Med cruise excursions looking for recommendations for Livorno

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Looking for recommendations for port adventures for a day with three kids, 17, 13, 11. Considering Florence vs. Pisa. Florence tours are 10 hours long, one includes Michelangelo and David. Wondering if anyone has any experience good or bad? Would love for them to experience Florence but wonder if a 10 hour day is too crazy long.

There is also a Florence AND Pisa 10 hour tour but that feels too packed in and you only see Pisa from outside.

There's a half day climb the tower tour, but for $830 (all in) is that a total tourist trap?

Finally, there's a beach day that's tempting, called Torre del Lago Beach Break at Maestrale Beach but without reviews, and I can't find any, I'm reluctant to book.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!

 

[cheermom2four]

Cant really recommend anyone specifically since we havent sailed yet on our Med cruise, but since we have researched and planned I can tell you what we've decided to don on our upcoming Med cruise. We just researched private tours/drivers on TripAdvisor and went from there. We were able to book a private driver to get us to Florence (we booked our own tower climb tickets) and then a stop at Pisa on the way back to port. For 6 of us, I found going the private route instead of DCL excursions was a lot cheaper. Plus we set our own pace as we will have a then 6 year old with us.

 

[redsonja76]

I have never done Florence but have done Pisa and let me tell you it was breathtaking! Miracle square gives me goosebumps even now just thinking about it!!! No matter what you choose you will love it. Italy is a dream! Might I suggest you book a private tour, you will most likely pay less and have a much better time. I cannot recommend this company enough, they are AMAZING!!! http://www.romeinlimo.com/livorno/

 

[eva]

So funny how everyone has such differing opinions. We have been to Florence, Pisa, Lucca, and Cique Terra. Hands down the best is Cinque Terra. Florence is wonderful. But the travel time is pretty long and there is just too much to do. I would go there when you have more time. But if you go, DO NOT miss seeing David! Amazing! Lucca is a beautiful, quaint town to visit and wander around. Pisa is way at the bottom of our list. Seeing the leaning tower was nice, but the area has really been run over by beggars, pick pockets, and street merchants. Every couple of minutes someone was approaching you for something. We have lived in Europe before and are used to this type of thing in most major cities. But Pisa was one of the worst.

 

[jrabbit]

We spent 3 days in Florence - Couldn't imagine trying to pick a 10 hour tour that really wouldn't even scratch the surface of this very interesting city!!

Been to Pisa (you know there's this "leaning tower of..." that we have learned about since the first grade). Yes the Field of Miracles is pretty magnificent, but if you have spent any time in Rome, Naples, Florence, etc, this is "just more of the same". For some reason the street vendors bugged me more here than ANYWHERE ELSE we have been - Caribbean included! It is a holy place: Cathedral, Baptistery and Cemetery along with the Tower.

Wish we went to Cinque Terra. We docked in La Spezia so Cinque Terra was even closer - our only oops of a month long trip to Europe.

Get Rick Steves Italy book and review your options. If you need a "city" vs the "villages" in Cinque Terra then maybe Sienna (walled city) would be a better option.

 

[anricat]

If you go to Florence privately, make sure your tour includes a reservation to see David. If I remember correctly (we spent several days there not part of a cruise) you can't just show up and get in to see it. I remember having to make a reservation for a specific time.

Florence is a wonderful city with so much to see and do. It would be so hard for me just to get highlights. The Duomo is also incredible and you could spend DAYS at the Uffizi and still not see everything. As an aside, has anyone else watched the Medici show on Netflix? I'm halfway through, but it's pretty good.

Since we've already been there, we're going to go with Pisa when docked in Livorno. We're probably going to just take the train to Pisa on our own and buy tickets online ahead of time to climb the tower.

 

[eva]

If you go to Florence privately, make sure your tour includes a reservation to see David. If I remember correctly (we spent several days there not part of a cruise) you can't just show up and get in to see it. I remember having to make a reservation for a specific time.

Florence is a wonderful city with so much to see and do. It would be so hard for me just to get highlights. The Duomo is also incredible and you could spend DAYS at the Uffizi and still not see everything. As an aside, has anyone else watched the Medici show on Netflix? I'm halfway through, but it's pretty good.

Since we've already been there, we're going to go with Pisa when docked in Livorno. We're probably going to just take the train to Pisa on our own and buy tickets online ahead of time to climb the tower.

Yes you do need reservations to see David, kind of like the Vatican. If you do Pisa on our own, please be very alert. The walk from the train station goes through a market area that our guide warned us is full of pick pockets. People were approaching us all over in that market. Also, if you want to walk the tower, you need a reservation there too. If anyone in your group has mobility issues, don't go up the tower. It is very steep, the stairs are slick and there is nowhere to stop going up or down. It costs to go in the other buildings in the square, but they are worth a look.