marazul

Here is the website for Aegean airlines. They are perfectly reliable. It is a mainstream airline, not a budget airline. You can fly out of Rome (FCO) or out of Naples (NAP). It will be about 160 euros pp one-way. https://en.aegeanair.com/ You really are all over the map, but hey, it is your anniversary. Go for broke. The crowds and the heat will be equal at both times in Rome.

No difference in crowds.

You can get good pizza in several places in that area. No reservations needed. Just pick one as you go along. You are tight on your time. Keep the deli (Antica Salumeria) in mind just in case.

Yes. It is very comfortable and reliable, especially the Frecce (arrow) high speed trains. First class is roomier than second. Luggage handling varies by type of train. Just make sure you travel light. There is a lot of info on the France and Italy boards on trains.

I think your Naples loop is very good. You can fly to Rome and take the train there. Malta is a winner and there's lots to do out of Marseille. Do check out Messina. You will get to go to Taormina and Mt Etna. Sicily is great. With that plan you can go to Florence afterwards by train which is far better than a day trip from Livorno or La Spezia. Going to Florence and Venice from Naples is just as easy as going from Rome. Just a couple of hours longer on the train.

Good thinking if you like MSC and if they have good port times. Also, to help you plan: Naples is only 1 hour, 15 minutes from Rome by train. AA has direct flights from Charlotte to Rome.

I think you need to start planning on a second cruise for the following year! 😁 Malta vs Palma - tossup of two Med islands with long histories and beauty. Slight preference to Malta to see the megalithic temples. Cannes vs. Marseille - Cannes if you want to see Nice, Eze, Saint Paul-de-Vence, and/or Monaco. Marseille if you want to see Aix, Arles, Nimes, les Baux and/or Avignon. La Spezia vs. Livorno - La Spezia if you want to see Cinqueterre, Porto Venere and/or Portofino. Livorno if you want to see Florence, Pisa, Siena and/or Lucca. Just a thought - you were looking at big savings on several MSC cruises that were R/T Rome. Could you use the savings to do back-to-back cruises on two different MSC loops? But you have already booked a really good one with overnight in La Spezia that left you time for a train to Venice after the cruise... Really, plan on going back.

Just some comments. Take a taxi to Piazza Navona. After strolling around, stop at the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi to see the Caravaggios (at front on the left). It is between Navona and Pantheon. I have never seen a line to get in and it will be a short visit. Do not skip going inside the Pantheon. It is the only way to really appreciate the beauty and engineering wonder of a building that has stood for 2000 years. There is a great place for a quick lunch right on the square (on the left side as you come out of the Pantheon) at L'Antica Salumeria. Try the porchetta sandwiches. Then go for gelato diagonally across the square at Gelateria Venchi at the corner by the Albergo del Senato hotel. It is right on the side street you would be taking if you decide to walk to the Trevi fountain. Depending on time, you can decide whether to go to Trevi or to the Colosseum, or both. Do not walk to the Colosseum. It is a 25-30 minute walk on hot, twisted, congested streets with an enormous amount of traffic. Take a taxi there (about 10-12 euros). Walk around the Colosseum and take a taxi to the train station.

Play it safe. Maybe look at other lines.

That's still a round trip. They run a loop. See if you can find out arrival times for MSC. Maybe on the MSC board? Post there.

BTW - you are not getting on in Portofino. The port is Genoa which is 20 miles away.

The itineraries all have something to offer. BUT check the amount of time you have at each port. Some lines are cheaper because they only spend a short time in each place and save on port fees. If this is your first time, it is simply not worth it. You want to maximize the time at each port. Also, one-way cruises tend to visit more ports than round trip cruises, plus you get to spend more time at both end cities. If you end in Rome, you can easily take a train to Venice and fly back from there.

You could also go to Cassis first and, once there, take a short one hour boat trip to see a couple of the calanques. That would leave you plenty of time for lunch and to return to Marseille. IMO, a 3 hour boat ride is way too long.

All taxis take cash. Most take credit cards.

It is basically the Acropolis and the Museum. And walking from one to the other. You don't need a guide at the museum. Since you will be in Athens for a few days you could go there on your own. Consider asking the tour to take you to the Agoras, both Ancient and Roman. Or else a tour of the Plaka ending at the Agora.

Walking tour. Does it include the Acropolis or are you going there another day?

Euros are the legal tender of Greece. The fare should be 20-25 euros.

Yes. Go to their website and look for Transfers. romecabs.com

If your interest in Grasse is to visit a perfume factory, you can also visit one in Eze. You can easily visit Nice, Eze and Monaco (in that order) in one day.

Whatever you do, don't make Grasse your last stop. The traffic between Grasse and Cannes is miserable in the afternoons.

Wveeyone said the subway in NY was easy too but we couldn’t figure it out so we got an Uber. 🤷‍♀️ This involves only two train stations: Rome and Florence. There are no train changes.

How much time do you have? What are your interests? Are you taking a cruise before or after? Is this a land only trip? Are you willing to drive? Florence is fine as a day trip from Rome. Venice is not.

Very easy. Just follow cruisemom's instructions.

According to Taxi Motril, it is 70 euros one way for the 50 mile trip. (And you would have to find a taxi to take you back.) http://taximotril.es/index.php/servicios They also have a 3 hour, round trip service for 115-130 euros. That leaves you 1 hour to visit the Alhambra, which is not even enough to scratch the surface. You need a good 3-4 hours INSIDE the Alhambra to visit. Write to them for a quote for a longer trip. radio@taximotril.com

Aix and Cassis can be easily done in a half day tour ending with time for lunch in Cassis. You could add a boat trip to the Calanques (sea coves) from Cassis that would extend the day, but that could be fun for your child. If you choose to add the boat ride, ask for a trip to only two of the Calanques, not to all of them to keep the time manageable for a 6-year old. The Luberon is a full day tour with quite a bit of driving time.