Florence from Livorno cruise port: a self-guided city game

Only with a long port day. Florence is inland: ships dock at Livorno, about 90 km away. Take the port shuttle into Livorno and bus 1 (or a taxi) to Livorno Centrale, then a regional train of around 1 h 20 to Firenze Santa Maria Novella; the hunt starts at the basilica a few minutes' walk away. Allow about 2 hours each way plus about 3 hours for the hunt, so you need roughly 9-10 hours in port.

From Livorno cruise port to Santa Maria Novella

1. Take the Porto di Livorno 2000 shuttle bus from the ship into central Livorno, about 10 minutes. It runs for the whole time the ship is in port; some cruise lines include it, others charge for a day pass.
2. From the centre of Livorno, take city bus 1 to Livorno Centrale station, about 15 minutes; buy the ticket at a kiosk or newsstand before boarding. From the outer berths, a taxi straight to the station (about 10 minutes) is simpler.
3. Take a regional train to Firenze Santa Maria Novella, around 1 h 20 (roughly 70-100 minutes depending on the train), with one to three trains an hour. No reservation is needed, but check the Trenitalia timetable on the day.
4. From Firenze Santa Maria Novella station, walk about 5 minutes south to the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella and start the hunt.

A Florence day from Livorno, hour by hour

1. 0:00Off the ship; port shuttle into central Livorno and bus 1, or a taxi straight to Livorno Centrale.
2. 0:40Regional train from Livorno Centrale to Firenze Santa Maria Novella.
3. 2:10Walk to the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella and start the hunt; San Marco, San Lorenzo and the Duomo come first.
4. 5:10Finish at Piazza della Repubblica after Piazza della Signoria, the Uffizi and the Ponte Vecchio; walk 10-15 minutes back to the station.
5. 5:30Train back to Livorno Centrale, then bus and shuttle, or a taxi, to the ship.
6. 7:30Back on board, at least 1.5 hours before all-aboard time.

Tips for Florence when time is short

• Livorno Centrale station is not realistically walkable from the cruise berths; use the shuttle plus bus 1, or a taxi.
• The shuttle drop-off in central Livorno is not at the train station, so add the bus or taxi leg to your plan.
• Check the return train times before you leave and take an earlier train than you think you need: strikes or delays are your risk, and the ship will not wait.
• The Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and Ponte Vecchio are very crowded in the middle of the day in summer; you can change the order of the stops in the app.
• The finish at Piazza della Repubblica is only 10-15 minutes' walk from Santa Maria Novella station, so you end close to your train.

Why a self-guided game works on a port day

• You start when you step off the ship, not at a fixed tour time, and nobody waits for a group.
• Everyone in your party can follow on their own phone with one booking reference.
• You can stop for lunch or a swim and carry on later, and end the game whenever you need to head back.
• Google Maps guides you from stop to stop, and the game needs no entry tickets.

Florence cruise stop: questions

Pick your Florence game

Port and transport details checked in November 2026. Docking positions and timetables change, so always check your ship’s all-aboard time and your cruise line’s port information before you set off.