Livorno Private Tours?

[vssy]

Just wondering who I should contact for private tours leaving the port of Livorno. I am wanting to stop in Pisa before visiting Florence.
Valerie

SPLENDOUR OF THE SEAS ~OCTOBER 9, 2004~ [url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?q=Y&s=927093444&a=tpc&m=766106561&f=1683059817"]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?q=Y&s=927093444&a=tpc&m=766106561&f=1683059817[/url]

[Chick's pal]

We used Driver in Rome (driverinrome.com) and had a superb trip from Livorno, stopped first in Pisa, then on to Florence. Check out the website. I highly recommend this operation. We even used them in Rome. At both ports we had four people per tour and the cost was less than a ship's excursion with a tour bus. Tours were absolutely personalized to what we wanted to see.

You can buy tickets to the Tower of Pisa in advance via internet. This will save time standing in line. Here is the website:
[url="http://www.opapisa.it/boxoffice/index_ita.html"]http://www.opapisa.it/boxoffice/index_ita.html[/url]

We purchased tickets in advance for perhaps the first tour of the day and when we got to Pisa there were NO tourists there yet.

Driver in Rome can make advance reservations for you at the Accademia if you want to see David and all of the art there. They will even advise you on the best time to reserve. Daniel, the proprietor, is originally Canadian and speaks impeccable English.

Note: Advance reservations and ticket purchases cost a couple dollars more than regular admissions, but the lines you bypass are worth it.

Need a gelato stop in Florence? The best we had in all of Italy was at Vivoli near the Church of Santa Croce. Your driver can help you find it. Don't fool yourself by getting the smallest helping. Go for the supersize! Heavenly...

HAVE A FANTASTIC TIME!

[Chick's pal]

That's [url="http://www.driverinrome.com"]www.driverinrome.com[/url]. Sorry.

[bec2629]

Hi,
I have been doing quite a bit of research and I know that Driverinrome, as well as the other established divers,has gotten rave reviews which I am sure are well deserved. (They were on my list,too.) I just wanted to share some of information that I've learned through my extensive (addictive) research. There is a company, Papillonservice.com, that has not had the same exposure, but everything I have read has been positive. So far I am impressed, the email communication has been great and the tour price for Florence/Pisa is e400 for a Mercedes van with 6-8 people, or e520 with a guide. With the exchange rate it's $100-$150 less than most others. I haven't had any personal experience with any of them other than emails, which have all been great, so I just went by price. Hopefully all will turn out well.
Becky

[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=dc143c&cdt=2004;7;25;19;00;00&timezone=GMT+0100[/img]

Brilliance of the Seas July 25, 04
Why does time fly only when you don't want it to?


November 04 Explorer
July 03 Explorer
August 02 Adventurer
July 01 Voyager
Starward NCL 1981

[katisdale]

We just returned from the May 7 European Explorer cruise on the Royal Princess. We had arranged our tour of Pisa and Florence through Driverinrome. Daniele was easy to work with and responsive to our e-mails etc. He made our reservations for the accademia. Our driver was named Astrid and he lives near Florence. He has his own company blu taxi. You can reach him at [email]info@blutaxi.com[/email]
He was personable and took us for lunch at a restaurant where we were the only English speakers and the food was fabulous. I recommend his services.

[katisdale]

I gave the wrong e-mail address. It is [email]info@blutaxi.it[/email].

[vssy]

Thanks for the suggestions! I am just starting to research this port. It is great to hear positive reports. It is our first trip to Europe.

Becky, Please post a review when you return. We are not cruising until October!

SPLENDOUR OF THE SEAS ~OCTOBER 9, 2004~ [url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?q=Y&s=927093444&a=tpc&m=766106561&f=1683059817"]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?q=Y&s=927093444&a=tpc&m=766106561&f=1683059817[/url]

Valerie

[bec2629]

Valerie,
This is our first trip,too. This website has been my major source of information so I will definately post when we return.
Becky

[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=dc143c&cdt=2004;7;25;19;00;00&timezone=GMT+0100[/img]

Brilliance of the Seas July 25, 04
Why does time fly only when you don't want it to?


November 04 Explorer
July 03 Explorer
August 02 Adventurer
July 01 Voyager
Starward NCL 1981

[dbh62ark]

We just returned on May 12 and cannot recommend the Papillon tour company highly enough. We also had Max as our driver, and he was great. We went to Siena and San Gimignano and simply could not have asked for more. (I'm sure the Florence/Pisa tours are great too.) He also drove us on the scenic roads such as the Chianti road through the Tuscany countryside, and it was magical. This is a fairly new company, but I hope some of the other cruisers will give them a chance. They have the same vehicles and the same resources the other companies have. Our Papillon driver has been driving for years; it's just that this company has been working with tourists at hotels, etc. in the past and has just recently branched out to market to the cruise passengers too. We have hired private drivers on many occasions, and this was a top-rate experience for sure. And as previously noted, an added benefit is that the prices are lower than the competition, especially if you fill up those 8 seats, which is very easy to do.

Hope you have a great time,
Donna

[ClaudiaF]

We had the best driver this trip in MAx too. Papillon Service.
[url="http://www.papillonservice.com/index.htm"]http://www.papillonservice.com/index.htm[/url]

Next stop:
Buenos Aires to Rio Oceania - "Insignia"
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=0000ff&cdt=2005;2;2;18;00;00&timezone=GMT-0300[/img]

[img]http://www.gifs.net/animate/mermaidswim.gif[/img]
[img]http://jammerbabe.com/images/gifs/icon_treasurebox.gif[/img]

[SteveS]

Here's a reprint of last years report of our cruise on the Brilliance. I hope it helps you enjoy your cruise as much as past posters helped us make ours the best.

Another fabulous cruise! Our second with RC. My wife, Betty, found a good price for the cruise. We used mileage for the flight so we decided to splurge and use the private tours I found on the Cruise Critic board. Thank you to all the past cruisers who posted their experiences. Private tours are great as I hate riding on busses and having no choice of what to see.

Mon. 7-21, 8 PM we left Newark for Madrid-arrived 9:30 am Tues. with no sleep. I'm too big for those cramped seats! Long layover, but we used mileage. Too tired to take Metro to downtown Madrid. 6:30 PM arr. Barcelona. Taxi to Rivioli Rambla (E 20). Very nice room. Great air conditioning. It was 90 degrees and humid outside! We walked around a bit, ate tapas in a court yard and then enjoyed the nightly scene on the Rambla.

Wed 7-23: We ate breakfast and stopped at Champion supermarket for wine. I bought two one liter boxes and 1 bottle of red wine and two bottles of Cava for E 12. Noontime we took a cab to the ship E 10. Check in was very fast, as I had filled out the pre-sailing form on line. We just had to show passports (they don't keep them anymore) and credit card. Bought a bottle of Sangria on the dock. In our cabin by 1 PM. Cabin 7530 has a wonderful balcony much bigger then most of the other E category rooms and is near the bow and low enough to enjoy the sound of the waves. We went to the CC party and met a few fellow posters and Clo the Cruise Director.

Thu. in Villefranche: Tendered ashore and toured with Dreamtours 10:30 -7:30. [email]info@dream-tours.com[/email] Saw Monaco, Nice, St. Paul de Vence and Cannes went for a swim at Cannes. E 270 + 30 tip and 30 lunch. The driver John Mark was very nice and did a good job even though it was his first time. The tender ride back to the ship was very slow.

Fri. Livorno 7:30 met Alessandro Cammillie at the gang way. He has a green Fiat Kangaroo and I could see him waiting from the upper deck as we tied up. We had a wonderful time. I'm glad we decided not to take the train because it was not running that day due to a strike. First we went to Pisa. We were the only ones there. Then on to Florence. First a panoramic view from a hill top then a walking tour over the Ponte Vecchio bridge to the Duomo and Sinagoga. We took a ride to Chianti for lunch then we spent two hours at the Uffizi. We were back at 5 PM. We saw much more with Alessandro than we would on own. He had purchased advance tickets for the museum so we didn't waste time on line and showed us what we want to see. At E225 the cost is the same as the ship's tour for two people and half for four. E-mail him at [email]alecemma@hotmail.com[/email].
Sat. Naples: We met Marcello Maresca at 7:30 and went to Herculaneum, smaller than Pompeii but better preserved. We than toured the Amalfi coast with a stop for lunch at a scenic restaurant high atop the mountain overlooking the sea. We had a fabulous five course meal with wine. Betty likes to try the local foods. It cost E 350 and E60 for lunch expensive but memorable. If we were six it would have been cheap but nobody onboard was adventurous and went on the ship's bus. [email]info@seesorrento.com[/email]

Sun. at sea: I was very glad I had my balcony. The pools are much too small and the decks crowded. The ship was 110 percent full. Extra tables had to be added in the dining room. The formal dinner that night, was excellent the beef Wellington perfect.

Mon. Venice 1 PM: The sail in is awesome we sailed up the canal turned around and docked just past San Marco Sq. We bought a 24 hour ticket for the Vaporetti (E 10) and went to Murano (skip the glass museum) we returned and took a gondola ride.
Tues. We toured the Doge's Palace then took the Vaporetti to the Jewish Ghetto then walked to the Rialto bridge and shopped had pizza and walked back to the ship. We sailed at 6 PM. We ate at chops it was nice but if you are happy with your table mates I would skip it.
Wed. Dubrovnik 10 am: Took the shuttle ($4 PP each way) to Old Town toured the Monastery, Rectors Place and synagogue. We climbed the wall to the fort. I went to the top, good exercise. I bought some peaches from an old woman (E1) washed them in the fountain and ate them. They were the best I had ever tasted. I went back to get more but she was gone I walked around and found an old man and ask for 2 Euros worth of peaches but he gave me two kilos by mistake but took the 2 Euros anyway. We really enjoyed the peaches with our wine on the balcony while watching the waves and listening to classical music. I always bring my CD player.

Thu. Corfu: I rented a car on the dock for E60. The ship's shuttle to town was $4 per person each way. They only have standard shift which I have only driven once before, but I learned fast and didn't stall too often. We went to St. Mary's, two beaches, Ermones and Gayfada, and drove around. We ate a Greek salad for lunch at a taverna on the beach and had ice cream at the Golden View snack bar on a verandah high on a hill top over looking ocean. It was a wonderful way to spend the day!

Thurs. night: The lightning was spectacular I have never seen it like that before! At 5:30 am a blinding light and clap of thunder shook the ship! It rained harder than I have ever seen. The wind, I later learned, reached 125 mph and the ship listed 10 degrees to port. $20,000 dollars worth of glassware and china were broken in the dinning room! Some people panicked put on their life jackets and went to the life boats. The Captain got on the intercom and said everything was all right and everyone should return to their cabins. It didn't bother us at all.

Fri. at sea: We ate our romance package breakfast on the balcony while passing through the Messina Straits. Room service was right on time even though the elevators were out. The galley tour was interesting and the Captain's talk very informative after the storm. Second and last formal night. Chef's dinner was fabulous -- rare fillet and lobster tail.

Sat. 8-2 Rome: Yes, You can do it all with a private tour! We toured Rome with Max Leotta. He meet us at the gangway at 8:30. We were at the Vatican Museum at 9:30. After that we went into Clisto's Catacombs, the Coliseum (he had prepaid tickets so we didn't have to stand in line) , the Pantheon, St. Peters and tossed our coin in the Trevi Fountain and saw the Spanish Steps. All of which except the catacombs are musts in Rome! We even had lunch and stopped at a supermarket on the way back. We were back at the ship by 5:30 and not too tired to enjoy the show and dinner. At E450 it wasn't cheap but it sure beat the bus! If you are four the price is E500 which is less than the shop's tour. [email]max@maxleotta.com[/email] We drank the Frascati we bought in the super market with fruit and cheese on the balcony. Life is good. Even though the sailing was delayed due to engine problems. We finally sailed at 12:30 AM. Dinner was great it always gets better as the cruise progresses. The production show was fantastic. Numbers from Broadway shows, some done better than on Broadway!

Sun at sea: Time to pack.

Mon. Up at 6, out of room by 7 , off by 9, at Rivioli Rambla by 10:30. Our room was ready! Even nicer than the first one. And only $139 booked on Hoteldiscount.com. Off to the beach. Ate dinner at The Convent on Jerusalem St. behind market, very good inexpensive.

Tue morning: Breakfast at Dunkin Doughnuts for good coffee and fresh squeezed OJ, I love the machine. Looped around the city on the Bus Turistic and saw Sagrada Familia, a must. We took the elevator up the tower (be warned it's a long, long climb back down). Rode both loops and got off at a few places. Dinner at Tapa Apat on the bottom of Rambla-very nice but expensive. The seafood sampler was delicious. You pay for the show of passing people and street performers.

Wed: Back to the beach. Dinner at Convent again.
Thu: Up at 5:30, to the airport at 6:15 for an 8:00 flight. Arrived in Madrid at 9:15 and departed 11:30. We arrived at Newark at 1:30 and were home by 3 PM. to start the laundry!

Another vacation over! Oh well, time to plan the next one!

Some new stuff: Remember price will be higher this year. Use a debit card at ATMs if you have one. Buy a bottle of Limoncello in Italy and Kumquat liquor on Corfu.
This was our best cruise yet. This Aug. we are off to the Baltic.

Dawn Princess 11/97
Regal Princess
Grand Princess 7/99
Renaissance R4 7/13/00
Rotterdam 7/20/01
Radiance of the Sea 12/22/01
Royal Princess 8/10/02
Brilliance of the Sea 7/23/03
Golden Princess 12/27/03

[Bev]

Hi

DH and I are recently back from the 5/7 Galaxy Transatlantic. We had an itinerary change - dropping Malaga and including Livorno. I had already been in contact with Paola Migliorini to arrange a day trip to Florence from Rome after the cruise, so emailed her to change from that to a tour from Livorno. A number of Cruise Critic folks were also interested and Paola was able to coordinate 5 vans for all of us.

Paola was highly recommended in other earlier posts on this board and I echo those recommendations. She is very knowledgeable about the Tuscany countryside and Florence. Moreover, she has a degree in art history and is a licensed guide. She accompanied us in to the Academy gallery and gave us in depth explanations of Michaelangelo's works, especially the "David". Her colleague, Marco Secci, also has a degree in art history and led us through the Uffizi gallery to point out important details of Botticelli, and other important, works.

You can contact at Paola at
[url="http://www.florencetour.com"]www.florencetour.com[/url]
[email]info@florencetour.com[/email]

and Marco Secci at
[email]m.secci@tuscanytours.it[/email]

I recommend them both highly because I know you'll be really pleased with the tours they offer.

Bev

[laurieh]

We also used Alessandro Cammilli, and he was excellent. I would definitely recommend him. ([email="alecamma@hotmail.com"]alecamma@hotmail.com[/email])

[mad4cruising]

Is Alessandro Cammilli a guide as well as a driver? Does he get out of the car and walk around to explain what you are seeing? Thanks for the info!

[guideflorence]

Hi! we offer private shore excursions from the port of Livorno, visit our web sites [url="http://www.guidepisa.com"]www.guidepisa.com[/url] or [url="http://www.guidefirenze.com"]www.guidefirenze.com[/url]

[quote name='vssy']Just wondering who I should contact for private tours leaving the port of Livorno. I am wanting to stop in Pisa before visiting Florence.
Valerie

SPLENDOUR OF THE SEAS ~OCTOBER 9, 2004~ [url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?q=Y&s=927093444&a=tpc&m=766106561&f=1683059817"]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?q=Y&s=927093444&a=tpc&m=766106561&f=1683059817[/url][/QUOTE]

[laurieh]

Yes, Alessandro is a guide as well as a driver. He is very knowledgeable about Florence and the surrounding areas.

[mad4cruising]

Thank you Laurieh. I will contact him.

[mad4cruising]

Would anyone have Alessandro's phone number? I will be in Livorno in September so I would like to expedite our correspondence. I know how quickly good guides get booked. It might be too late already. So, if you can share his phone number, I would truly appreciate it.

[mad4cruising]

Laurie, I am very happy that Alessandro will be available for us. Could you please tell me where you went with him? I am not sure what to do yet. I am thinking about visiting the Cinque Terre or going to Siena and the Chainti region. Do you know if Alessandro is a guide in Siena as well as Florence? Thanks in advance.

[laurieh]

We went to Cinque Terre, and it was beautiful. I've also been to Chianti, and that is really nice as well. I know Alessandro knows a lot about the surrounding cities of Florence, so I am pretty sure he is a guide for Siena, but I am not sure, so you may want to e-mail him and ask.

[mad4cruising]

Laurie, thanks so much for your reply. Dis Alessandro walk with you through all of the towns? What did you do there aside from the walking and hiking? I would love more detais about your day in CT if you don't mind sharing. Also, I would love to know what made you decide to go to CT with all of the choices available in that region. I can't thank you enough for your help.

[divinc]

We just returned from Star Princess' June 21 cruise and used Paola Migliorni <info@florencetour.com>. She was Fantastic as both driver and guide. Private entrance and reservations to Pisa nad Acadamia. Check her out.

Phil

[laurieh]

Mad4cruising,Alessandro did not walk with us through all of the towns. He told us about the area when we got there, and let us walk through the towns ourselves. He met us at the end of the town we decided on. When you are hiking, you are on a path--honestly, it's not really hiking; it's more walking. There was one town I remember that had a couple small inclines, but besides that, it was a pretty good path. It's just gorgeous--you can stop and enjoy the ocean for a while. In the small towns, we went through a few of the shops, and we had lunch at a small outdoor cafe right on the water. I saw people swimming in the ocean, and you can do that. Going through the towns takes some time, so you can easily spend a day there. I enjoyed this because it was more relaxing. Sometimes doing a lot of tours through museums can be tiring. This was more free and low-key. We took the train back instead of walking back through the towns.

We actually did a lot of research before we left, and I had heard that Cinque Terre was beautiful, so that is why I wanted to go there. Alessandro agreed and recommended it. I hope this helps. If you have any more questions, feel free to post!

Laurie