hewlpac

Looking for anyone with experience traveling from Livorno to Cinque Terre via sea routes.

hewlpac

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hewlpac

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TopMan

I couldn't find any regularly scheduled services in the Cook timetable which covers most of the sea routes and ferries but that doesn't mean the possibility doesn't exist so I'll top this again for you.

skatterfly

You used to be able to get timetables at http://www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it/ but I can't seem to get it to load. I don't know if Livorno is a specific stop though. You might have to train from Livorno to a closer town like La Spezia or Portovenere... then again, if you just want to experience the Cinque Terre from the water, just take a train to one of the towns and take ferries between the villages. Or walk one way, take the ferry the other way. Etc.

There's also this Tourist Consortium website, which has some good info on it. You might be able to email them for information about the ferries.
http://www.cinqueterre.it/en/ct2.html

hewlpac

Thanks skatterfly, that is the web site I found some time ago that gave me some indication there was a service, but I had forgotten how to get back to it. Seems to indicate the seasons concluded for Livorno port which surprised me. I had emailed them a while back but never received a response.

Thanks!

skatterfly

If you do a google search of Cinque Terre, you might also find that some of the other websites (including the property management companies) say there is ferry service and to inquire. I imagine if you're renting from them they're happy to oblige.

Could I ask WHY you want to travel by sea from Livorno? It's so much quicker to get there by train. And when are you going?
~k

hewlpac

We will be in Livorno on June 15th on a cruise and am exploring options for the time on shore. We will probably hit Pisa and Lucca since they are the closest sites and have good train service. We may try to get to Florence or Cinque Terre but that involves 3+ hrs in a train. I was curious about a boat since we would already be at the port and it could aleviate the need for taxis (we have 5 people) and thought it might be a pretty trip up the coast and return by train. It does not sound like this is viable in any case...

bobthenavigator

If there were you would still not have the time. Livorno is not the best location. You could train to La Spezia, taxi to Portovenere et al. But the real point is you cannot see Italy from a cruise ship. Or, you could hire a private driver for about 300E. Is that an option?

hewlpac

We have the 10 hours or so on shore and will take the best option when we leave the ship. Will either rent a car, driver or take the train to where we want to be depending on cost and options presented. We certainly can't see much but can get a taste of the region and culture.

skatterfly

Hew,
If you cannot afford to hire a private car (300 EU sounds awfully expensive to me), you should still be able to make a quick trip by train. It's so easy! Just pick a route that has a LOT of trains that day so you have the most options.

Livorno to Florence, direct: 1.5 hours each way. Heres the timetable:
http://www.raileurope.com/cgi-bin/fs...mp;submit.y=10

Depending on when you dock there are trains leaving Livorno at roughly 7, 8, 9 am. with return trains at roughly 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, and 430, depending on when you need to be back. It's also only a 60 mile drive so, in the worst case scenario if you missed your train you could take an hour long taxi ride. Not cheap, but not impossible.

Livorno to Pisa is so quick (about 15 minutes/15 miles), but honestly, that wouldn't even be in my top 10 cities in Italy to see. I did, on my 4th trip to Italy, have a 3 hour layover in Pisa between trains, so I hoofed it over to the leaning tower. Some people really like Pisa, but it's not my favorite.

To get to Lucca or to La Spezia (for Cinque Terre), you'd have to transfer in Pisa. I think the trains to Lucca are fewer and far between, and there's not much there to see and do in a hurry. Though it is in Tuscany it is certainly not a "hill town" per se.

Pisa to La Spezia is on a main coastal line from Genova to Rome and has pretty regular trains but I can't seem to get it to load a timetable anywhere. My only copy of cooks was from 1999 so there's no help there. But once you'd get to La Spezia you'd have to transfer to one of the smaller trains to take you into the Cinque Terre that run like every 10 minutes.

Getting to Cinque Terre is worth trying if you could find a timetable and it gave you enough options for your window. Since you have such a short time the villages are small and quaint. You could train to Manarola and even walk on the paved trail between Manarola and Riomaggiore. Then grab a lunch and some gelato before heading back to the ship.

Another option entirely, is that you're going to meet other people on your cruise, maybe even some that want to share the cost of a van or taxi with you to see one of these places. Who knows, maybe you can even work with your purser or concierge or whatever it is they have on cruise ships to prearrange someone to be there for you and take you there. The more people you can arrange the better the individual price would be.

If it were me, I'd say go for Florence if you can. The train is direct, there are many of them a day, and it would be different from the scenery you're seeing on your cruise. (Assuming you're going to be going down the Mediterranean coast.)

If you're worried about straying too far from the ship or actually want to stay on the water, Cinque Terre is stunning. You've seen the websites and all the photos are right on target. Oh, I wish I could be there right now.

Have a good trip, whichever option you take!
~k

hewlpac

Thanks for all the tips. We have 3 teenagers so Pisa seems necessary. I drove through the area quickly a few years ago on a business trip (Drove down from Savona to Florence & San Gimmy & back) Did nothing justice though! Pisa did not seem to exciting so I am hoping to minimize my time there. Thanks again!