Best way to see Leaning Tower of Pisa?

[Joel0917]

we are on the Disney Med cruise this summer. At this port my two kids just want to go see the tower of pisa.
What's the best and easiest way?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

we are on the Disney Med cruise this summer. At this port my two kids just want to go see the tower of pisa.
What's the best and easiest way?

We took a tour (DCL). It's about an hour from port to Pisa.

 

[o&smom]

We also did a port adventure with Disney when our son was 7. We did do some of the ports on our own, but chose Disney for this one.

 

[DWillowBay]

Tilt your head to the left!

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

Best way? In photos. In all seriousness, it’s such a tourist trap. I haven’t been via cruise, but the only way I’d do it is if it’s a stop on the way to or from something else. A fifteen minute pit stop is all you need. It’s not worth wasting a port day to go.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Best way? In photos. In all seriousness, it’s such a tourist trap. I haven’t been via cruise, but the only way I’d do it is if it’s a stop on the way to or from something else. A fifteen minute pit stop is all you need. It’s not worth wasting a port day to go.

Really, it's a matter of opinion. I totally wanted to go to the tower. Yes, it's distance away. Yes, there's lots of tacky souvenir stands. Yes that's all there is there. But I really enjoyed actually being there.

 

[Chemist]

We loved Pisa.

The church is beautiful and the acoustics in the baptistery are amazing. We were there when a tour guide sang a few notes and it was awe inspiring.

Climbing the tower was fun too.

We were there on a day trip from Florence not a cruise stop and were
Really
Glad we went.

 

[DisneyHelen]

We went there and enjoyed it.We went on a Disney tour that include climbing the tower.The travel time to Florence was too long for us and we had full day adventures in Naples and Rome.

 

[fredandkell]

We are using a bus tour on www.gobe.com. It’s about 60-70% cheaper than DCLs excursion. I read extensively in Rick Steves Mediterranean cruise ports book about Livorno, and while you can take a shuttle bus to the city center, then a bus to the train station, and then you walk about 30 minutes from the train station to get to the tower, all for $10 or less per person, for us it is worth paying a little more to avoid a lot of the walking and all of those transfers. Normally we don’t mind walking, but since Rome is the next day I want to save all of our energy for that one since it will be an all day, big use of energy type excursion.

Edited to provide full URL of excursion: https://www.gobe.com/destinations/e...o-to-pisa-solo-tour/p/TR-EUR-ITA-LIVO-EN-1007

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are using a bus tour on www.gobe.com. It’s about 60-70% cheaper than DCLs excursion. I read extensively in Rick Steves Mediterranean cruise ports book about Livorno, and while you can take a shuttle bus to the city center, then a bus to the train station, and then you walk about 30 minutes from the train station to get to the tower, all for $10 or less per person, for us it is worth paying a little more to avoid a lot of the walking and all of those transfers. Normally we don’t mind walking, but since Rome is the next day I want to save all of our energy for that one since it will be an all day, big use of energy type excursion.

Is DCL stopping in Livorno now? We ported in La Spezia for Florence/Pisa when we went.

 

[fredandkell]

Is DCL stopping in Livorno now? We ported in La Spezia for Florence/Pisa when we went.

For our 5-night in July, which I believe the OP is on, yep, we’re porting in Livorno.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

For our 5-night in July, which I believe the OP is on, yep, we’re porting in Livorno.

Well, Pisa is only 35-40 minutes from Livorno. Don't know about train service from port to there, but that could be an option, also.

 

[tlprice]

I think we are going to try http://www.tuscanybus.com/en/pisa/. Right now I have the DCL climb the tower tour booked because my daughter really wants to climb to the top. I'm hoping we'll be able to get tickets on our own and ride the bus instead. Unfortunately, you can't book your tickets for the tower until 20 days before the date. It will save us $144.75 per person if we can do it on our own. I really can't figure out what DCL is charging for in their exorbitant price for this excursion.

 

[fredandkell]

I think we are going to try http://www.tuscanybus.com/en/pisa/. Right now I have the DCL climb the tower tour booked because my daughter really wants to climb to the top. I'm hoping we'll be able to get tickets on our own and ride the bus instead. Unfortunately, you can't book your tickets for the tower until 20 days before the date. It will save us $144.75 per person if we can do it on our own. I really can't figure out what DCL is charging for in their exorbitant price for this excursion.

I agree. I felt that the Pisa excursions are grossly overpriced, more so than usual even for DCL! For example, they want $82/pp just to drive you back and forth to Pisa on a bus! Nothing else included in that price!

 

[anricat]

Our cruise stops in Livorno in June and we plan to use Tuscany Bus as well. Their price is very reasonable and then I'll just book to climb the tower online.

 

[ironz]

I don't know the best way to go see the Tower from the cruise, but I visited Pisa in 2000 (part of a non-cruise vacation) and I thought it was so interesting! At that time, they were trying to stabilize the leaning so you couldn't go in the tower, but it was fascinating to me. The duomo building next to the tower is also quite beautiful. Yes, there are a lot of vendors selling touristy crap in the area, but if you can look past them and try to just enjoy the tower and adjacent Duomo, it's awesome. I'm very happy I visited years ago.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We took a tour (DCL). It's about an hour from port to Pisa.

To add to this, our tour went to both Florence & Pisa (but we ported in La Spezia).

We were very glad we took the ship's tour, as the traffic back to the port was HORRIBLE - we arrived back at the port almost an hour late, and they were waiting for us, thankfully.

 

[HuskyGal]

I don't know the best way to go see the Tower from the cruise, but I visited Pisa in 2000 (part of a non-cruise vacation) and I thought it was so interesting! At that time, they were trying to stabilize the leaning so you couldn't go in the tower, but it was fascinating to me. The duomo building next to the tower is also quite beautiful. Yes, there are a lot of vendors selling touristy crap in the area, but if you can look past them and try to just enjoy the tower and adjacent Duomo, it's awesome. I'm very happy I visited years ago.

I was there in 2003 before I graduated from pharmacy school and they were doing the same thing. It seems like a long time to be working on it! I was the one who was interested in visiting the leaning tower but in hindsight I’d put it lower on my priority list. We likely went with it due it to being a low cost option. Kids would likely get a kick out of it.
Ironz, your pic looks familiar. Did you write a trip report on the alaska Cruise?

 

[ACQUADUCK]

Yes Been on many DCL Mediterranean cruises, DCL is very overpriced.

It's been a while since La Spezia was typically used , Livorno is now the normal port and it's easy by alternative public transport like trains, toms port guides online show how.

Typically the ship is in the port a very long time, so allowing time back, means no worry on traffic, I have been a number of times the freeways start close to the port so traffic is not an issue.

I always book private tours never had any issue and it's cheaper than DCL.

 

[ironz]

I was there in 2003 before I graduated from pharmacy school and they were doing the same thing. It seems like a long time to be working on it! I was the one who was interested in visiting the leaning tower but in hindsight I’d put it lower on my priority list. We likely went with it due it to being a low cost option. Kids would likely get a kick out of it.
Ironz, your pic looks familiar. Did you write a trip report on the alaska Cruise?

Oh, wow- they were working on it a long time! My dad is an engineer, so all the work they were doing was interesting to me.

And, yes, I did write a trip report for our Alaska cruise last year!