Colon train/boat tour?

[jmezmom]

Hi,

 

We will be on Celebrity Equinox in February and have heard about a train/boat tour with a private company.......usually google does the trick but I am having trouble finding info.

 

If anyone has info or has done this tour please post me a link!!

 

Thanks

[BillB48]

I don't think the combination of partial transit and train is offered. It may have been offered at one time but I can't find any reference to it either. About the closest that you can find offered by a private company is My Friend Mario offers the partial transit in conjuction with many of the cruise lines stop in Colon. I have not used Mario but if ou do a search on this forum for him, he seems to rate well with most people. The only down side of booking this tour independently is you will be a long way from the ship and almost comletely dependent on Mario for your timely return. Getting alternate transportation across the Isthmus could be a challenge.

 

As far as the train goes, it normally only offers passenger service twice a day, once in the AM and again in the PM for commuters. The times would not work for the ship's arrival and departure. When ships are in Colon most if not all of their passenger assets are given over for tours usually booked on the ship. I really don't know if it is possible to independently book the train. In the past the train trip has been one way on the train and then the other way on a bus.

 

Perhaps you may have to take two cruises to fit both in:D!

[jotabecu]

I wopuld certainly recommend My Friend Mario, we used him on Feb 2010, they were very helpful, knowledgable and accomodating.

I believe the train is fully booked by the cruise company but you can ask Mario.

 

Enjoy!!!

[Mercruiser]

This excursion is offered by several cruise lines as the Two Oceans by Railroad tour. I have not seen this tour offered by independent tour companies - just the cruise lines. There is lots more information about the railroad at the Panama Canal Railway web site. A one-way ticket from the railroad is $22

 

As Bill mentions, the train schedule is not very convenient for ships in Colon. The train schedule probably limits this excursion to ships with late evening departures from Colon. This also suggests that the bus ride back to the ship is after dark.

 

Here is the tour description from Carnival: Two Ocean by Railroad.

The price is $160.

 

Carnival Tour Description:

This is a once in a lifetime chance to see two oceans in one hour by traveling the Isthmian Railroad, the world’s first Trans-Continental railroad.

On this excursion you will:

 

• Depart Colon City on the Caribbean Coast.
  
• Travel the train tracks that run parallel with the Panama Canal.
  
• See the extraordinary plants and animals of the region.
  
• Enjoy the amazing views of Gatun Lake.
  
• Hear stories of famous people such as Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand de Lesseps.
  
• Pass through the rainforest and get a glimpse of this remarkable eco-system.
  
• Cross the Continental Divide to the Pacific side.
  
• Tour the Miraflores Locks and the old Canal Zone.
  

Note: Be advised the transfer back to your ship will be by motor coach. There is no guarantee that you will see ships crossing the Canal as it depends on Canal Transit