bunnicooki

Thanks guys! I feel much better reading your replies & I knew someone here would have an answer that would put my mind to rest. Appreciate the help!

R

Thanks sooo much euro cruiser! I'll keep my eyes open there too :)

Any idea what the .pdf in the general strike info on cgsse.it says? It looks like it was dated 4/7 which is just a couple of days ago.

Sorry for the questions just trying to make sure we can adjust our plans if need be well in advance.

I understand that many things will be closed for the holiday and we're fine with that. My question is whether or not with a 'general strike' the train tickets we've purchased for 5/1 on Italo Treno from Venice to Rome will still be running. I've read that strikes will be posted well in advance, I just wasn't sure what a 'general strike' included so I was hoping maybe someone here with more knowledge could help clarify for me.

Thanks!!

Hey guys!

First time traveling in Europe and we plan on training (Italo) from Venice to Rome on May 1st which we know is a holiday. I know lots of inaugural Vista passengers will be going Venice to Trieste that day too. Anyhow, I've been checking cgsse.it and just noticed that there is a "general" strike shown for May 1st for the Nation.

http://www.cgsse.it/web/guest/scioperi-generali

Can anyone help me interpret the Italian and let me know if I should be considering alternate transportation arrangements that weekend or if a "general" strike is different than a transportation or rail strike.

Thanks so much if you can help!

R

With three days, there are better places in Provence though.

Noted. Out of curiosity, knowing we're going Aix and The Luberon, where would you head for your day 3 (Monday)? I love hearing other people's experiences so much!

Also... just fyi, we were originally going to go on the Vista's inaugural cruise, which would have been our first trip to mainland Europe but decided once we got into the trip planning that a few hours in each of these cities just wasn't going to be enough for us. So we're flying into Venice and out of Paris like we had already arranged with the cruise but we'll be seeing Rome, Barcelona, Provence & Amsterdam in between over 21 days. We know it's a lot, but we figured it's a heck of a lot more time in all of these cities than we were going to get to spend on the cruise, so we're super excited.

We've been to Iceland and our favorite days were just getting in the car and driving. We did Golden Circle on our own and seriously spent the ENTIRE day stopping here there and everywhere tromping through snow to pet horses, walk down to see roadside waterfalls, etc. So we're the type of traveler's who like to head a direction without really having to BE anywhere if that makes sense. Soaking it all in at our own pace is heaven to us and Provence looks ideal for that.

Anyhow, thanks again, really loving reading everyone's thoughts :)

I just wanted to say thanks again to all of you for the tips and advice.

I think we're going to spend our afternoon / evening Saturday in Aix.

Head to L'Isle on Sunday morning and spend the day driving & stopping where we feel inspired throughout the Luberon that afternoon.

And then just decide where we feel like heading on Monday. I like the idea of Les Baux & St Remy but our host in Nimes also recommended that we consider Aigues-Mortes too, so we'll see how we're feeling while we're there and go from there.

I read a post on Fodor's where one gal went with this huge list of places to see over their 3 day trip and ended up spending the entire day in Arles with no regrets because they just loved it... so I think we'll just go that route since we're mellow travelers and enjoy wherever we end up with our loose plans :)

Thanks again! As always you guys are a wealth of info for anyone planning a trip <3

Thanks so much guys! You've said just what I needed to hear <3 Can't wait for the trip!

Awesome info from you guys! Thanks so much.

Do you think we should prioritize any area over another due to it being a Sunday/Monday? I've read so frequently that stores and restaurants close up tight on these days more than Tues-Sat, but that's what we have to work with so I just want to make sure we head the right direction on Saturday afternoon and again Monday.

For example, if Arles or Les Baux would be mostly the same whether we visit on Saturday or Monday and Aix would be more bustling on a Saturday afternoon / evening, perhaps it might be best to go there to wander and eat and people watch that day and save ruins / driving / naturally quieter spots for Monday?

Right now, our only firm plans are the market at Isle-sur-la-Sorgue on Sunday morning, and we plan on just seeing how we feel and which direction we want to head once we get there after that. Who knows we may arrive on the train and want to just wander around Nimes on Saturday and not want to head out anywhere else.

I may be overthinking things as a first-timer and I'm sure we're going to fall in love and wish we had more time no matter what we do or where we end up, but I do so appreciate all of the help and info, so thank you <3

Thanks so much for the reply marazul!

I just realized that we'll be there over Victory in Europe day on Sun, May 8th. Do you know if that holiday will affect the market at Isle-sur-la-Sorgue? Really hoping not.

I noticed you didn't mention Aix which we really want to visit rather than Avignon. Do you think that would be doable and nice on the Saturday afternoon or would it be equally lively on the Monday?

We aren't huge shoppers and are MUCH more nibblers :D but we'd probably enjoy stopping in a shoppe or two here or there if it caught our eye. I like the idea of St. Remy and Les Baux on Monday if you think that would work. Googling Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer now!

Thanks again for the advice & would love to hear more. Now I'm worried about that holiday weekend since we'll be there May 7-10.

R

Hey guys!

Hoping for a little help / advice narrowing down our 3 day itinerary in Provence.

We'll be arriving in Nimes on a Saturday afternoon via train from Barcelona around 1pm, and already have a rental car and apartment lined up. We depart for our next European destination early Tuesday morning out of Marseille airport, so that makes our main sightseeing days in Provence Sunday & Monday.

After reading that the area can be quiet on those two days, we've decided to do the market at Isle-sur-la-Sorgue on Sunday morning followed by some leisurely driving through the Luberon, stopping to take photos and look around the villages when & where we're inspired. Thinking we'll try to hit Gordes, Roussillon, & Lourmarin maybe, but honestly, just exploring and driving and being together sounds like heaps of fun to us and the market sounds heavenly. If we head back to Nimes that evening, will we be able to find someplace yummy to eat there or should we expect things to be closed up since it's a Sunday?

We'll be coming off time in Rome as well, so ruins aren't super high on our priority list (though if they're easy to get to and around other places we end up, neat!) but are looking for more quintessentially Provencal experiences during our time in the area. We're pondering visits to St. Remy, Aix en Provence, Les Baux, Pont du Gard and wondered if you might be able to help give us some advice on where to head Saturday afternoon / evening & Monday to make the most of the limited time we have in the area keeping in mind what might be closed on Monday.

Reading through the forums here has been an enormous amount of help, so mainly hoping for some advice on what to do on Monday if you guys think special consideration needs to be made. Looking forward to hearing back from ya!

Thanks!

R

WOW air is another Icelandic airline that operates from select cities in the US to cities in Europe via layovers in Rekjavik. Like Icelandair, they are reputable, but you may have to pay extra for your baggage, so be sure to factor that into your savings.

Thank you so much for the additional specifics Hank! Super helpful as all your posts have been <3

Thanks Bruce! That helps give me some idea of what to expect!

Hi Hank,

During my research for our upcoming cruise, I've noticed your posts regarding simply renting a car at the port and heading to Cinque Terre on our own for the day which sounds absolutely perfect for us!

I've already talked to Sifracar and they were great, so this is our plan for the day.

We'll be in port from 7am - 7pm on Carnival Vista and this is only my 3rd cruise (and first time in Europe). We're confident and comfortable travelers, but new to cruising so I was hoping you wouldn't mind giving me a couple of specifics so that I have a better idea of what to expect.

I've read the drive takes 1.5 hours from Livorno to Riomaggiore, but what I am unsure about is roughly what time we'll need to be back on the ship in the evening. If we're in port from 7-7pm, do we have until 6:30ish to get back or do we need to be back by 5? We're just trying to figure out how much time in Cinque Terre we'll actually have to explore if we leave first thing in the morning and what time in the afternoon we should plan on heading back.

Thanks sooo much for any help or info you can offer!

Robin

My SO and I are on the May 1st sailing and I just booked our flights yesterday and couldn't be happier!

We're planning on flying out of Toronto and want to stay in Venice a few days before the cruise.

After the cruise, we're going to train from Barcelona into Paris and fly back from there.

Doing a tiny bit of creative thinking, I got us AMAZING flights on Icelandair...

YYZ to London Gatwick on Icelandair

Gatwick to Venice on EasyJet

Paris to Toronto on Icelandair

2 Passengers including all of our Bags Checked $1150 TOTAL. $575pp!

Doin' a major happy dance over here!