Some interesting places: Italy

A few blog entries ago I mentioned the French Riviera being an astounding place of beauty and certainly worth a visit (scroll down if you missed it) so I decided after some immensely positive feedback that I would introduce you to part 2 and name a few other places worth exploring.

Ever popular is Italy, there are some fantastic places to visit and sights to see. If your cruise itinerary includes Civitavecchia (port for Rome) or Livorno (port for Pisa/Florence) then I would recommend some planned excursions.

Rome is beautiful, you have the Colosseum, Sistine Chapel, The Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica along with so much more. It is a trip you can easily take on your own however I would recommend if visiting for the first time that you book your excursion with your cruise line instead of going solo. It is about a one hour drive from the port into the ancient city and trips can last up to ten hours. It is a long day and I would advise a good sleep the night before (this meaning no propping the bar up until 2am) or you may well regret it.

Pisa is another lovely place, very busy but definitely worth exploring. The drive from the port into Pisa is usually around 45 minutes. Trips don’t tend to be too long so if you are hoping to get tickets to go to the top of the leaning tower be sure to book a longer excursion or visit on your own. If I remember correctly the intervals between visits to the top are about 30 minutes in length and for safety reasons only a certain number of people can climb the tower at one time. Two things to look out for on your drive to the city of Pisa are the huge American army base and the amazing field of Sun flowers.