browneyes7

How long would it take to taxi from Palma to Valdemossa and how much would it cost? Or what price would you be looking at to do car rental?

I know you asked about car rental to Valdemossa, but taking the bus is easy and cheap. It is only about 4 euros per person round trip to Valdemossa and back on the bus. Just get to the bus/train station and buy the ticket on the bus that goes to Valdemossa. The buses run regularly between the two cities. You'll really enjoy Valdemossa. It is a beautiful small village. It is only a 30 minute bus ride to Valdemossa.

Another option is Vicenza. Magnificent architecture. Very easy to explore. Close to Venice.

Thank you, DennStann!

In Soller to take the bus back do you buy a ticket on a specific bus (in advance?) or is it a bus that runs periodically and you just catch the next bus when you are ready to head back?

We paid for the ticket when we got on the bus in Soller. The bus station/stop is several blocks distance from the main plaza in Soller. Just ask a local how to get to the bus stop. It was only about 2 euros a person when we did several years ago. There is a schedule posted at the bus stop. The buses run regularly back and forth.

Ferrara is north of Ravenna, but further inland. So a bit closer to Venice. Looking at the trains I see it takes about 3 hours to get from Venice to Ravenna, but only about an hour (or a bit more depending on service) to get from Venice to Ferrara. Though the train station in Ferrara is not right in the centre. We went by bus and got dropped near the moated castle and the cathedral. But we walked a lot, right out to the old city walls. But the walls themselves were a bit disappointing - not as much left as we had hoped. Along the way though we saw lots of interesting architecture. We got a really good map from the tourist info. It had a number of suggested walking tours marked on it. Also in Ferrara is an amazing cemetery. Check out the Monumental Cemetery of Certosa.

 

Hope this helps!

Thank you, roaming_kiwi58. We might try to do Ferrara. That would probably be doable time-wise. :)

I've been but it has been about 10 years since I visited and any info would be quite dated. The historic town center is south of the train station & there was a TI just next to the station (not sure if it is still there) & there are buses outside the station where you can catch a ride to the town center. There is the lovely Scrovegni Chapel (Cappella degli Scrovegni) with gorgeous frescoes by Giotto (book online) which we enjoyed visiting. We also visited the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua (Il Santo) & there are many churches to visit with some wonderful works of art. I remember that we took a boat tour on the canals that circle the city - really can't recall much else that we did other than exploring the medieval fortified cities of Cittadella, Este, Monselice and Montagnana (which was our primary reason for visiting Padua). Padua is a lovely university town.

Sorry I can't be of more help. You might check-out TripAdvisor.

Thank you, dogs4fun! This is very helpful! :)

Hi browneyes7

 

We visited Padua (Padova) in 2014, as an excursion from a Uniworld cruise, which was based around the Venice lagoon.

 

To be honest it was not our favourite town on this trip. We did not find it as interesting as other places in the area, but that is of course just our opinion. We do a lot of walking and enjoy history and architecture.

 

In Padua We had a walking tour of the centre of the town, including a tour of the Saint Antonio Basilica. Then we had free time to wander. We had a total of about 3 hours in Padua. The weather was poor, very overcast, with some showers, which did not help!

 

I believe the highlight of Padua is actually the Scrovegni Chapel. This was, unfortunately, not included in our tour. You have to book ahead if you want to see it. A visit here may have changed our feeling about Padua. We did not have the time to try and fit it in to our free time.

 

I know you did not ask about any other places in this area, but while I am here.....Other places close to Venice we visited on this trip were Ferrara, Ravenna and Verona. All of these ranked higher in our enjoyment stakes than Padua, particularly Ferrara and Ravenna. Ferrara has a moated castle in the centre of the town, and further out the remains of the city walls. We enjoyed walking this town. Ravenna is famous for mosaics, and the Mausoleo di Galla Placidia and the adjacent basilica are indeed very impressive. Verona we had been to before. Here, there is of course a lot of hype over the supposed balcony where Juliet stood while Romeo declared his love. The fact that the balcony was a 20th century addition to the building and that Romeo & Juliet were probably just a figment of Shakespeare's imagination is irrelevant! Verona is a nice place to wander, but was less of a novelty to us. It has a very impressive Arena (the third largest in Italy) and other Roman remains.

 

Hope this helps a little!

Thanks, roaming! We have been to Verona. Which was closer to Venice....Ferrara or Ravenna. I know where Ravenna is, but I'm not familiar with Ferrara. We will only be there for the day in Venice, so we won't have too much time to spend in another city. We've been to Venice many times, so we don't feel the need to do much there. Thanks for your help. :)

Read your post with great interest. We will be in Palma on a cruise in November for the first time and have been trying to decide what to see and do. If you have any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated. From a fellow

Texan! :)

We've been to Soller twice on the old scenic train, and rode the bus back each time. We have also been to Valldemossa twice, each time taking the bus over and back. We are going to be in Palma again in April, and hope to visit another small village....not sure which one yet. There is a city bus that goes to be cruise port. I can't remember the number of it, but it also goes to the train/bus station. You get off when you get to Placa Espanya, and walk across the street to the train/bus station. The Soller train station is to the left of the regular train station. The train and bus station is below the city, so you will have to go down stairs to get to the trains and buses. Palma de Majorca is a beautiful city.

Another option in Palma is to go to the Cathedral. You can take the same port bus, but get off when it turns off the main road to head inland. Then you will have to walk a mile, or two, toward the church. It has beautiful stained glass windows. You have to go to a side entrance to get in...toward the back of the church on the left side facing it. There is a small charge to get in, but it is worth it. They don't allow you to take photos inside. Not far from the church is Passeig (sp.) de Born. It is a beautiful area where they sometimes have booths set up. You'll recognize it by the two lions on each side of the pedestrian area. There is also a McDonald's there, if case you need a restroom/coffee break. Palma is a beautiful city. You can just walk around and explore. Have a great time!

Has anyone been to Padova (Padua), Italy. It is only about 30 minutes from Venice. Any input will be appreciated. :)

I've been avoiding this thread but here goes, before they pull it.

 

In my 20's I had a job that required me to be armed. I was well trained, in good shape mentally and physically, and had excellent reflexes. Fortunately during five years in this job I was not required to use the weapon, although it did the job of keeping people at a distance (I carried, but it was not concealed).

 

The one time I (and my employees) were in a situation that could have ended badly I had a hard time controlling my emotions and breathing well enough to have used the gun safely, so I didn't try and we all came out of it fine.

 

I think it's easy to tell yourself that in a threatening situation you'd be as calm and cool as Clint Eastwood in a movie, but reality is quite different. From personal experience I've concluded that only professionals who undergo regular training in weapons use should be carrying them around in public. Hunting is an entirely different matter, as is having a gun in your own home.

I totally agree with you, euro cruiser!

Yes you can.

At least, sometimes you can.

For instance, you can break a Livorno / Florence journey at Pisa. On the way out or on the way back. You have to complete that journey within 6 hours - that's six hours for a one-way journey, you don't have to be back in Livorno within 6 hours of leaving Livorno.

After original validation, I didn't re-validate. But that's not to say I wasn't supposed to :rolleyes:

 

I did the same thing at Naples - bought a train ticket for Sorrento to Naples, stopped off at Ercolano to visit the Herculaneum site, then finished the journey to Naples on a later train - all on the one ticket.

But when I mentioned this on CC I was rebuked (in the nicest possible way ;)) by a knowledgeable regular - I think it was Eurocruiser - who said that the break-your-journey facility doesn't apply to that journey.

 

It's quite difficult to figure, because at no time have my tickets ever been checked at Italian stations or on Italian trains. They rely on honesty and random checks.

First time I took a Civitavecchia train to Rome I didn't validate my ticket at the station - I was rushing to get a train & reckoned to validate it on the train.

No validation on the trains for that journey, it has to be done at the station. :eek:

So for the whole journey I was pretty nervous about getting a big fat fine, but no-one checked.

 

Didn't have the same worry with Sorrento - Herculaneum - Naples, cos I didn't learn the error of my ways until weeks later :D

 

You need to quote the particular journey you have in mind - and get a definitive answer from someone who knows. Not someone who thinks they know :o

 

JB :)

We have been checked quite a few times on our train travels in Italy, especially between Livorno and Florence. We have been checked every time we have done that trip. We have seen people fined ON THE SPOT for forgetting to validate their tickets. We forgot to validate ours when we got on the Leonardo Express from the airport to Roma Termini. Luckily, the official who checked it just punched it for us, and didn't charge us. We felt very LUCKY. It is so easy to forget to validate your ticket, especially when you are rushing around after a long flight. We ran to get on a train in Taormina to go back to Messina and realized we hadn't validated the ticket. I saw a lady official and told her right away that we forgot to validate. She got another train official to talk to us, and he told us we were on the wrong train for our ticket. Luckily, he didn't charge us the fine, but just made us pay about 2 euros more each for the correct ticket. Riding the trains in Italy is quite an adventure! Once coming back from Sorrento to Naples, they made us go through some gates and checked our tickets. Luckily, we still had them.

San Pietro station is about half a mile from St Peter's square, about a 15 minute walk tho' google reckon they can do it in 11 mins.

 

As E/C's post, stay on the train to Ostiense then from the adjacent Piramide metro station it's two stops on the blue line metro to Colosseo for the Colosseum.

Metro travel is free with your BIRG rail ticket from Civi.

The Forum is across the road from the Colosseum, you can exit at the far end of the Forum for the Pantheon and Piazza Navona.

If you want to visit the Vatican it's a 20/25 minute walk (or bus or taxi ride)from Piazza Navona, you can then catch the train back to Civi from San Pietro station.

 

JB :)

This is a good plan, but taking the train back to Civitavecchia from San Pietro Station can sometimes be a problem because of crowding on the train. Several times, depending on when you get on, we have had to stand the whole trip because the train gets really crowded from about 4:00 p.m. on! This might be something to take into consideration.

Of the places mentioned in Hlitners post:-

NERJA AND MIJAS is the closest - you have details for Mijas and the bus goes from Malaga main bus station.

MARBELLA - You have details for Marbella. The bus goes from Malaga main bus station.

NERJA - You can get a bus to Nerja from by the port gates with a journey time of 60 to 80 minutes depending on the route; for a day trip you need the quickest 'Directo' services - let me know if you would like the timetable. Note that the well known Cave of Nerja is not actually in the town but a further 4 kilometres on at Maro and not all the Nerja buses go that far - for the Cave you need one going to 'Cuevas de Nerja' with the Cave entrance being the final stop/terminus. The 'bus station' in Nerja town is actually just a normal stop so you need to watch for the mass exodus of passengers - it is then a 10 minutes walk downhill to the town centre/coast - and a real pull back uphill lol! You need to buy tickets at the ALSA kiosk before boarding at Malaga - ask for 'Ida y Vuelta' which is a return ticket and saves a small amount of money.

RONDA can be reached by bus or train in just under 2 hours. You need to go to the main bus station or the main Maria Zambrano train station. I would definitely go by train for comfort and ease.

GRANADA can be reached by bus but the journey time is 2 hours and the road is notorious for delays and people have missed sailings due to these. The bus station in Granada is outside the city so you would need to take another bus or taxi into the centre. The bus goes from Malaga main bus station. Personally I wouldn't consider doing Granada by public transport unless you have a very long day in port to allow for unexpected delays. Once again just ask if you would like the bus timetable.

 

The easiest places to reach are the resorts of Torremolinos, Benalmadena and Fuengirola - buses to the first 2 can be picked up at the mini bus station by the port gates or you can take the much quicker train from Alameda station a 10 minute walk from the port entrance. Note that the train stop for Benalmadena is actually at Arroyo de la Miel a good 20 minutes walk from Benalmadena Costa - downhill going but a heck of a climb coming back; the bus goes to Benalmadena Costa.

Thank you so much for this information, campolady! :)

Great cathedral in Palma. You will see it as you near the place where you tie up. There is a shuttle that will take you near the cathedral. Once there, you can wander the side streets, stop at a cafe for a glass of wine. Many areas of the city are convenient.

 

Valdemossa is a short ride from town. A walkable town that has a lot of history and will be a bit cooler as it is higher up a hill.

By all means, if the church is open, go in! It has beautiful stained glass windows. We weren't allowed to take photos when we were there. We paid a small fee to get in. I can't remember exactly how much, but it was worth it.

We have been to Valdemossa two times. We took the bus over and back, each time. It is a beautiful village, and is also well worth the trip. We took the bus from the bus/train station located at Placa Espana. I think we only paid about 4 or 5 euros round trip.

The train is also on my list for this summer. Anyone have experience with it?

We have taken the train twice to Soller. It takes about an hour on the train to get there. We took the bus back, each time, to Palma de Mallorca. I enjoyed it the first time, but only did it the second time because we had friends with us who had never ridden the train to Soller. Soller is a beautiful little village, with a wonderful town square in front of a stunning church. The bus ride back is only about 30 minutes.

Browneyes7

 

The people who have guns for hunting in UK are regulated. They go through very stringent checks and then have to apply for a licence. Once they are allowed the guns, when not in use they have to be very securely stored under lock and key.

 

Our police here only carry guns in certain circumstances. I have seen mainly black men being shot by the police for committing a petty crime.

 

I know what the Constitution says about bearing arms. The Constitution needs to be changed.

My point was that your country also has guns! You are entitled to your opinion, just as I am entitled to mine! I'm sure the criminals in your country can still get guns, unfortunately. Owning a gun legally doesn't make you a criminal. Guns owned by responsible Americans also lock and store their guns securely. You will always have some who don't follow safe guidelines, regardless. Owning a gun doesn't make you a bad person.

As a European the US gun laws are incomprehensible for us.

That may be, but I feel much safer having policemen and women who are armed. The Second Amendment in our Constitution gives us the right to bear arms. I know you have people who hunt in England. How do they get away with having guns?

I think we will have to agree to disagree on the first statement.

 

I wasn't targeting Texas, I only used the stat because you mentioned it. The state I am from is just the same. Unfortunately.

I think you are right about agreeing to disagree. I grew up with my father, grandfather, uncles, and brothers who all hunted. I love animals and would never shoot one. My parents were poor and if we had meat, it was because my Dad shot a deer. We grew up on beans, cornbread, and venison. So, I am used to having guns in the house. They actually make me nervous, but I do know how to shoot one, if it is ever necessary.

Have a great day, cruisemom42!

Must admit that this thread really has us thinking. We have been to Malaga about a half dozen times on cruises and a few more times during our extensive driving trips around Spain. We will again be in Malaga in late March for a port day. This time, DW is saying "lets not rent a car" and she wants to just stay in Malaga! For us, this is a novel approach since we normally would be off in our car to Grenada, Nerja, Mijas, Ronda, Marbella, or other wonderful Spanish destinations in the region. But DW has now dictated that we actually spend an entire port day in Malaga. Oh my!

 

Hank

Of these cities you mentioned, which are closest to Malaga, and which would be the easiest to get to using a bus or train? Any info is appreciated!

I'm pretty sure this thread will vanish soon, since the topic has been found not to be accurate and the discussion following isn't relevant to travel in Italy. Nevertheless, can't resist adding a few words...:o

 

 

 

 

Yes, there are crazy people everywhere and I'm sure a fair number of the 25,000 people killed in Texas by guns between 2002 and 2011 were killed by permit-carrying folks. It took me only a few minutes of Google searching to come across some harrowing stories NOT gang or drug related. Quite a few are related to domestic violence -- including this one:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Harris_County,_Texas_shooting

 

 

 

 

 

Cathy, you may be lucky in where you live. Unfortunately, I live in one of the worst states in terms of gun-carry laws. I find it honestly terrifying at times that people can and do carry guns just about anywhere, with a few exceptions. And even those exceptions are being whittled down by legislators. (I ask you, is it a good idea to allow guns in bars -- where are fights more likely to break out?? :rolleyes:)

 

I think we, as Americans, have somehow gotten inured to the whole gun issue. We may not like it, but we need to realize how others outside our country perceive the current situation.

Taking guns away from law-abiding citizens isn't the answer, either. Criminals will always have guns. The right to own a gun is in our Constitution. Why target Texas.....google any state and you will see there are many gun murders everywhere. I still think most of them are by criminals, not people with legal gun permits!

There are no trains to either Marbella or Mijas - the end of the line is at Fuengirola.

 

For Mijas take the train to Fuengirola then cross the road to the bus station from where you get a bus up to Mijas Pueblo. Trains run every 20 minutes.

There is a bus from Malaga to Mijas but this is very infrequent http://www.emtsam.org/estabus/consulta_lineas_estabus_resultado.php?destino=MIJAS

 

 

For Marbella either take the train to Fuengirola then the bus to Marbella or just take a bus from Malaga. Timetable for buses from Malaga to Marbella and back here

http://www.emtsam.org/estabus/consulta_lineas_estabus_resultado.php?destino=MARBELLA DIRECTO

http://www.emtsam.org/estabus/consulta_lineas_estabus_resultado.php?destino=MARBELLAEX

http://www.emtsam.org/estabus/consulta_lineas_estabus_resultado.php?destino=MARBELLA

I would definitely recommend that you choose a Directo or Ex(press) service.

Buy your bus ticket from the Portillo kiosk before boarding the bus.

Thanks for the info, campolady! I appreciate your help! :)

We are thinking about taking the train from Venice to Padova (Padua). I think it is only about a 30 min. train ride. Has anyone visited Padova, and what were the highlights! I know it is a university town.

CathyCruises

 

Obviously you don't get British sarcasm.

 

Nobody carries guns in US, then why are there far more shooting instances than in Europe?

Unfortunately, there are crazy people everywhere. You don't have to have a gun to murder someone. We have over 300 million people in the United States. They come from all over the world. I think many of the gun murders are gang and drug related, especially in large cities like Chicago!

I thought people carried guns all the time in the US?

Yes, Texans who have taken a class and have a state permit are allowed to carry guns. If fact, my husband and my sister have gun permits. As far as I know, no one in Texas with a gun permit has murdered anyone. With all the terrorists problems today, I think it is wise to be prepared. I don't have a gun carry permit, but I will consider it. Most people in Texas know how to shoot a gun, and also gun safety rules. I don't plan to ever shoot anyone, but I do know how to use a gun.

It turned out to be a false alarm as the man was carrying only a toy rifle, according to Ansa news agency.

Being careful is good, but wait before you reporting :eek:

Good...I'm glad to hear this. We have been to Rome quite a few times, and many of those times we saw police and military in many places. On one trip, we heard helicopters overhead the whole time. I think anytime there is any kind of possible problem, they come out in force to protect the city.

Fox News reported today that Roma Termini Station was evacuated for a while after a man was seen carrying a gun. That was all I heard, and hope to learn more about this. Unfortunately, terrorists have been threatening Rome for a while. This won't keep me from going there, though. Everyone needs to stay vigilant and report anything suspicious to the police.