I will be on a Princess Cruise arriving in Livorno on 9/29/2013. I want to go into Florence to see the statue of David. I also want to have time to shop and eat, etc. What is the best way to do this to avoid overpaying and waiting in long lines?
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Rick Steves Mediterranean Cruise Ports (second edition now out) has all the details on seeing Florence from Livorno. It will also have information on many (if not all) of your other ports, so it's a good investment. If you need more information, look at Cruise Critic. Here's their Florence Port Review: http://tinyurl.com/lmnkwoz Here's their Italy Ports Forum: http://tinyurl.com/bwqtmhk And here's their Roll Calls, where you can sign up for your specific sailing. You can arrange to split costs with others this way: http://tinyurl.com/ap7h55m
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16235 posts
Find your way to the Livorno train station (by bus no. 1 or taxi).
There is at least one train per hour (with no train change) to Florence. From Livorno to Florence the train takes less than 90 min (slightly more if you choose a train that requires a change in Pisa. The train fare is 9 euro pp one way.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Be sure you book tickets in advance for a specific entry time to the Galleria Accademia. I've read that people who don't may stand in line for up to four hours.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
A lot depends on how long your port-of-call is. If you arrive at 8:30am and you have to be back on board at 5:00pm, you can easily do this. The Accademia, which houses the DAVID statue, is open Tues-Sunday 08:15 to 18:50. If you stand in line to buy your ticket, it's 9.50Euro ($12.60). For the convenience of buying on the main Florence museum website, it's 20.20Euro. Here's the link to buy online. It works easily. I just purchased 2 tickets for my wife and daughter for Sept 26. http://www.florence-tickets.com/accademia-gallery-florence.html?site=abou