15 July – Driving Tour of Pisa and Florence

(Guide – Rome In Limo)

[On Shore times 0700 to 1900 (GMT+1]

THE INFORMATION BELOW IS OUTDATED

La Spezia HIGHLIGHTS: FLORENCE, PISA

Amelia’s list of potential activities/sights:

• -Florence and Pisa (LV06) $187 Active/ Moderate 10-10.5 hours
• -Car with Driver
• Medici Palace
• Fortezza Nuova (Fortress)
• Port of Livorno
• Nuova Venezia (Canal and Street)
• Via Grande (Shopping Street)
• Terrazza Mascagni (Square Overlooking the Sea)
• Via Italia (Authentic Italian Eatery)
• Mercato Centrale (Food Market)
• Piazza della Repubblica (Main Square)
• Pisa
• Museo Civico
• Meloria Islands
• Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta
• Baptistry
• Campo Santo (Cemetery)
• Santa Maria della spina (Church)
• Palazzo dei Cavalieri (Palace in Knights’ Square)
• Florence Cathedral
• Giotto’s Campanile (Bell Tower)
• Palazzo Vecchio (Square Adjacent to the Hall of Statues)
• Basilica of Santa Croce (Church)
• Baptistry of St. John
• Uffizi Palace and Gallery (Museum)
• Basilica di San Lorenzo (Church)
• Piazza della Signoria (Main Square)
• Galleria dell’Accademia (Home of Michelangelo’s David)
• Palazzo Pitti (Largest Museum in Florence)
• Piazzale Michelangelo (Lookout Over Florence)
• Church of Santa Maria Novella
• Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square)
• Corridoio Vasariano (Corridor Connecting Uffizi Gallery to Pitti Palace)

Port Information

Note from RomeinLimo: Our driver will wait for you right outside of the ship holding a sign with your name written on, please make sure your cell phone works just in case the driver needs to call you.

Recommendations from Amelia and Sara

Limo ride to Pisa for a brief stop, then to Florence to see the sights. We will continue to refine which sights we recommend. Some of us will try to see it all; some of us will spend time in scenic cafes. More info to come.

Disney Excursions

Amelia and Sara reviewed Livorno Port Adventures on the Disney Website. The following excursions looked the most promising. In addition to these, there are some other excursions that don’t include Florence and some additional Florence excursions with specific focus, i.e. Michelangelo or wheelchair accessible. I haven’t summarized those here because I think we all want to go to Florence.

https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/port-adventures/europe/list/la-spezia-italy/

Florence and Pisa (LV06)

Prices: $187.00 (ages 10 and up)

Activity Level & Duration: Active, Moderate/10 to 10.5 Hours

Stand in the shadow of the Duomo and wander the age-old Piazza della Signoria in Florence before making your way to Pisa. Visit Italy’s historic Miracle Square with its baptistery and cathedral that look out to the Leaning Tower.

On this adventure you will…

• Take a 2 hour scenic drive through Tuscany to Florence.
• Begin your 2.5-hour guided walking tour with stops along the way, including the Piazza Santa Croce, the Piazza della Signoria and the Uffizi Gallery (external visits only). Note: This tour includes 2.5 miles of walking at a steady pace, part of which, will be on cobblestones and/or uphill.
• Stroll across the Ponte Vecchio Bridge and reach the Cathedral Saint Maria del Fiore, the iconic cathedral famous for its Brunelleschi cupola known as “Il Duomo” and its ornate bronze doors called The Gates of Paradise.
• Enjoy 120 minutes of free time to explore the shopping area and have lunch on your own.
• Reboard your motorcoach to take a 60-minute ride toward Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa.
• Walk 15 minutes to Miracle Square. Here, you will encounter a medieval cathedral with its famous tilting bell tower: the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Note: Guests-including children-wishing to visit churches must ensure that shoulders and knees remain covered. You can wear shorts that reach below the knee and tank tops as long as you bring a sweater or scarf to wrap around your shoulders.
• Enjoy 1-hour of free time to take pictures, relax at a café or shop before departing on a 45-minute drive back to the pier.
• Know Before You Go
• The entrance fee to the Leaning Tower is not included. A reservation needs to be made in advance; only 25 people are allowed to enter the tower every 20 minutes. The possibility of finding tickets on the spot is quite remote.
• Wheelchairs (collapsible or electric) are not permitted. Tour operators will deny participation to Guests arriving in wheelchairs or electric scooters.
• A restroom stop will be made on the way to Florence. On the return to Livorno, a stop is made by request only.
• Guided walking tour will start upon arrival in Florence..
• Guests may experience queues of up to 30 minutes to enter the cathedral, if choosing to visit during free time.
• The order of tour sites may vary.
• All times and distances are approximate, subject to traffic and overcrowding.
• Due to the extremely limited availability of this excursion, Guests are encouraged to book early.

Florence On Your Own (LV03) (Does not include Pisa sk)

The Palazzo Vecchio bustling with locals and tourists

Prices: $99.00 (ages 10 and up)

Activity Level & Duration: Moderate/10 to 10.5 Hours

Enjoy the freedom of seeing Florence your way, during an unguided visit to this historic city.

Grab a gelato, explore the Uffizi Gallery, see Michelangelo’s David or shop on the Ponte Vecchio Bridge-it’s up to you.

On this adventure you will…

• Journey into the heart of Tuscany on an approximately 2-hour drive past the ancient cities of Lucca and Prato. 
• During the trip, receive helpful information about Florence from a highly knowledgeable tour escort and plan your day. Note: A tour escort will be on the coach to and from Florence to provide narration, maps and emergency phone numbers.
• Explore famous landmarks such as Santa Croce Square, where you can visit the tombs of Michelangelo, Machiavelli and Galileo at the basilica or peruse the shops. Visit the Uffizi Gallery to see paintings from the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. Admire the Ponte Vecchio Bridge, see the Cathedral di Saint Maria del Fiore-famous for its Brunelleschi cupola known as “Il Duomo.” and its ornate bronze doors called “the Gates of Paradise.” Art fans can visit the Accademia di Belle Arti Museum. Among a wealth of masterpieces, discover Michelangelo’s legendary David statue. Note: Museums are closed on Mondays.
• Meet with your tour escort at the designated pick-up point and take the approximate 1.5 hour bus ride back to the ship.
• Know Before You Go:
• Museums are closed on Mondays. This includes but is not limited to popular museums such as the Accademia and Uffizi Gallery.
• Wheelchairs need to be standard size and collapsible; no electric wheelchairs permitted. Guests must be able to board and disembark the motorcoach on their own.
• Food and beverage are not included but are available for purchase.
• The excursion is stroller accessible. However, some portions of the tour may require Guests to fold accompanying strollers. In addition, lightweight strollers are recommended.
• A restroom stop will be made on the way to Florence. On the return to Livorno, a stop is made by request only. If Guests miss the return coach trip, they will be responsible for their transportation back to the vessel-including all costs.
• Guests may encounter queues at the Accademia Museum, Uffizi Gallery and the cathedral.
• Although this tour is classified as moderate, Guests will have approximately 6.15 hours of free time in Florence and may wish to tour locations that require significant walking.
• Guests-including children-wishing to visit churches must ensure that shoulders and knees remain covered. Guests can wear shorts that reach below the knee and tank tops as long as they bring a sweater or scarf to wrap around their shoulders.
• All times and distances are approximate, subject to traffic and overcrowding.
• Due to the extremely limited availability of this excursion, Guests are encouraged to book early.

Discovering Florence (LV04) (Does not include Pisa sk)

Prices: $142.00 (ages 10 and up)

Moderate/10 to 10.5 Hours

Explore the Piazza della Signoria, Santa Croce Square, and the most famous bridge in Florence, the Ponte Vecchio. After your walking tour of this artful city, enjoy some free time to shop, dine and sightsee on your own.

On this adventure you will…

• Board your motorcoach and take a 2-hour scenic drive through Tuscany to Florence.
• Upon your arrival in Florence, embark on a guided walking tour (wear comfortable walking shoes) of this age-old city. Today, the spirit of the Renaissance lives on in the Florentine streets, churches, museums and public squares. Note: this tour includes approximately 1.5 miles of walking at a steady pace, part of which will be on cobblestones and/or uphill.
• While on your walking tour visit Piazza Santa Croce, a stunning square dominated by historic palaces and churches, and Piazza della Signoria, which features the majestic Old Palace and the famous Uffizi Gallery (external visit only).
• Continue to the picturesque bridge, the Ponte Vecchio, and the Cathedral of S. Maria del Fiore and lastly, “The Gates of Paradise”, with the ornate baptistery doors sculpted by Ghiberti.
• Note: Guests-including children-wishing to visit churches must ensure that shoulders and knees remain covered. You can wear shorts that reach below the knee and tank tops as long as you bring a sweater or scarf to wrap around your shoulders.
• Afterward, enjoy 3 hours of free time to shop, sightsee through the ancient city, and enjoy lunch on your own.
• Return to your motorcoach for your 1.5-hour return drive back to this ship.

Alternatives to Disney Excursion:

RomeInLimo Private Vehicle and Driver

Friday July 10th: Livorno Port: Pisa and Florence (up to 10 hours)

http://www.romeinlimo.com/livorno/pisa-florence.htm

The rate in Mercedes Minivan For your party of 8 is of Euro 600 (discounted from Euro 650)

RomeInLimo Livorno Standard Tour Description:

Note: We can alter this and work with the company to plan out our day. We can also make adjustments as we go, if something catches our interest. For example, we don’t have to visit the museums, and some of the reviews say that the driver took them to Pisa first since there wasn’t as much to see there. Does anyone want to climb the tower? If not, I have read that this is a pretty quick stop. SK)

You will be greeted at the Port of Livorno, and will make your way to the most famous city in Tuscany, Florence! Here you will explore the Church of Santa Croce, the Duomo and Baptistery, the Ponte Vecchio, the Pitti Palace, and the Piazza of Michelangelo prior to lunch. Moving on, you will stop at the Accademia*, which houses Michelangelo’s famous sculpture of David. You can also instead of the Accademia conclude the day with the Uffizi Gallery*.

After your day in Florence, your driver will take you along the scenic route in the Tuscan countryside to the small city of Pisa. Here you will spend a portion of your afternoon at the Leaning Tower and the main square before returning to the Port of Livorno.

Please book your tickets for Uffizi or Accademia yourself, best option is to call them and book the tickets directly over the phone:  011 39 055 294883

* Please Book the tickets starting from 1 pm, note that the Accademia would take 40 min to visit and Uffizi about 1,5 hours.

** For the clients that form a group, please make sure everyone has the same time for each museum.

*** Because of lack of time you can only visit one of the museums.

– If you wish to climb the tower of Pisa, please book the tickets at 9:30 am by following this link: http://www.opapisa.it/en/tickets/buy/

Personal Notes

Notes from Sara: I am eager to explore Florence and hope to do so with a private vehicle. I like the idea of having a bit more flexibility to decide how long to spend in Florence, Pisa, etc. I also like the idea of not waiting for a large group to load, unload etc. The reviews of the private drivers were outstanding –many people commented that their driver made the day personal and informative. I really like that idea. One family, gushed about how the driver found a winery on their way back to the ship for a quick stop. I see Florence as being a long day, and I like the idea of having a van there in case someone wants to take a break in the car with the driver. I also like the idea of a driver being able to drop groups of us in different places around Florence. I’m sure we can arrange this, if we someone has a desire to see something less central. My own perfect day would be an early start to avoid the heat, a stop in Pisa for as long as we are entertained by a crooked building, and a significant amount of time to explore Florence in smaller groups. I might not visit the “big” museums, because I think they will be very crowded (think: Uffizi & Accademia). I’m going back someday for a longer visit!! There are several smaller museums, churches, and outdoor sights that are calling me. In Pisa, I probably don’t need to climb the Leaning Tower, but will definitely wave at those of you who do! I hope others will share their thoughts here about what a perfect day in Florence would look like to you. Oh, and did I mention a glass of wine in a trattoria or scenic ristorante?

 

Notes from Tracie: WOW Amelia…you are going to have a busy day!