TRAVEL INFORMATION - Florence and Tuscany - page 302

Travelling by Ferry and
River Boat
Tuscany has a long and beautiful coast that boasts
seven islands of which Elba, Giglio, Capraia, and
Giannutri are visitable. All are well served by the ferry
companies Moby and Toremar, especially during the
summer months. The mainland ports are Piombino,
Santo Stefano and Livorno (Leghorn). The closest
airport is Pisa, from which you can reach Piombino by
a combination of bus and train, or by car. For Livorno,
bus No. 101 from the airport arrives in Livorno city;
from there switch buses for the port.

to Capraia is nearly 3½ hours
on the ferry or 1½ hours on
the fast boat (passengers only,
no vehicles). Ticket costs vary
depending on what vehicle
you take and the number of
passengers you are travelling
with. Toremar tends to be
the cheaper option.

TICKETS

Tickets for all ferries can be
purchased directly from the
ferry company. It's also worth
checking their websites,
which may have special
offers. Avoid resellers who
may charge extra. Advance
booking is strongly recom-
mended if you are travelling
with a vehicle; for travel in
August you will need to book
a few weeks in advance.
Individuals travelling without
a vehicle can usually get tick-
ets on the day of travel.

RIVER BOAT TOURS

Portoferraio, the main port on Elba

ARRIVING BY FERRY other parts of the port used

by major cruise lines, but
taxis are available. From the
port, there is also a bus
service to Pisa Airport and
Pisa train station, which takes
around 35 minutes. The train
to Pisa runs approximately
every 20 minutes and the
journey takes 15-20 minutes.

From June through to
September, the Renaioli
Association in Florence offers
inexpensive 1 hour boat tours
on the Arno, departing from
near Ponte alle Grazie. Boats
seat up to 16 people with a
minimum of six people per
group. It is possible to reserve
a tour guide to accompany
you on the tour. Price varies
by number of guests and use
of guide.

Tuscany can be reached by
ferry from other regions of
Italy. Livorno is connected to
Sardinia (port of Cagliari) and
Sicily (Palermo); Piombino
connects to Sardinia (Olbia)
and Corsica (Bastia). Livorno
is also the major port for
international cruise ships.

TRAVELLING BY FERRY

PORTS

When driving to any port,
follow signs for Porto/
Imbarchi and then the sign
for your chosen ferry com-
pany ( Moby or Toremar ).
If you are taking your
vehicle on the ferry, you will
be directed to line up and
turn off your engine in a
numbered lot to await the
boat. There is also short- and
long-term parking available at
Livorno and Piombino.
Washrooms are scarce at
ports, but services on board
are available and reasonably
clean. Ferries have both
indoor and outdoor seating
and a snack bar. There is
limited shade outdoors so be
sure to wear a hat.
Ferries from Piombino to
Elba and Porto Santo Stefano
to Isola del Giglio take
approximately 1 hour. Livorno

DIRECTORY
FERRY OPERATORS
Moby
Tel [phone]
(from abroad).
Tel [phone] (from Italy, toll).
www .moby.it
Toremar
Tel [phone]
(from abroad).
Tel 892 123 (from Italy, toll).
www .toremar.it

Tuscany's mainland ports are
Livorno, Piombino and Porto
Santo Stefano. On the islands,
Elba's main port is Porto-
ferraio, along with the smaller
Rio Marina and Porto Azzurro.
The other islands have only
one tourist port.
If you arrive at Stazione Mar-
ittima, at the port of Livorno,
and wish to take a self-guided
day trip to Florence, the train
is your best option. It takes
1½ hours and there are trains
every hour. Take the shuttle
bus (€5 return) from the port
to Piazza Grande, in front of
the Duomo. From here
various city bus lines go to
Livorno Centrale train station.
Alternatively, Piazza Grande is
about 10 minutes' walk from
where ferries dock. It will
take longer to walk from

RIVER BOAT TOURS
Renaioli Association
(Arno tour) and
Tickets
Tel [phone].
www .renaioli.it
[e-mail]