Livorno Italy Port Guide Gateway to Pisa, Lucca, Florence (Firenze), Cinque Terre Pisa - see the magnificent Duomo and Leaning Tower.

Lucca -If you're looking for a relaxing, peaceful, walled city that is pedestrian friendly, go to Lucca. The Italians vacation there.

Florence – You must visit Florence. It's one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Upscale shopping is abundant – fine leather, beautiful jewelry, artwork, etc. There are museums, churches, and many restaurants and cafes serving excellent food and wine.

Cinque Terre – five coastal villages along the rocky shoreline in Liguria with gorgeous views !!! It's 60 miles north of Livorno so you'll take a bus ride, walk along the shoreline, and see the villages from boats (if the seas are calm). When you have limited time in port and multiple sites you can visit, it's a tough decision..

Note – Cinque Terre is not shown in this map because it's 60 miles north of Livorno

CAVEAT You are free to use this document, but please do not use it for commercial purposes because it includes information from many websites and multiple maps and photos from Google and Bing. I've tried to be accurate, but recognize things change. Please verify information for your travel plans. Opinions expressed are my own. Tom Sheridan

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 1 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011 Table of Contents Page Cruise Port Dock 2 Pisa 2 Lucca 5 Florence (Firenze) 9 Cinque Terre 22

Livorno Port Area Warning about large commercial ports: It is dangerous/illegal to walk in commercial port areas. The only way to get into or out of the port is on a taxi, bus, or excursion.

Cruise Ships usually dock as stated in the itinerary. On June 8, 2010, twenty four hours before docking, Captain Nash (Crown Princess) announced the ship was too large to safely navigate to the assigned dock in Livorno. He diverted to La Spezia port. This was NOT a problem for the ship's excursions. They loaded tour buses from a different location. But if you had planned a self guided tour, it might have been a problem. My wife and I changed our plans to tour La Spezia, which was new to us. We enjoyed it very much.

Livorno is one of the largest ports in Italy. Cruise ships provide shuttle buses for different fees to the center of Livorno and/or the Livorno Centrale train station. Unless you plan to hire a cab to pick you up at the ship, you have to take one of the ship's buses or a ship excursion to get outside the port.

PISA How to get there: Some of the ship's excursions visit Pisa and other areas. If traveling on your own, the ship usually provides a shuttle bus to Livorno or, better yet, the Livorno Centrale Train Station train station for a fee.

Livorno Centrale Train Station is about 2 miles from the port. It's a short train ride to Pisa or Lucca. Check for “day passes” which might permit you to Pisa and Lucca on one ticket. Most trains to Lucca stop close to the entrance to Pisa. “Day passes” are not listed on the internet. Inquire at the train station re delays and scheduled work stoppages (strikes) to ensure you will get to/from your destination on time.

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 2 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011 Trains from Livorno Centrale to Pisa Centrale start around 5 AM and run every 15-20 minutes. The train ride is about 15 minutes and costs around 4 Euros/person each way. Unfortunately, Pisa Centrale Station is about a 1 ½ mile walk from the leaning tower. You might get a cab, bus, or walk to the Leaning Tower.

We prefer a train from Livorno Centrale to Pisa Centrale with a change in train to Pisa San Rossore station or to Lucca. It's about 1 hour train travel time from Livorno Centrale to Pisa San Rossore station and the cost is less than 5 Euro/person each way. It's about 1500 feet from the Pisa S. Rossore to the entrance gate to the Leaning Tower. Check the www.trenitalia.com website for schedules and pricing.

Screenshot from www.trenitalia.com (left)

From Livorno Centrale To Pisa San Rossore 18th day of May 2011

Departing at 9:00 AM

Click on “start search” to see schedule and then continue to get pricing.

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 3 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011 To enter the Pisa site, you have to run the gauntlet past street vendors selling watches, sunglasses, toys and junk. Once you get past the junk stores, you'll see the beautiful site. Take time to explore and photograph it.

There are some good restaurants and shops selling high quality products on the street to the South of the Leaning Tower. See the red arrow in the map above.

I'm told that each region of Italy has products unique to that area because they are made by local craftsmen. When you see something you like, buy it! You may not find it in other areas and, if you do, it may be made in a different area so the quality may not be as good or the selection may be limited.

One of the unusual souvenirs in Pisa is hand carved and hand painted alabaster fruit (photo at left). It's heavy to carry home, but it's beautiful! This assortment of alabaster fruit looks like the real deal. The only problem is that the banana looks too much like plastic. A shop keeper in Pisa told us that each artist concentrates on one kind of fruit. Unfortunately, the artist who made authentic looking bananas died.

The shop keeper said, he “didn't have any good bananas for sale”. This is a true story!

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 4 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011 Lucca How to get there: Buy a ticket for Lucca at the Livorno Centrale Station. Trains run about every hour. Change trains at the Pisa Centrale station. The full trip from Livorno takes 50 to 100 minutes depending on your scheduled train connection. Cost is around 13 euros/person round trip. Check the train schedule at www.trenitalia.com.

Why visit Lucca? Tourist agencies describe it as “A quiet and attractive Tuscan destination, encircled by grassy walls.” Favored by the quieter kind of foreign visitor, Lucca is often whispered of as a secret gem; an alternative to the high-season tourist madness of Florence, or Rome. A town still encircled by its wall (photo at left), it is full of pastry shops and bicycles. Lucca is roughly oval, flat and hardly a mile across. There are no wide roads to cross, but a multitude of old churches, little piazzas, towers and family businesses. Behind many an arching doorway there is a glimpse of vaulted passage or columned yard, usually private. You can dispense with a map and simply walk or, like the locals, cycle: pretty soon you’re bound to come back to somewhere you recognize or to the city rampart, which offers a high and grassy promenade (resembling a wall as seen from outside).

It’s possible, for a few euros, to climb one or other of the two highest bell-towers to look out on the moss covered rooftops of the town and the surrounding Tuscan hills. A small circular piazza with entrances at the four points of the compass stands on the site of the town’s Roman amphitheatre. The beautiful church of San Frediano, founded by an Irish saint, keeps the intact body of a later saint on show for the faithful, as well as a vast 12th-century font with figures carved with such force as to seem more Viking than Romanesque. Lucca's other tourist attractions include a fine Duomo (photo at left) in the Pisan style, alongside its own museum, both of which contain fine work by Jacopo della Quercia. Located over the old Roman forum, and named for it, is another grand church: San Michele in Foro. Art-lovers will want to explore the Pinacoteca Nazionale, the town's art gallery and the Museo Guinigi, which contains sculpture as well as paintings.

Shoppers looking for smart boutiques should head to Via Gallitassi. More laid-back tourists will appreciate the coffee/tea shops and little places selling local wines and cheeses on Via Paulino. Both are on the west side of town. There is a good tourist information office in a courtyard of the municipal palazzo fronting the Piazza Napoleone. Other places for information on Lucca and the district in general can be found around the town walls, including an office (with a useful toilet downstairs) by the bus station at the main western entrance.

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 5 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011 See photo on next page: 1- Exit the train station toward the parking lot to the north. Walk past the parking lot, cross the street, and take the pathway toward the walled city.

2- There is an opening in the wall which leads you to the Duomo.

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 6 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011 Follow the sidewalk to the entrance to the gate near the Duomo. Trust me, there really is an entrance. You climb a few steps and you are at the top of the wall.

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 7 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011 Piazza San Michelle - #4 on the street map

The amphitheater - #5 on the street map

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 8 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011 Florence (Firenze)

Maps of Florence – If you are not interested in maps, skip to the next page: Maps can be useful in planning your trip, but the “typical” tourist map of Florence has very tiny, illegible print with streets shown as tiny lines. It is difficult to find a high resolution, detailed map in PDF format. This website has great maps of Florence http://www.florenceandabroad.com/download.htm

The city map covers the entire Florence area. The detailed map covers the most heavily visited area. Section maps are like a book with 25 pages of street maps. Walking distances map has concentric circles centered on the Duomo showing the walking time of 5 minutes between each circle - great for judging travel time.

These maps are useful and free! Download all of them. The advantage of these maps is that they are high resolution graphics in pdf format. You can enlarge sections of the map to very readable size font and print them with razor sharp detail. I've enlarged the maps 800% on my computer screen and find them to be very sharp.

Using these pdf files, you can make your own maps to any scale you wish, print out selected sections and paste them together to make a folding map three feet wide or larger.

Let's say you are arriving at the Florence Santa Maria Novella Train Station and want a detailed map showing the relationship of the train station to the Duomo. Open the city map pdf file and move the sliders to display the train station and Duomo. Now type in the magnification you want in the box at the top of the pdf menu. I typed in 800% magnification and readjusted the sliders to view what I wanted to print on my map.

Here's a tip on printing the map to match what you see on your computer monitor screen.

I use a Canon MX870 printer, but this should work for any printer. Under Print Range, click on Current view. Set Page Scaling to Fit to Printable Area. Adjust printer settings to landscape orientation and grayscale printing so you won't waste expensive color ink.

The PDF menu screen shows my magnification is 800% but the Canon printer shows the magnification is 582%. Don't worry about this. Just set the view on your monitor to what you want to see on the map and the printer will take care of it.

Make your own maps before you get to Florence. Print a series and tape together as your personalized guide. Search travel books and the internet for places to visit. Mark those places on your custom map.

This can be a fun way to plan your vacation and you'll become familiar with Florence before you even get there!

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 9 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011 How to get to Florence: Some passengers take a shuttle bus or cab from the ship to the Livorno Centrale Train Station for a train to Florence Santa Maria Novella Train Station which has a code of “Fl.SMN” on www.trenitalia.com. One way train tickets are around 7-10 euros = $ 10-14. Trains run about once an hour; the trip is 90 minutes in addition to the time and cost to travel between the cruise ship and the Livorno train station.

I advise that you NOT take a train to Florence from a cruise ship !!! Use a travel plan that maximizes your time in Florence. It's one of the most beautiful cities in the world. You've spent thousands of dollars getting here, don't compromise time in Florence trying to save a few dollars by taking a train on your own. You'll waste precious time en route, have to coordinate the shuttle or cab to/from the train station, and waste time waiting for the train. And you risk running late on your return and having to pay for cab fare or alternate transportation to get back to the ship on time. This is not like a train trip to Pisa where your visit there is only an hour or two. You'll want to spend a lot of time in Florence.

Princess offers excellent bus excursions to Florence. The “Florence on Your Own” bus tour is around $ 60. It's a great way to maximize time in Florence and be guaranteed you will get back to the ship on time. And it's no-hassle, zero stress travel!

Having said that, some adventurous souls will want to take a train. Here are the specifics: When you exit the station in Florence to the south, look across the street to the left corner. You'll see a brown brick building and some news stands at the street corner as shown by the arrow in the photo below.

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 10 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011 To the right of the news stands, you'll see a sign for the tourist information center. It's just behind the sign. The people are really helpful. They'll provide you with information to make your visit a success.

For those of us taking the “Florence on Your Own” bus, here are the specifics:

Note: the USUAL bus stop for tours is shown below. It might change !!!

The bus drops us off and picks us up on the sidewalk next to the Arno river. Walk on the sidewalk toward the tower, cross the street at the white lines and walk between the tower and the buildings behind it.

Remember the tower as a landmark. Know what your bus looks like (they're all similar in appearance) and which bus number you are on because there will be a long line of buses in the afternoon.

The guide on the bus will take us to a meeting point. Please be at the the meeting point at the appointed time as

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 11 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011 a courtesy to fellow travelers for the return trip to the ship.

The map below shows the bus stop and walking direction to the meeting point in Santa Croche Piazza near the church. The meeting point is usually in front of one of the stores near the church. There is a specific time to meet and the guide asks you to check in with her when you arrive for the return trip.

The meeting point is usually at a store in Santa Croce Piazza either on the right or left side close to the church. This photo must have been taken in winter; in the summer the Piazza is filled with tents. Be sure you know the meeting point and be there on time to leave Florence.

After gathering at the meeting point, the guide will take us to a store to see how leather goods are made. It's an informative commercial pitch, but it's painless. Use the toilets (they're clean) and leave anytime you want. From that time, you're on your own in Florence until the specified meeting time. ENJOY!

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 12 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011 Some of the must see sites in Florence: There are many places to visit. These are my favorite sites.

Florence is a walking city. There is, however, an important safety tip. The stone walkways have an occasional missing stone so take care not to fall. And the walkways can be quite slippery when wet. I've seen tourists take some nasty falls when walking briskly in the rain.

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 13 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011 From #3-Bus Meeting Point, it's a short walk to Uffizi area which has museums, statues in the piazza (including a replica of David), and artists selling their paintings. It's a huge, scenic square with several banks/ATM's, restaurants, shops, etc.

This map shows more detail

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 14 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011 MUST SEE areas - visit the Piazza della Signoria and #4-Uffizi area just south of it.

This area has many outdoor statues including a replica of the famous “David”. Hercules It's a great photo opportunity, but go early in the morning when it's less crowded. The Piazza della Signoria also has banks/ATM's and many outside restaurants and coffee shops.

Neptune David

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 15 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011

Uffizi #4 on the map on page 13

Avoid standing in line, by buying tickets for museums on the internet. Here's a link for the museums in Florence. http://www.florenceart.it/booking/?google-uffizi-rete-ricerca-2

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 16 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011 Duomo #5 on the map on page 13:

The Duomo is a magnificent structure. But it's almost impossible to photograph because of the immense size and limited distance you can back away from it. I've tried stitching photo panoramas together, but couldn't make that work because it involved many, many photos. Unless you use a fisheye lens, your photograph has to focus on a single element of the Duomo or you have to take a video.

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 17 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011 IL Porcellino # 6 on the map on page 13

The open-air, bargain market is called IL Porcellino by Italians because of the bronze statue of the reclining wild boar. Pet it's snout in hopes you'll return to Florence. The market sells a variety of leather goods, chess sets, ties, purses, scarfs, boxes, etc. Prices are good and a wide selection is available.

The map below shows the location of Il Porcellino. It's one block west of Palazzo Vecchio and pretty much in line with the North-South road which crosses the Ponte Vecchio Bridge. A scale of 100 feet is included in the map for reference.

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 18 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011 Photo opportunities are abundant in Florence

Photo of Arno River taken to the east from the Ponte Vecchio bridge. In the center of the bridge, there are areas with an unobstructed view to the east and west – great place for taking pictures.

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 19 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011 Ponte Vecchio #7 on the map on page 13

Ponte Vecchio is the jewelry bridge. New jewelry designed by some of the worlds best craftsmen, antique jewelry and precious stones are abundant. Italian gold is 18 ct. The road from the bridge to the north has many upscale shops.

If you cross this bridge to the south, it's a 5-minute walk to Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens - #8 on the map on page 13. This beautiful palace has been converted to a museum and it's surrounded by huge, beautiful gardens. I've been there – you could spend a day wandering around the museum and gardens. It's well worth a visit.

Here's the tourist book description: Palazzo Pitti is one of Europe's greatest artistic treasure-troves, with the city's most extensive coterie of museums embracing a painting gallery second only to the Uffizi. It's a cavalcade of works of Titian, Rubens, Raphael, and Andrea del Sarto. Built in the 16th century (Brundelleschi was probably the architect), this was once the residence of the powerful Medici family.

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 20 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011 Palazzo Pitti and de Boboli Gardens - #8 on the map on page 13

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 21 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011 Cinque Terre Check this website http://goeurope.about.com/cs/cinqueterr1/l/bl_cinque_map.htm Another popular tourist destination from Livorno is Cinque Terre. If you like scenic coastal towns with gorgeous views, you'll love it. Take an excursion from the cruise ship. The tour bus will drop you off above one of the towns and you'll walk down a winding narrow road into town. There is a wide and flat pedestrian walkway along the coast with steps in some areas. There is a local train and boats to take you to the nearby towns.

The tour usually includes a boat ride, but be advised the weather/wind is unpredictable. Boats travel much slower when it's windy due to the waves. Our boat ride was comfortable, but it took longer than planned so the guide eliminated several of the scheduled boat stops. If it's really windy, the tour will cancel the boat ride portion of the trip. You'll still see a beautiful area, but you'll miss the views from the boats which are quite striking. This area can be quite crowded in the summer because it's very popular area. It was extremely crowded when we visited, but we enjoyed it very much.

Crowded walkway along Cinque Terre View from the boat Thoughts on travel options from Livorno Port If it's your first time in the area, I would recommend Florence, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Your ship excursion might include a stop in Pisa. If you've done both Florence and Pisa, I'd recommend Cinque Terre. If you've done them all, go to Lucca. When it doubt, go to Florence. We've been there over a dozen times and stayed in hotels there, but we're always anxious to go back. We love Florence!

Enjoy your vacation in the Livorno Port area, Tom Sheridan (A.K.A. TeddyBearsDad)

Livorno Italy Port Guide Page 22 of 22 UPDATED February 28, 2011