kwhigh Posted July 27, 2018 #1 Share Posted July 27, 2018 We will be in Livorno Sep 2nd on board Riviera. Any suggestions for tours etc that do not involve Pisa, Florence or Lucca? We have been to all three, also taken Livorno’s hoho bus. Looking for something different - countryside tour/ wine tasting?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pet Nit Noy Posted July 27, 2018 #2 Share Posted July 27, 2018 We will be in Livorno Sep 2nd on board Riviera. Any suggestions for tours etc that do not involve Pisa, Florence or Lucca? We have been to all three, also taken Livorno’s hoho bus. Looking for something different - countryside tour/ wine tasting?? You could book an excursion of the famous tower town of San Gimignano and the Etruscan ruins at Volterra, along with a wine tasting at one of those locations. Both Viator (9 hours) and Bella Italia (8 hours) offer a version of this tour. If you don't even have a full eight hours, I'd contact Bella Italia and ask what can be accomplished in the time you have in port. (Since Viator is a booking agent, I don't know how much you'd accomplish by contacting them if you're unable to take a full nine hour tour.) https://www.bellaitaliatour.com/tours/sangimignano-volterra-winetasting-shoreexcursion-livorno/ https://www.viator.com/tours/Livorno/Wine-Tasting-and-Tuscany-Countryside-including-San-Gimignano-and-Volterra/d22138-6721P28 Bella Italia also offers wine tours to other destinations as shore excursions from Livorno. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare the more ports the better Posted July 27, 2018 #3 Share Posted July 27, 2018 We have driven to Cinque Terra from Livorno. It takes a little over an hour. There is online prereserved parking under the La Spezia train station. The trains run back and forth between La Spezia and the five villages every 20 min or so as the villages are only a few minutes apart by train. You can rent a car at the Livorno port from Hertz and Avis on the dock. It is one of the few ports where you get off the ship and your car is right there. The Cinque Terre is my favorite place in Italy, maybe in all of Europe. Sent from my iPad using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbits Posted July 27, 2018 #4 Share Posted July 27, 2018 Sicily by Mario offers tours from the port of Livorno. He is very easy to work with and does a great job. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammiedawg Posted July 27, 2018 #5 Share Posted July 27, 2018 I highly recommend hiring a guide to take you to the hill towns of Volterra and San Gim. The ride through Tuscany is very memorable and both towns are very interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Caroldoll Posted July 28, 2018 #6 Share Posted July 28, 2018 I highly recommend hiring a guide to take you to the hill towns of Volterra and San Gim. The ride through Tuscany is very memorable and both towns are very interesting. How long is this, we might be interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammiedawg Posted July 28, 2018 #7 Share Posted July 28, 2018 How long is this, we might be interested. It was a six hour day. The guide took us on a quick walking tourof San Gim, than we had a couple free hours. The guide walked us through Volterra in an hour or so. We stopped quite a few times along the beautiful Tuscan roads to admire the gorgeous scenery. We stopped at the famous field Bocelli uses for his concerts. So sorry but I don’t remember the guide’s name, we found him on TA. Guides in Tuscany tend to be expensive but the money spent was well worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoHoHo Posted July 28, 2018 #8 Share Posted July 28, 2018 I would be re-consider Cinque Terre. We've enjoy a few days there on a day trip and it is indeed lovely but it is an other place where it is being damaged from "too much of a good thing". Maybe look into purchasing a ticket before booking transportation. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/17/italy-to-impose-limits-on-visitors-to-cinque-terre-with-tourist-ticket-system "Italy plans to severely reduce the number of tourists visiting the Cinque Terre UN world heritage area this summer because the rugged coastal area risks being wrecked by coach parties and cruise ships. About 2.5 million tourists poured into the picturesque park in north-west Italy’s Liguria region last year to visit the five small fishing villages, which are connected by narrow cliffside trails. Residents say day-trippers from cruise ships docking at nearby ports have overwhelmed their communities and the head of the Cinque Terre park said no more than 1.5 million visitors would be let in this year. “We will certainly be criticised for this, but for us it is a question of survival,” Vittorio Alessandro told la Repubblica newspaper. Roads leading to the area are being fitted with devices to gauge the number of people heading to the villages and once a certain number has been reached, access will be closed. Tickets will be sold ahead of time online and an app created for tourists to show which of the villages are most congested." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawnino Posted July 28, 2018 #9 Share Posted July 28, 2018 San Gimigiano is well paired with Siena. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulchili Posted July 28, 2018 #10 Share Posted July 28, 2018 If you happen to be a fan of opera and Puccini, why not visit the nearby Villa Puccini: http://www.giacomopuccini.it/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted July 28, 2018 #11 Share Posted July 28, 2018 Ditto! It's small but most interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisingIGo Posted July 29, 2018 #12 Share Posted July 29, 2018 I would go tour the carrera marble mine. Sent from my iPad using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trmay Posted July 29, 2018 #13 Share Posted July 29, 2018 We used Papillon Service for a tour from Livorno to Cinque Terre and were very pleased with them. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPR Posted July 29, 2018 #14 Share Posted July 29, 2018 We recommend renting a car and driving to Lucca (bike ride on the city walls, Puccini’s house, shopping) and then stopping on the way back in Pisa to see the Leaning Tower and it’s two beautiful neighboring buildings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Caroldoll Posted July 30, 2018 #15 Share Posted July 30, 2018 We have done Cinque Terre and it is beautiful, but don't want to do that again. Would love to do something that takes 4 to 5 hours, but this may not be realistic. Wondering about La Spetzia (excuse the spelling). All these ideas are very much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlouise Posted July 30, 2018 #16 Share Posted July 30, 2018 We are booked on the Riviera next August, and have an overnight in Livorno. We have been to Florence, Lucca and Pisa many times and the heat in August in Tuscany is over the top. We will spend the first day in Forte dei Marmi, it is about 45 minutes from the port. The beaches are wonderful with private clubs that have day passes and great restaurants, and the shopping area is beautiful. We hope to have dinner on the beach and then return to the ship. The second day I think we will just spend a few hours exploring Livorno. We have been to the port many times but have never been into the city. We have always been on private tours up to Tuscany, and have never seen Livorno. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Caroldoll Posted July 31, 2018 #17 Share Posted July 31, 2018 We went in to the city one time and I thought it was just horrible. However, this time I am stuck about a tour. Trying to find a food walking tour, but I think it is too early to book. Viatour has one. I was thinking of going to Lucca, but they close at noon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlouise Posted July 31, 2018 #18 Share Posted July 31, 2018 Caroldoll, If you find a food walking tour, please post about it, we would be very interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pet Nit Noy Posted July 31, 2018 #19 Share Posted July 31, 2018 Caroldoll, If you find a food walking tour, please post about it, we would be very interested. Viator is wonderfully convenient as a booking agent, but I always try to find the company that is actually offering the tour Viator is booking. Here's a link to a Bolgheri wine tour originating in Livorno. Since the Viator activity lasts 90 minutes and this tour lasts 6-8 hours the two tours are clearly different, although they may be run by the same company. There's no specific mention of a shore excursion, but the text says "pick up from your location" and a port is a location. Here's the web site: http://www.tuscany-winetours.com/bolgheri-wine-tour/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ORV Posted July 31, 2018 #20 Share Posted July 31, 2018 We went in to the city one time and I thought it was just horrible. However, this time I am stuck about a tour. Trying to find a food walking tour, but I think it is too early to book. Viatour has one. I was thinking of going to Lucca, but they close at noon. The whole town closes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPR Posted August 1, 2018 #21 Share Posted August 1, 2018 Lucca is great for a day visit. And there is neither closure nor darkness ar noon...:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drwong Posted August 7, 2018 #22 Share Posted August 7, 2018 We have done Cinque Terre and it is beautiful, but don't want to do that again. Would love to do something that takes 4 to 5 hours, but this may not be realistic. Wondering about La Spetzia (excuse the spelling). All these ideas are very much appreciated. If you enjoy naval history, La Spezia was a major naval base during the wars (in the same way Toulon was to the French Mediterranean Fleet), and like Toulon, there's an impressive naval museum at the entrance to the base. There are indoor and outdoor exhibits featuring cannon, anchors, torpedoes, submersibles, figureheads, and an extensive display of ship models, including one of the tall ships that visited the US during the bicentennial. Admission is a mere pittance ($2 US) and you can spend a good four to five hours there, thanks to translators who added English captions to the exhibits (I wish they had done the same at the Turkish naval museum in Istanbul!). And if the weather is nice, you can walk down the canal and catch some frigates and destroyers at anchor. If naval history doesn't float your boat, there's a railroad museum to the west of the train station, with some steam locomotives and rolling stock outside, and some model trains and railroad displays inside. Or you can walk around downtown and see the modern cylindrical cathedral, and take a glass-enclosed funicular elevator up to the top of the hill and enjoy the views from the Castello de San Giorgio. They're only a 10-15 min walk from the cruise terminal and there are lots of interesting shops along the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dp42wl Posted August 7, 2018 #23 Share Posted August 7, 2018 We are on the same cruise.Looking to book a Viator small group tour of Livorno and Pisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted August 7, 2018 #24 Share Posted August 7, 2018 We are on the same cruise.Looking to book a Viator small group tour of Livorno and Pisa check on your roll call maybe others are willing to share https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=420 look for the ship you are on then the sailing date & post in that thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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