An A-Z Encyclopedia of Mediterranean Ports

We enjoyed three Mediterranean cruises over the last three summers and learned much about touring the ports. I've put together an encyclopedic doc of what we did in each of the ports and our Pre and Post cruise activities. It's long but it might be helpful for some. Each port's activities are listed as well as approximate costs for two adults. I added the rates for the hotels we used since sometime location, location, location is more important than saving money.

We did the ports many different ways - OOO for On Our Own is our favorite approach but we also used ship's excursions and private guides and drivers. Some photos from these cruises (and other travels) are at http://www.birkbinnard.com/photography/

I did not include all of our costs since the rates for the private drivers and guides have probably changed. I also tried to keep our opinions out of the mix. So here is the A through M portion. The N through Z portion will follow in a separate post.

An Almost A to Z Encyclopedia of What to Do in Mediterranean Ports (OOO means On Our Own and all costs are for two “60-something” adults)

Barcelona – (OOO May 24 2007) – After a day at sea we docked at Barcelona where our plan was to explore the Gaudi sites and Montjuic. We took the port shuttle from the ship to the traffic circle near the ColumbusMonument at the end of La Rambla. From there we walked to the Drassanes stop for the metro ride to Sagrada Familia since it was recommended to get there as early as possible to avoid the crowds. At 10:00am there was no wait and we walked inside and outside the amazing Guadi creation. We went back on the metro to Passeig de Gracia to see more Gaudi designs. We walked past Casa Battlo but did not enter however we did tour the interiors and rooftop of La Pedrera, another Gaudi building. We were ready for lunch and we were surprised that the restaurant we chose did not honor credit cards. After lunch we were back on the metro and headed to the fort on Montjuic via the funicular and cable car. We made a definite error by starting to walk around the gigantic complex; the only benefit of the endless walk was that it afforded us unbelievable views of Barcelona. We recovered from the long walk by 5:30pm and returned to the ship via cable car, funicular, metro, and shuttle bus with a quick detour to the Barri Gotic. Our visit to Barcelona was a bit more costly than most of our other “On Our Own” excursions; the total cost was about 100 euros for the metro (we bought the very convenient 10 ride passes), the Montjuic cable car and admissions to the Gaudi and other tourist sites, but not including lunch.

Barcelona Post Cruise Day 1 – (OOO October 10 2008) – The Zuiderdam was scheduled to dock at 5:30pm but due to a traffic jam of ships in the port, we could not leave the ship until after 8:00pm. Since the last shuttle was at 10:00pm we decided to just wander along La Rambla for our first night in Barcelona. We took the port shuttle to the base of the ColumbusMonument, crossed the maze of streets and walked along the pedestrian La Ramba for more than an hour. We stopped in at the Boqueria market as it was getting ready to close for the night. We returned to the ship via the last shuttle at 10:00pm knowing we still had two more days and nights to explore Barcelona. The port shuttle cost 6 euros.

Barcelona Post Cruise Day 2 – (OOO October 11 2008) – We disembarked before 9:30am and took a taxi from the cruise terminal directly to the Hotel Pulitzer. We stored our luggage at the hotel and set out immediately for Park Guell since the weather forecast was quite iffy. Hotel Pulitzer ($285 per night) was a perfect location about a block from Placa Catalunya with its metro stops and about two blocks north of La Rambla. We bought a ten ride metro ticket and boarded the green line to the Lesseps stop. Based on our research we knew it was a three-quarter mile walk, mostly uphill, to the park entrance. We knew we had arrived because the park entrance was pure Gaudi. We walked up the lizard staircase, explored the covered area that would have been a marketplace if the Park Guell project had reached fruition, walked along the long covered and columned walkways, and finally climbed to the large patio area with mosaic benches along the edges and a great view of the city. Since it was a weekend day the park was very crowded but the mood was delightful and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. We toured the house where Gaudi lived which was on the grounds of Park Guell and open to the public. We also walked through the two buildings on either side of the main entrance to the park and left the park about 90 minutes after we arrived. After walking back to the Lesseps metro station we boarded a train to Parallel where we switched to the funicular which carried us up to Montjuic. We skipped going to the fortress since we had been there in 2007 but we walked to the Miro museum for a delightful tour through the galleries and a quick lunch in the café. Our next goal was to reach the Magic Fountain (built in 1929) which was near the Espanya metro stop. Little did we know how far we had to walk and how many steps we had to descend to reach the fountain which is on a plaza below the CatalunyaArtMuseum. The fountain was not performing at that time but we resolved to return for the evening’s performance at 7:00pm. We walked to the Espanya metro and returned to the hotel for a well earned rest. A couple of hours later we traveled back to the fountain and arrived about 30 minutes before the start of the show; as we waited thousands of people gathered. The performance ran non-stop from 7:00 until 9:00pm but we decided to leave about 30 minutes early to avoid the massive crowds who would all be headed towards the metro stop at the end of the show. That was a smart move! We returned to Placa Catalunya and had dinner in one of the restaurants near the hotel. Our first day in Barcelona went exactly according to plan and the total cost for the day was about 30 euros for the metro, the taxi to the hotel and admissions to the Miro, not including lunch and dinner.

Barcelona Post Cruise Day 3 – (OOO October 12 2008) – On our last day of vacation our first activity for the day was a guided tour of the 100 year old Palau de la Musica for which the hotel made reservations for us. It was an easy walk from the hotel. The building was magnificent and the tour was beautifully run. From there we walked back to Placa Catalunya and investigated where we were to catch the bus to the airport very early the following morning. After that task was done walked along Passeig de Gracia past several interesting Gaudi-designed buildings. We decided to pay the admission fee for Casa Battlo which we thought was too expensive in 2007 only to discover we were now eligible for a senior discount. Many of the admissions in Barcelona had special senior rates which we took advantage of as often as possible. The audio tour was excellent and the areas open to the public were beautiful. The first floor patio at the back of the building and the rooftop area were decorated with Gaudi’s traditional mosaics. The attic space had the same arches we had seen last year at La Pedrera. We decided that no visit to Barcelona would be complete without Tapas for lunch and then paella for dinner. After lunch we were touristed out so we returned to the hotel, prepared for the next morning’s departure, and rested before our final dinner and stroll on La Rambla. The admissions to Musica and Casa Battlo totaled about 25 euros, the tapas lunch was about 30 euros and our paella dinner was 50 euros; this was one of our more expensive days but we splurged since it was the final day of our vacation.

Brussels Pre Cruise Day 1 – (OOO May 18 2007 and yes, it is not on the Mediterranean) – We used frequent flyer miles for our flights to Rome but there was a seven hour layover in Brussels. Since the Brussels airport has a direct train connection to the city we took the train to the Brussels Central station and walked to Grand Place under dreary skies and breakfast of Belgium waffles. We walked over to Mannekin Pis and took the requisite photos before scouting the location of the hotel where we would be staying on our way home. By early afternoon the sun was shining so we took another batch of photos of Grand Place and stocked up on Belgium chocolate before heading by train back to the airport for the late afternoon flight to Rome. Train fares were 15 euros and our only other expenses were meals and chocolate.

Brussels Post Cruise Day 1 – (OOO June 1 2007 and yes, it is still not on the Mediterranean) – Even though our flight from Rome was delayed we still had nearly a full day to explore Brussels once we did arrive. Once again we took the train to the Brussels Central station and walked with our luggage to the Marriott Hotel ($135 per night) near Grand Place. After leaving our luggage we had a late breakfast at 11:00am and decided to use the Hop On Hop Off bus since the weather was less than ideal. That proved to be a wise decision since it rained on and off for most of the morning. We saw the sights from inside the bus and only hopped off at the Palace of Justice. The bus covered a very comprehensive route and we were satisfied with our decision. The weather did improve in the afternoon so we wandered through Grand Place again and areas near the hotel. There were almost too many options for dinner but many of the ethnic restaurants and cafes did not accept credit cards. The Marriott was an excellent choice for our stay since it was well situated relative to the train station and Grand Place; in addition it is primarily a business hotel and we were there on a weekend when the rates were much lower. Our only expenses besides meals were the fares for the train from the airport and the discounted fares for the Hop On Hop Off bus, a total of about 30 euros.

Brugge Post Cruise Day 2 – (OOO June 2 2007 and yes, it is not on the Mediterranean) – For the last day of our vacation we set off for the quaint town of Brugge via an express train from the Brussels Central station. The train ride to Brugge was about an hour through lovely countryside. We walked for about 20 minutes from the Brugge train station to the old town center. It was a charming old town with classic buildings, narrow streets and picturesque canals. We toured a couple of churches and photographed the beautifully restored buildings surrounding the Markt and the Burg. We opted to take a half hour boat ride on the canals which was a better way to see Brugge than working our way through the crowded narrow streets. After the boat ride we found a lovely café for lunch that was opposite a shady square. We enjoyed our sojourn to Brugge and found it a great way to end our vacation. We returned to Brussels by train and readied ourselves for an early morning departure to the airport. The train fare to Brugge was 25 euros and the boat ride on the canals was 12 euros. The following morning we splurged with a 10 euro taxi ride to the train station for the 6 euro express train to the airport. Staying at hotels near the train stations and using trains to get to and from the airports were beneficial during the land portion of this trip.

Catania– (HAL Excursion October 6 2008) – Catania was a fairly short port call so we decided to take a ship sponsored excursion. The five hour excursion went to one area of ruins of the ancient Greek city of Syracusa. The bus ride to the archeological site took more than an hour but it did give us the opportunity to see the southeastern Sicilian countryside. We passed extensive beaches, a large industrial/refinery complex, and several unusual geological formations. The guide for our bus, Diana, was very knowledgeable and an excellent English speaker since her mother was British. We found that the excursion guides were generally well versed and did an excellent job of sharing information about their countries and regions. We also learned how to cross a busy street in Sicily since the drivers appear to ignore traffic lights whenever they choose. Our first stop was at the caves where stone was quarried in ancient times. One of the caves is known as the Ear of Dionysus where Diana recounted facts and legends. We then walked to the restored Greek theater which was built right into the hillside and continued on to the Roman amphitheater a short distance away. The Syracusa ruins were less intact than the other ruins we had seen since the sites were vandalized by the Spaniards in the 1600s. After more than two hours at the archeological sites we returned by bus to the city of Catania. Instead of boarding the ship we decided to walk to the historic part of the city to see its Baroque architecture. We used the lessons learned about crossing streets in Sicily on a challenging walk back to the ship. Catania was noisy and chaotic but worth an hour walk through the historic center. We incurred no expenses in addition to the $130 for the ship’s excursion. After leaving the port of Catania we sailed through the Straits of Messina and by nightfall the ship paused for about an hour at the island of Stromboli to watch the ongoing small eruptions.

Cephalonia – (HAL Excursion October 3 2008) – We opted to take one of the ship’s excursions on the island of Cephalonia since the Zuiderdam’s tendered port call at Argostoli was about five hours shorter than the other port calls and the tourism options on the island were quite limited. The early morning excursion consisted of a bus ride to the small village of Fiskardo in fairly heavy rain at the northern tip of the island and a boat ride on the underground LakeMelisani in full sunshine on the eastern side of the island. An additional benefit of the excursion was the bus ride through the varied countryside. The guide on the bus offered an endless commentary so we learned much about island history, geography and the story of Odysseus. We returned to the port of Argostoli with adequate time for lunch and a walk about town before tendering back to the ship. We incurred no expenses other than the $128 for the ship’s excursion and our lunch.

Corfu– (Private tour June 23 2006) – We had made arrangements for Dimitris Dafnis to provide a four hour tour of the island of Corfu. He was both driver and guide and we learned so much from him about the history and culture of Corfu. We drove across the island to Paleokastritsa where we walked through the monastery, stopped at a beach for a cold beer and snack, and then we drove to various viewpoints as we listened to Dimitris’ continuous lessons. We stopped at a small market where we purchased local wine, olive oil and herbs. Before dropping us back at the ship Dimitris drove past CorfuTown so we could at least see it. This was a great relaxing day with a terrific guide with no costs other than the guide.

Corfu – (OOO October 2 2008) – When we visited Corfu in 2006 we did not spend any time in CorfuTown so that was our goal for 2008. As we left the cruise terminal we saw Dimitris, our guide from our previous visit, who gave us advice for where to have lunch and pointed us in the direction of the taxis. The cars for extended tours were parked near the terminal and the short term taxis were parked off to the left. We elected to take a taxi rather than walk into town since the walk was about two miles and rain was forecast. The taxi dropped us off near the New Fortress which was our first stop and it was close to the other destinations in CorfuTown. We walked uphill to the New Fortress, paid a minimal fee, and walked part way to the highest level of the walls but rain curtailed our explorations. We left the fortress and walked in the rain towards the Liston which was at the center of old Corfu Town; the rain forced us to seek shelter in the Asian Museum housed in the Palace of St Michael and St George which was built during the period of British rule. After stopping at two churches we found Rex’s, the restaurant recommended by Dimitris. The rain continued after lunch so we cut short our tour of CorfuTown and took another taxi back to the ship. In addition to lunch our rainy day (actually about four hours) in CorfuTown cost 10 euros for each taxi ride and another 12 euros for admission to the fortress and museum.

Dubrovnik– (OOO June 22 2006) – We had researched our options for Dubrovnik and decided on taking the city bus to the Pile Gate of the OldCity. It was very, very hot but we really enjoyed walking the old city walls for about 2 hours and then we wandered along the Stradum, found the small synagogue and had lunch at Poklisar near the old city’s harbor. It was an easy return bus ride to the ship after an interesting time in the old city but the high temperatures did impact our visit. All in all our time exploring the old city was about 4 hours and cost less than 20 euros not including lunch.

Dubrovnik – (OOO October 1 2008) – Even though we had walked the old city walls in 2006 we decided to do it again in 2008. The biggest difference was that it was about 20-25 degrees cooler the second time. Based on our previous experience we knew the city bus stop was next to the cruise terminal and that bus #1 would take us directly to the entrance to the old city. There was no way we would consider walking from the ship to the old city since it was quite a distance and most of the distance was uphill. We climbed to the top of the wall, walked the entire circuit, had lunch at the same restaurant as 2006, peeked into the two major churches, skipped the Rector’s Palace because we did not have enough Kunas required for admission but we did treat ourselves to ice cream cones before taking the city bus back to the ship. Our excursion was perfect since we went at our own pace, did what we wanted to do and returned back at the ship without worry or hassle. We had exchanged 20 euros for kunas in the cruise terminal at the start of the day and that was all the money we needed for the day except for lunch which was charged on a credit card.

Katakolon – (OOO June 24 2006) – We had made no prior arrangements for a driver or guide since we had read that taxis were readily available. It was an interesting experience because the first few cabs we encountered wanted 80 to 100 euros to drive us to Olympia and then wait about two hours before driving us back to the ship. Next we were offered the same service for about 60 euros so we knew there were no price controls. We kept walking until we saw an old green taxi; sure enough the fare was 45 euros and it was quite a ride. Even though the taxi driver spoke almost no English we assumed he would be there when we emerged from the Olympia site about two hours later. After exploring the ancient ruins on our own we went through the adjacent museum with its extensive collection of Greek artifacts. At the end of two hours we returned to our meeting place and there was the old green taxi waiting for us. He dropped us in Katakolon where we had lunch at a delightful café on the water’s edge and then we walked the few blocks of the shopping area. It was another easy day that cost about 60 euros for transportation and admissions, not including lunch.

Kusadasi – (Private tour June 26 2006) – We met our guide, Oktay, and our driver when we left the ship as early as possible since we had ambitious plans to see the ruins at Ephesus and Aphrodisias. We drove in complete comfort in an air conditioned van that we would appreciate more and more as the day progressed. Oktay led us through Ephesus and shared his knowledge of the ancient city’s history. We stopped at the Odeum, the large theater and of course the Celsus library. We were there for about 2.5 hours but there was no time to waste as we drove further inland for almost 90 minutes to Aphrodisias. By the time we arrived at Aphrodisias it was really hot but we toured the ruins guided by Oktay’s excellent narrative. We were very impressed with the large theater, the well-preserved amphitheater, the iconic gate, and the excellent museum of Roman sculpture. By the time we were back at the van, about three hours later, it was above 110 degrees Fahrenheit! Ephesus was crowded with tourists but Aphrodisias was nearly devoid of other visitors. We headed back to the ship as quickly as possible but we did manage to stop for lunch at a roadside café where we had one of the best meals of the trip. We arrived back at the port of Kusadasi after our wonderful nine hour excursion thanks to the excellent services from our guide and driver. It was a very long but informative and interesting day. The fees for the tour were all inclusive so we had no additional expense.

La Goulette/Tunis – (HAL Excursion May 27 2007) – We wanted to see the ruins of Carthage and the easiest way to do that was to take the HAL sponsored excursion to the ruins and the hill top town of Sidi Bou Said. It was a more expensive option than trying to do it on our own but it was an easy choice for us since there was little information available online about tourist options. The biggest drawback of a ship’s excursion is the lengthy process of getting everyone assembled at the right time and then getting everyone on and off the bus in a timely manner. Our guide was very enthusiastic about her country and it was apparent there was considerable effort to develop tourism in Tunis and its environs. We learned the history of the Punic Wars and we saw the CarthageMuseum, a 1st century BC Roman amphitheater which needed extensive restoration work, and the remains of the Roman Antonin Baths on the shore of the Mediterranean. The four hour excursion cost about $120 and we were back at the ship in time for lunch.

Livorno - (OOO May 22 2007) – Once again we set out for a do-it-yourself outing this one from Livorno to Pisa and Lucca. We took the port shuttle to Piazza Grande where we bought tickets for the city bus at the newsstand. We took bus #1 to the Livorno Centrale train station; it was a ten minute ride. At the station we used the automated machine to purchase our tickets without any problems. The trains run very frequently so we were quickly on our way to Pisa for the 15 minute ride. When we arrived in Pisa we followed the crowd and walked for about 20 minutes to the Field of Miracles where we took many photographs of the tower, the duomo and the baptistery. At noon we walked back to the train station and boarded a train for the 30 minute ride to Lucca. We had visited Lucca in 2004 so we knew that the old city was across the street from the train station. We planned on walking half way around the city walls but we curtailed the walk because it was very hot on the city walls. We walked through the town to the oval piazza that had been the site of a Roman amphitheater where we had lunch at 2:30pm before stopping at two churches and then heading back to the train station. We were back in Livorno by 5:30pm, took the city bus back to Piazza Grande, and then we waited for the port shuttle. The shuttle never appeared so we shared a taxi with several fellow Westerdam passengers. We learned that we should avoid relying on the last shuttle of the day. The total cost for our day in Pisa and Lucca was about 40 euros for admissions in Pisa and bus and train fares, not including lunch.

Livorno – (OOO October 9 2008) – In 2007 we went on our own from Livorno to Pisa and Lucca by train. In 2008 we decided to return to Florence and explore areas we had not seen during our one day (rainy) visit there in 2004. We took the port shuttle from the ship to Piazza Grande where we once again took city bus #1 to the Livorno Centrale train station. With tickets in hand we boarded the 8:11am train to Florence and arrived there about 90 minutes later. We used the underground passageways to cross the busy streets in front of the station and Santa Maria Novella was our first stop. At this point we were getting overly saturated with elaborate churches so we did not linger long there. We made our way to the area of the Duomo but did not get too close since it was a typical tourist mob scene. Instead we walked through Piazza Repubblica to Piazza della Signoria which was equally crowded. We decided to tour Palazzo Vecchio (the “old” palace) since we had never seen the interior of a Medici palace. Palazzo Vecchio serves as the center for city government so there was extensive security at the entrance. After checking our backpacks we did a self-guided tour through the elaborate official and residential rooms of the palace. For every step we climbed up in the four story building we then climbed down at the end of the tour. The crowds continued to be a problem as we walked past the Uffizi and across the Ponte Vecchio. We knew we would never return to Florence in the summer months since the heat and the crowds would be intolerable. In spite of the crowds we pressed on to the ticket office for the BoboliGardens at the PittaPalace, the Medici’s “newer” palace. We climbed to the upper most level of the gardens looking for the best panoramic view of the Duomo’s massive dome. We were not disappointed but we could not enter the Belvedere Fortress since it was under construction. We walked back to the river and crossed one of the other bridges so we could take perfect photos of the Ponte Vecchio and its reflection in the Arno. We ended up in Piazza Repubblica where we stopped for lunch and lingered at the café for quite some time since we were very hot and tired. We walked back to the train station and caught the 4:00pm train back to Livorno after a total debacle with the ticket machine. The total cost for our day in Florence was less than 50 euros which included the shuttle buses, the city buses, round trip train fare, and admissions to one church, the gardens and the palazzo, but not including lunch and gelato.

Messina – (OOO June 29 2006) – The Noordam’s visit to Messina was quite short so we made no specific plans except to see the BellTower and Astronomical Clock perform at noon. We leisurely left the ship about 10:00am and walked through the city which was not particularly attractive. We ventured on foot up to a church, Tempio de Cristo Re, that was perched on a hill. We then walked down to the Duomo square for lunch and the noontime performance of the clock. We boarded the ship before 2:00pm after a very relaxed and easy visit to Messina where our only expenditure was for lunch!

Monaco – (OOO May 21 2007) – Based on our research we decided to explore Monaco on our own at our own pace since it was such a compact port. We tendered early and took the series of escalators up to the bus stop where we boarded a bus to the center of Monaco-Ville where we walked to the Prince’s Palace, along the Saint MartinGarden walk to the cathedral and then on to the OceanographicMuseum, which was our primary destination. We thoroughly explored the museum for more than an hour before we made our way by bus to the Monte Carlo area where we gawked at the beautiful casino and walked along the track for the Grand Prix which would be running the following week. We easily found the bus stop for our return trip to the tender port. It was an easy exploration of a beautiful location; our only expense was eight euros for bus fares and 25 euros for museum admissions.

As stated in the first section we enjoyed three Holland America Mediterranean cruises over the last three summers and learned much about touring the ports. I've put together an encyclopedic doc of what we did in each of the ports and our Pre and Post cruise activities. It's long but it might be helpful for some. Each port's activities are listed as well as approximate costs for two adults. I added the rates for the hotels we used since sometime location, location, location is more important than saving money.

This is the section that covers ports N through Z. Ports A through M are in a separate posting. I did not include all of our costs since the rates for the private drivers and guides have probably changed.

We did the ports many different ways - OOO for On Our Own is our favorite approach but we also used ship's excursions and private guides and drivers. Some photos from these cruises (and other travels) are at http://www.birkbinnard.com/photography/

An Almost A to Z Encyclopedia of What to Do in Mediterranean Ports (OOO means On Our Own and all costs are for two “60-something” adults)

Naples - (OOO May 29 2007) – Even though we had been to Pompeii from Sorrento in 2006 we were eager to return as see much more of the excavated city. Through our research and our use of the Circumvesuviana trains the prior year we were prepared to walk to the train station for the one hour ride to Pompeii Scavi. As we walked from the ship to the street we were besieged by taxi drivers wanting to drive us to Pompeii but we resisted their pleas and walked for 30 minutes to the chaotic train station. We arrived at the entrance to Pompeii at 10:30am, less than two hours after leaving the ship. We were in no hurry so we leisurely worked our way through many areas of the ruins. The crowds were huge, we dodged a few rain drops but we thoroughly enjoyed our second visit to Pompeii seeing what we wanted to see and being able to go at our own pace. This time we did not use the audio guide since it was awkward to carry it as well as the camera and umbrella. After five hours we returned to the train station for the ride back to Naples. Unfortunately we got off the train at Napoli Centrale and not the Circumvesuviana station so we experienced more of the hustle and bustle of Naples than planned. Suffice it to say it was an interesting hour long walk back to the ship. Our do it yourself trip to Pompeii was very cost effective since we spent less than 35 euros for transportation and admissions (10 euros for the train and 22 euros for admission to Pompeii.

Naples – (OOO October 7 2008) – During our previous visit to Naples we traveled on our own to Pompeii; on this trip we wanted a quieter outing so we went by hydrofoil to the island of Capri. The cruise ships dock right next to the ferry terminal so it was a simple matter of getting off the ship and walking across a parking lot to the ticket office for the ferry. Round trip tickets are not sold so it was recommended to purchase the return tickets immediately upon arrival at Capri. The hour long crossing was smooth and easy, we purchased our return tickets and walked to the nearby bus stop for the trip up to Anacapri. We had decided to visit only the town of Anacapri since it was purported to be less crowded and commercial than CapriTown. The bus ride was thrilling – switchbacks, little clearance between oncoming traffic, and steep drop offs. When we arrived in Anacapri it was crowded with tourists but we made our way to the Mt Solaro chairlift. The views along the way up and at the summit were sensational. The ride ends at the site of a former Roman villa. The photography was fantastic and we spent about an hour capturing each vista. The ride down to town was equally scenic but we found the crowds oppressive in the center of the small town. We went along a pedestrian path to Villa San Michele and paid the entry fee to see the interior and exterior of the villa build by a Swedish physician and then we walked back into the busy town center for lunch. Our final stop of the day was a visit to the Church of San Michele to see the ceramic tile floor depicting Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. We walked back to the central square and queued up for the bus back to the ferry dock but the correct bus never appeared. After a wait of nearly an hour we hired a taxi for 20 euros for a very fast and reckless ride down to the marina and were on our way back to Naples. Due to the ferry it was more expensive than most of our do it yourself days; it cost about 70 euros for the ferry, plus 20 for the taxi, three euros for the bus ride and another 30 euros for the cable car and admissions, plus lunch of course.

Palermo – (Driver to Segesta and OOO 28 May 2007) – Our primary goal for the port of Palermo was to see the completely intact Greek temple and the restored theater at Segesta. After considerable effort we made reservations for a driver to take us to Segesta which was about an hour from the Palermo cruise terminal. The driver spoke no English but he did deliver us to the correct site and we then used a shuttle bus to travel to the 3rd century BC theater and the 5th century BC temple. It was a beautiful site and worth the effort of getting there. On the way back to Palermo we stopped at Castellammare del Golfo for a magnificent view of the Sicilian coastline. We asked the driver with gestures and by pointing to pictures in the guide book to drop us off at the NormanPalace so we could visit the Capella Palatina with its amazing mosaics and then walk back to the ship. The walk gave us an up close view of Palermo which can only be described as “gritty” but the people were delightfully helpful. Our only costs (about 30 euros) besides lunch and the driver to Segesta were the admission fees at Segesta and the NormanPalace. All in all it was a worthwhile day because we saw what we had wanted to see and we had an opportunity to walk through the streets and Palermo and get a feel for the city.

Palma de Mallorca- (OOO May 25 2007) – We were off for another do it yourself port when the ship docked at Palma. We did use the HAL shuttle bus to old town since the massive cathedral was our first destination. After wandering through the cathedral we walked to the ancient Roman baths. Soon we found ourselves surrounded by buses, taxis, bikes and cars so we knew we were out of the old city which had been quiet and quaint. With much difficulty and a very long walk through the hectic city we finally found the stop for a bus that we hoped would get us near the Castel Bellvre that we had seen from the ship. Unfortunately the traffic was so slow and we realized we did not have ample time to see to the castle and get safely back to the ship. So we exited the bus at the next stop and worked very hard to find our way on foot back to the ship. We made the mistake of trying to do too much and we did not research the options for getting from one area of Palma to another location. We did so much walking but we did not see very much. Our only costs were 12 euros for admissions to the cathedral and baths, and 15 euros for the shuttle bus and our bus ride to nowhere, plus a late lunch on the long walk to the Westerdam.

Rome Pre Cruise Day 1 – (Driver to Civitavecchia June 20 2006) - We left Sorrento the next morning to join our friends at the port of Civitavecchia with another really big splurge of another Renato Cuomo driver from Sorrento to the ship. It was worth the cost since this was June 2006 and it was very, very warm. We really appreciated the door to door service in an air conditioned Mercedes. We arrived at the Noordam about 2:00pm ready to start our first big ship cruise. Let’s just say the driver to the port was very expensive!

Rome Post Cruise Day 1 – (OOO June 30 2006) – The Noordam returned to Rome after sailing through the straits of Messina and past the volcano, Stromboli. We arrived at the port of Civitavecchia and disembarked by 9:00am. The port shuttle took us to the port entrance and we walked to the train station for the regional train to the St Peter’s stop in Rome. We were staying one night at the Columbus Hotel ($285 per night) in Vatican City so we walked with our luggage to the hotel; fortunately it was all downhill so the 90 degree heat was not too bad. We arrived at the hotel by 10:30am and our room was ready so we left our luggage there and set off to Piazza Navona for a Tartufo to cool off! We were off to explore Crypto Balbi, the area around Trajan’s Column, Capitoline Hill, and the Roman Forum. Fortunately we were able to enter St Peter’s Basilica before it closed at 7:00pm and after all the crowds had gone; we then had dinner at Il Papalino where we had enjoyed a dinner in 2004. Our only costs for the day were 12 euros for admissions to Crypto Balbi plus the cost of dinner. Since we had an early morning departure we splurged again with a private driver from Rome Cabs to the airport

Rome Pre Cruise Day 1 – (OOO May 18 2007) – After claiming our luggage at Rome’s FCO airport we took the Leonardo Express to Termini and walked a few blocks to the Hotel Aberdeen ($185) which was located off Via ****onale behind Piazza Repubblica. The hotel seemed to specialize in American tourists and provided good advice for dinner that evening. After an early dinner at Target which was around the corner from the hotel we walked along Via ****onale to Piazza Venezia to look over the Roman Forum as the sun was setting. So ended a long day of 30 hours of travel from LAX. The FCO airport to Termini train fare was about 25 euros.

Rome Pre Cruise Day 2 – (Private driver and OOO May 19 2007) – Early the next morning we were off by private driver from Rome Cabs to Tivoli; our first stop was Hadrian’s Villa which we explored on our own for about 2.5 hours. The grounds were nearly deserted. We met up with our driver again and were off to our next stop, Villa d’Este with its fountains and gardens. Before entering the villa we stopped for lunch at an amazing restaurant, Sibilla, in the shadow of a 2nd century BC Roman temple. The villa, in the center of the town of Tivoli, was very beautiful but the fountains and gardens were magnificent. We walked all the way down to the lower levels and then climbed all the way back to the top. All of the fountains had been restored to full glory and are powered only by gravity. After a 90 minute visit we rejoined our driver and we were back in Rome by early afternoon. We decided to explore Santa Maria de Angeli which was built on the site of the Baths of Diocletian. We also walked through other areas near the hotel before dinner at another restaurant near the Hotel Aberdeen. Besides the cost of the private driver and lunch, the only other expenses were 25 euros for admissions.

Rome Pre Cruise Day 3 – (OOO May 20 2007) – The next morning we packed up, left some of our belongings at the hotel for our return stop at the end of the cruise, and walked back to Termini for the hour long train ride (5 euros each one way) to Civitavecchia where we boarded the Westerdam for our cruise on the Western Mediterranean.

Rome Post Cruise Day 1 – (OOO May 30 2007) – The Westerdam returned to Civitevecchia and we repeated the trip back to Rome by train. The walk between the entrance to the port and the train station in Civitavecchia is about half a mile on nearly level terrain and was easy to do even with our luggage. We rode the train all the way to Termini since we were returning to the Hotel Aberdeen ($185) following the cruise. Fortunately we were able to check into the hotel when we arrived about 11:00am and after a short rest we set off by metro to Villa Borghese where we had reservations for a 3:00pm visit. The metro in Rome is much more efficient than taxi or Hop On Hop Off buses and quite easy to use since there are only two lines that cross at Termini. Getting from the metro to Borghese was not a simple task but we did it by carefully watching for signage. After touring the Borghese Galleries which was covered by our RomaPass, as were the metro fares, we made a stop at the Spanish Steps, had dinner nearby, and then walked to the metro station. We ended the day earlier than usual but satisfied with what we had seen. Our only expense was 40 euros for the RomaPass and 10 euros for the train from Civitavecchia.

Rome Post Cruise Day 2 – (OOO May 31 2007) – Our plan for the day was a visit to Ostia Antica since we had enjoyed our visits to Hadrian’s Villa and Pompeii. We traveled on our own by metro and then a switched to a regional train at the Pyramide metro stop. At Ostia the walk from the train station to the entrance to the ruins was only 15 minutes but we discovered the ruins themselves covered a much larger area than we had anticipated. For about five hours we walked nearly three miles through the ruins of the former Roman port and found the site to be more photogenic than Pompeii because there were more trees. We returned to the Ostia train station for the return trip to Rome and when we boarded the metro we learned the perils of traveling during rush hour. Once back in Rome our final stop was a visit to Santa Maria Maggorie which was a few blocks from the Hotel Aberdeen. During our walk to the church we had our only pickpocket incident in the form of a nine year old boy who was trying to open our backpack. We ate dinner on our way back to the hotel, finishing off with a chocolate gelato at 8:30pm. The RomaPass covered the admissions and transportation to Ostia Antica. A driver from Rome Cabs was picking us the following morning for our very early flight to Brussels.

Rome – (OOO October 8 2008) – This was our first visit to Rome as a port call rather than on a land based trip or at the start or end of a cruise. Since the port of Civitavecchia is more than an hour by train from Rome we felt some pressure to plan the day in such a way to allow for travel glitches. We were experts in using the train to travel into Rome and this time we even taught an impromptu class as we walked to the station. We caught the 8:00am train and got off the train at the St Peter’s station. We walked from the station to St Peter’s square where we found the huge crowd assembling for the Papal audience which is held every Wednesday morning. We continued our walk to the Ottaviano metro station which was about half a mile from the square. We got off the metro at Flaminio since our first destination was Piazza de Popolo to take panoramic photos from the lookout about the piazza. We stopped at Santa Maria de Popolo which houses an extensive art collection before climbing up the Pincio staircase to the Piazza Napoleone for fantastic views of Rome. After half an hour we descended and walked across Piazza de Popolo and continued walking down Via del Corso. Our next destinations were Augustus’ Mausoleum which was under extensive excavation and restoration, and the new Richard Meier designed AraPacisMuseum which housed Augustus’ Altar of Peace from 9BC. From there we walked along the TiberRiver and made our way to Piazza Navona for lunch and our favorite gelato treat, Tartufo. Bernini’s Four Rivers fountain was under renovation but the 17th century church of Sant'Agnese was finally open for tourists. After lunch we walked back to the river and across on the PonteVictorEmmanuelIIBridge to St Peter’s for a taxi to our second viewpoint over Rome. Even though we told the driver we wanted to go to Piazzale Garibaldi he missed the turn and headed off in another direction until we shouted at him to take us to Gianicolo Hill. This experience demonstrated why it was important for us to research where we wanted to go and to have a good idea of how to get there. We were not disappointed in the views but there were no taxis to take us back down back to St Peter’s. The only option was to walk down the steep hill until we came to the Vatican City walls but we could not figure out how to get to the other side of the walls until a priest who spoke excellent English led us through an underground parking garage. The square was still mobbed with people from the morning’s audience so we skipped trying to get to the basilica’s roof for another panoramic view. We walked the half mile up to the train station and caught the 4:00pm train back to Civitavecchia. The 18 euros spent on our train tickets also covered travel on the metro for the entire day. We never felt we had to rush anywhere and we avoided trying to see and do too much. The total cost for our day in Rome was less than 50 euros for transportation and admissions but not including lunch and gelato.

Santorini – (OOO June 25 2006) – We set off for another day on our own based on the research we had done. We were ready for the first tender, immediately walked/ran to the cable car for the quick ride up to Fira. We stayed on task and found our way immediately to the bus station where we boarded a bus to Oia except for a quick stop at a gallery and the orthodox cathedral. We had read that we wanted to get to Oia as quickly as possible to beat some of the crowds from the Noordam’s and other ships’ excursions. Oia was so picturesque and we explored the walkways for about two hours until we were ready for lunch at one of the cafes perched on the rim of the caldera, then a bus back to Fira. We then wandered through the shops of Fira and stopped at the archeological museum before descending by cable car and tendering back to the ship. Our time on Santorini was about 6 hours and cost only about 25 euros plus the cost of lunch.

Santorini – (OOO October 5 2008) – The Zuiderdam sailed into the caldera as the fog and mist were dissipating and by the time we tendered before noon the sun was shining. Since Santorini is so photogenic we elected to repeat the same visit we enjoyed in 2006. We knew it was easy and cost effective to take the cable car to the town of Fira and then walked about 10 mintues to the bus station for the 20 minute ride to Oia. We boarded the bus and were lucky enough to have seats so we could watch the brave ticket seller push and shove his way through the thoroughly packed aisle. When we arrived in Oia we walked through very crowded walkways until we reached the farthest point to the north where it was almost deserted. We took our time and were rewarded each time we explored a new alley or climbed another set of steps. We walked and walked for almost four hours before stopping for lunch at a café near the yellow church at the southern end of the pedestrian only zone. We lingered at lunch since it was such a gorgeous setting before heading back to the bus. The buses ran about every 20 minutes and every one of them was fully packed but once again we were lucky to get seats and watched as the same ticket seller did his thing. When we returned to Fira we slowly made our way back to the cable car. Fortunately the massive crowds had thinned. After short waits at the cable car and tender boarding we were back on the Zuiderdam after more than 6 hours of walking around. The costs for the cable car and the bus rides were about 20 euros; lunch was a bit more expensive in Oia compared to most other ports.

Sorrento Pre Cruise Day 1 – (Driver from Rome airport June 17 2006) – We splurged by hiring a private driver from Sorrento-based Renato Cuomo who was waiting for us after our flights from LAX via LHR. Otherwise we would have taken the Leonardo Express to Rome’s Termini and a train to Naples’ Centrale and then somehow on to Sorrento. We also splurged by staying three nights at the Bellevue Syrene. ($405 pernight) Even with the private driver we did not arrive at the hotel in Sorrento until after 10:00pm – a very long day.

Sorrento Pre Cruise Day 2 – (OOO June 18 2006) – On our first full day in Sorrento we took the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii where we focused on the Villa Misteri, the amphitheater and theaters, and the area surrounding the forum. After about four hours we took the Circumvesuviana train to Herculaneum where were explored those ruins for another three hours. We trained back to Sorrento with the ever present help of friendly Italians. It was another very long day. Total costs for the day’s trains and admissions were about 60 euros which included a transit pass but not the cost of lunch.

Sorrento Pre Cruise Day 3 – (OOO June 19 2006) – The day started with the SITA bus to Amalfi and then another bus up to Ravello; we learned that Italians don’t stay in orderly queues while waiting to board the bus. We thoroughly enjoyed the scenery and views of the Amalfi coast. We returned to Sorrento via the ferry. This was an easier day and we had enough time to explore Sorrento and learn more about how the beautiful inlaid wooden items were made and how good Limoncello tasted. The do it yourself day cost 14 euros for the ferry and 20 euros for admissions plus the cost of lunch. Bus fare was covered by the pass we purchased the previous day.

Valletta– (Private tour June 28 2006) – After a well earned day at sea we arrived at the main port of Malta where we were to meet our guide for the day, Vince DiBono. We had made arrangements for about five hours of touring into the countryside and ending back in the city of Valletta. Everything went according to plan and we saw much of the island of Malta. We stopped at a quarry where the characteristic limestone was produced, we looked down on the Blue Grotto and the coastline where each of the invaders had landed, and we visited the colorful fishing village of Marsaxlokk. Vince shared an unending narrative that truly made the stories come alive. We visited the 5,000 year old ancient site of Hagar Qim and walked through the old city of Mdina which is sometimes called the SilentCity. We then returned to Valletta where we stopped at the Co-Cathedral to see the chapels and tombstones of the Knights, had a quick snack, and made our final stop of the day at the UpperBarrakkaGardens where we saw the harbor and massive city walls and fortifications. It was yet another flawless day! Our only additional expense was a snack after a stop at the cathedral.

Varenna Pre Cruise Day 1 – (Driver from Milan airport and OOO September 26 2008 yes, not on the Mediterranean, but…) – We arrived at Milan’s Malpensa MXP airport on an American Airlines non-stop from JFK. We made arrangements with BestViaggi for a driver to meet us at the airport for our transfer to Varenna on LakeComo where we would stay for two nights at the same hotel, Villa Cipresse, where we had stayed in 2004. The plan was to recover from jet lag in the quiet town of Varenna. We were able to check into our room and relax for an hour before wandering around town and stopping for lunch at a lakeside café. It was nice being in a familiar setting and not having anything specific planned for the afternoon. We managed to stay awake throughout the day and had an early dinner near the ferry dock before ending a very long day of travel. Our only expense in addition to meals was 160 euros for the private driver.

Varenna Pre Cruise Day 2 – (OOO September 27 2008 yes, not on the Mediterranean, but…) – We were awake early the next morning, ate breakfast at the historic villa, bought a day pass for the ferry and boarded the next ferry to Villa Carlotta which was just opening for tourists as we arrived. It is one of a few villas and gardens on the lake that are open to tourists. We explored the partially furnished interior of the villa and then wandered through the extensive gardens. After a couple of hours we boarded the ferry to Bellagio which was crowded with tourists and not very peaceful. We ate lunch at the top of the main pedestrian street, walked through the stone Romanesque church, and within a couple of hours ferried back to Varenna under cloudy skies and a slight drizzle. After a quiet afternoon at the hotel we had another early dinner.

Venice Day 1 Pre Cruise Day 1 – (OOO September 28 2008) – In the morning we took a taxi to the unmanned train station in Varenna, (earlier we had bought our tickets for 10 euros at a tobacco shop) and boarded the train for the one hour ride to Milano Centrale where we transferred to an express train to Venice for which we had purchased our tickets online for $92 several weeks earlier. We arrived at the Santa Lucia train station in Venice after about three hours of train travel. Our hotel, Hotel Abazzia, ($300 per night) was located around the corner from the train station and only a ten minute walk from the station. We did not need to take a vaporetto or water taxi nor did we need to carry our luggage across any bridges. We purchased vaporetto two day passes on our way to the hotel and the hotel staff gave us instructions on how to use the vaporetti for a short visit to Burano, one of the nearby islands. We walked about the small island, took photos of the colorful houses, had a very late lunch before taking the vaporetti back to the hotel. Later we walked a circuitous route to Piazza San Marco in the early evening and boarded Vaporetto #1 for a nighttime ride on the Grand Canal as recommended in every guidebook. We returned to the hotel after a light dinner in one of the tourist restaurants near the train station. Besides meals the only expense was the two day vaporetto pass for about 50 euros.

Venice Pre Cruise Day 2 – (OOO September 29 2008) – We slept very well in the historic hotel until the nearby church bells started ringing at 7:15am but we had been warned about the bells. After breakfast we took a vaporetto to Piazza San Marco under brilliant sunny skies. We arrived just as the Campanile was opening at 9:00am and took one of the first elevators to the top. The views were magnificent and fortunately we were not at the top when those bells were ringing. We had reservations that we had made online for a 9:45am entry into the San Marco Basilica and went immediately upstairs to the outside balcony and museum also as recommended. We had ample time to tour the main level of the basilica before moving on to the Doges Palace where we had reservations, also made online from home, for the excellent 90 minute Secret Itineraries tour which began at 10:45am. We thoroughly enjoyed our carefully planned morning at Piazza San Marco. We left the piazza by 1:00pm, made our way back to the hotel to retrieve our luggage, walked across the new glass bridge to Piazzale Roma where we took a shuttle bus to the cruise terminal and boarded the Zuiderdam in time for a late lunch. Since the ship was not leaving Venice until the following afternoon we walked about a mile back into Venice for more exploration and wandering about before returning to the ship for dinner. Our costs for the day in Venice were 40 euros for the Doges tour and Campanile admissions.

Venice Pre Cruise Day 3 – (OOO September 30 2008) – Early the next morning we walked the mile from the ship to the train station and rode a vaporetto crowded with commuters to the colorful Rialto Markets. For the rest of the day we explored the old Jewish Ghetto, visited several churches filled with works of art and walked back to the ship for the late afternoon sail-away. The only expenses incurred for the day were small admissions totaling less than 12 euros. We learned that the best way to enjoy Venice is to carefully plan part of the available time and then devote the balance of your time to aimless wandering of the canals and walkways of this unique city.

Wonderful Information -- Thank you for sharing!:D

We are taking our second Med. cruise next summer so I am printing out your report.

Kathy:)

Thanks for the information. We will going to some of those cities on a TA with Princess next April and staying three days on Barcelona after the cruise. Appreciate the BCN comments.

Thank you very much, a lote of information :)

WOW...thanks for all the info! :)

Wowza - thanks for taking the time to type all this up! Super helpful for my first-time med cruise this Spring! Thank you, thank you!

this was a fantastic review and the photos breathtaking!! Thank you

Thanks so much for the great information. We also are interested in doing some touring on our own and some with tours.

Joe and Renee

Very thorough report jeep61.

We however, had a couple of different experiences than you did. I had also planned with the help of this website, to try and do as many ports as possible on our own as we were on a tight budget.

We were on the Grand Princess in Oct '08. Things didn't go quite as planned. We arrived in Monaco, and knowing we weren't doing a tour decided to let the tour guests leave while we had a leisurely breakfast. At about 10:00 we debarked and there was absolutely nobody around to ask questions or directions. I was looking for the taxis (that was marked on the map from Monaco) and there were NONE. No shuttle buses, so we started walking. Made it to the Yacht club and was told the only way up top was to walk. So we started following signs. We never did make it all the way up, as the stairs were just too steep and too many for us. At about noon we headed back to the ship for lunch and a nap. At about 4:00, we decided to return to a small souvenir trailer we had seen on the pier and I purchased my thimble. Upon returning to the ship, we had to walk through the terminal, and saw an information desk. My friend was very forthright, went up to the desk and asked why there wasn't better transportation to the top. We were then informed there was an elevator, and they wanted to escort us to it, but we had to be back on-board at 5:00 so thought it was too late to try and see or do anything up top. So we returned to the ship to get ready for dinner. Having missed seeing any of the sights, other than from the pier. We have some lovely long distance shots of the Palace and the Casino, and even the Oceanographic Museum (from the walkway).

After the fiasco in Monte Carlo, on our way to Livorno, we talked and decided we didn't want to be left out in the cold again, so we booked a ships tour to Tuscany. Avoiding Pisa and Florence because the ship's tours were all in the $200-300 dollar range, and we didn't feel we could afford that. It was a lovely tour to a old walled City and on to a Castle for wine tasting.

We watched the video in our cabin for Naples. Thought we were prepared because they had said there would be a shuttle to the ferry pier, as we were berthed about 10 blocks from it. Not close like you were. So we decided to attempt to take the hydrofoil to Sorrento and the Circumvesuviana train back to Pompeii and on to Naples. Again with much planning from this website, thought we knew exactly what we were going to do. Got off the ship at 8:00, and headed to the shuttle bus. Only for the driver to tell us in a very rude manner, NO, SHUTTLE DOESN'T START UNTIL 9:00. I said that won't work, because the hydrofoil leaves at 9:00. We tried to get a taxi (of which there were plenty) but none of them wanted the short fare to the other pier. They wanted to drive us to Sorrento. The bus driver wouldn't even let us board the shuttle to sit, so we sat on a concrete curb, and discussed what to do. A very persistent little taxi driver brought over his brochure and proceeded to try and talk us into hiring him. In the end, we did for 100 EURO per person. It ended up being one of the best days we had on the 12 day cruise. He spoke broken English, but he would hear us pointing out something, and stop for photos. Dropped us at Pompeii first, had about 2 hours there, then he found us and drove on to Sorrento with a few stops on the way for photo ops. Once in Sorrento, he escorted us across the busy street (he was very concerned that two little old ladies were travelling alone), pointed out a nice restaurant for lunch. We wandered for maybe another two hours, then back to the pick-up point. On our way back to the ship, he included a mini-tour of Naples. Then had us back to the ship by 4:00 pm.

Then in Katakolon, we were told we would be tendering, but when we awoke in the morning, we were at a very long pier. Upon debarking the ship, there was a person at the gangway, so we asked if there was a shuttle. She said yes, to wait over there by a small building. We went over there and was waiting, when an officer in uniform came over and asked what we were doing. Told him we were waiting for a shuttle, he said there would be NO SHUTTLE, we would have to walk. Took us quite a while to walk to town, with many rest stops at benches along the way.

We shopped and walked the town, but never found the train station to go to Olympia. We finally asked someone, and found it was at the far end of town, so we didn't feel up to walking back to it. Returned to the ship again, frustrated that things hadn't gone as planned.

I had selected this cruise to show my friend Italy and Greece, as I had been before. But this cruise also included the Greek Islands of Santorini and Mykonos (where I hadn't been). Well we made it to Santorini, but when we left Kusadasi on the way to Mykonos, the winds decided to kick up and after two attempts to dock, at 5:00 am the Captain announced we would be skipping the port of Mykonos and sail on to Athens. And because of the change in Itinerary, the Greek government wanted all of our passports held for inspection. So for the 3 days we were in Greek waters, the ship's purser held all passenger's passports.

And finally arrival in Venice was another fiasco. We had filled out the cards that we had our own transportation from the pier to Piazzale Roma, as by this time, I was done with Princess. I wasn't going to pay them to take me anywhere. Well, the purser's desk called and asked the name of the company we were using for our transfer. Told them we were just going to take a taxi. WRONG, NO TAXI'S AT PIER, if we hadn't pre-arranged with a company to pick us up, we would have to go with Princess transfers (at $24 pp) or walk. We took the transfer, and paid the $24 for a 5 minute ride. When we returned from dinner, the tickets were in our mail slot. I opened them and read the letter stating "SILVER" luggage tags, but the tags themselves were "GOLD". After discussion, decided we better go to the purser's desk and ask about the luggage tags. So glad we did, the attendant at the desk said an error had been made, the gold tags would send our luggage to the airport, and we would arrive in Piazzale Roma not knowing where our luggage had gone, so he switched the tags for silver tags.

So, long story short, be prepared that after all your planning, things may not go the way you planned. Be ready with a Plan "B", and try not to get too upset or frustrated that things aren't the way you wanted them to be.

We have found that mobility is a big issue when planning excursions. It is almost assumed that you can walk for several miles if you are going to try to see a port on your own. And there seems to be a never ending supply of steps to climb too! We have read the suggestions for independent travel on many websites. When following them, a few turned out to be far more difficult than described. Most of our independent excursions were do-able and worked out well, but we have had several disasters too. When in doubt, book a ships tour that meets your needs.

Thanks for all of the info. We will be on the 12 day June B of the Seas from Barcelona to Villefranche, Italy, Greek Isles. and Turkey. I'm very confused about the ship tours vs. private tours. I will be traveling with 5 other friends. I have to make the reservations for Rome and am not sure where to start.

Thanks

Very generous of you, thanks!

Murphy 123,

We took a RCI excursion in Rome a few years ago and it was great. Survey your group and determine what they would like to see and how much walking they are able to do, and weather they want to see historic or religious sites or both. While some people use private tour agencies, most cruisers stick with the ship tours. Both are good. Check out the excursions that RCI has to offer and where each one goes. If they don't meet the needs of the group, then consider a private tour. Private tours can also be less expensive, especially if you have a group of people going and they can be designed to meet your needs. Have a wonderful trip!

As stated in the first section we enjoyed three Holland America Mediterranean cruises over the last three summers and learned much about touring the ports. I've put together an encyclopedic doc of what we did in each of the ports and our Pre and Post cruise activities. It's long but it might be helpful for some. Each port's activities are listed as well as approximate costs for two adults. I added the rates for the hotels we used since sometime location, location, location is more important than saving money.

 

This is the section that covers ports N through Z. Ports A through M are in a separate posting. I did not include all of our costs since the rates for the private drivers and guides have probably changed.

 

We did the ports many different ways - OOO for On Our Own is our favorite approach but we also used ship's excursions and private guides and drivers. Some photos from these cruises (and other travels) are at http://www.birkbinnard.com/photography/

 

An Almost A to Z Encyclopedia of What to Do in Mediterranean Ports (OOO means On Our Own and all costs are for two “60-something” adults)

 

Naples - (OOO May 29 2007) – Even though we had been to Pompeii from Sorrento in 2006 we were eager to return as see much more of the excavated city. Through our research and our use of the Circumvesuviana trains the prior year we were prepared to walk to the train station for the one hour ride to Pompeii Scavi. As we walked from the ship to the street we were besieged by taxi drivers wanting to drive us to Pompeii but we resisted their pleas and walked for 30 minutes to the chaotic train station. We arrived at the entrance to Pompeii at 10:30am, less than two hours after leaving the ship. We were in no hurry so we leisurely worked our way through many areas of the ruins. The crowds were huge, we dodged a few rain drops but we thoroughly enjoyed our second visit to Pompeii seeing what we wanted to see and being able to go at our own pace. This time we did not use the audio guide since it was awkward to carry it as well as the camera and umbrella. After five hours we returned to the train station for the ride back to Naples. Unfortunately we got off the train at Napoli Centrale and not the Circumvesuviana station so we experienced more of the hustle and bustle of Naples than planned. Suffice it to say it was an interesting hour long walk back to the ship. Our do it yourself trip to Pompeii was very cost effective since we spent less than 35 euros for transportation and admissions (10 euros for the train and 22 euros for admission to Pompeii.

 

Naples – (OOO October 7 2008) – During our previous visit to Naples we traveled on our own to Pompeii; on this trip we wanted a quieter outing so we went by hydrofoil to the island of Capri. The cruise ships dock right next to the ferry terminal so it was a simple matter of getting off the ship and walking across a parking lot to the ticket office for the ferry. Round trip tickets are not sold so it was recommended to purchase the return tickets immediately upon arrival at Capri. The hour long crossing was smooth and easy, we purchased our return tickets and walked to the nearby bus stop for the trip up to Anacapri. We had decided to visit only the town of Anacapri since it was purported to be less crowded and commercial than CapriTown. The bus ride was thrilling – switchbacks, little clearance between oncoming traffic, and steep drop offs. When we arrived in Anacapri it was crowded with tourists but we made our way to the Mt Solaro chairlift. The views along the way up and at the summit were sensational. The ride ends at the site of a former Roman villa. The photography was fantastic and we spent about an hour capturing each vista. The ride down to town was equally scenic but we found the crowds oppressive in the center of the small town. We went along a pedestrian path to Villa San Michele and paid the entry fee to see the interior and exterior of the villa build by a Swedish physician and then we walked back into the busy town center for lunch. Our final stop of the day was a visit to the Church of San Michele to see the ceramic tile floor depicting Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. We walked back to the central square and queued up for the bus back to the ferry dock but the correct bus never appeared. After a wait of nearly an hour we hired a taxi for 20 euros for a very fast and reckless ride down to the marina and were on our way back to Naples. Due to the ferry it was more expensive than most of our do it yourself days; it cost about 70 euros for the ferry, plus 20 for the taxi, three euros for the bus ride and another 30 euros for the cable car and admissions, plus lunch of course.

 

Palermo – (Driver to Segesta and OOO 28 May 2007) – Our primary goal for the port of Palermo was to see the completely intact Greek temple and the restored theater at Segesta. After considerable effort we made reservations for a driver to take us to Segesta which was about an hour from the Palermo cruise terminal. The driver spoke no English but he did deliver us to the correct site and we then used a shuttle bus to travel to the 3rd century BC theater and the 5th century BC temple. It was a beautiful site and worth the effort of getting there. On the way back to Palermo we stopped at Castellammare del Golfo for a magnificent view of the Sicilian coastline. We asked the driver with gestures and by pointing to pictures in the guide book to drop us off at the NormanPalace so we could visit the Capella Palatina with its amazing mosaics and then walk back to the ship. The walk gave us an up close view of Palermo which can only be described as “gritty” but the people were delightfully helpful. Our only costs (about 30 euros) besides lunch and the driver to Segesta were the admission fees at Segesta and the NormanPalace. All in all it was a worthwhile day because we saw what we had wanted to see and we had an opportunity to walk through the streets and Palermo and get a feel for the city.

 

Palma de Mallorca- (OOO May 25 2007) – We were off for another do it yourself port when the ship docked at Palma. We did use the HAL shuttle bus to old town since the massive cathedral was our first destination. After wandering through the cathedral we walked to the ancient Roman baths. Soon we found ourselves surrounded by buses, taxis, bikes and cars so we knew we were out of the old city which had been quiet and quaint. With much difficulty and a very long walk through the hectic city we finally found the stop for a bus that we hoped would get us near the Castel Bellvre that we had seen from the ship. Unfortunately the traffic was so slow and we realized we did not have ample time to see to the castle and get safely back to the ship. So we exited the bus at the next stop and worked very hard to find our way on foot back to the ship. We made the mistake of trying to do too much and we did not research the options for getting from one area of Palma to another location. We did so much walking but we did not see very much. Our only costs were 12 euros for admissions to the cathedral and baths, and 15 euros for the shuttle bus and our bus ride to nowhere, plus a late lunch on the long walk to the Westerdam.

 

Rome Pre Cruise Day 1 – (Driver to Civitavecchia June 20 2006) - We left Sorrento the next morning to join our friends at the port of Civitavecchia with another really big splurge of another Renato Cuomo driver from Sorrento to the ship. It was worth the cost since this was June 2006 and it was very, very warm. We really appreciated the door to door service in an air conditioned Mercedes. We arrived at the Noordam about 2:00pm ready to start our first big ship cruise. Let’s just say the driver to the port was very expensive!

 

Rome Post Cruise Day 1 – (OOO June 30 2006) – The Noordam returned to Rome after sailing through the straits of Messina and past the volcano, Stromboli. We arrived at the port of Civitavecchia and disembarked by 9:00am. The port shuttle took us to the port entrance and we walked to the train station for the regional train to the St Peter’s stop in Rome. We were staying one night at the Columbus Hotel ($285 per night) in Vatican City so we walked with our luggage to the hotel; fortunately it was all downhill so the 90 degree heat was not too bad. We arrived at the hotel by 10:30am and our room was ready so we left our luggage there and set off to Piazza Navona for a Tartufo to cool off! We were off to explore Crypto Balbi, the area around Trajan’s Column, Capitoline Hill, and the Roman Forum. Fortunately we were able to enter St Peter’s Basilica before it closed at 7:00pm and after all the crowds had gone; we then had dinner at Il Papalino where we had enjoyed a dinner in 2004. Our only costs for the day were 12 euros for admissions to Crypto Balbi plus the cost of dinner. Since we had an early morning departure we splurged again with a private driver from Rome Cabs to the airport

 

Rome Pre Cruise Day 1 – (OOO May 18 2007) – After claiming our luggage at Rome’s FCO airport we took the Leonardo Express to Termini and walked a few blocks to the Hotel Aberdeen ($185) which was located off Via ****onale behind Piazza Repubblica. The hotel seemed to specialize in American tourists and provided good advice for dinner that evening. After an early dinner at Target which was around the corner from the hotel we walked along Via ****onale to Piazza Venezia to look over the Roman Forum as the sun was setting. So ended a long day of 30 hours of travel from LAX. The FCO airport to Termini train fare was about 25 euros.

 

Rome Pre Cruise Day 2 – (Private driver and OOO May 19 2007) – Early the next morning we were off by private driver from Rome Cabs to Tivoli; our first stop was Hadrian’s Villa which we explored on our own for about 2.5 hours. The grounds were nearly deserted. We met up with our driver again and were off to our next stop, Villa d’Este with its fountains and gardens. Before entering the villa we stopped for lunch at an amazing restaurant, Sibilla, in the shadow of a 2nd century BC Roman temple. The villa, in the center of the town of Tivoli, was very beautiful but the fountains and gardens were magnificent. We walked all the way down to the lower levels and then climbed all the way back to the top. All of the fountains had been restored to full glory and are powered only by gravity. After a 90 minute visit we rejoined our driver and we were back in Rome by early afternoon. We decided to explore Santa Maria de Angeli which was built on the site of the Baths of Diocletian. We also walked through other areas near the hotel before dinner at another restaurant near the Hotel Aberdeen. Besides the cost of the private driver and lunch, the only other expenses were 25 euros for admissions.

 

Rome Pre Cruise Day 3 – (OOO May 20 2007) – The next morning we packed up, left some of our belongings at the hotel for our return stop at the end of the cruise, and walked back to Termini for the hour long train ride (5 euros each one way) to Civitavecchia where we boarded the Westerdam for our cruise on the Western Mediterranean.

 

Rome Post Cruise Day 1 – (OOO May 30 2007) – The Westerdam returned to Civitevecchia and we repeated the trip back to Rome by train. The walk between the entrance to the port and the train station in Civitavecchia is about half a mile on nearly level terrain and was easy to do even with our luggage. We rode the train all the way to Termini since we were returning to the Hotel Aberdeen ($185) following the cruise. Fortunately we were able to check into the hotel when we arrived about 11:00am and after a short rest we set off by metro to Villa Borghese where we had reservations for a 3:00pm visit. The metro in Rome is much more efficient than taxi or Hop On Hop Off buses and quite easy to use since there are only two lines that cross at Termini. Getting from the metro to Borghese was not a simple task but we did it by carefully watching for signage. After touring the Borghese Galleries which was covered by our RomaPass, as were the metro fares, we made a stop at the Spanish Steps, had dinner nearby, and then walked to the metro station. We ended the day earlier than usual but satisfied with what we had seen. Our only expense was 40 euros for the RomaPass and 10 euros for the train from Civitavecchia.

 

Rome Post Cruise Day 2 – (OOO May 31 2007) – Our plan for the day was a visit to Ostia Antica since we had enjoyed our visits to Hadrian’s Villa and Pompeii. We traveled on our own by metro and then a switched to a regional train at the Pyramide metro stop. At Ostia the walk from the train station to the entrance to the ruins was only 15 minutes but we discovered the ruins themselves covered a much larger area than we had anticipated. For about five hours we walked nearly three miles through the ruins of the former Roman port and found the site to be more photogenic than Pompeii because there were more trees. We returned to the Ostia train station for the return trip to Rome and when we boarded the metro we learned the perils of traveling during rush hour. Once back in Rome our final stop was a visit to Santa Maria Maggorie which was a few blocks from the Hotel Aberdeen. During our walk to the church we had our only pickpocket incident in the form of a nine year old boy who was trying to open our backpack. We ate dinner on our way back to the hotel, finishing off with a chocolate gelato at 8:30pm. The RomaPass covered the admissions and transportation to Ostia Antica. A driver from Rome Cabs was picking us the following morning for our very early flight to Brussels.

 

Rome – (OOO October 8 2008) – This was our first visit to Rome as a port call rather than on a land based trip or at the start or end of a cruise. Since the port of Civitavecchia is more than an hour by train from Rome we felt some pressure to plan the day in such a way to allow for travel glitches. We were experts in using the train to travel into Rome and this time we even taught an impromptu class as we walked to the station. We caught the 8:00am train and got off the train at the St Peter’s station. We walked from the station to St Peter’s square where we found the huge crowd assembling for the Papal audience which is held every Wednesday morning. We continued our walk to the Ottaviano metro station which was about half a mile from the square. We got off the metro at Flaminio since our first destination was Piazza de Popolo to take panoramic photos from the lookout about the piazza. We stopped at Santa Maria de Popolo which houses an extensive art collection before climbing up the Pincio staircase to the Piazza Napoleone for fantastic views of Rome. After half an hour we descended and walked across Piazza de Popolo and continued walking down Via del Corso. Our next destinations were Augustus’ Mausoleum which was under extensive excavation and restoration, and the new Richard Meier designed AraPacisMuseum which housed Augustus’ Altar of Peace from 9BC. From there we walked along the TiberRiver and made our way to Piazza Navona for lunch and our favorite gelato treat, Tartufo. Bernini’s Four Rivers fountain was under renovation but the 17th century church of Sant'Agnese was finally open for tourists. After lunch we walked back to the river and across on the PonteVictorEmmanuelIIBridge to St Peter’s for a taxi to our second viewpoint over Rome. Even though we told the driver we wanted to go to Piazzale Garibaldi he missed the turn and headed off in another direction until we shouted at him to take us to Gianicolo Hill. This experience demonstrated why it was important for us to research where we wanted to go and to have a good idea of how to get there. We were not disappointed in the views but there were no taxis to take us back down back to St Peter’s. The only option was to walk down the steep hill until we came to the Vatican City walls but we could not figure out how to get to the other side of the walls until a priest who spoke excellent English led us through an underground parking garage. The square was still mobbed with people from the morning’s audience so we skipped trying to get to the basilica’s roof for another panoramic view. We walked the half mile up to the train station and caught the 4:00pm train back to Civitavecchia. The 18 euros spent on our train tickets also covered travel on the metro for the entire day. We never felt we had to rush anywhere and we avoided trying to see and do too much. The total cost for our day in Rome was less than 50 euros for transportation and admissions but not including lunch and gelato.

 

Santorini – (OOO June 25 2006) – We set off for another day on our own based on the research we had done. We were ready for the first tender, immediately walked/ran to the cable car for the quick ride up to Fira. We stayed on task and found our way immediately to the bus station where we boarded a bus to Oia except for a quick stop at a gallery and the orthodox cathedral. We had read that we wanted to get to Oia as quickly as possible to beat some of the crowds from the Noordam’s and other ships’ excursions. Oia was so picturesque and we explored the walkways for about two hours until we were ready for lunch at one of the cafes perched on the rim of the caldera, then a bus back to Fira. We then wandered through the shops of Fira and stopped at the archeological museum before descending by cable car and tendering back to the ship. Our time on Santorini was about 6 hours and cost only about 25 euros plus the cost of lunch.

 

Santorini – (OOO October 5 2008) – The Zuiderdam sailed into the caldera as the fog and mist were dissipating and by the time we tendered before noon the sun was shining. Since Santorini is so photogenic we elected to repeat the same visit we enjoyed in 2006. We knew it was easy and cost effective to take the cable car to the town of Fira and then walked about 10 mintues to the bus station for the 20 minute ride to Oia. We boarded the bus and were lucky enough to have seats so we could watch the brave ticket seller push and shove his way through the thoroughly packed aisle. When we arrived in Oia we walked through very crowded walkways until we reached the farthest point to the north where it was almost deserted. We took our time and were rewarded each time we explored a new alley or climbed another set of steps. We walked and walked for almost four hours before stopping for lunch at a café near the yellow church at the southern end of the pedestrian only zone. We lingered at lunch since it was such a gorgeous setting before heading back to the bus. The buses ran about every 20 minutes and every one of them was fully packed but once again we were lucky to get seats and watched as the same ticket seller did his thing. When we returned to Fira we slowly made our way back to the cable car. Fortunately the massive crowds had thinned. After short waits at the cable car and tender boarding we were back on the Zuiderdam after more than 6 hours of walking around. The costs for the cable car and the bus rides were about 20 euros; lunch was a bit more expensive in Oia compared to most other ports.

 

Sorrento Pre Cruise Day 1 – (Driver from Rome airport June 17 2006) – We splurged by hiring a private driver from Sorrento-based Renato Cuomo who was waiting for us after our flights from LAX via LHR. Otherwise we would have taken the Leonardo Express to Rome’s Termini and a train to Naples’ Centrale and then somehow on to Sorrento. We also splurged by staying three nights at the Bellevue Syrene. ($405 pernight) Even with the private driver we did not arrive at the hotel in Sorrento until after 10:00pm – a very long day.

 

Sorrento Pre Cruise Day 2 – (OOO June 18 2006) – On our first full day in Sorrento we took the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii where we focused on the Villa Misteri, the amphitheater and theaters, and the area surrounding the forum. After about four hours we took the Circumvesuviana train to Herculaneum where were explored those ruins for another three hours. We trained back to Sorrento with the ever present help of friendly Italians. It was another very long day. Total costs for the day’s trains and admissions were about 60 euros which included a transit pass but not the cost of lunch.

 

Sorrento Pre Cruise Day 3 – (OOO June 19 2006) – The day started with the SITA bus to Amalfi and then another bus up to Ravello; we learned that Italians don’t stay in orderly queues while waiting to board the bus. We thoroughly enjoyed the scenery and views of the Amalfi coast. We returned to Sorrento via the ferry. This was an easier day and we had enough time to explore Sorrento and learn more about how the beautiful inlaid wooden items were made and how good Limoncello tasted. The do it yourself day cost 14 euros for the ferry and 20 euros for admissions plus the cost of lunch. Bus fare was covered by the pass we purchased the previous day.

 

Valletta– (Private tour June 28 2006) – After a well earned day at sea we arrived at the main port of Malta where we were to meet our guide for the day, Vince DiBono. We had made arrangements for about five hours of touring into the countryside and ending back in the city of Valletta. Everything went according to plan and we saw much of the island of Malta. We stopped at a quarry where the characteristic limestone was produced, we looked down on the Blue Grotto and the coastline where each of the invaders had landed, and we visited the colorful fishing village of Marsaxlokk. Vince shared an unending narrative that truly made the stories come alive. We visited the 5,000 year old ancient site of Hagar Qim and walked through the old city of Mdina which is sometimes called the SilentCity. We then returned to Valletta where we stopped at the Co-Cathedral to see the chapels and tombstones of the Knights, had a quick snack, and made our final stop of the day at the UpperBarrakkaGardens where we saw the harbor and massive city walls and fortifications. It was yet another flawless day! Our only additional expense was a snack after a stop at the cathedral.

 

Varenna Pre Cruise Day 1 – (Driver from Milan airport and OOO September 26 2008 yes, not on the Mediterranean, but…) – We arrived at Milan’s Malpensa MXP airport on an American Airlines non-stop from JFK. We made arrangements with BestViaggi for a driver to meet us at the airport for our transfer to Varenna on LakeComo where we would stay for two nights at the same hotel, Villa Cipresse, where we had stayed in 2004. The plan was to recover from jet lag in the quiet town of Varenna. We were able to check into our room and relax for an hour before wandering around town and stopping for lunch at a lakeside café. It was nice being in a familiar setting and not having anything specific planned for the afternoon. We managed to stay awake throughout the day and had an early dinner near the ferry dock before ending a very long day of travel. Our only expense in addition to meals was 160 euros for the private driver.

 

Varenna Pre Cruise Day 2 – (OOO September 27 2008 yes, not on the Mediterranean, but…) – We were awake early the next morning, ate breakfast at the historic villa, bought a day pass for the ferry and boarded the next ferry to Villa Carlotta which was just opening for tourists as we arrived. It is one of a few villas and gardens on the lake that are open to tourists. We explored the partially furnished interior of the villa and then wandered through the extensive gardens. After a couple of hours we boarded the ferry to Bellagio which was crowded with tourists and not very peaceful. We ate lunch at the top of the main pedestrian street, walked through the stone Romanesque church, and within a couple of hours ferried back to Varenna under cloudy skies and a slight drizzle. After a quiet afternoon at the hotel we had another early dinner.

 

Venice Day 1 Pre Cruise Day 1 – (OOO September 28 2008) – In the morning we took a taxi to the unmanned train station in Varenna, (earlier we had bought our tickets for 10 euros at a tobacco shop) and boarded the train for the one hour ride to Milano Centrale where we transferred to an express train to Venice for which we had purchased our tickets online for $92 several weeks earlier. We arrived at the Santa Lucia train station in Venice after about three hours of train travel. Our hotel, Hotel Abazzia, ($300 per night) was located around the corner from the train station and only a ten minute walk from the station. We did not need to take a vaporetto or water taxi nor did we need to carry our luggage across any bridges. We purchased vaporetto two day passes on our way to the hotel and the hotel staff gave us instructions on how to use the vaporetti for a short visit to Burano, one of the nearby islands. We walked about the small island, took photos of the colorful houses, had a very late lunch before taking the vaporetti back to the hotel. Later we walked a circuitous route to Piazza San Marco in the early evening and boarded Vaporetto #1 for a nighttime ride on the Grand Canal as recommended in every guidebook. We returned to the hotel after a light dinner in one of the tourist restaurants near the train station. Besides meals the only expense was the two day vaporetto pass for about 50 euros.

 

Venice Pre Cruise Day 2 – (OOO September 29 2008) – We slept very well in the historic hotel until the nearby church bells started ringing at 7:15am but we had been warned about the bells. After breakfast we took a vaporetto to Piazza San Marco under brilliant sunny skies. We arrived just as the Campanile was opening at 9:00am and took one of the first elevators to the top. The views were magnificent and fortunately we were not at the top when those bells were ringing. We had reservations that we had made online for a 9:45am entry into the San Marco Basilica and went immediately upstairs to the outside balcony and museum also as recommended. We had ample time to tour the main level of the basilica before moving on to the Doges Palace where we had reservations, also made online from home, for the excellent 90 minute Secret Itineraries tour which began at 10:45am. We thoroughly enjoyed our carefully planned morning at Piazza San Marco. We left the piazza by 1:00pm, made our way back to the hotel to retrieve our luggage, walked across the new glass bridge to Piazzale Roma where we took a shuttle bus to the cruise terminal and boarded the Zuiderdam in time for a late lunch. Since the ship was not leaving Venice until the following afternoon we walked about a mile back into Venice for more exploration and wandering about before returning to the ship for dinner. Our costs for the day in Venice were 40 euros for the Doges tour and Campanile admissions.

 

Venice Pre Cruise Day 3 – (OOO September 30 2008) – Early the next morning we walked the mile from the ship to the train station and rode a vaporetto crowded with commuters to the colorful Rialto Markets. For the rest of the day we explored the old Jewish Ghetto, visited several churches filled with works of art and walked back to the ship for the late afternoon sail-away. The only expenses incurred for the day were small admissions totaling less than 12 euros. We learned that the best way to enjoy Venice is to carefully plan part of the available time and then devote the balance of your time to aimless wandering of the canals and walkways of this unique city.

Very interesting. thanks for taking the time to write out all your activities in each location. It sounds like you were on HAL ships most, or all, of the time? How did you like the Westerdaam?

Jeep 61,

I realize you posted yout message a while ago, but if you are still reading, can you give me the name and contact info of your guide in Corfu? Thanks so much.

Just came back to my encyclopedia thread and found your question. And the answer is:

The guide/driver we used in Corfu was named Dimitris. His e-mail is taxi116@in.gr

He was our guide in 2006 on the Noordam and when we returned to Corfu in 2008 on the Zuiderdam we saw him at the cruise terminal and he recommended a great restaurant for lunch. We have referred friends to him and they have been very satisfied with the time they spent with him.

Even though this post was begun several years ago, it is still very relevant for use today, especially the initial entries.

I would like to add an update about Naples. Recently on another thread, someone took it upon themselves to bash Naples and warn them to stay away. Well I am not going to get into bashing the entry but I would like to chime in on behalf of poorly maligned Naples with the following entry I made in it's defense on that other thread and to provide a resource for touring the city. As my time is limited, I simply copy my response below from that other thread as I would rather present my ideas about touring the city free of the bickering of that thread. Here goes:

Naples like many large cities has a lot of different people and a lot of different neighborhoods. As any experienced traveler knows, ports where ships dock are rarely in upscale desirable neighborhoods where the middle and upper classes live, shop, eat or work--so one has to make their way to a better place.

But is some ways Naples is different (and I don’t mean better or worse) from other major Italian cities. For example in Milan and Rome where wealth is more in evidence, where more politicians and industrialists live all one has to do to find the beau monde quite frankly is ask any concierge at any 5 star hotel for the address of the couture Versace Boutique. There on any day you will find the wives of those wealthy men rushing in (at least monthly) to buy the latest and if you compliment her (not physically as that would be rude, but in her choice of clothing or accessory) you soon will learn all you need to know as to the right place to shop, dine, walk etc. But while Versace is on Capri they are not in Naples that would be too flashy for the wealth which exists in Naples, given more to a strand of pearls and a taupe color silk constructed tailored dressed. Where in Milan you will see the exhibition of western capitalism framed into high fashion that has so enslave its inhabitants that the female will learn, out of social competitiveness, how to navigate hopelessly puddled cobblestone streets in pouring slushy February rain in order to exhibit their week-old purchase of this year's latest spring shoes, even if they are light green suede open toe shoes with 4 inch heels that will be ruined before the first daffodil blooms in late March—after all that’s just a good excuse to go shopping again).

But that’s not how wealth behaves in Naples and you had best know that there is tremendous, unbelievable wealth in Naples, with whole sections of town devoted to housing them and where the shopping is of the same quality and price point as Worth Avenue in Palm Beach or upper Madison Avenue in N.Y. And mingled among the over-priced clothing boutiques full of famous labels, are wonderful restaurants, art dealers, antique stores, home accessories of both classical and the latest in modern design--some of which you will never find in the US. And then there are the great estates of the titled nobility who unlike their English counterparts, still remain quite solvent and while they have let go of their titles and their political power, their wealth remains quite intact and you begin to learn why southern Italy doesn't really resemble the rest of Western Europe at all, either socially or economically, you begin to see the remains of a once flourishing kingdom, the Kingdom of Naples (later, part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicily’s before unifying with the Kingdom of Italy in 1861). And when you begin to understand the economic and social structure that has changed far less than its northern counterparts, you begin to understand the great waves of Italian immigration to the United States a century ago. You begin also to understand the problems created by the creation of the EEU and the challenges which modern day southern Italy faces.

Naples is in fact harder to get to know in some ways than other European cities. I don’t mean the historical sites are harder to find or the hours of the museums more limited. But if you are a tourist like me, who tours people as well as places, explores local daily life as well as monuments and beautiful landscapes, and who finds it more valuable than a physical souvenir to come away from a place with a new perspective as formulated through the eyes of a local inhabitants, then Naples is a place with the right local guide holds a treasure trove of great finds and insights.

I do not have time now to take you through the paths I have traveled in my trips there for tomorrow I leave for an overseas trip that is part business, part charitable and part vacation. I will not be able as I had hoped to scour my journals here at home and make recommendations for my special visa only was granted yesterday and now I no time at all for the opportunity I have must be taken now with little or no advance notice or planning or I shall, as they say on this site, miss the boat.

SO HERE IS THE BOTTOM LINE AND A GREAT SOLUTION TO EXPLORING NAPLES: If you are like me, but only have a day to spend and you want to spend it in Naples, having been there before but only to leave and tour the surrounding countryside, then I recommend that you email a personal friend of mine in Naples, Germano Marchetti, if you are interested in a highly personalized walking tour of the city and its social fabric. Now please do not contact him just with questions, he is not a public tour guide, in fact he is not a tour guide by profession at all. He lives in Naples and owns a restaurant. And do not contact him if you are looking for some bargain basement price or 2 hour tour. This isn’t what he does. He hopes to connect with who he escorts around as much as you hope to connect with the city by hiring an educated local guide. But having lived in America for 5 years and speaking wonderful English, he loves America and Americans as well as his native city and likes showing it off every now and then to a couple or two couples (he never takes on more than 4 at a time). These are unique and highly personalized tours depending on your wishes and his recommendations and I further cannot quote you a price. And here again we run across an Italian way of doing business. For as a friend he would never charge me for any tour I might request and as his friend in Italy I would never ask him how much he charges others since our relationship is one of friendship and not business. However I am sure he is quite reasonable and I do know for the tours he agrees to take, he requires no advance payment. You may reach him by emailing him at higermano@gmail.com"]higermano@gmail.com. Be sure to put “Touring Naples” in the subject line and, given the time difference as well as the fact that owning a restaurant means late nights, allow 24-48 hours for a response.

Jeep61

Thank you for your lovely pics and your encyclopedic guide. I've been to many of the ports but will use your guide for assistance

i saw your wonderful pics of Capri-I was wondering:

Do you need to use that cable car (ski type) in order to get the most out of Capri. My DH is afraid of heights and if that's the case, I think we'll just tour Amalfi again.

Linda

Thank you for the detailed and useful information.

Your Encyclopedia is wonderful. I'll be sailing on the new Costa Pacifica and truly appreciate your insightful practical information. A few of our Med ports weren't included such as LaValletta (Malta) and Catania (Sicily). I'll research them on the Cruise Critic site. I'm thinking about driving from Rome to Florence round trip in 1 day, (pre-cruise) since the escorted tours or the train (second class) is too costly for us, while the rental car is about $80. What are your thoughts about doing this?

Looking fwd to your reply. Again much thanks.

Thanks a lot of great suggestions...........great help.

Thanks you all

ttt

Thank you for posting...this is great information

We like to do our our own thing in ports. Thanks for the information, it gives us a lot of ideas of what to do in those ports.