lucca, Tuscan winery?

Lucca can also be reached by train from Livorno, and it is relatively easy to combine Pisa and Lucca.

 

Really, the choice of which excursion is your own decision depending on which holds the  most appeal for you. JB has already explained the pros and cos which might help you decide.

[Joanne G.]

1 hour ago, John Bull said:

. . . Cinque Terre is iconic - but about 2 hrs e/w from Livorno by road, and problematic due to crowding in the villages.

The day of the week, the time of year, how many cruise ships are in La Spezia or Genoa, etc  are all immaterial as we discovered to our dismay during a shoulder season vacation on a mid-week day when there was only one cruise ship in La Spezia . . . 

 

JB 🙂

Thank you, JB, for confirming what I have read elsewhere.   I have wanted to see the Cinque Terre for a long time, and I picked a cruise on which I had 3 chances to do so, once from a port stop in Santa Margherita and twice from an overnight port visit to Livorno.  But I have since chosen other options due to the reports of massive crowds.  There are other picturesque places to see from these cruise ports.  
 

Thank you also for the information on Pisa and Lucca.  I’m going to make the long trips to Florence and to a couple Tuscan villages from Livorno as I’ve never been to either of those places.  But next year I’m booked on a cruise with a friend who has some health issues that might make one of those long trips from Livorno impractical.   We will likely choose one of the shorter trips to Pisa and/or Lucca.  

[edinburgher]

20 hours ago, Joanne G. said:

once from a port stop in Santa Margherita

Santa Margherita is super easy to combine with pretty, but tiny Portofino and combining the two makes for a really pleasant day.  Many many past threads about both and you may find it helpful to read a few of them.

 

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

[FLCruiser97]

Our cruise stops in Livorno on a Sunday. Is there anything in Livorno opened on Sunday? I found  out that the Central Mercado is closed on Sunday. Just wondering if there is anything to see/eat/drink and if not, I will do a shore excursion into Tuscany for wine tasting. 

[euro cruiser]

Mercato Centrale is in Florence, are you asking about what is open there on Sundays or just about Livorno?

[FLCruiser97]

7 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

Mercato Centrale is in Florence, are you asking about what is open there on Sundays or just about Livorno?

According to my research, there is a mercato centrale in Livorno as well. It boasts that it is the second largest in Europe, Second only to the Mercat de la Boqueria in Barcelona. I have been to Florence and wanted to stay in Livorno but it will be on a Sunday.

[euro cruiser]

Ah, okay.

 

Neither the mercato's web site nor the Livorno tourism site give hours of operation, at least not that I saw after a quick look.  They still have Christmas 2023 hours posted.  There is an e-mail address you can write to, however.

 

Mercato site:  Mercato delle Vettovaglie - Mercato Centrale Livorno

 

Livorno tourism site (with ideas of other things to see in the area):  Delle Vettovaglie Market | Visit Livorno (visit-livorno.it)

[FLCruiser97]

1 hour ago, euro cruiser said:

Ah, okay.

 

Neither the mercato's web site nor the Livorno tourism site give hours of operation, at least not that I saw after a quick look.  They still have Christmas 2023 hours posted.  There is an e-mail address you can write to, however.

 

Mercato site:  Mercato delle Vettovaglie - Mercato Centrale Livorno

 

Livorno tourism site (with ideas of other things to see in the area):  Delle Vettovaglie Market | Visit Livorno (visit-livorno.it)

Thank you so much @euro cruiser. I didn't think to check out the tourism site. I will indeed do that.