The Montenero Funicular RailwayThis year, 2008, the Funicular Railway in Montenero, Livorno, is celebrating its 100th birthday.

It was inaugurated on 19th August 1908 and was the first electric railway of its kind in Italy. Until 1963, it represented the main means of transport for Montenero, until the building of the panoramic road leading directly to the Sanctuary.

There are two trains running up and down the 656m track, each one capable of carrying 40 passengers. They can transport up to 580 people per hour.

Discounts on local buses and in shops and museums

In operation again this year is the LIVORNO CARD, a means of saving money during your time in Livorno. The Livorno Card costs €3 for one day and €5 for three days, and is free for children under 12.

The advantages that come from holding a Livorno Card are as follows:
• Free travel on the local ATL bus service
• Free entry to the Giovanni Fattori Civic Museum and the Natural History Museum
• A discounted price of €8.50 for the boat trip on the canals of Livorno (full rate €10).
• Discounts at participating shops and restaurants (look for the Livorno Card logo).
• Tour Guides – 10% discount for groups and individuals
• Discounted entrance of €2 to the Caprilli race course on race days.

View of Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa (Via Santa Maria starts to the right of the green awning)It is quick and easy to get from Livorno to Pisa by train. The journey only takes 15-20 minutes, trains are frequent, and it is cheap - only €1.80 each way per person.

Please see my article about travelling to Florence for some general information about getting to the station, buying tickets, and not missing your cruise ship!

There is a direct bus link - bus 101 -  from the centre of Livorno to Pisa Airport. The bus starts in the centre of town, behind the cathedral (Largo Duomo), and also picks up at the Ferry terminal (Stazione Marittima). Tickets in Livorno can be obtained from the ATL office behind the cathedral (Largo Duomo) and the buses leave from behind the cathedral. In Pisa obtain tickets inside the airport at the newsagent's (or on the bus at a higher fare) and catch the bus opposite the terminal building. Tickets cost €2.50 one way.

As an alternative to the train, two bus companies run the Livorno-Pisa route - ATL (Livorno bus company) and CPT (Pisa bus company). 
The ATL service, no. 101, takes about 45 minutes. It goes via Pisa airport.

Dep Livorno (Largo Duomo) : 0655, 0825, 0910, 0955, 1040, 1125, 1255, 1425, 1510, 1555, 1640, 1725, 1855

Dep Pisa (bus station, near railway station): 0740, 0910, 0955, 1040, 1125, 1210, 1340, 1510, 1555, 1640, 1725, 1810, 1940

buy bus tickets from newspaper kiosksThere are 15 bus routes covering both the centre and outlying areas. Tickets cost €1 per journey and are valid for 75 minutes from the moment they are stamped (on board the bus when you start your journey).

They are available from tobacconists and newspaper kiosks, as well as from the bus office in Piazza Grande. There is a small blue machine on the bus where you should stamp your ticket when you get on. If your journey involves taking more than one bus, or the bus plus funicular railway (Montenero), you only need to stamp one ticket at the beginning of your journey (as long as you are within the 75 minute limit).

The Cheapest way to get around Livorno

Local Livorno bus in Piazza GrandeThere is no easier or cheaper way to explore Livorno than by using the local ATL bus service. There are 15 different bus routes covering the whole of the city and the surrounding districts, and for just €3 (the cost of  a one-day Livorno Card) you can get unlimited local bus travel for a whole day, hopping on and off any bus whenever and wherever you please. Alternatively, just buy a €1 single ticket per journey (valid for 70 minutes from when you stamp it on the bus) if you are only going to take one or two buses.
Nearly all Livorno’s orange ATL buses go through the central Piazza Grande, one of the city’s main squares (just 100m from the cruise ship shuttle bus stop).

The Number 1 and the Number 2 services are particularly useful  since they cover some of Livorno’s most interesting and noteworthy areas. Here’s a brief description of the two routes:

 Livorno railway stationA Guide to Getting the Train to Florence

Here is some info about the trains to Florence from Livorno. Doing it by yourself is usually cheaper than an organised tour, and you will have a few hours in Florence, but if you are on a cruise make sure you get back in time for the ship's departure!

If your cruise ship docks in the industrial port, as most of the big ships do, there will be a shuttle service which takes you into the centre of Livorno. From Piazza Grande, which is the square right behind the square where the shuttle bus stops, you can catch a no. 1 (most direct - about 10-15 minute ride) or no. 2 bus to the station. Buy a ticket at one of the news kiosks and stamp it in one of the blue machines when you get on board. The tickets cost €1. You may as well buy a couple each in the morning so you are equipped for the journey back.