mapleleaves

Hi Ollie, Sorry for the confusion, but we didn't use the Regionale train. I specifically chose a Frecci train so we could have Business Class with seat selection. (And it happened to come with compimentary coffee and a bag of cookies.) Booking a month in advance, I was able to find a fare of 18E pp. Will you be on an NCL cruise ? As for the flixbus fare, if I had booked a month in advance the fare would have been 10E, but since we didn't have a reservation we had to pay 30E. I think the NCL shuttle from the ship to VCE was about $50. No shuttle into Venice.

that was supposed to read " walk up fare was 30e'. There's another bus company but I can't think of the name.

So the options I posted above will work for you, train or bus. Both are about 2 hrs. Plus Norwegian had a shuttle to/from Trieste, but only from the Airport, not from Venice. The benefit of the shuttle is that it takes you right to the pier. Whereas the train and bus are both at the train station, so you still need to get to the pier. It's about a 20 minute walk or take a cab. EN - Trenitalia use Venezia S Lucia - Trieste Centrale. The S Lucia train station is on the other side of the Grand Canal from Piazzale Rome; over a very long bridge. There are lots of steps to this bridge but they're very shallow so it's not impossible even with luggage. FlixBus: Convenient and affordable bus travel in the US from $4.99 The bus departs from the airport OR from Venice at Tronchetto, which is a huge parking lot near Piazzale Roma. To get to Tronchetto you can use the People Mover (monorail) which goes from P Roma to Tronchetto ( about 1.5E for a 3 minute ride) We booked the train a month in advance and got a really good fare. But on the return we didn't have a plan for the day, so at the last minute took the bus (the walk fare was 30e pp rather than 10e if we booked in advance.

Which cruise port are you departing from? We were on the NCL Dawn in late Sept, departing from Trieste. We spent 2 nites precruise so we took the train to Trieste. But after the cruise we stayed near the airport so we used FlixBus which had a direct run from Trieste (by the RR station) to Marco Polo Airport.

No, you can't walk in the port; it's a busy industrial port, therefore a shuttle is provided. I checked my notes and the port shuttle drop off was at Piazza dei Municipo. Use google to find the walking distance from there to Liverno Centrale. We felt perfectly safe using public transportation and wandering around, but were mindful of pickpockets as in any city. When you leave SM Novello RR station you're just a few blocks from the Duomo. Again, use google maps to find specific distances.

EN - Trenitalia Livorno Centrale to Firenza SM Novella. Takes around 1 1/2hrs each way. We docked in Livorno in Sept 2019. There was a free shuttle to the Port entrance, then a city bus to the train station. At that time, NCL offered a direct shuttle from the ship to the station for $25. Pricey for what it was, but so we took it rather than waste time with transfers. We didn't know when we would arrive at the station so we just bought tickets on arrival. Two one-way tickets to Florence were cheaper than the shuttle to the station!

This is my go-to web site for Venice info. How to pick the right Venice hotel location | Venice for Visitors (europeforvisitors.com) I prefer to stay around the Rialto Bridge area ... it has easy access to the GrandCanal if I need a vaporetto, a 10 minute walk to St Marks, close to the Markets, lots of cafe type places. If I go with family members we stay 3 nites and use an apt so we have access to a small kitchen for snacks, bfast, drinks. I travel light; just one wheeled carryon plus a small backpack so it's very easy to get around. I can use a laundramat at some point or use the ship's laundry special. If you can't easily manage your luggage over a bridges/uneven surfaces, it might be easier to stay close to the Piazzale Roma. ( you pay a little more for this convenience). P Roma is a large square at the entrance to Venice, where buses, taxis, and cars drop off their pax. There are 4-5 hotels right on the square, or if you can handle your luggage over a small bridge or 2, there are a dozen more options. It's not an attractive area but convenient. 'How Many Bridges?' hotel listings for Piazzale Roma | Venice for Visitors (europeforvisitors.com)

If you have ONE wheeled case and a shoulder bag/backpack, you'll be fine. More than that can be a struggle, not just because of bridges and uneven surfaces, but getting on and off water buses, dealing with the crowds, and finding your way. ( i took advantage of the ships laundry service so I only needed one carryon case for 2 weeks) This link provides info on hotels near transportation hubs, popular sites, , alilaguna, etc. Look over the page before opening. Locations Index - 'How Many Bridges' Hotel Listings | Venice for Visitors (europeforvisitors.com) If it's going to be a source of worry, just stay in PRoma! It'll be fine! I was in Venice pre/post cruise last month. Took this photo from the Calatrava Bridge that crosses the Grand Canal at P Roma. As you can see, you're right there, even staying at PRoma !

Piazzale Roma is basically the entrance to Venice. Walk a block and you're at the Grand Canal ! And the hotels you mentioned are all near smaller canals or within 2 blocks of the Grand Canal, so it's not like you have to 'commute" to see anything! Go to googlemaps and enter Piazzale Roma, Venice to see how close it is to the sites. ie about a 30 minute walk to St Marks. And the walk will take you past interesting architecture, by and over small canals, so a very enjoyable walk Personally I prefer to take a waterbus down the Grand Canal, then wander around. The views along the Grand Canal are spectacular. Be sure to get a 24hr pass, as the individual rides add up fast. The ATVO express bus from the airport to PRoma is 10E pp for the 20 minute ride. You can buy the ticket at ATVO machines by the airport exit and the buses leave just outside the doors. Linea n. 35 (atvo.it) This link has a list of hotels near P Roma to expand on the 2 you mentioned. If you can't easily manage your luggage, look at the hotels with 0 or 1 bridge to cross. 'How Many Bridges?' hotel listings for Piazzale Roma | Venice for Visitors (europeforvisitors.com) The CON to P Roma is that it's basically a big parking lot, where buses, taxis and cars drop off passengers for Venice. So not an attractive area in itself.

For the most part you will dock at large commercial ports with limited or no accessibility by vendors, so there won't be stalls. At most you'll find taxis. So last minute excursions? no. DIY exploring? most definitely. You'll be close to train stations so it's easy enough for you (and 19 friends) to catch a train to a city and explore for the day. However, some activities/sites are very popular and require advance reservations. ie in Civi you can easily catch a train into Rome to visit the major sites on your own. However if you want a tour INSIDE the Colosseum you need a tour reserved in advance . So all of you need to do a little research to determine what you want to see and do ..... some people will be fine with a photo opp outside the Vatican while others will want a prearranged tour for 3 hrs.

After our NCL cruise in Oct, we took Flixbus from Trieste to VCE. Similar to a greyhound bus, comfortable, wifi, luggage hold beneath, 2 hr ride. It departs from the Trieste Train Station which is about a 20 minute walk from the downtown pier. (It wasn't noted as such, but our ship ended up using the commercial dock which was another 15 minutes beyond town.)

We took the train to Florence ( Firenza S M Novella) , first stopping in Pisa for a quick look. EN - Trenitalia We were on NCL which at that time offered a shuttle from the ship to the Livorno train station

Go to your library and borrow a few travel books on Italy. Read up on popular destinations and figure out what YOU want to see and do. We all have different interests (and budgets). Look at the maps to get idea of distances and travel times. Maybe there's enough in Rome to keep you busy for a week. Make a list of the sites you'd lie to see to determine how much time you will need. And if you'd like to visit Venice or somewhere else, make another list to determine how much you'll need, plus the travel time. Another consideration is your luggage. Can you easily manage your luggage in order to get around train or bus stations? Too much luggage MIGHT limit where to visit beyond Rome. Most cruisers tend to overpack. Also, are you planning to return to Italy at some point? If so, no need to cram as much as possible into this visit and shortchange yourself. Have fun with your research !

If you visit Pompeii I don't see that it's possible to visit Ravello as well as 2 towns. As a matter of fact, most tours that advertise " pompeii and the Amalfi Coast", usually visit Sorrento then stop at the Positano OVERLOOK but don't actually go into the town. My experience was the same as Cruisemom's, but we had 9 hrs! We visited Positano, Amalfi and Ravello (where we had a sit down lunch). Instead of returning via the coastal route we took a road around the back of Vesuvius. I should add that we took the ferry from Positano to Amalfi where we met up with the driver again. ( I had been to Cinque Terre and thought the views from the sea were better than from the land. So true!) As for which town I enjoyed the most .... Ravello was #1, it was smaller, with way fewer people and spectacular views from Villa Ruffolo, Positano #2 then Amalfi.. 2 in our party liked Amailfi the best. So you just never know what feeling you will get from a location. I think the only way for you to see Ravello AND Pompeii would be to drive to Ravello first. Do Pompeii at the end. Your driver can leave you and you can return via train or bus.

Even at Cagneys it wasn't an issue being a vegetarian. I told the server up front that I didn't eat meat so I ordered a side salad and several appetizers. Instead of a side salad, they made a large salad with cheese, hard boiled egg, avocado, apple. ( similar to a Cobb Salad)

I've been to Venice several times and have always found people to be quite helpful and pleasant, esp at hotels and restaurants. The only exception are staff at the vaporetto. But I guess they're tired of being asked the same questions over and over. Venice is magical. I'm glad I had the experience of sailing out of Venice. We cruised out of Trieste last month ..... simple process.. Certainly not as dramatic as a Venice departure tho.

I was on the Gem last month and the Cruise Director was Richard something. He was terrific ! very engaging, danced with pax wherever B12 was playing. I was told he was just recently hired. Perhaps he was moved to another ship. BTW, I thought the Ukranian acrobats were great. The other shows were so-so. You're certainly lucky with the weather. Ours was grim .. downpours and wind. Our stop to Kotor was cancelled due to the weather. Dubrovnik was a wonderful surprise, despite the rain. Thx for sharing your cruise with us !

Unless you're in business class, I think the airlines are pretty much the same. Choose based on price, schedule and connection time. For my Tuscany trip in May, I'm finding it cheaper to fly TUS - LHR on AA/BA , then separate tickets on a budget European airline to Italy (like Jet2, EasyJet or Ryan). I even looked at the bus to Gatwick for a connection. There's no shortcut; you just have to do the research.

The tour states that you will visit Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. So did you visit Ravello, Positano and Sorrento ?

We were on the NCL Gem last month. Our port time was 1:30pm to 10pm. Sunset was around 7pm so pax could enjoy the sunset from the ship, cable car, or from the cliff. Unfortunately it was very cloudy so there was just a brief sliver of color for a few minutes. There was a Costa ship that left around 9pm and another small ship that stayed until 2am, Crystal something I think. You'll need to check the Port of Santorini to find port times for whichever ships are in port on whichever days you're interested in. And check the sunset times since they vary widely from May to Sept.

I always come home from long flights (8+ hrs) with some kind of respiratory thing, so I decided that I would continue wearing a mask when I fly. Last month I took 3 flights to reach Venice ... masked at the airports and during the flights except to eat. Had 2 days in Venice, masked. Train to Trieste masked. A week on the Gem, masked except when eating. On day 3 of the cruise I developed a cough. Still have it, but I've tested negative for covid 3 times. My cabinmate developed a cough on day 4 and tested positive the day after returning home. No symptoms other than the cough. No idea where she got it. No idea how I avoided it.

As with any cruise, make your decision based on itinerary. Go with the ship that visits ports you want to explore and most importantly has long port times .... are you in port long enough for planned activities and at the right time of day? ie what can you accomplish with a 7am - 1pm port time, especially if the dock is out of town or you're tendered? Vancouver departures are more scenic in that you travel on the east side of Vancouver Island so you're between the mainland and the Island .... calmer waters and scenery to enjoy. Seattle departures travel on the west side of Vanc Island so open seas and no scenery. IMHO, the best way to see Alaska is by land travel, not a ship. Rent a car or RV and drive around for 10 days. If glacier viewing is a priority, do a 6-8hr day cruise out of Seward, Whittier or Valdez. Better yet, fly into Juneau and Gustavus to spend 2 days AT Glacier Bay. The day cruise in GB is spectacular. Besides seeing glaciers up close and personal we saw bear and deer on the shore, whales and all kinds of sealife. Awesome trip! But do some research and determine which itinerary best suits your needs.

For us it was all about the views and scenery. The drive to Positano was spectacular, as was the walk into town from the drop-off point, and then walking along the water and looking up at the village just capped it off. My favorite view was from the ferry. There wasn't specific site to see in Positano, like the church in Amalfi .... it was the stunning scenery. I'm still ok with skipping Sorrento. I had read enough trip reports from people saying they wished they had skipped Sorrento for more time along the Coast. I DO wish we had time Pompeii, but the Amalfi Coast was our priority. There's only so much you can do with port day!

If you mean Mykonos, yes, it's easily walkable. And definitely worth getting off the ship! We docked in Mykonos and there was a free shuttle into Old Town. But for the return we thought it would be more fun and scenic to take the SeaBus for 2e. We walked to the windmills, thru Old Venice for the photo opps, then just wandered off the main walkways in order to get photos of the quiet alleys with the bouganvilla and brightly colored doors. A very enjoyable and relaxing day!

As stated already, the earlier the better, ie on the last day of school, have your bags packed and be ready to head to the airport ! As you look at cruises and cruiselines, be VERY mindful of port times. Make sure you're in port long enough and at the right time of day for your planned tours/activities. Borrow some travel books from your library and research the areas you'd like to visit. There are even books specific to Med cruises, ie Rick Steves has Med Cruise Ports and Ann Vipond has Med by Cruiseship. Both books discuss cruiselines, ports, sights, activities, DIY options, etc. Have fun with your research and planning!