Don’t Fly Home Yet: How We Turned the End of a Mediterranean Cruise Into an Italian Adventure
One of the questions people frequently ask when planning a Mediterranean cruise is what to do when the cruise ends. For us, the answer was simple. We weren’t ready to go home.
Our cruise ended in Civitavecchia, the port for Rome, on May 26. We could have headed to the airport, boarded a flight and called it a vacation. Instead, we went to the train station. The cruise was over, but Italy wasn’t.
Over the next several days, we traveled independently through Venice, Florence, Tuscany, Pisa and Rome. We rode local and high-speed trains, stayed in hotels strategically chosen around the way we were traveling, drank wine in Chianti, took a gondola through Venice, ate our way through Florence, saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa, explored the Vatican and ancient Rome, and even accidentally ended up about 100 feet from the President of Italy.
And we did all of it without renting a car, even though renting a car had originally been my plan.
Why I Changed My Mind About Renting a Car
When I first started planning our post-cruise adventure, I expected to drive. I had even gone through the process of getting an International Driving Permit so I could rent a car in Italy. On paper, a rental car sounded like freedom. We could leave when we wanted, stop when we wanted and go wherever we wanted.
Then I started looking at what that freedom would actually involve. There was the cost of the rental, plus fuel and parking, along with the challenge of navigating unfamiliar roads and cities. But there was another cost that mattered more to me. If I was driving, I wasn’t going to enjoy traveling through Italy.
My wife could sit back and watch the Italian countryside pass by while I concentrated on traffic, directions, parking and getting us safely to the next destination. That didn’t sound like much of a vacation for me.
So I started looking seriously at Italy’s rail system. By the time I added fuel to the cost of renting a car, we could travel between the major cities on high-speed trains, and we could do it in business class. That changed the equation completely.
Instead of spending hours behind the wheel, I could sit beside my wife, have a drink, talk, look out the window and enjoy traveling through Italy with her. Transportation wasn’t simply going to get us from one vacation experience to another. It could become part of the vacation.
Location Became Part of Our Transportation Plan
Once I decided we would travel primarily by train, where we stayed became extremely important. In Venice, we chose Maggior Consiglio, close to Venezia Santa Lucia train station. In Florence, we stayed at La Residenza dell’Orafo, right near Firenze Santa Maria Novella.
Those weren’t accidental choices. If you’re traveling from city to city by train, there isn’t much benefit in stepping off the train and then spending considerable time and money getting across town to your hotel, especially when you’re carrying luggage.
Florence turned out to be an especially good example. Not only was our hotel close to the train station, but the buses for many organized excursions into Tuscany and the Chianti wine region departed from an area only about a block behind the station. That meant the station wasn’t merely where we arrived and departed. It became the transportation hub for our entire stay.
Later, when we returned to Rome and weren’t changing cities anymore, we deliberately changed strategies. Our Airbnb was approximately 200 meters from Trevi Fountain. We didn’t need to be beside the train station anymore. We wanted to be beside Rome.
That left me with one of my biggest planning lessons from the trip: When you’re moving between cities, stay near transportation. When you’re staying put, stay near what you came to see.
Solving the Cruise Luggage Problem
There was one complication. We hadn’t packed for a minimalist backpacking trip through Europe. We had packed for a cruise, and each of us had a checked suitcase plus a carry-on.
Trying to haul all of that through Venice and Florence and onto and off multiple trains didn’t sound particularly appealing. Once we started traveling, we saw other people doing exactly that. Believe me, they looked miserable. We watched people trying to maneuver large suitcases onto trains, through stations and into luggage areas, knowing they would have to get everything back off again at their destination.
We wanted no part of it, so we essentially created a smaller trip inside our larger trip.
The night before we disembarked, we deliberately repacked. We loaded our backpacks with what we would need for the Venice and Florence portion of the trip. I even downsized the medical kit I normally carry while cruising, taking a much smaller version with the things I thought we might realistically need during those few days. Everything else stayed in our suitcases.
That became another lesson from the trip. You don’t necessarily have to pack light. You have to travel light when traveling light matters.
From the Cruise Ship to Rome
We had arranged for the same driver who dropped us off for the cruise to pick us up when the ship returned to Civitavecchia. Instead of taking us to the airport, he dropped us at the Civitavecchia train station, where we boarded the slower local train into Rome.
Once we reached Rome’s main train station, we walked about half a block to a Closebox.com luggage-storage location. We left the bulk of our luggage there and kept our backpacks. Suddenly, we weren’t two cruise passengers trying to drag a vacation’s worth of luggage across Italy.
Because our high-speed train wasn’t leaving immediately, we also didn’t spend the next few hours sitting inside the train station. We walked across the street, found somewhere for lunch, ordered some wine and enjoyed Rome. Eventually, we headed back toward the station, leaving the big bags behind, and boarded the high-speed train north carrying only what we would need for the next several days.
Next stop was Venice.
Arriving in Venice by Train
One of the great things about arriving in Venice by train is the arrival itself. We checked into Maggior Consiglio near Santa Lucia station, exactly as we had planned. That meant we didn’t arrive and immediately face the problem of hauling our belongings halfway across Venice. We could get settled and start exploring.
That evening included one of those experiences that almost seems mandatory on a first visit to Venice, a gondola ride. The next morning we explored more of the city, including the Rialto Bridge, Bridge of Sighs and Piazza San Marco. At 11:00 a.m., we had a guided tour of Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica.
Then, instead of spending another night in Venice, we walked back toward the train station and continued the trip.
Venice for Breakfast, Florence for Dinner
At approximately 2:30 that afternoon, we boarded another high-speed train. A few hours later, we were in Florence.
That day illustrates why I came to appreciate traveling by train so much. We woke up in Venice, explored the city, toured Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica, then boarded a train and let somebody else do the driving. By late afternoon, we were checking into La Residenza dell’Orafo near Santa Maria Novella station.
We still weren’t finished. At 6:00 that evening, we headed back out for a Florence sunset food and wine walking tour.
I’m especially glad we booked that tour for our first night. It would have been easy to arrive from Venice, check into the hotel and decide we had done enough for one day. Instead, within hours of arriving, we were walking Florence’s streets, sampling the food and wine and getting our first real feel for the city.
When the organized tour ended, our night didn’t. We took our time walking back toward the hotel. At one point, we crossed a bridge over the Arno and stopped to look down the river toward the unmistakable Ponte Vecchio. Somewhere along the way, because we were in Italy, we stopped for gelato.
As we got closer to the area around the train station, we crossed a large piazza where street singers were performing, so we stopped and listened for a while. None of that had been scheduled. There were no tickets, reservations or tour guide telling us what came next. We were simply walking through Florence at night.
Those are often the moments I remember most from traveling. You plan the big things months in advance, including the cruise, flights, hotels, trains and excursions. Then Italy gives you a bridge, some gelato and a street singer.
A Florence Hotel That Fit the Way We Traveled
Our Florence hotel had another feature we really liked. Breakfast was included, but it wasn’t served inside the hotel. Instead, we received vouchers for a restaurant directly across the street. We simply walked out the hotel door, crossed the street and breakfast was waiting.
You could even order an American breakfast. Yes, we were in Florence, Italy, and sometimes you just want eggs in the morning.
It was another small example of why the location worked so well for us. The train station was nearby, restaurants were nearby, Florence’s historic center was walkable, and the departure point for our trip into Tuscany was essentially right behind the station. The hotel wasn’t simply somewhere we slept. Its location was part of our travel strategy.
Into Tuscany and Chianti
The next morning we walked to the departure point for our small-group tour into Tuscany. Again, no rental car was required.
Our tour took us into the Chianti region for wineries, wine tastings, olive oil and lunch. There was also another fairly obvious advantage to taking an organized tour instead of renting a car. We were going to wineries, and I wasn’t driving.
Instead of worrying about unfamiliar roads or deciding who was going to skip the wine, we could both enjoy the experience and let somebody else worry about getting us back to Florence.
After spending the day in Chianti, we returned to Florence and walked just a couple of blocks to Osteria Pepò, close to Florence’s leather-market area.
There was one thing I particularly wanted to eat while we were in Florence: Bistecca alla Fiorentina, or Florentine steak. It is one of the signature dishes of Tuscan cooking and is particularly associated with Florence. It is a thick steak traditionally cooked over intense heat and served quite rare.
Mine arrived sliced on a wooden board, beautifully charred on the outside and red through the center, accompanied by grilled vegetables. My wife had pasta, and naturally there was dessert. If you’re going to eat Bistecca alla Fiorentina, it is difficult to imagine a more appropriate place to do it than Florence.
Once again, the evening demonstrated why staying near the station had worked so well. The train was nearby, our Tuscany tour departure point was nearby, restaurants were nearby, the leather market was nearby, and historic Florence was right there to explore on foot. We had originally selected the hotel because it would make transportation easier. What we discovered was that it made almost everything easier.
The One Thing I Would Change
The following morning, we left Florence on a half-day excursion to Pisa and the Leaning Tower. It is one of the world’s most recognizable landmarks, and I’m glad I can say I’ve seen it.
But if I were planning this trip again, Pisa is the one thing I would change.
For us, the Leaning Tower was really the attraction. We traveled to Pisa, saw the tower and returned to Florence. There was nothing particularly wrong with the experience. The problem was what those hours cost us, which was more time in Florence.
Our first evening had already shown us what we liked about the city. We had the food and wine tour, walked the streets afterward, looked down the Arno toward Ponte Vecchio, stopped for gelato and listened to street singers in a piazza. Those experiences made me want more time simply wandering Florence.
If I were building this exact itinerary again, I would keep the first-night food and wine tour and absolutely keep the full-day Chianti experience. I would drop Pisa and give Florence the extra half-day.
That is something traveling has taught me over the years. Seeing more places doesn’t necessarily mean having a better vacation. Sometimes another pin on the map isn’t worth sacrificing several hours somewhere you’re already enjoying.
Back to Rome and Back to Our Luggage
After returning from Pisa, it was time to leave Florence. We went back to Santa Maria Novella and boarded the high-speed train to Rome.
Now our luggage strategy came full circle. We retrieved the checked bags and carry-ons we had left in storage, but we didn’t try dragging everything through Rome’s public transportation. We were finished changing cities, so we hired a driver to take us and all our luggage to our Airbnb near Trevi Fountain.
Now we had our full suitcases again, and now it didn’t matter. We could unpack.
Rome had a different purpose than Venice and Florence. We weren’t catching another train the following afternoon, so rather than prioritizing Termini station, we prioritized the historic center. Our Airbnb was roughly 200 meters from Trevi Fountain, which meant we could walk out the door and experience Rome.
One Very Full Day in Rome
One of our Rome days started very early. At 7:30 a.m., we had an early-morning Vatican tour. Later that morning, we visited Castel Sant’Angelo. After lunch, we shifted toward ancient Rome.
At 2:30 p.m., we had a special-access Gladiator’s Gate tour of the Colosseum, along with Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. Apparently, we hadn’t had enough Colosseum yet because after dinner we returned for an 8:00 p.m. Colosseum night tour.
It was a long day, but we had traveled thousands of miles to be there. We could sleep when we got home.
The following day was different. We explored Rome at our own pace, including Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona and the Fountain of the Four Rivers.
Eventually, after seeing the major tourist attractions, we decided we had done enough sightseeing for a while. We just wanted somewhere to sit down and relax.
That decision led to one of the most unexpected moments of the entire trip.
The Most Unexpected Thing We Saw in Rome
We walked up the hill toward Villa Carlo Alberto al Quirinale, a small park where we could get off our feet and relax. Getting there took us across Piazza del Quirinale and past the Quirinal Palace. There were armed police officers around the building, so it was obvious that this wasn’t just another old building in Rome, but we weren’t there to tour it. We continued to the park.
After relaxing for a while, we started walking back. When we reached the piazza again, we decided we weren’t quite finished resting, so we found a bench and sat down.
Then things started getting interesting.
Police officers began appearing from seemingly every direction. The activity around the building increased, and it became obvious that something was about to happen. We stayed on our bench and watched.
Not long afterward, a motorcade came screaming out of the building. It was the President of Italy, and there we were sitting on a bench perhaps 100 feet away.
Think about that for a moment. We had spent months planning this trip. We had made reservations for the Vatican and the Colosseum, bought train tickets, arranged hotels, scheduled winery tours and planned our time in Venice, Florence, Tuscany, Pisa and Rome. Yet one of the most unusual things we experienced happened because our feet were tired and we decided to sit on a bench.
You couldn’t have put that on the itinerary if you tried.
Leave Some Room for Italy to Happen
That experience reminded me of our first evening in Florence. We had scheduled the food tour, but we hadn’t scheduled looking down the Arno toward Ponte Vecchio afterward. We hadn’t scheduled the gelato or the street singers, and we certainly hadn’t scheduled sitting about 100 feet from the Italian president’s motorcade in Rome.
That is why I think there is a balance to planning a trip like this. You need enough planning to make it work. Popular attractions need reservations. You need to know where you’re sleeping and how you’re getting from one city to another.
But don’t schedule every minute.
Sometimes that means gelato and street singers in Florence. Sometimes it means sitting on a bench in Rome wondering why police officers are suddenly appearing from every direction.
Was Taking the Train the Right Decision?
For us, absolutely.
Remember, I had prepared to rent a car. I had the International Driving Permit. I wasn’t avoiding driving because I couldn’t do it. I simply realized that driving wasn’t going to improve this particular trip.
By the time I considered the rental price and fuel, we could travel by high-speed train in business class. More importantly, I got to be on vacation too. I could sit beside my wife, enjoy the scenery and let somebody else worry about getting us from Rome to Venice, Venice to Florence and Florence back to Rome.
Because we selected our accommodations around the way we were traveling, we also didn’t replace the inconvenience of driving with the inconvenience of constantly taking taxis across town.
The train wasn’t one isolated decision. It was part of a larger strategy. We used the train between cities, stayed near the stations while we were moving around, stored the luggage we didn’t need, used organized transportation when going into places such as Chianti, and then changed strategies once we reached Rome and were staying put.
That combination worked exceptionally well for us.
Don’t Treat Travel Days as Lost Days
Another lesson from this itinerary is that a travel day doesn’t automatically have to be a wasted day.
The morning our cruise ended, we traveled from Civitavecchia to Rome, stored our luggage, had lunch and wine, and then continued to Venice. The next day, we toured Venice before boarding the high-speed train to Florence, and that evening we were doing a food and wine walking tour through Florence.
After Pisa, we returned to Florence, caught another train and continued to Rome.
The transportation fit around the vacation rather than consuming it. That required some planning, but it allowed us to do an enormous amount without sacrificing an entire day every time we changed cities.
What I’d Do Again and What I’d Change
If I were planning another post-cruise trip through Italy, I would use the high-speed trains again and seriously consider business class again. I would stay close to the railway station when I knew we would be changing cities, use luggage storage rather than hauling cruise luggage around unnecessarily, and pack a backpack specifically for the mobile portion of the trip.
I would also use organized excursions for destinations outside the cities when they made sense, particularly somewhere like Chianti. Once we reached our final city and were staying put, I would switch strategies again and stay near the attractions.
I would keep the Chianti tour. I would keep the first-night food and wine tour in Florence. On this particular itinerary, I would skip Pisa and give Florence more time.
Most importantly, I would deliberately leave some time unscheduled, because some of the things I remember most weren’t necessarily the things we traveled thousands of miles specifically to see. They were the moments in between.
The Cruise Was Over, but the Adventure Wasn’t
For many Americans, getting to Europe is one of the most expensive and time-consuming parts of the vacation. If you’re already there for a Mediterranean cruise, don’t automatically assume that disembarkation morning needs to mean airport morning.
Look at a map. Look at the trains. Look at where you could be in a few hours, and then ask yourself whether another adventure might be waiting after the cruise.
Our ship took us around the Mediterranean, but once we stepped off in Civitavecchia, the experience changed. There was no cruise line handling our transportation, no cabin waiting for us at the end of the day and no excursion desk organizing the next stop. We chose the trains, hotels and tours. We figured out what to do with our luggage. We made a few decisions I would absolutely repeat and at least one I would change.
For several days, Italy stopped being a collection of cruise ports and became the destination.
Somewhere between a gondola in Venice, wine in Chianti, gelato in Florence, Bistecca alla Fiorentina, the Colosseum in Rome and an unexpected presidential motorcade, the trip stopped feeling like an extension of the cruise.
It became an adventure of its own.
The cruise was over, but our adventure wasn’t.
KJB Alan
Travel. Adventure. And the experiences behind the stories.
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