Italy Travel And Hotel Guide

The train station is 2km easterly of the centre; take city bus #1 or #2 to Piazza Grande. ATL buses from Piombino drop off on Piazza Grande; Lazzi buses from Florence, Pisa and Lucca arrive on Piazza Manin. The tourist office is just off Via Cairoli at Piazza Cavour 6 (Mon-Fri 9am-1pm, Tues & Thurs also 3-5pm; tel 0586.898.111, www.livorno.turismo.toscana.it ). The best hotel is the eighteenth-century villa La Vedetta , on the Montenero hill at Via della Lecceta 20 (tel & fax 0586.579957, www.tuscany.net/vedetta ; L150,000-200,000/¬77.47-103.29), with modern decor, parking, and spectacular panoramic views. Livorno has a rash of cheap hotels, some of which - around the harbour and station - are grim dives. Milano , Via degli Asili 48 (tel 0586.219.155, fax 0586.219.129; L60,000-90,000/¬30.99-46.48) is a pleasant exception. Villa Morazzana is a hostel in the hills, Via di Collinet 86 (tel 0586.500.076, fax 0586.502.426; L25,000/¬12.91). The campsite Miramare , Via del Littorale 220 (tel 0586.580.402, fax 0586.883.338, gallirisaliti@liternet.it ; May-Sept), is a short way south of town.

Italians travel to Livorno just to take seafood and, specifically, to feast on the local dish cacciucco , a spicy seafood stew served with garlic toast. A choice restaurant if you can spare L70,000/¬36.15 per head is Le Chiave , Scali delle Cantine (tel 0586.888.609; closed Wed). There are dozens of more inexpensive options: Antico Moro , Via Bertelloni 59 (tel 0586.884.659; closed Mon-Sat lunch and all day Wed) is a pleasant locals’ haunt with excellent cacciucco. Café d’Etoile , Via Indipendenza 13 (closed Sun), is a breezy café off Piazza Cavour serving fresh salads and snacks. On Venezia’s canalsides you’ll find the captivating couscous-house Mediterraneo , Scali Ponte di Marmo 14 (closed Tues), and The Barge , a waterside pub with English beers and food, Scali Ancore 6 (closed Sun).

Tags: 9am, atl, buses, city bus, florence, fri, lucca, manin, piazza cavour, piazza grande, pisa, tourist office, train station