Livorno is a port town known as the “Gateway to Tuscany”. While you could spend some time exploring the town of Livorno, the real reason of the stop is to serve as an access point to cities like Florence and Pisa. Upon chatting with passengers on our ship, I also found out that this is a port where a lot of guests choose to stay on the ship. If you’ve been to Florence or Pisa before, you may find the logistics of getting to these cities is not worth the hassle for only a few hours. However, if this is your first time, I highly recommend making the trek! It involves a bit of leg work, but is absolutely doable. It’s a great way to sample Florence for a few hours. Here’s how to get to Florence from Livorno on a cruise ship!
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Docking in Livorno
The cruise ship port in Livorno is located here, just outside the town. While it may appear close on a map, you actually are not able to walk off the ship and into town. More on the shuttle bus below, but unfortunately you are limited to that if you want to leave the ship. On the day we docked, the port was really busy with cargo ships, freight, and ferries. I understood why it would actually be a hazard to have cruise ship passengers walking around!
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Shuttle Bus to Town
After you disembark the ship, you will immediately be directed into a line to purchase tickets on the shuttle bus. As mentioned, this is the only way into town and you are not able to walk. Unfortunately if you want to leave the ship, you’re required to take the shuttle. The shuttle ticket costs €7 per person for a round trip ticket (both cash and card are accepted).
After everyone boards and the bus is full, they will head into town. The ride is short (only about 5 minutes) and will drop you off here, right near the Tourist Information Office. This office is a great resource for all your questions. Whether you are staying local in Livorno or need help getting to other cities in Tuscany. They can help with navigating public transportation, giving advice about timing your trip back, or anything else about the area. They were really helpful!
Public Bus to Livorno Train Station
After you get off the cruise ship shuttle, you will need to take the public bus to the Livorno Centrale train station. Walking to the station is also an option, but it’s about a mile and a half. Your time is better spent working your way to Florence!
Only about a 1 minute walk from the shuttle is the stop where you will grab the public bus to the train station. The bus stop is located on Via Grande, right outside H&M, located here. Keep an eye out for the sign pictured above and stand right next to it for the bus to stop. You are waiting for the 1+ bus route. The busses arrive every ~10 minutes and, in my experience, were pretty dependable. When the 1+ bus arrives, board through the front doors where you can pay the driver the €1,20 fare in cash or by tapping your card.
The ride is only about 10-15 minutes with stops, and you will stay on until the very last stop, which is right in front of the Livorno Centrale train station.
Important: The public busses in Livorno only allow you to buy one bus ticket per credit card. Therefore, each person in your party needs to pay with a different credit card. If you’re traveling with children, make sure you have a separate card for each person or pay in cash. If you try to tap twice with the same credit card, it will not work.
Livorno Train Station & Buying Tickets to Florence
Upon arrival, you’ll want to head straight for the red kiosks that read Trenitalia. At the first screen, you have the option on the bottom to select a new language to make it easy to navigate through the next screens. Simply click through indicating that you want to purchase a one-way ticket to Firenze Santa Maria Novella (often abbreviated as Firenze SMN) and select the number of tickets to purchase. Available train times will populate and you can select the next available one. Keep in mind that your tickets are only valid on that time train, and if you miss it you will need to re-purchase tickets for the new train!
About 15 minutes before departure, the platform number will populate on the main departure board in the terminal. As soon as that information is available, you can make your way to the train right away.
The Ride to Florence
The ride from Livorno to Florence on the train will last about an hour and a half. Our tickets were timed for an hour and fifteen minutes, both on both journeys in and out of Florence, we were held on the tracks for a bit due to train traffic. Definitely make sure you plan for some of these unexpected stops!
The first stop on the train is in Pisa, another popular stop for cruise ship passengers. If you’re pressed for time, you likely won’t be able to visit both Pisa and Florence (and if you had to choose between the two, Florence is the better option). The leaning tower is about a 20-30 minute walk from the train station, and from what I’ve heard, there isn’t much else to do in Pisa.
Along the ride, kick back and enjoy the scenic views of Tuscany! We passed by olive trees, vineyards, and stunning villas. It’s a really picturesque ride and you’ll enjoy every minute. Stay on the train until the very last stop, which is Firenze Santa Maria Novella. Not to be confused with the stop right before, which is Firenze Rifredi (which services a northern suburb of the city).
Exploring Florence
All in, it took about 2 and a half hours to get from the cruise ship to Florence. Make sure you keep track of time and leave yourself plenty of time to get back to Livorno! With the time constraints, we had about five full hours to explore Florence. At first, I was pressed thinking that wouldn’t be nearly enough time, but if you are efficient and accept the fact that you won’t get to do everything, you can have an enjoyable Tuscan day!
After getting off the train, we beelined it straight for the Piazza del Duomo. The Piazza is home to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and Giotto’s Bell Tower, both of which are iconic landmarks in Florence! After, make your way down the Via dei Calzaiuoli into the Piazza della Repubblica. Just a short walk from there is the Piazza della Signoria, which is an absolute must-see! This piazza is home to dozens of impressive statues, including an exact replica of David (the original is located in the Accademia Gallery). Spend some time appreciating the statues, duck into the Palazzo Vecchio, and then make your way past the Uffizi Gallery and walk along the River Arno.
Cross over the Ponte Vecchio, which is an iconic bridge home to tons of jewelry shops and enjoy the views along the river. On the other side, you’ll find my personal favorite gelato shop La Strega Nocciola, a store devoted to all things Pinocchio, and a famous wine window at Babae! There are also a ton of cute restaurants to grab a bite. We stopped at Ristorante Beccafico and I had some killer pasta!
Read More: Guide to a Perfect Port Day in Florence, Italy
Returning to the Ship
Returning to the ship is as easy as retracing your steps. However, with so many different modes of transportation, make sure you allow yourself plenty of time. After exploring in Florence, make your way back to the Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station and buy your ticket back to Livorno Centrale. The ride is the same time, about an hour and a half.
After arriving in Livorno, you will need to take the 1+ bus back to the center of town. The stop is located right in front of the train station, here is an exact pin. Be advised that if you’re within a few hours of all aboard time, you’ll probably be surrounded by other cruise passengers who also got off the train and need to get on the same bus. The busses run approximately every 10 minutes, so make sure you allow yourself time to wait for a bus or two if needed.
You will then take the bus to the stop Grande 5, located here. If you ask the bus driver to notify you when you arrive at the cruise ship shuttle stop, they will make an announcement for you. From there, it’s just a quick half-block walk back to the cruise shuttle stop. Keep in mind that the last shuttle leaves central Livorno 30 minutes before the all aboard time. Again stressing the importance of leaving yourself plenty of time!
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