🌟Livorno, Italy🌟
Many Mediterranean cruises make a stop at the Port of Livorno. From here you can choose to explore the Renaissance beauty of Florence, the leaning tower in Pisa or the lovely walled city of Lucca.
Be aware that the drive to Florence is about 90 minutes each way but is well worth it and most ships remain in port long enough to allow enough time to see a good bit of the city. Pisa is closer to the port but some travelers feel that other than the leaning tower, there isn't enough to do to fill an entire day. Some opt to visit Pisa on the way back to the ship from Florence, but I caution against this, you'll miss sights in Florence and spend even more of your limited time in the car. Lucca is a less crowded but no less worthy option with its cobblestone streets and well preserved wall encircling its borders.
During our family's Disney Cruise Line Mediterranean sailing, we opted for a private transfer to Florence via Taxi For Cruisers (http://www.taxiforcruisers.com/en/). Our drives were prompt, friendly and professional and greeted us with ice cold water and air conditioned vans after a long day of touring in the sun.
After enjoying some Italian coffee in the lovely Piazza della Repubblica upon our arrival in Florence, we met our wonderful and knowledgeable tour guide from Freya's Florence Tours (www.freyasflorence.com). At the conclusion of our family-oriented tour of Florence we headed for lunch at La Ventreria (ristorantevetreria.it), just off the cathedral square. We didn't have to wait, as our tour company kindly made reservations for us prior to our arrival. Our delicious lunch hit the spot and powered us for our climb to the top of the Duomo. Before you travel be sure to secure your tickets online to avoid the disappointment of missing out on this experience and the hassle of long lines (duomo.firenze.it). In addition to the views of the city and the interior or the cathedral and dome, climbing the stairs to the top will allow you to appreciate the architectural feat Brunelleschi achieved so long ago. After descending, we indulged in some gelato before returning to our ship.
I'd love to help you plan your next cruise to the Mediterranean.
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