31 Oct 2022
I experienced a few large group tours 20-30 people. This was SO much better than that! I Just Drive is maybe a bit unique in that this tour isn't really a tour. Its just managed logistics. And thats a good thing!
Our guide Emiliano was ontime and very professional. The van was a Mercedes, looks brand new and equipped with wifi. The seats were comfortable and had ample room for the 8 people (full tour) on the van. Emiliano even brought bottled water for us!
It was a 2 hour drive to Riomaggiore, on the way we stopped at La Spezia to take in a scenic view of the bay. When we arrived in Riomaggiore, Emiliano explained how the day would go: We'd have 1 hour to tour Riomaggingiore, then we'd take the ferry to Manarola where we'd have another hour. Then we'd take the train to Vernazza where we'd 2 hours to eat lunch and tour Vernazza. Then we'd take the train back to Riomaggiore and tour the medieval church before heading to Pisa.
The villages of the Cinque Terre are very small. 1 hour is plenty of time to shop, stop for a cappuccino and take pictures of the town. We never felt rushed or that we didn't have enough time to see what we wanted to see. The trade off is that we only saw 3 of the 5 villages, but I think we got a great feel for the CT.
We trusted Emiliano to make lunch reservations for us and we had a table waiting for us when we arrived in Vernazza along with a special menu waiting for us. It was a great way to get a good lunch in about an hour (fast by Italian standards).
After our tour of the CT, we left Riomaggiore and drove about 1.5 hours to Pisa. Again, this is just managed logistics, if you want to climb the tower or enter the basilica or baptistry, you need to book your own tickets ahead of time! I had booked timed tickets for the Leaning Tower (based on I Just Drive's agenda) and we were there right on time for me to climb the Tower! We were in Pisa less than an hour, but that was enough time for me to experience the Tower and explore the Field of Miracles. It would not have been enough time for any other tour/attraction though...
Back in the van and Emiliano drove us back to Florence and dropped us off 2 minutes early. I was pretty amazed at the efficiency of the tour. They clearly have this dialed in! We didn't waste any time waiting for people to show up or meet back up with the group. It was very easy. Highly recommended!