Transportation Only

[NANCYR2]

Does anyone have any experience taking the ship's "Transportation Only" to Florence and to Rome?

[Hlitner]

All the cruise lines run this basically the same (most of them contract with the same shore operators). You will be put on a modern bus at the pier (in both Livorno and Civitavecchia) and drive into Rome or Florence. They will always drop you at a very central location (it can vary depending on the tour company, the local traffic, etc) and you will be given instructions on exactly where and when to meet the bus for your return trip. The trip take approximately 1:15 - 1:30 (each way) for both of those ports, but it can vary depending on traffic. Keep in mind that a lower cost option is to use the local trains (easier in Civitavecchia than in Livorno).

 

Hank

[Susan-M]

Hi Nancy,

 

We did the Florence on your own bus (we had planned to take the train but there was a strike scheduled for that day.) The bus turned out to be a good option, but with heavy traffic and the fact that the on your own buses were the last to leave following all other tours, we didn't arrive in Florence until 10:30 and departed again by 3:45. Florence is an easy city to explore on your own with a good map, a list of sites that you want to see and advance reservations if you are going to the Accademia or Uffizi.

 

The commentary given by the tour leader on the drive there was very interesting. On the way out of Florence, the driver took us up to Piazzale Michelangelo to see the beautiful views of Florence and surrounding countryside. (We had made our own way up there during the day .... but didn't mind a second look.)

 

We took the train to Rome and again enjoyed exploring on our own.

[Pjnc]

We will be in both these cities and want to take the trains.

 

Does anyone have the train schedules and the prices?

 

Has anyone done these ? What time must we be on the trains back to the ship?

 

We also would like to go from Naples to Pompei . I am having trouble trying to find the schedules for all of the above trains

 

 

We wil be in Naples Oct 26th 7am to 6pm

Livorno Nov 4th 7am to 7pm

Civitavecchia 6am overnight

 

 

I have found some websites for the train but I plug in my dates and it gives me errors.

 

Does anyone know the prices of the round trips for these trains?

 

any help will greatly be appreciated

 

Thanks

 

pjnc

Myrtle Beach, SC

[mustgo]

I found this

 

Livorno to Florence, is 1 hr 22 min, running every hour, euro 6.10 for the ticket. This is direct

 

I believe that is the cost for a one-way ticket. The train leaves at 11 minutes after each hour. The return to Livorno leaves at 27 minutes after the hour.

 

See if this link works. http://www.ftroute.com/LIV_FIR_LIV.htm

[mustgo]

For Naples, I have this site for a train schedule. In April it was less than 3E each one way

 

http://www.sorrentomap.com/trasporti.asp?Ing=en&tr=circum

[Hlitner]

We will be in both these cities and want to take the trains.

 

Does anyone have the train schedules and the prices?

 

Has anyone done these ? What time must we be on the trains back to the ship?

 

We also would like to go from Naples to Pompei . I am having trouble trying to find the schedules for all of the above trains

 

 

We wil be in Naples Oct 26th 7am to 6pm

Livorno Nov 4th 7am to 7pm

Civitavecchia 6am overnight

 

 

I have found some websites for the train but I plug in my dates and it gives me errors.

 

Does anyone know the prices of the round trips for these trains?

 

any help will greatly be appreciated

 

Thanks

 

pjnc

Myrtle Beach, SC

 

They do not publish the Italian train schedules more than a few months in advance... However, there are trains on both routes (Civitavecchia to Rome and Livorno to Florence) at least every hour (many times there are more than one train per hour). The regular trains (locals) do not require any kind of reservation. Keep in mind that its a little difficult to get to the train station in Livorno since you need a taxi. Most of the taxis at the pier do not want to take the short haul, but we have always found a taxi by simply being a bit assertive and continuing to ask the drivers to please take us to the stazione. In every case (and we have been there many times) there will always be somebody who does the short haul although you might have to wait 5 or 10 min. If your cruise line runs a shuttle to the center of Livorno you could use that, but you would still need a taxi, local bus, or a long hike from where they drop in town (it ends up costing as much as a taxi from the pier). In Civitavecchia its a much better situation since there is a free port shuttle bus which will take you from pier to the port entrance. From there, its an easy 4 block walk to the train station.

 

Hank

[mustgo]

I have not found a schedule for Rome but read that trains are about every 1/2 hour. Found this site: http://www.journeywoman.com/gfc/italy4.htm

 

We are on the same cruise and plan to do all 3 trips.

[voltdoc]

I have not found a schedule for Rome but read that trains are about every 1/2 hour. Found this site: http://www.journeywoman.com/gfc/italy4.htm

 

We are on the same cruise and plan to do all 3 trips.

 

We are joining you on the Freedom back to the USA on the 6th. What hotel are you staying at in Civitavecchia. We have reservations at the Traiano Hotel for the 4th and 5th of Nov. We will be going to Rome on the 5th. what are your planes? ...........Gil

[Moose Tracks]

We used the ship's transportation into Rome and Florence. Worked out great. Didn't have to worry that the trains might be on strike that day, missing train, etc. Had great commentary on the drive into town (the guides didn't speak on the way back....gave you time for a catnap). If you're capable of a bit of a hike....in Florence climb up to Fort Belvedere. It's higher than the Piazza Michelangelo, has a 360 degree view and there's hardly anyone there (cost us around 6 euros each for entry....money well spent). If you do go...try to be there for noon....all the church bells start ringing....it was magic.

Lynn

[Hlitner]

For those of you looking for info on the train schedules and prices I suggest you simply look at the Italian railroad's web site at

http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html

 

Keep in mind that the train line that runs south from Naples (towards Pompeii and Sorrento) is a private company called the Circumvesuviania Line and would not normally be found on the Trenitalia site.

 

Hank

[mustgo]

We are joining you on the Freedom back to the USA on the 6th. What hotel are you staying at in Civitavecchia. We have reservations at the Traiano Hotel for the 4th and 5th of Nov. We will be going to Rome on the 5th. what are your planes? ...........Gil

 

 

Hi Gil (nearly neighbors) We will be doing the b2b so will be sleeping on the ship in port in Civitavecchia. We will probably take the train into Rome on Wed and play it by ear on Thursday. We have been to Rome, but it has been a long time. We did a good visit to the Vatican and museum so will probably skip it. I would like to tour the Colloseum and wander thru some of the usual sites. We plan to do a lot of walking--but are also retirees , so you never know. Want to join us--at least on the train in?

Dottie and Jim

[voltdoc]

Hi Gil (nearly neighbors) We will be doing the b2b so will be sleeping on the ship in port in Civitavecchia. We will probably take the train into Rome on Wed and play it by ear on Thursday. We have been to Rome, but it has been a long time. We did a good visit to the Vatican and museum so will probably skip it. I would like to tour the Colloseum and wander thru some of the usual sites. We plan to do a lot of walking--but are also retirees , so you never know. Want to join us--at least on the train in?

Dottie and Jim

 

We would love to join you into Rome. The last time we were there we missed seeing: St. Peter's Basilica "La Pieta", an inside tour of the "The Colosseum", and see the statue of "Moses" at St. Paul's In Chains(not in that order).

After spend some time around the Spanish Steps and have an early dinner before returning to Civitavecchia. We also don't know what to do on Thursday. I heard that there are ruins not too far from Civitavecchia

so that might be an option.

[mountainmare]

Now I'm not hijacking or evesdropping but check out my trip report Greece Egypt and Turkey about taking the bus to Tarquinia from Civitavecchia--if you need more info ask me--it was a great alternative to going back to Rome!!!

[pcur]

We took the "on your own" tours from the ship for both Florence and Paris. We chose the one for Florence with the guided tour and 3.5 hours on our own. In Paris we just got the transpo and got on the HOHO bus.

 

I take public transportation (train, bus) when the place I'm going to is within 30 minutes or less from the ship, AND it's not our first time there. That way I don't have a huge taxi fare to pay if I have to take one as a Plan B, and I know where I'm going.

[mustgo]

Voltdoc--just saw your post. I think joining forces to go into Rome would be a help. I also just did a cut and paste on Mountainmare's trip to Tarquinia. That sounds like a very good outing. I would think we need to be off the ship for at least a while. I would also like to look in town for the grocery store to buy a few inexpensive local wines. If Carnival decides to hold them for us until the end of the trip, that is ok with me. We will just drink it after the cruise. Last fall we found some Spanish wines in the grocery stores for 1 or 2 euros. Anything over a buck and a half us was pretty good.

[Host Karen]

voltdoc and mustgo, please take your discussion to your roll call. That is the only appropriate place to make arrangements for sharing cabs, tours, trains, etc.

 

Karen

HostKaren@CruiseCritic.com