I purchased RS's MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE PORTS and don't find La Spezia listed. My Royal Caribbean cruise states that this is the port for Florence and Pisa. What can you tell me about this? I hadn't planned on doing any ship excursions but this port looks pretty far away from everywhere.
Posted by
Hendersonville, NC
345 posts
I believe the port would be Livorno.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23671 posts
Livorno is commonly used for Florence and Pisa but La Spezia is also used. It is not uncommon for cruise ships to use ports that are some distance from the attraction. You can use Whatisinport.com to find out what is available at La Spezia. Without doing some research on my part I would think you could easily take the train to Florance and or Pisa. Use trenitalia.com to check train schedule.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
Trains from La Spezia Centrale station take about 20 minutes to the Cinque Terre (e.g., Vernazza), 1 hour to Pisa, or 2-2.5 hours to Firenze SMN with a connection in Pisa. How to Look Up Train Schedules Online gives you the DB train schedule link and tips for using it.
I'm sorry that La Spezia and Cinque Terre are not covered in the Med Cruise book. They are in the Italy book or sold as a separate Snapshot, too. The train station is a walkable distance (2 km) from the central port area, but you'll need more specifics on which dock your boat uses, which might be further. Google maps can help identify local bus lines, or there will be taxis available to the train station.