hkto

Hi everyone! We'll be in Lisbon on the QV on 1st June. We have done Lisbon once before and did a ship tour of the city (and loved it)! This time, weather permitting, we'd like to independently visit the Christ the King statue. I've done some research but I wonder if anyone can explain how the Viva Viagem ticket works. I understand we'll need this to get the ferry to Cacilhas. Any advice or tips would be most welcome. Thanks in advance.

Viva Viagem is a charge card where bus or metro fares or 1 day pass can be loaded. Since only one type at a time you may want to ask to load ferry R/T ticket when purchasing it at Cais De Sodre. According to this link bus is required to get to the statue "The bus departs daily every 30 minutes between 8:00-19:00. From Cacilhas the 101 bus departs at 00 and 30 past the hour while from Cristo Rei the departures are at 25 and 55 past the hour. Tickets are bought from the bus driver and a single costs €1.20 or €2.00 for a return. The journey takes around 20 minutes." http://lisbon-portugal-guide.com/lisbon-transport/Cacilhas-ferry-metro-bus-station.html

Or take 20 or 21 bus, way cheaper (2.70 euro round trip + cost of a card) than funicular and closer to dock. One needs a card with preloaded fares (can be bought right on the water front) from a vending machine. http://www.horariosdofunchal.pt/index-eng.php, click on Sales outlet and Tourist Sports/Monte. There is a person there, they can show the bus stop. I took a screenshop of the map. Stop #6 is for Monte https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9OgfJibtcGRVGJNc3dnYWFlSjg

For anyone interested there is very decent guide in English published by the bus company http://www.horariosdofunchal.pt/guia-en/

UBER operates by specific rules in each of the cities where they are allowed to work and in most cases it is not an US model. They back in Spain now but its essentially limo driver and not independent operator like in the US. So I think better answer to this question is whether UBER or some other alternative is beneficial to a taxi in any given city. To answer it it properly one needs to research local taxi prices and conclude accordingly. For example, in Rome their prices are higher than taxis (60 vs 48 for set fare from FCO to center). If I was to generalize taxi fares in Spain and Portugal are low as compared to France, UK or Scandinavia.

I took 8am train on Saturday and it was empty. Wednesday shouldn't be too bad. Also check in time for hotels is usually in the PM so getting into your room this early is not guaranteed. But they might hold your luggage so you can start exploring Paris.

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Both RER and metro are regular trains without specific large luggage storage. Metro cars are smaller than in lets say ones in NYC or Toronto. No problem on empty trains but not so much on crowded ones. In your case I'd stick to RER B and A and avoid metro.

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"you would need a different ticket for the Metro, yes"

Not true as long you are in the same zone that ticket was bought for. I used same RER ticket bought at CDG and metro scanner took it. Also see http://europeforvisitors.com/paris/articles/paris-metro-tickets.htm "A single ticket will take you anywhere within the city of Paris on the Métro and RER networks, and you can transfer between lines--or between the Métro and the RER--on the same ticket."

Google shows 30 min total from Drassanes metro including 10 min walk from Palau Real https://goo.gl/xJt6ZA

Yes, there is no need to go to Termini. The fastest and cheapest way on public transit is to transfer at Roma Trastevere. Ticket should be bought to destination (FCO) without paying again at Trastevere. Total time: 80 to 90 min. For schedules see trenitalia. com From: Civitavecchia ( Tutte Le Stazioni ) To: Fiumicino Aeroporto. map: http://romemap360.com/rome-train-map#.Vw-_TzArKUk

Yes to both. Rer price is for zoned travel (5 to 1) and not for destination. Last time I was in Paris we got off RER and scanned the same ticket on metro.

I don't remember whether destination was asked in the vending machine. If true then pick exit RER station. It shouldn't matter as both Chatelet and Bastille in Zone 1-2 (inner city). Vending machine take chipped CC and cash otherwise there is a cashier.

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Hard to say. UBER app works on set location (i.e. address, landmark) so I'd guess that unmarked pier would be hard to find. I guess it should be ok outside port gates assuming one has data connectivity on the cell phone.

UBER website shows availability https://www.uber.com/cities/marseille/ Estimate is around 7€ from port to Gare de Marseille Saint-Charles

Rer B ticket includes metro but in your case just transfer to Rer A at Chatelet and go 1 stop to Gare de Lyon

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10:30 am flight is fine as most ships dock at 5-6 am and realistic to leave at 7 which you don't need to. Takes 30 min to cab to the airport and 2 hr before Schengen flights is more than enough. Its not a good idea for a day trip. Prague is 4.5 hrs by rail. Budapest is faster, 3 hrs by train or bus. Closest major city for day trip outside of Austria is Bratislava, Slovakia (1 hr) or Brno, Czech Rep (2 hr) by bus

There is another club Puro Beach purobeach.com located near PMI airport

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Yes it has big Cathedral and old city to walk ground. When big cruise ships are in town it gets somewhat crowded. Beaches are in 30-40 min bus ride radius. Also has decent aquarium near PMI airport

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It should be open on Apr 30 "Nikki Beach Mallorca is currently closed for the winter. We will be reopening on April 28, 2016." http://www.nikkibeach.com/destinations/beach-clubs/mallorca/venue/

To be sure 10:23 is fine unless plane is delayed really badly. Venice VCE is relatively small airport so going thru passport control and collecting luggage shouldn't take more than 1 hr (and actually less). Take ATVO express bus to Mestre station here is schedule http://www.atvo.it/allegati/aeroporti/linea_35_b_-_mestre_fs-m.polo_dal_27.03.2016_al_28.05.2016.pdf. Trip is 17 min

I always buy super economy at 60-70% discount and take my chances. Also if you have CC that offers trip interruption insurance you can buy full fare ticket and claim it in case of major delay. Another option to consider is fairly frequent and inexpensive Alitaila O/W flights from VCE to FCO.

You are correct about combo ticket which essentially includes free rail. However unlike regular admission ticket that can be bought online this one can only be bought in person at the train station of your choice. Here is link to schedule for R16 train. Three highlighted stations (Sants, Franca & Gracia) are departure points http://rodalies.gencat.cat/web/.content/pdf/horaris/r16.pdf

Walk from Port Aventura train stop is short and signed. Just follow the crowd. Also see http://www.barcelonayellow.com/bcn/Barcelona-most-famous-tourist-attractions%20/theme-parks/portaventura

Park is big so go early as lots of time is wasted in lines for rides. They sell fast pass at extra cost.

Public transportation costs from CDG are steep by most European standards (but then most things in Paris are). Present RER cost is 10€. Taxi to Bastille is north of 50€. Shuttle is not that cheap either. Super shuttle shared is 43€ for 2 people, hardly a bargain. May be there are cheaper ones around.

Nikki Beach is not a beach name but name of the club in Magaluf. They only open in season. Beaches never close but I would guess water wouldn't be that warm (18-20 C in good case) in end of April. Can just stay in Palma if weather is cool. Palma weather is not tropical like Florida or Carribean

Nikki Beach is very expensive and upscale place. Check their menu if curious. Same beach in Magaluf has tons of chairs and parasols for rent and lots of cafes and restaurants with reasonable food and drink prices. Palma Nova is closer than Magaluf from Palma and beach is the same

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Yes, 15 & 95 for sure. I think 13 also. try playing with https://www.emtvalencia.es/geoportal/ (hover mouse over the stop to which buses stop there) to see where stops are in old city

Small correction re: mall. The one I meant is called Aqua (has El Corte Ingles) and some restaurants. El Saler is bigger one http://www.elsaler.com/ alson open on Sunday. They are about 15 min apart (across the bridge) https://goo.gl/jQbbVL

what do you suggest to visit the old area or the new area of Valencia?

Both are worthy. Valencia tourism publishes this attractions and route map https://goo.gl/8SjadC Old town is quite small and has larger number of marked attractions. The City of Arts and Sciences is marked as single attraction but covers large area plus some portion of Turia gardens which are nice.

can you go from Plaza Ayuntamiento directly to the aquarium and then from the aquarium to port?

Of course but its a long walk, about 45 min https://goo.gl/np8hTu Walk from Oceanográfic to port is about the same time