Med Cruisers . . . Let's Discuss 2013 Planning!

[lilpooh108]

I am still deciding between going w/Disney for our Rome Excursion versus doing it on our own with a guide once we get there . . .

Anyway, I researched this last year but I'm refreshing my own memory on how to get to the train station from the Port.

Here is someone else's step by step instructions (with pictures):

http://www.eportreviews.com/Europe/Rome_Italy1.htm

[lilpooh108]

For La Spezia, has anyone done the Cinque Terre ferries or a boat tour?

Here is the ferry schedule: http://www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it/

Would love some opinions on doing a boat tour to Cinque Terre instead of doing Pisa/Lucca/Florence.

Thanks.

[nzdisneymom]

Originally Posted by lilpooh108

For La Spezia, has anyone done the Cinque Terre ferries or a boat tour?

Here is the ferry schedule: http://www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it/

Would love some opinions on doing a boat tour to Cinque Terre instead of doing Pisa/Lucca/Florence.

Thanks.

We are actually planning to use the train from La Spezia to visit the towns of Cinque Terre.

[gatorfreud]

We are going to use the train too. Actually, I think we will walk between the first 2 - supposed to be a nice easy flat walk. Then train to some others.

Kim

[nzdisneymom]

Originally Posted by gatorfreud

We are going to use the train too. Actually, I think we will walk between the first 2 - supposed to be a nice easy flat walk. Then train to some others.

Kim

We are thinking we'll take the train to the furthest point which is Monterosso and then explore our way back to Riomaggiore. Actually, we will watch the time and make sure we allow enough to take the walk between Manarola and Riomaggiore even if it means we miss Vernazza or Corniglia. Corniglia is the one that doesn't have a ferry stop.

[lilpooh108]

Originally Posted by nzdisneymom

We are thinking we'll take the train to the furthest point which is Monterosso and then explore our way back to Riomaggiore. Actually, we will watch the time and make sure we allow enough to take the walk between Manarola and Riomaggiore even if it means we miss Vernazza or Corniglia. Corniglia is the one that doesn't have a ferry stop.

How long is the walk between each village? I read that you have to buy a pass to walk the path...do you know where to buy this?

Thanks!

[nzdisneymom]

Originally Posted by lilpooh108

How long is the walk between each village? I read that you have to buy a pass to walk the path...do you know where to buy this?

Thanks!

Yes, you do need a pass for the path - it's called the Cinque Terre card and it's about 5 Euro. The walk between Manarola and Riomaggiore is 1 KM or about 20 minutes. I found a lot of good information here about what there is at each village, how to get around, and what to expect.

[lilpooh108]

Originally Posted by nzdisneymom

Yes, you do need a pass for the path - it's called the Cinque Terre card and it's about 5 Euro. The walk between Manarola and Riomaggiore is 1 KM or about 20 minutes. I found a lot of good information here about what there is at each village, how to get around, and what to expect.

Very helpful, thanks! 1K is nothing' I hoof that running my DD from ride to ride during the last hour before DLR closes

[gatorfreud]

We aren't until 2014 - but I am torn between Pisa and Cinque Terre. We went to Pisa pre-kids and I thought it was pretty amazing. Not sure if the kids (9 and 11) will have that same impact... Not sure if we can get to Pisa in the AM (basically only to see the Tower), and a bit of CT in the afternoon? At the worst, I may try to go myself in the afternoon (I have always wanted to go there) and let DH and the boys stay on board. Not sure... decisions, decisions!

Kim

[lilpooh108]

Originally Posted by gatorfreud

We are going to use the train too. Actually, I think we will walk between the first 2 - supposed to be a nice easy flat walk. Then train to some others.

Kim

Thanks! Looking this up now.

[heatherbelle]

We did Cinque Terre last time. You get the card when you buy your train ticket for the paths.

We took the train to the first village, walked the lovers path to the second village it was boiling hot, then took the train to the last village and caught the train home. We set off around 9.00 from the ship and was back on board for 3.00 ish.

We were going to take the boat, but I decided the train would be better for my DS! He loves trains.

Take some swim wear with you as there are some lovely beaches at the villages, albeit small ones and crowded. You may need to cool down. The villages were beautiful but very crowded, as there was also a Princess ship in port on the same day.

You pay a one set train fare and can ride the train all day.

I agree with a previous poster if I was to do it again I would start at the village the furthest away and work backwards, you may avoid the crowds doing that.

[ldo]

kids 9-11 yrs old will want to climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa--trust me! My 9 yr olds saw it 3 years ago and now at 12 want to climb it. Make sure to buy Tower tickets ahead of time.
Cinque Terre is fantastic--one of the most picturesque spots I have ever seen. But, I think it appeals more to adults. We walked from Manarola? to the next town--easy, then ferried/boated to the other town. Corneiglia? is up in the hills--very tough climb--most skip that one.
Choose Pisa or CT, but both are too much for 1 day, unless you are on a tour, I might be concerned about missing the ship.

[lilpooh108]

Originally Posted by heatherbelle

We did Cinque Terre last time. You get the card when you buy your train ticket for the paths.

We took the train to the first village, walked the lovers path to the second village it was boiling hot, then took the train to the last village and caught the train home. We set off around 9.00 from the ship and was back on board for 3.00 ish.

We were going to take the boat, but I decided the train would be better for my DS! He loves trains.

Take some swim wear with you as there are some lovely beaches at the villages, albeit small ones and crowded. You may need to cool down. The villages were beautiful but very crowded, as there was also a Princess ship in port on the same day.

You pay a one set train fare and can ride the train all day.

I agree with a previous poster if I was to do it again I would start at the village the furthest away and work backwards, you may avoid the crowds doing that.

I'm planning on doing 2 villages w/DH AFTER our day out at Pisa/Lucca (or Florence). Do you think this is possible in terms of timing? Or maybe at least 1 village?

Seems such a shame to just skip the whole thing. I don't really wanna do Pisa/Lucca (or Florence), but all my family members do. They're compromising w/me on other excursions so I thought I'd give in and try to make it to at least 1 village on my own.

[gatorfreud]

Oh man, I guess we might have to go and let the kids climb it. Oh jeez, looks a bit scary to me! But.... I think we may have to do that. Dangit, I may miss Cinque Terre again... Maybe I can at least see it from the ship?

Kim

[nzdisneymom]

Our kids were 9 and 11 in 2007 and we did a half-day excursion through DCL to Pisa that included tickets to climb the tower. We picked Pisa as we had plans to be in Rome for a full-day (they went the opposite way around in 2007) and I knew the children would not be up for a full-day in Florence. So we did Pisa, and it was an afternoon excursion (left from the port at 1 p.m. and back at 5:30 - only we were late so they held the tender for us). Plus the boys really wanted to climb the tower - it was really fun to do it and so cool to be able to say we did! It had only been recently reopened for climbing back then.

Because we are B2B'ing, we are going into Florence one time and then will do Cinque Terre the other. Some DIS friends in 2007 had been to Cinque Terre and told us how fabulous it was, so I'd kept that in mind these last 6 years. If we hadn't had the kids with us in 2007, we would have gone to Florence then, but as it turned out, Pisa was one of our most fun days - relaxing in the a.m. because we didn't have an early report time for excursions.

We are doing Cinque Terre on our own rather than through DCL this time because the cost is much less for us to do it on our own and because we have a pretty long time in port. It's also why we're going to go to the furthest point first and work our way back - then if we had to make other transportation arrangements than the train, we wouldn't have as far to come back. Plus our children (teenagers now) are a little nervous about us exploring on our own without the assurances a DCL excursion gives about not leaving you behind in port (or at least helping you get to the next stop).