euro cruiser

Are you looking at a ship's excursion or DIY touring? Also, what kinds of things are you each interested in? It's possible to do a little of both, by jumping on the first ferry after arrival, then returning in the early afternoon for a few hours in Naples before reboarding. What are your hours in port?

Yes, the train between the cities but you are right that a car is really necessary to get around the small towns and vineyards of Tuscany. Passes are almost never a good deal for trains in Italy, just buy point-to-point tickets. Check both Trenitalia and Italotreno to get the best combination of timing and price for your travel. EN - Trenitalia Italo, italian high-speed train | Book no service fee | italotreno.it

You can pay for a private transfer to Venice Piazzale Roma, the end of the road, and get a vaporetto or a private water taxi from there. Easier, perhaps, is the Arriva Veneto water bus, line #80: Orari e percorsi - Arriva Veneto

There is a Frecce train from Venice Mestre at 10:11 that arrives to Trieste at 12:05. With this train you get assigned seating and more room for luggage. There is a second one in the late afternoon, departing Mestre at 17:40 and arriving to Trieste at 19:27. EN - Trenitalia

It all depends on how crowded the train is, and there's no way to predict that. You might be more comfortable with a bus that has secure luggage storage underneath the carriage. Flixbus offers direct runs from either Venice Tronchetto or the Venice Mestre train station throughout the day. https://www.flixbus.com/

Yes. We spent well over an hour in the museum and could have used more time.

Yes, and the article was written to be sensational, otherwise who would read it? The strike was known, alternate transportation could have been arranged well in advance. For any publisher to allow an undefined term like "frequent" is just shoddy journalism. How often is "frequent"? Is it 10% of the time, 50%, 90%? The phrase communicates nothing.

This just isn't true. Maybe it was when your wife lived there, but laws have changed and now strikes must be announced weeks in advance. Wildcat strikes are almost unheard of, the last one I can remember was Alitalia employees when the airline was going out of business.

Many of the runs right now are substituting buses for the first leg, from Chioggia, but there are still some trains departing. You might consider getting a taxi to Padua, from there you can get a direct train to Milan and won't have to worry about making a change.

Yes, there are. I only listed the early ones because most ships are in port well before 10. There is a slightly more expensive and slightly faster (1 hour) train at 11:45, that's the first one after 10 AM. This train is an IC, which means you get assigned seats, and it only makes two stops between Naples and Paestum. The price of this train does go up a bit, the advance purchase price is 9,90 euro while the last minute price is 12,50. For the return there is a regional train at 15:21 (3:21 PM) that arrives to Napoli Centrale at 16:38 (4:38 PM). It's unfortunate that your arrival is so late, it means that you'd only have two and a half hours at the ruins and the museum. Perhaps you can find others from your sailing who'd be willing to split the cost of a car service in the morning, then you can use the train to get back.

It takes about an hour and a quarter, by direct train from Napoli Centrale to Paestum. There are trains departing at 7:35, 7:50, and 8:50 (seven days a week). The fare is 7,60 euro. These are regional trains, which means they cannot sell out and there are no seat assignments, so there's no point in purchasing the tickets in advance. EN - Trenitalia From the Paestum train station to the ruins and the museum (which is excellent, don't miss it) is an easy, flat walk of 1 km/six-tenths of a mile. museopaestum.cultura.gov.it The simplest way to get to Napoli Centrale from the cruise port is the metro. The new entrance to the Municipio/Porto station is directly in front of the cruise port.

Magari potrei monetizzare questo talento! 🙄

The city of Genova has a pretty good tourism web site: Home | Visitgenoa

What was the cost of the tour?

In a successful attempt to avoid some work I should be doing, I've been digging around on the city of Civitavecchia's web site and found some possibly interesting things to see and do in the city. The website is entirely in Italian so I've used google translate for the descriptions. Museo Nazionale Archeologico di Civitavecchia The National Archaeological Museum of Civitavecchia, also known as the Civic Museum, is located inside the eighteenth-century building built by Pope Clement XIII in the eighteenth century, a few steps from Fort Michelangelo. If you are nearby and have a couple of hours to spend in the city, we recommend a visit. Entrance is free! The Museum houses numerous finds from the ancient city of Centumcellae (the name with which the Romans baptized today's Civitavecchia) and from the necropolises of the area. The collection was then enriched with materials discovered following the restructuring of the port area during the 1950s, and from the excavations carried out at the Baths of Trajan (Terme Taurine). Original content here: Museo Nazionale di Civitavecchia : Città di Civitavecchia Biblioteca Comunale “Alessandro Cialdi” The library is located in a wing of the old hospital. The palace was built in the 17th century. and was used as a healthcare facility until the 1970s, when the new hospital was built. After years of abandonment, the building was restored and today houses the Library, the Historical Archive and the Culture Office. In 2005 the Lazio Regional Council awarded the Library the Quality Mark: this is an important recognition given to structures with quality standards in the services provided to users. Original content here: La Biblioteca : Città di Civitavecchia Cattedrale di San Francesco D’Assisi From the main square of the city - once included, towards the east between the medieval walls and the new Sangallo wall - the cathedral of the Diocese of Civitavecchia - Tarquinia still offers the backdrop of its façade to the port of Trajan. The dedication to St. Francis of Assisi transmits the memory of the Conventual Minors, to whom the church remained linked during the first two centuries of its history. The Cathedral is located in the historic center of the city, in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. Original content here: Cattedrale di San Francesco D'Assisi : Città di Civitavecchia Chiesa Santa Maria dell’Orazione Santa Maria dell'Orazione, better known as the Church of Death, is the oldest church in Civitavecchia: history, art and tradition in the historic center It is easily reachable on foot. From Via Largo della Pace you just need to head south onto Via XVI Settembre, cross Piazza Luigi Calamatta and turn onto Via Colle dell'Olivo to find the Church in front of you. Free admission. From Piazza Leandra, passing through the Archetto, you pass Piazza Aurelio Saffi and reach the Church of Santa Maria dell'Orazione, formerly the Rotonda del Suffragio but known by all as the Church of Death. The Church of Death is by far the oldest in all of Civitavecchia and if you are walking through the characteristic streets of the historic center it is worth a visit. Built in 1685, the church is linked to the birth and work of the Confraternity of Death and Prayer, established in the second half of the 16th century to give worthy burial and suffrage to corpses abandoned outside the city walls or lost at sea. The Church is a true architectural jewel, with a structural layout typical of the Baroque churches of the second half of the 17th century. Completely restored in 1702, it also withstood the bombings of the Second World War. The building has a central plan with a Greek cross and a large elliptical room that recalls the shape of a skull. At the end of the room there are three chapels: the Chapel of the High Altar, the Chapel of the SS. Crucifix and the Chapel of the Blessed Benedict and Anna. Furthermore, four symmetrical doors lead respectively to four other chapels: the Guglielmi chapel (dedicated to the Blessed Virgin of the Seven Sorrows), the chapel of San Michele (which served as an Oratory), the sacristy and the parish office. In 1698 the church was equipped with a baroque style bell tower, surmounted by a very particular bulb-shaped dome. Inside the Church of Death it is possible to admire works of art of great value. Among these are the frescoes of the famous Knight Giuseppe Errante of Trapani such as the "Madonna with Child" and others that decorate the interior of the dome and two famous wooden statues, representing the Crucified Jesus and the Risen Jesus. Original content here: Chiesa dell' Orazione e della Morte : Città di Civitavecchia Chiesa dei Santi Martiri Giapponesi The Church of the Holy Japanese Martyrs is located in Largo San Francesco d'Assisi, easily reachable with a pleasant walk that starting from the Marina of Civitavecchia and passing through the Pirgo platform takes you to the Lungomare Thaon de Revel, with its small restaurants open and the small marina of the Naval League. Once you get here, just turn left into Largo San Francesco d'Assisi and you will find yourself in front of the large church. In the small square in front there is the statue of Saint Francis of Assisi while inside the church it is possible to admire the splendid frescoes by the Japanese painter Luca Hasegawa. Unique in its kind and famous throughout Europe is the beautiful Madonna and child with the kimono (with oriental features and wearing 16th century clothes) and the scene of the 26 Japanese martyrs, who fell on the Nagasaki hill on 5 February 1597, imprinted in the five paintings of the apse. Original content here: Chiesa dei Santi Martiri Giapponesi : Città di Civitavecchia Santuario Madonnina delle Lacrime Borgo Pantano, Via Fontanatetta, s.n.c – 00053 Aurelia di Civitavecchia (RM) – Italy. Parish of Sant'Agostino - Sanctuary of Our Lady of Tears 0766 560185 Opening of the Sanctuary – from 6.15 am to 10.00 pm – Sunday from 7.00 am to 8.00 pm without afternoon closing. Since 1995, a phenomenal event of a, we might say, paranormal nature has occurred; a miraculous event which left national public opinion literally stunned and which sparked wide debates in Italian and foreign Catholic circles, even attracting the attention of the Holy Father. On February 2 of the same year, in fact, on the occasion of the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and Purification of Mary, a small statue of the Madonna, depicting the Queen of Peace and coming from Medjugorie, began to cry blood in the garden of a family in parish of S. Agostino, in Civitavecchia. Well, from that date until March 15th the Madonnina cried 14 times in the presence of many people who gave their sworn testimony before the Theological Commission established by the Bishop who held the statuette in his hands during the last tear of blood ; from here he, having overcome all doubts, paved the way for official recognition. During the succession of those events, there were numerous debates and open clashes between those who asserted the authenticity of the miracle and those who, animated by a feeling of skepticism, hypothesized that the event was absolutely the result of human action and not Divine action. . The statuette was thus scientifically examined with positive results: there were no tricks or devices hidden inside and the tears were made of human blood. Finally, after many difficulties of various kinds, on 17 June 1995, the Bishop placed the statuette in a shrine located in the Parish of S. Agostino and thus exposed it to the veneration of the faithful. From that day, a considerable pilgrimage began, of even global importance, aimed at the veneration of the one who everyone now calls "The Madonnina of Civitavecchia". The pilgrimages are nocturnal and take place on February 1st and May 31st. Original content here: Santuario Madonnina delle Lacrime : Città di Civitavecchia Terme Taurine The archaeological site of the Terme Taurine rises on a hill surrounded by greenery, about 5 km from the center of Civitavecchia. Also known as the Baths of Trajan, from the name of the Roman emperor who founded the city, they are one of the most important Roman thermal complexes in all of southern Etruria. If you are in Civitavecchia even just passing through and have a few hours available we highly recommend you visit the Terme Taurine for a suggestive dive into the past. After the visit we recommend a relaxing break at the nearby Ficoncella Thermal Baths, famous for the therapeutic properties of their hot water. The name comes from the Latin term taurus which means bull. The baths were described in the travel diary of the poet Rutilio Claudio Namaziano (416 AD), who narrates that the name comes from a legend according to which a bull (probably assimilated to a divinity) would scratch the ground before starting a fight, and thus the spring of hot sulphurous water with beneficial properties would have arisen. In reality, legend aside, it is very likely that the name Terme Taurine comes directly from the ancient lake of Aquae Tauri, from which the spring flowed. In fact, on the slopes of the Tolfa mountains, near the ancient Aquae Tauri lake, the spring flowed which still passes through the Terme Taurine today. Several studies hypothesize that the area of the complex was identified with the villa of the emperor Trajan and it is known that the thermal springs were well known and appreciated for their therapeutic virtues since ancient times. The first to exploit its waters were the Etruscans who built rudimentary baths, which in turn were developed and expanded only in Roman times. In the Sillan age (90-70 BC) the new building was erected which took the name of Terme Taurine and had its maximum development in the Trajan age, followed by a further expansion towards the end of Hadrian's empire. The spa area was considerably frequented throughout the imperial age until the decline of the empire. During the war between the Goths and the Byzantines the complex was completely abandoned; only in the middle of the last century were projects started to restore the baths which unfortunately were never completed. Today the water no longer flows in the archaeological park of the Terme Taurine, but if you want to appreciate the therapeutic properties of its warm waters we recommend you visit the nearby Ficoncella thermal complex. For further information you can consult the website https://www.prolococivitavecchia.com/ TIMETABLES Open every day (including Monday) from 9.30am to 1pm. The ticket office closes at 12.30. Possibility of extraordinary afternoon opening for groups of minimum 8 people with reservation at least 48 hours in advance. PRICES Entrance: €5.00 over 25 years; €3.00 from 18 to 25 years old and teachers. FREE: under 18 years of age if members of a family unit; tourist guides: The first Sunday of the month. Entrance and guided tour: €8.00 over 25 years; €5.00 from 6 to 25 years old and teachers; FREE: under 6 years. Original content here: Il sito archeologico delle Terme Taurine : Città di Civitavecchia La Ficoncella The thermal baths of the Ficoncella, which take their name from the fig tree that grows between the basins, is a complex of 5 pools open everyday. The hill where these springs are, is made of limestone, and the thermo-mineral water is crystal clear, colorless, pungent and slightly bitter taste. Its temperature goes from 30 ° to 56 ° C. The beauty of the natural environment around the springs, the continuous maintenance of facilities and quality control of the service of the system allow users to enjoy the spa with great benefits to the body’s health and well-being of the spirit. THE OPENING HOURS OF THE FICONCELLA BATHS Monday – Sunday from 08.00 to 20.00. Telephone number 366 632 3146 (active from Monday to Sunday from 8am to 8pm). COSTS The cost of individual entry varies depending on the times and between residents and non-residents: – residents / morning (8:00 – 14:00): €2.00; – residents / afternoon (6.00pm – 8.00pm): €2.00; – residents / full day (8:00 – 20:00): €3.00; – non-residents / morning (8:00 – 14:00): €3.00; – non-residents / afternoon (6.00pm – 8.00pm): €3.00; – non-residents / full day (8:00 – 20:00): €5.00; – evening (8.00pm – 12.00am): €5.00. FREE entry for children under 6 years old. Entrance is to be considered unique. Once accessed, it is not permitted to leave the facility and re-enter using the same ticket. In case of bad weather there will be no refund for tickets already purchased. There are no exemptions from payment, as the site has a recreational and non-medical function. Original content here: La Ficoncella : Città di Civitavecchia

There are plenty of restaurants and shops in the town of Civitavecchia, walking distance from the port.

My first trip to Genoa was also a Sunday, the only difference is that things open up a little later in the morning than a weekday. Restaurants in Italy have staggered closing days so there's never a time when most are closed.

Check with Azmara, some lines offer a bus directly to the train station (usually for a fee). From Piazza Municipio to the train station is 2.5 km/1.5 miles on foot. Too far for some people, but not all. You can take a public bus from Via Grande (walk through Piazza Grande from Piazza Municipio) to the station. We did this once and by the time we got to the station, we could have gotten there in the same time (or faster) on foot.

You're coming off a ship in Rome, right? If your cruise itinerary is all within the Schengen zone there is no customs check, not that it's anything to speak of anyway. I haven't flown through the UK post-Brexit but I'm sure someone here has and can comment on whether or not you need to pick up and re-check your bags. In the States you collect your bags and clear passport control and customs at your first point of entry, in your case Dallas, then recheck for the remainer of the trip.

There is no way you're going to get a taxi to drive around for two hours for just 60-70 euros. They couldn't make a living at those rates! It wouldn't cost as much as a car service, but it wouldn't be that cheap either. For perspective, the fixed fare to the airport, a trip of between 45 - 60 minutes under normal conditions, is 50 euro. For two hours on the meter you'd be looking at more than double that cost, again less than a car service but also with a non-English speaker driver, in most cases.

You can see very little from any of the multiple HOHO buses in Rome, due to narrow streets that buses cannot drive on. It doesn't make much sense to go to the airport, then into the city, then back to the airport. The wiser route would be to go directly to Rome Termini, where you can check your luggage while in the city. Simply retrieve it when you're ready to head to the airport and jump on the train. This is the luggage storage inside the station: Deposito Bagagli KiPoint Roma Termini (kibag.it) Keep in mind that even though the itinerary may say arrival at, say, 5 AM, that doesn't mean you'll be able to get off the ship. Walk off with your luggage will be at least an hour later in most cases.

You can take the train from Ravenna to Venice, there are multiple options throughout the day but all require a change of trains en route: EN - Trenitalia There is a direct bus, Flixbus, but only one run per day at 8:45 AM. This is a pretty quick and easy option (trip takes under three hours): https://www.flixbus.it/

All of those are regional trains, so the BIRG ticket would work with any of them. I still don't understand waiting around when you could be in Rome almost two hours earlier than you need to be, but I guess that's me. There is never enough time in Rome for me, even if it's just wandering around and breathing it in.

There is no reason to relocate to Civitavecchia the night before boarding, you'll have plenty of time to get there from Rome. In fact, you have enough time to see something in Rome in the morning before departing for the port.

The place most known for mozzarella is in Campania, specifically the area around Paestum. I've tourned Tunta Vannulo and it was fascinating, not to mention tasty: Tenuta Vannulo But that doesn't work unless you have a stop in Naples. Here is a one day tour a bit south of Rome for a different type of mozzarella: Mozzarella Tour | Agro Pontina – Italy Food Roots You'd have to get yourself there and back, but it's a possibility.