Cortona/Florence

[madiandcindy]

Hi everyone! I am looking for a tour guide who will pick us up in La Spezia and take us to cortona for a few hours then back to florence. I contacted Luca from hills and road but he wrote an email saying there was no time to see cortona, I know for a fact cortona is only about an hour away from florence and we will be there 12 hours that day so it should be plenty of time. Can anyone suggest another tour guide or info on how to get to cortona easily? thanks!

[GSPLover]

Here is the train info:

 

Train Departure Arrival

11847 La Spezia Centrale 08:12 Pisa Centrale 0 09:31

23532 Pisa Centrale 09:54 Firenze S. M. Novella 11:03

2309 Firenze S. M. Novella 11:13 Camucia-Cortona 12:33

 

Length of Journey: 04:21

There are other trains, most with the same travel time.

[cruisemom42]

I'm not sure if I understand your proposed itinerary. Where is your ship docking? La Spezia? And you must return there at the end of the day?

 

If so, then trying to get to Cortona is, IMO, too much. Take a look at the link below:

 

http://tuscany.italy-trip.org/tuscany-map.jpg

 

Cortona is almost as far from Florence (and in the opposite direction) as La Spezia. I'm not sure how much driving time is involved, but it would be considerable. Remember too that you need to leave yourself a cushion of time at the end of the day and you must be back on board at least 30 minutes before your ship departs.

[madiandcindy]

I was given the wrong information! I just looked this up and cortona is WAY further than I thought from florence! I guess florence and pisa it is. thanks everyone!

[Hlitner]

Yes, Cortona is not a reasonable drive from Florence for a day trip. It is actually not a reasonable day trip from any port-of-call. The drive from Florence would be about 1 1/2 hours (each way) if you rush on the autostrade. But this is in a direction that takes you further away from Livorno. We do like the village (have spent a couple of nights there) but its been somewhat ruined by the book (Under the Tuscan Sun) since it is now included on many of the bus tours that go through Italy. We learned to get out of town during mid-day and return to enjoy the village about 4 pm after most of the tours were gone.

 

Hank

[euro cruiser]

We learned to get out of town during mid-day and return to enjoy the village about 4 pm after most of the tours were gone.

Ditto for San Gimignano