What's the best way to get to Pisa from Livorno?

[Rusalka42]

I am going on a med cruise on The Crown Princess (something I

have never done before!). I was wondering how easy it is to get

From Livorno to Pisa? I have heard there's a bus and a train and how

Close to the ship and the tower do they get you? And is it easy to do ?

[bonsai3s]

I am going on a med cruise on The Crown Princess (something I

have never done before!). I was wondering how easy it is to get

From Livorno to Pisa? I have heard there's a bus and a train and how

Close to the ship and the tower do they get you? And is it easy to do ?

 

...it is quite easy. From the ship, you can go to the train station two ways. You take a taxi directly to the train. Sharing the cost with other passengers can cut the cost.

Our stop in Livorno was somewhat unusual. The night before our stop, we received a note from the Captain stating that there will be a transportation strike. We cancelled our plan to take the train to Florence, took our time disembarking the ship, and simply took the ship's shuttlej($8) from the dock to Livorno. We were planning on just spending the day touring around Livorno.

Inside the shuttle, we overheard a number of passengers saying that the strike was cancelled and the trains were operating. Without hesitation, we decided we should at least visit Pisa. In Livorno, the shuttle dropped us off a block from a Tourist Information Center where we grabbed a map. We walked across the street and took a bus to the train station...about a 10 minute ride.

At the train station, we got roundtrip tickets to Pisa and went to our platform and waited for our train amongst the local businessmen/women, and students. We were completely surprised to find out that Pisa was only ONE stop from Livorno!

Outside the train station in Pisa, there's a large/colorful map clearly showing the route to the Leaning Tower. There are plenty of taxis or you can take the bus. We decided to walk...it was approximately two miles. The walk was relatively flat, easy, and memorable...seeing street cafes, smelling local cuisine, wandering through a couple of narrow streets, museums, churches, over the River Arno, numerous stores, and watching beautifully dressed Italians walking the streets. It was incredible walking around a corner and seeing the Leaning Tower seemingly gazing just above the city wall.

If you are planning on taking the train to Pisa from Livorno...you can do it...it's easy. Happy Sailing and have a great day in Pisa.

[Colorado Kat]

Bonsai - Thanks for the info! Were prices for tickets reasonable?

[swoonx]

My personal advice: Think about going to Firenze.

 

For me Pisa was quite boring, there is not much more than the leaning tower - it's a small city. You can spend there 1-2 hours and you're done.

[kuldalai]

Livorno to Pisa is easy by train . It is only a twenty minute trip. Frequency is around every 15 - 20 minutes.

 

Walk straight out front of Pisa station and you can take a taxi or bus to the Leaning Tower.

 

You need to pre-book on line admission tickets or you will not get in . They are bookable on line 3 months in advance at set times. You print your voucher at home and exchange it for the tickets at the ticket office on site . Then front to the tower 5 minutes before your assigned time and you are in .

 

Do not be late as you will not be admitted . Pre purchase tickets on line at Leaning Tower website or via tickitaly website also .

 

Pisa is a lovely city with great markets on Sunday .

[euro cruiser]

Unless you've got time to kill, you're much better off taking a taxi from your ship to the train station, vs. the shuttle bus to the public bus option. You'll eat up a lot of time otherwise.

 

The train from Livorno to Pisa Centrale takes 15-20 minutes and costs only Euro 2,50.

 

From Pisa Centrale to the Piazza dei Miracoli on foot is only one mile (not two as stated above).

 

The web site to reserve your place to climb the tower is here: http://boxoffice.opapisa.it/Turisti/

[eclue]

If you are going to Pisa, take the train first to Lucca. It is a wonderful town; there is a wall around the city where you can rent a bicycle and ride around the entire city, many quaint shops and cafes.

After touring Lucca, you can stop at Pisa on the way back to port...see the tower and cathedral, jump back on the train and you will have a full day.

If you have never been to Florence, I would definitely go there , but the LUcca/Pisa trip is a very good alternative.

Very easy to do on your own.

eclue:rolleyes:

[Rusalka42]

Thanks for the info! Its nice to hear it will be easy enough to do!

[bonsai3s]

Bonsai - Thanks for the info! Were prices for tickets reasonable?

 

...Colorado Kat, I'm not sure which tickets you're referring to. For the bus, it was around 1.30E/person. For the Train, if I'm not mistaken it was around 3.5E/person (trenitalia will provide you with accurate train ticket pricing.) For the leaning tower...we never made it to the top. The line was extremely long and the ticket was relatively expensive...sorry, but I can't remember the price of the ticket for the tower. (Fortunately, we climbed up the tower over 30 years ago. :))

[euro cruiser]

If climbing the tower is important to you, it's always best to reserve your tickets on line ahead of time. While you may be able to get them on site, why waste time waiting in line?

 

http://boxoffice.opapisa.it/Turisti/

[happycruiser32]

...it is quite easy. From the ship, you can go to the train station two ways. You take a taxi directly to the train. Sharing the cost with other passengers can cut the cost.

 

Our stop in Livorno was somewhat unusual. The night before our stop, we received a note from the Captain stating that there will be a transportation strike. We cancelled our plan to take the train to Florence, took our time disembarking the ship, and simply took the ship's shuttlej($8) from the dock to Livorno. We were planning on just spending the day touring around Livorno.

 

Inside the shuttle, we overheard a number of passengers saying that the strike was cancelled and the trains were operating. Without hesitation, we decided we should at least visit Pisa. In Livorno, the shuttle dropped us off a block from a Tourist Information Center where we grabbed a map. We walked across the street and took a bus to the train station...about a 10 minute ride.

 

At the train station, we got roundtrip tickets to Pisa and went to our platform and waited for our train amongst the local businessmen/women, and students. We were completely surprised to find out that Pisa was only ONE stop from Livorno!

 

Outside the train station in Pisa, there's a large/colorful map clearly showing the route to the Leaning Tower. There are plenty of taxis or you can take the bus. We decided to walk...it was approximately two miles. The walk was relatively flat, easy, and memorable...seeing street cafes, smelling local cuisine, wandering through a couple of narrow streets, museums, churches, over the River Arno, numerous stores, and watching beautifully dressed Italians walking the streets. It was incredible walking around a corner and seeing the Leaning Tower seemingly gazing just above the city wall.

 

If you are planning on taking the train to Pisa from Livorno...you can do it...it's easy. Happy Sailing and have a great day in Pisa.

 

Do you recall how much a taxi was to the train station? Does the train stop near the Uffizi gallery?

[euro cruiser]

A taxi from the port of Livorno to the train station is approximately 25 Euro (we'll see exactly what it is this year when the season gets up and running).

 

The Uffizi is in Florence, not Pisa. From the Florence Santa Maria Novella station to the Uffizi gallery is three quarters of a mile on foot.

[rotaryscotty]

We did this last month.

Take the cruise shuttle into Livorno.

Where it ends is a church.

On the other side of the church is the small bus station.

Get round trip tickets to Pisa, 2.75 Euros per person each way.

Bus goes up the coast, relaxing 1 hour to Pisa.

It's sad to hear people say there's nothing in Pisa except the Tower.

Around the tower is the beautiful Cathedral, and the equally fascinating Baptistry (largest in Italy) and a huge area of antiquity.

Walking there you go through the lovely town, and cross the bridge over the river Arno (great pictures- reflections of buildings).

Go through the little alley streets to find bargain Trattorias with delicious food and bargain house wine by the liter.

By taking the bus you save money over tours, take as much time as you want, and enjoy a lovely town.

You will spend enough time there to go back to Livorno, mess around there, shop, have an expresso, and make it back to the ship without being concerned about getting back on time.

Save Lucca for another day. We enjoyed Lucca, but you want to have time to relax and enjoy it.