Florence alternatives to usual tours? Maybe the countryside???

[jellytheory]

I know I'm going to sound like a bum, but I'm not sure I want to sight see in Florence. I'd rather just relax and go wine tasting or see the countryside. Any good alternatives to the normal tours within the city? PS I am traveling with an infant....maybe that's why it does not sound appealing with all the walking and uneven pavement with the stroller.

 

Thank you!

Denise

[Andym]

Denise,

 

We were with celebrity and they do a 'Tuscan countryside tour' This includes a lunch and wine at a country vineyard.

[mustgo]

Has anyone rented a car in Livorno? I did a search and am a bit confused. Cruisers comment that you must take a bus from the ship out of the port to downtown. What do you do if you rent a car near the port or have a car rental place pick you up at the port? Can they drive in to the ship?

[texancruzer]

We had Livorno as a port of call last November on our Brilliance cruise.

 

We loved Florence but can understand travelling with a baby and your concerns. We did do alot of walking and not in areas compatible with a stroller.

 

That said.....we also fell in love with the Tuscan countryside. We plan to go back (hopefully before the end of the year) for a land vacation to Italy with a week stay in the Tuscan countryside.

 

I know our cruiseline offered quite a few "countryside" tours and there were others on our roll call who did private tours.... to some other the smaller villages. There are many out there and most will tailor one to fit your needs. Keep looking - you'll find one just right for you.

 

p.s. Livorno is a very industrial type port area. It is one of the biggest in Italy. It took quite some time for our bus just to get out of that "industrial" area into the city. Don't remember any car's/taxi's around..... perhaps for security reasons ??

[jellytheory]

Thank you for all the posts! I am currently looking into doing a tour of the Chianti wine region, I will follow-up with a post on what I find out.

 

Thanks again!

Denise

(Means wine goddess in Greek) So, maybe the wine tour is just right for me:)

[coxswain]

We had a lovely time in Livorno here is our review from last year

 

 

"Livorno - again we walked round the town following a walking tour map of old churches - we found the old english church and cemetery - a lovely place with lots of canals - we had a some coffee/lunch beside the cathedral ( i think it was cafe duomo ) great place to pass 20-30mins. "

 

 

 

 

jj......

[MercedMike]

We booked a great tour with Dock and Discover http://www.dockdiscover.com/english.htm

 

They were very cooperative and easy to work with. We were met by a van, guide and drive, and toured the Tuscan countryside to a beautiful Renaissance castle high on a hilltop. After touring the castle including the bedroom where three popes had stayed, we went into the kitchen for our Italian cooking lesson! While the meal cooked, we had a tasting of the castle's own wines, then went into the elegant dining room to eat what we had cooked. It was a wonderful day!

 

Check out our review and pics at http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/med.html

and

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/cooking.html

 

Have a GREAT cruise!