We'll arrive in La Spezia next October in a cruise ship and have 8 hrs. for an excursion. Do you think/know of a taxi Co. we could hire through the web to drive us (there's FIVE of us!) from the port to Florence? And once we spend a few hours over there, find another one to take us for a couple of hours to Pisa and bring us back to the ship on time? Can you suggest a better plan that is not very expensive? We're willing to spend aprox. 50 Euros each for the transportation. THANKS VERY MUCH!
Posted by
Gettysburg, PA
1589 posts
There is no way to spend 4 hours at these two locations. You will spend up to 5-6 hours of your alloted 8 hours in transit. You might consider taking the local train 10 minutes up the coast to see the CT area instead & save Florence for the next trip.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
A private car can get you to Florence from La Spezia in just over 2.0hrs from the boat dock to the main Florence train station. But, I recommend that you not make this attempt to day trip to Florence. You will pay a lot of money and you will see very little. Plus, if I'm correct, the private car will not be able to drive through any of the historical areas unless it is properly authorized and permitted to do so by the Police Dept. The Florence historical area, with everything you would want to see, is mostly within restricted driving zones. Cameras are in numerous locations to snap pictures of the license plate. You can easily travel to Pisa and you can do this on the train. 14E-29E round trip fare depending on the type of train you would be on. For other ideas, you've got the unbelievably scenic Cinque Terre minutes away by train. Or, you can take a bus from La Spezia to nearby Lerici and spend some time there. Or, you can take the train to Carrara and tour the world-famous Carrara marble quarry.