SELMA

MY HUSBAND, MYSELF AND 2 TEENAGERS WILL BE TAKING A CRUISE TO THE MEDITERRANEAN. THOSE 3 ABOVE PORTS IN ITALY ARE GREAT BEGINNING POINTS FOR INCREDIBLE SIGHSEEING. I WOULD APPRECIATE IF SOME OF THE EXPERIENCED FODORS TRAVELERS COULD SUGGEST THE BEST WAY OF HANDLING EACH PORT. IN LIVORNO WE WILL HAVE ABOUT 11 HOURS DOCKED. IN NAPLES 11 HOURS ALSO, AND IN VENICE FROM 12:00PM ON A SATURDAY UNTILL 1:00PM OF A SUNDAY.

Monica

Hello Selma, <BR> <BR>I saw your posting on Fodors about what to do while on your Med. cruise. <BR> <BR>I would suggest for Naples: The Archeological museum in the heart of Naples; or a trip to Pompeii. It's about an hour away. I've been on 6 cruises in the Caribbean, so I know you'll be given several shore excursions options. If this is your first trip to Naples, I'd suggest taking one of these shore excursions. <BR> <BR>For Venice, go to San Marco square and see the square, Doge's Palace, and St. Mark's Basilica. Take the Vaporetto <BR>#1 and cruise the canal. It will take about 45 minutes to go to all the stops, but what a great ride seeing Venice. <BR>Grab a seat in the front, or wait till one opens up as you go along. Take LOTS of film. Enjoy wandering the streets. If you have time, take a vaporetto to Murano, where you can watch glass making. <BR> <BR>I can't help you with Livorno, but as I said, you'll be given shore excursion options. Maybe do a web search on <BR>Livorno. <BR> <BR>I would LOVE to hear about your cruise when you return because I'm considering taking a cruise in the Med. next year. Please let me know what you did do and what the cost was for the excursions and whether it was worth it or not. Which cruise company are you going on? <BR> <BR>Have a great time! <BR>

Paciano Diaz

IF I remember correctly, Livorno is an Hour away from Rome. Most people on the cruise will probably opt for the cruise tour. My wife and I stayed locally because after our cruise we were going to see Rome anyway. Locally, there wasn't much to talk about. A couple of Churches but nothing like St. Peter's in Rome or St. Mark's in Venice. If you have not seen Rome, I would definitely suggest you take the cruise tour. Even if you have seen Rome before, I would probably recommend you still take the tour and see something you did not get a chance to see.

selma

rome is an option with a hotel sleepover. that gets quite costly ($459 x4) . i would like info on the trains. <BR>thanks for your input. <BR>selma <BR>

Paulo

Going from Livrono to Rome and back the same day doesn't make much sense. The one way train journey takes about 3 hours. If the cruiser would dock at Civitavecchia then it would be possible. From Livorno you may easily get to Pisa and eventually to Florence. <BR>From Livorno to Pisa there are trains every 40 minutes or so and the journey takes 15 minutes. To Florence (Rifredi station) there are also trains every 40 minutes or so and the journey takes about 1 1/2 hours. <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR>

selma

dear paulo, <BR>you are a very experienced italian traveler, acording to what i have already read in the forum. <BR>our ship docks in livorno. from there my intentions are to get to florence. how far is the port from the train station? we dock at 6:30 am, and the ship sails at 6:00pm. we definetely can do pisa and florence ( i think). <BR>are cabs to the train station readly available? <BR>if you would be taking the train, would you buy tickets for the uffizzi and academmie ahead of time, and for waht time? <BR>thanks for the input <BR>selma

Paulo

Though I have been around quite a bit, Selma, my experience is in fact quite limited. Regarding Livorno, for instance, I have never put my feet there! Most probably, Passiano would be in a much better position to furnish you with precise info. <BR> <BR>Anyways, one can always put together a few thoughts and arrive to "guesses" that, more often than not, are not that far from facts. <BR> <BR>Livorno, though the 2nd most important Italian port in ship traffic (after all, all Tuscany exports must leave somewhere is a fairly small city of less than 200,000 inhabitants. This makes the distance from port to the train station almost irrelevant. Exagerating, I guess you'd be able to reach it from the port in not more than 20 minutes, be it on foot, if it's indeed close, or by taxi. <BR> <BR>If a taxi is necessary, 9 times out of 10 there'll be cabs readily available. After all, the guys must make a living, and that early in the morning you guys most probably will represent the bulk of potential customers in town. <BR> <BR>In my limited experience with cruises, I would be more uncertain on when I would be able to be ashore. The cruiser docks at 6:30am ... so what? At what time are you certain you'll be ashore? I would allow much more than the 20 minutes to reach the train station. <BR> <BR>I wouldn't try to visit both, Florence and Pisa. You should calculate roughly 3 hours round trip to Florence, some 1 1/2 hour strolling, 3 hours at the Uffizi, 1/2 hour at the Accademia, about 2 hours in Livorno and your available time is gone. <BR> <BR>The relevant trains you may catch to Florence (S.M.N. station) are the following: <BR>7:29 Livorno Firenze 8:58 <BR>8:00 " " 9:21 <BR>9:00 " " 10:07 <BR> <BR>The trains back to your cruiser are: <BR>3:30pm Firenze S.M.N. Livorno 4:44pm <BR>4:30pm " " 5:44pm (on your own risk!) <BR> <BR>The stroll from S.M.N. station to the <BR>Accademia, with a short visit to San <BR>Lorenzo church is 50 minutes. In principle, therefore, to be on the safe side, you could book the Accademia for 10:30am (if you're able to catch the early train, there's time to visit the S. Maria Novella church before going to San Lorenzo; if you catch the last train, you should go directly to the Accademia). I, for one, have never bothered to book (didn't even know one could). I also never had any trouble with queues. Personally, though, I like the Barghello much better. Besides the David and the Four Slaves, I normally don't see much else and I don't spend more than 30-40 minutes there. <BR> <BR>The stroll from the Accademia to the Uffizi takes some 15-20 minutes (if you can refrain yourself from visiting the Duomo and Battistero, Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio, etc). <BR> <BR>My visits to the Uffizi take 3 hours ... If you aren't going to cut it shorter, you should book it for 12pm. Upon leaving you'll have enough time to catch the 3:30pm train back. <BR> <BR>If I were in your position, though, I would rule the Accademia out. Patience ... leave the David for another occasion that will surely arrive soon . I would book the Uffizi for 12:30 and plan to visit it and leave just in time to catch the train back (allow 30 minutes between leaving the Uffizi and catching the train - there's enough time to have a quick look at Ponte Vecchio). I would try to get to Florence as sson as possible and use the available time to stroll around, and to visit some churches before the appointment at the Uffizi. Leaving the S.M.N. station, I would cross the piazza della stazione and visit the S. Maria Novella church. From there I would stroll to the San Lorenzo market and visit the church. Next to the Duomo, ending my journey in Piazza della Signoria. <BR> <BR>Pisa (and Lucca) should be looked as an alternative. <BR> <BR>You may get the train to Pisa at 7:50 <BR>(not on Sunday), 8:00 or 8:27 (not on Sunday) arriving, respectively, at 8:04, 8:14 and 8:45. From Lucca, the train back to Livorno departs at 4pm, arriving at 4:44pm, with a change in Pisa. Therefore, you may plan to stroll to the Piazza dei Miracoli and take a cab back to the train station in time to get the 12:36 train to Lucca (arrives at 12:59). You may have a quick lunch, stroll through the city centre and visit the Duomo and San Michele in Foro church before catching your train back to Livorno. <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

cheryl

I just wanted to add a few things to Paulo's wonderful advice. I would agree about skipping the Accademia, not because it's not worth seeing, but because we spent too much time there (2 1/2 hours). But I have heard most people agree with Paulo, that they only spend a short time there. Either way, with only a few short hours in Florence, I wouldn't try to see 2 museums if you plan on seeing anything else in the city. Visiting some of the churches is a wonderful idea, however Santa Maria Novella is closed for renovations right now. I don't know when it is reopening.

selma

you guys have been so helpful. it is really like having all your doubts about what to do, and people that have been there help you sort it out. <BR>i will study all your info, and make a decision. thank you paulo for the train schedules. i tried the vesuviana site, but it was in italian, and i only speak portuguese, english and a bit of spanish. italian is not my forte.

Dianne Estes

Selma, <BR>You've received some good advice, might as well add mine. Just got back from from a cruise with those shore excurions options (with the exception of Venice). For Naples, by all means go to Pompeii.. the drive on coach is about 45 min, tour 2 1/2 hours, then you will have time for the archeological musuem in Naples. <BR>Do the ship's shore excursion for Florence. It's planned, easy,a guide will be provided, probaly lunch, too, and you don't have to bother with timetables for trains. Enjoy!

selma

thanks for everyone's advice. i have decided to take the cruise ship's tour. in naples we will probably do the trains. i do not expect to have any problems with those, plus i would like to show my kids the train system in europe. i will spend a couple of hours in pompeii, and head back for naples archeological museum. <BR>thanks for all your help. <BR>

selma

thanks for everyone's advice. i have decided to take the cruise ship's tour. in naples we will probably do the trains. i do not expect to have any problems with those, plus i would like to show my kids the train system in europe. i will spend a couple of hours in pompeii, and head back for naples archeological museum. <BR>thanks for all your help. <BR>

mwg

I definitly agree with Paolo that Lucca and/or Pisa are your best choices from Livorno which, as best I can tell, has little to offer. Florence is too far.