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Car hire from Livorno?

Big Chik

By Big Chik,
in Italy Ports

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Big Chik

Big Chik

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I was intending doing Pisa and Lucca by train/bus but someone suggested car hire. However I understand Livorno is a huge port and you can't walk out of it so does anyone know how car-hire would work there?

 

Do car hire companies come into the port with their cars? (BTW I have driven a hire car in Italy before so do appreciate the "challenges" involved... And I have a SatNav! :-)

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Hlitner Excellent Advice! Rare

Hlitner

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There are several rental car companies in Livorno and a few have their offices in the port terminal building just next to the port entrance. But, security rules do not generally allow cruise ship passengers to walk through the port so it can be a real problem getting to those dealers. The local Hertz franchiser (Sifracar) seems to be able to always get their cars to the pier (some other rental car companies have told us they are not allowed in the port). My only problem with Hertz is they are a bit pricy, but its worth the few extra Euros for the convenience. You can go to their web site and than scroll down to their cruise special:

 

http://www.sifracar.com/servizi.htm

 

Hank

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bluebellA4

bluebellA4

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We just had the best car rental experience in Livorno this month. We walked off the ruby princess and the car rental kiosk was 50 feet from the gangway. It was Hertz and the gentlemen couldn't have been more helpful! he gave us amazing instruction, directions and maps. I believe it was 60 euros for the day.

For some reason that morning there weren't alot of people getting off the ship early. We were off the ship at by 7:30 and climbing the Leaning Tower at 9 am. It is complicated driving out of the port but with the fantastic directions and maps from the car rental company it was a breeze! I am happy to pass on specific contact info for the Hertz agent if needed.

kathy

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not in ks anymore

not in ks anymore

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We just had the best car rental experience in Livorno this month. We walked off the ruby princess and the car rental kiosk was 50 feet from the gangway. It was Hertz and the gentlemen couldn't have been more helpful! he gave us amazing instruction, directions and maps. I believe it was 60 euros for the day.

For some reason that morning there weren't alot of people getting off the ship early. We were off the ship at by 7:30 and climbing the Leaning Tower at 9 am. It is complicated driving out of the port but with the fantastic directions and maps from the car rental company it was a breeze! I am happy to pass on specific contact info for the Hertz agent if needed.

kathy

Yes, please do. We'll be there in October and it seems like Hertz is the way to go, but don't know if we should pre-book or wait until we arrive for the easiest experience.

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Hlitner Excellent Advice! Rare

Hlitner

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Hlitner - If passengers are not allowed to walk from the port, is a shuttle provided by the port authority. If not, how do DIY passengers get out of the port. Thanks

 

Let me answer your question with a bad experience that happened to us in Livorno on May 1, 2008 while on a Princess cruise. We had booked a rental car with a good local agency that has an office in the port terminal building (also called the Shopping Center) which is located just inside the main port gates (several rental car companies maintain offices in that building). A week before our cruise we received an e-mail from the rental car company (they had agreed to open for us on the May 1 holiday) that they had been informed by the port authority that they would not be allowed to deliver a car to the pier for security reasons. When we arrived in Livorno we decided that we (and another couple sharing our car) would simply walk the approxmately 1 mile to the port entrance. But alas, the port security folks (and police) told us we were not allowed to walk through the port. So, we than asked the Princess folks if we could use their town shuttle bus and have them drop us at the entrance to the port (they had to go through this gate) but Princess personel refused our request. The free internal port bus was not running that day (you never know about that bus) so our last option was to take a taxi approximately 1 mile. We finally did find a taxi driver who was happy to drive us about 2 minutes to the port entrance for a mere 20 Euros. That evening we dropped our car at that same terminal building and than the 4 of us walked through the port to the ship. We were stopped at 3 diffferent security check points and each time, the security guard just smiled and waved us through. When we got back to the ship they had yellow police tape surrounding the ship area and we simply ducked under the security tape and walked to the gang plank. Police and security guards who clearly saw us duck under the tape totally ignored us (so much for security).

 

This is why I have called Livorno one of the least passenger-friendly ports in Europe (have posted this for years).

 

Hank

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2irisheyes

2irisheyes

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Hlitner - Thanks for your post. I didn't quite know whether to laugh or cry but it obviously wasn't funny at the time. The charge for the taxi is incredible. Also the attitude of Princess was pretty bad. I never quite know whether it is the authorities at the port or the cruiseline who make such a pig's ear of things. Whoever it is someone stands to gain financially from it and it certainly isn't the passenger. I did think that if people are forbidden to walk through the port there must be a port bus. You have confirmed this but it is a question of finding out about this, where to pick it up etc.

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Hlitner Excellent Advice! Rare

Hlitner

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Hlitner - Thanks for your post. I didn't quite know whether to laugh or cry but it obviously wasn't funny at the time. The charge for the taxi is incredible. Also the attitude of Princess was pretty bad. I never quite know whether it is the authorities at the port or the cruiseline who make such a pig's ear of things. Whoever it is someone stands to gain financially from it and it certainly isn't the passenger. I did think that if people are forbidden to walk through the port there must be a port bus. You have confirmed this but it is a question of finding out about this, where to pick it up etc.

 

There is indeed an internal port bus that winds its way through the port of Livorno...or at least that is what the port officials will tell you if you ask. On numerous trips through that port (we have probably been there more than 15 times) we have never seen that elusive bus. The irony is that on that fatefull May 1, 2008 day, as we walked back to the ship we were also stopped by a port security officer who was driving in a patrol car. He did suggest that we wait for the port bus....but apparently it was not even running that day since it took us about 45 min to walk to the ship and we never saw any bus.

 

Hank

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  • 1 month later...
hummy0605

hummy0605

Posted
Posted
Avis i'm nearly sure lol

 

 

 

 

jj.....

 

 

Yes it was Avis, Thomas has replied to me and it is all sorted. 96e for a small car with air conditioning etc for 1 day which we thought was reasonable. We are intending to go to San Gimignano and then Pisa on the way back.:)

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