Our cruise ship will be docked at La Speiza and my family and I want to see Pisa and Florence while we are there. I hate the thought of booking an excursion through the cruise line but I'm afraid that may be the only way to see it all most efficiently. Can I easily travel by train from La Speiza to these cities, and if so can you spell it out for me? i.e. Directions to train stations, length of rides? Our ship docks at 7am and leaves at 7pm.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23666 posts
The homework is easy to do. Just go to trenitalia.com, check the British flag, and look up the various train schedules. Then use mapquest or one of the other mapping web sites to see the location of docks and train stations.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16239 posts
That's why I don't like cruises. How can someone see both Florence and Pisa from La Spezia in less than 12 hours? Follow Frank's advice on how to find the train schedule but to get to Florence and back to port you will need about 6 hours, when everything is said and done. So, if all planets align, with a 2 hour stop in Pisa, you will have 2 or 3 hours to see Florence. Eat and use the restroom on the train to maximize time. The drive from Spezia to Florence is 2 hours each way, with no stops. But if you pass through Pisa, which is longer, add at least 1/2 hour. So the cruise excursion might afford you an extra hour compared to the train. Still not enough for Florence. You should go to the. Cinque Terre or Portovenere instead. Or just Pisa and Lucca.
Posted by
Tilburg, Netherlands
2829 posts
I think it is too much hassle to get to Firenze on such a quick stay. With or without cruise excursion (which, if you take, in all likelihood will be an extremely hurried photo-op/bus sightseeing thing).
I'd to as Roberto said: stay in Pisa + Lucca, or else head to two of the Cinqueterre villages (depending on the weather and/or your fitness you can actually walk between both).
Posted by
OP
12 posts
I can do without Pisa, but Florence is a must! I guess my question at this point is how do I maximize my time if I only want to see Florence from La Speiza. Train or organized cruise excursion?
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
Figure that you will have, at most, 10 hours ashore, not 12. Figure that the train journey is 2 hours and a bit each way. Even if the train schedule allows it, you will have less than 6 hours in Florence, and you must stop to eat lunch (one hour?) My advice is to take the ship excursion even if it is expensive, they always are. Last year our cruise ship left two people behind in Lisbon who did not return on time. I often wonder how they coped with the nasty surprise of a departed ship when they finally turned up at the dock.
Posted by
Eugene, Oregon...Formerly Ventura, CA
2262 posts
Having just finished reading "Saving Italy" by Monuments Men writer Robert Edsel I would now love to see the Camposanto, which is right next door to the Leaning Tower. We skipped Pisa when we were in Italy, and you do have a difficult choice. Given the limited time I would probably just do Florence and start planning another trip to Italy.