Tag: Vatican

Italy is a European country that everyone should strive to see in their lifetime. A cruise is the perfect way to get a taste of beautiful Italian cities like Naples, Rome, Pisa and Florence as well as the world’s smallest country, the Vatican. On our Mediterranean cruise we tried to “do-it-ourselves” as much as possible so we didn’t get crushed by cruise line excursion prices. Check out our trip report!

• Naples (Wednesday, April 10, 2019) – Pompeii, Herculaneum, Mount Vesuvius.
• Civitavecchia (Thursday, April 11, 2019) – The gateway to the Vatican and Rome.
• Livorno (Friday, April 12, 2019) – The gateway to Pisa and Florence.

Naples

Naples was a great port city because you literally disembark and walk straight into town. This is the one port where we booked an excursion (outside of the cruise line) because after extensive research on do-it-ourselves transportation and talking with a good friend who had recently been, this ultimately was going to make the most sense. We opted to book an excursion through Shore Excursions Group that covered transportation from the ship to Herculaneum (impacted by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius) then to the famous Pompeii, onwards to Mount Vesuvius and ultimately back to the ship. It was decently priced and Addy, our infant (6 months) was free. As this was a transportation only service, we still had to buy tickets at each site. A car seat was unnecessary and a stroller was highly discouraged due to the uneven terrain at each location. We only brought our Tula carrier and we still think it was the best decision. I would also highly recommend this excursion because it ran exactly as promised, the guide in the car (separate from the driver) spoke very clear English and shared history and recommendations with us during our rides to each destination. Herculaneum is very doable in the 60-90 minutes given to view it as it’s much more compact than Pompeii.

Herculaneum

• Overview: 11 euros each; must check your bags for free and this is a separate line from the tickets if you didn’t purchase ahead of time so divide and conquer if you can; bring some information to read (they ran out of English guides when we were there)

Pompeii

• Overview: 15 euros each; this place is HUGE so make sure you know where you are dropped off and are supposed to meet back up; tickets can be purchased ahead of time or at the gate; pick the top items you want to see (if you look at the map we focused on section I-II and VII-IX)

Mount Vesuvius

• Overview: Bring cash for your tickets which are 6.5 euros each; a jacket and good walking shoes are a must for hiking to the top and cross your fingers it’s not too foggy!

Civitavecchia (gateway to Rome and the Vatican)

From our ship we took a short bus ride to the port entrance (there wasn’t a walking option). Once we left the entrance, this city was very well signed and it was about a 15 minute (almost perfectly straight shot) walk to the train station. Take it from us – you can absolutely get to Rome and back to the ship without paying for an overpriced cruise tour. While there is a new speed train, I would recommend the “slow” commuter train if you plan to go to the Vatican first. We looked up the schedule ahead of time so we knew we wanted to catch the 8:39 am, 8:55 am or 9:16 am train and anticipated a 40 minute ride to S. Pietro station. We were able to purchase the ticket from a machine with a credit card, but be weary as we had a staff person try to sell us the new train ticket, which for us didn’t make sense because we would have waited around the station for quite some time for the 9:35 am train plus it’s slightly more expensive.

We took a short walk from S. Pietro station and I read online that if you get in the line for Saint Peter’s Basilica by 10 am, it’s about a 45 minute wait. This was accurate almost to the minute for us, even with the line looking very intimidating. We didn’t have much time to look around once we got inside, but we are happy we got the few minutes we did. On the way in we saw the Statue of David and were amazed by the views inside. If you have more time, you may want to pay to see the dome or check out the Grottoes (it’s free, but make sure to do it last as you’ll end up outside afterwards). We had to hustle to the Vatican Museums for our 11:30 am confirmed ticket (BUY THEM AHEAD OF TIME, print and have your passport just in case). It was a good 20 minute walk from the exit of the Basilica to the Vatican Museums. It’s absolutely beautiful, but they herd everyone through, so do your reading ahead of time. The Sistine Chapel is lovely but unfortunately, you can’t take pics or videos. Adjust your expectations and expect to be “rushed” through the Vatican. Personally, my favorites were the room with paintings on the ceilings and floor to ceiling tapestries (Tapestries Hall) and Raphael’s Room.  

We found we could always find someone to help us with directions. Even though it wasn’t recommended by most, we walked from the Vatican to Castel Sant’Angelo and then across the Tiber River (which also has a beautiful view of the Vatican) in order to see the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, the Piazza Venecia and ultimately the Colosseum. We were amazed by all of them and I was so happy the Trevi Fountain wasn’t under construction (like it was in May 2010). This was a TON of walking while carrying a baby (more than 3 miles), but a great way to see the city (versus finding and taking public transportation or paying for a cab). Luckily there was a metro stop right by the Colosseum and a guard there was able to give us directions on where to transfer so we could get on the commuter train back to Civitavecchia.

Livorno (gateway to Pisa and Florence)

Livorno…this is how cruise companies get you. First, we had to pay (well, we didn’t…but that’s another story) 5 euros cash or so for a roundtrip bus ticket to get from the cruise ship to a square in town (I believe the Piazza del Municipio). This annoyed me only because there wasn’t an option to walk. From the square, we opted for the approximately 1.5 mile walk to the train station (Livorno Centrale), where we crossed the famous Piazza della Republica to board a train for Pisa. (There is a bus option to Pisa too.) Even though it’s almost a straight shot, I definitely recommend bringing a map, asking locals (use the word “stazione”) or using the GPS on your phone if it works. Once we were at the station, it was super easy. Trains leave every 15 minutes or so, it’s a 15 minute ride and only $3 a person! Let me tell you, this is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than what you will pay with a cruise line AND the funny thing was when we arrived to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, it was about the same time the people from the cruise line tour were arriving by coach bus. After we arrived in Pisa (at Pisa Centrale, train station), it was about a 15-20 minute walk to the actual Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Square of Miracles. En route to the Leaning Tower, the bridge we took over the Arno River has a pretty view and lots of vendors were selling beautiful flowers. We also passed through two markets which were neat to browse. In my research, one thing I learned is infants (and actually anyone under 8) CANNOT go up the Leaning Tower. This helped us to stay focused on the view from the outside. We enjoyed taking lots of fun pictures, as one does when they’re here. (Having climbed up it in May 2010, if you have to miss out on going inside in order to spend more time in Florence, I think it’s the right call. Of course if you’re taking a land tour of Italy and not cruising Italy, definitely go up it!)

We made the walk back to Pisa Centrale and took a train to Florence (stop: Santa Maria Novella) which is about an hour ride and about $11 per person. The ride was comfortable and once we arrived in Florence, we got a map at the Tourist Information center (across the street from the train station by a church) and started making our way toward the Arno River to see the Ponte Vecchio (bridge). It’s the bridge which houses tons of jewelry stores. From there it’s a nice walk down by the Uffizi Gallery to see the statues of famous men like Da Vinci, Giotti and Botticelli. At the end, it opens up and you can see the Piazza della Signoria, the Statue of David and Neptune’s Fountain. We walked to the famous Florence Cathedral (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore) and waited in the very long line. We ultimately got in (it’s free) and saw Brunelleschi’s Duomo. At first it’s not obvious why everyone waits so long to get inside, but once you see the painting inside the dome, you will be amazed. It’s beautiful like the Sistine Chapel. We enjoyed walking around the leather market and inside Mercato Centrale (lots of food choices). Florence is a beautiful city with friendly people (in May 2010 I enjoyed a few days here with friends and highly recommend getting tickets to the Florence Cathedral to go to Giotto’s Bell Tower). We made the walk back to the train station, bought our tickets (about $13 per person) and got on our train back. Make sure to VALIDATE your ticket (any machine will do). We found that our train back to the port city was a long walk from the entrance and didn’t get a chance to. Luckily, a nice Italian women helped us and wrote our train number and time on the ticket for us and we didn’t get in trouble.

• 

Cruisin’ Italy

We went on a Pullmantur cruise out of Barcelona (check out my article about this awesome Mediterranean city) because the prices are extremely reasonable and kids are free (as in you don’t even pay port taxes or fees). And while we don’t drink, this is also an all-inclusive cruise line (think free house wines with lunch and dinner) AND they have an espresso bar which is also FREE! If you want to keep your trip affordable, take the time to plan it out and “do-it-yourself”, but also recognize that you can’t do it all. A cruise merely gives you a taste of each city so you know where to return to. Our biggest tip is to make sure to have the train schedules ready, your maps ready and not to be afraid to ask for directions! Happy travels and be sure to check us out on Instagram @teamtravelsbaby!