Which Guidebooks??

[gone sailing]

My hubby and I are going on our first cruise (for our 25th anniversary). It's the Ruby Princess 12 day Grand Meditteranean in August. I have been reading so much on this forum - thanks for all your wonderful information and advice! We are very independent travelers and like to be somewhat knowledgable and prepared. This is a very busy 12 days so we want a good sense of what we would like to see and do before we go. I am thinking of purchasing some guidebooks (actually downloading them to my e-reader for easy carrying !) but there are so many! Does anyone have any recommendations? I've looked at Rick Steves, Frommer and DK Eyewitness. Are any of these in particular more suitable for the one day cruise port kind of travelling?

[SuiteTraveler]

I recommend Insight Pocket Guides. They contain maps, information and are easy to carry with you. IMO, you will maximize your trip if you hire a private guide at ports such as Rome (I recommend ThroughEternity.com walking tours), Naples, and Florence. Especially in Rome, your tour guide will enable you to see much more than you can independently, simply because he/she knows the city and can guide you around to points of interest quickly.

[gone sailing]

Thanks, I hadn't seen the Insight ones. Yes, we do plan on using tours in Rome, Florence, Naples and Ephesus and thought maybe we'd try on our own in Monte Carlo, Mykonos, Istanbul, Athens, Barcelona and Venice. Even with using a tour I'd like to have an idea of what I want to see and do, especially if we do a private tour and can help decide how we spend our day. I'll look for those books!

[SuiteTraveler]

You are going to have a wonderful time in all those ports! I absolutely love Barcelona! Definitely go see the Gaudi buildings - it's incredible! We stayed at Hotel 1889 before our last cruise and I highly recommend it. We spent hours in the Mercat next door taking great photos and buying cheese and chocolate! We'd go out for tapas and wine in the evening.

 

In Florence, you have to make a choice: See the inside of museums or spend the day walking around seeing the city. I chose the latter because I wanted to see Porto Rossa and Ponte Vecchio and I love eating at the sidewalk cafes. The lines to get into the museums are fierce and I think it would be more worthwhile, even if you were to get advance purchase tickets, to leave going into a museum for a land trip to Florence. The city is just amazing!

 

For Naples, I recommend hiring a private tour guide and have him take you to Pompeii first thing in the morning (BEFORE the crowds arrive), then speed off to Sorrento and Positano for the rest of the day having lunch at one of the various restaurants in that area. Be sure to bring money for ceramics made in Sorrento - the shops can ship them home for you, so you can buy some significant pieces!

 

If you do a walking tour in Rome, you can take the train from Cittavechia and then meet you guide at Roma Termini and walk right to the Spanish Steps in the Piazza de Spagna, then to the Fountain of 4 Rivers, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain. Stop for lunch in a Italian Restaurant, then take a taxi to the Colloseum and Forum. If you are quick about it, you might even be able to go through the Vatican and see the Sistine Chapel, rather quickly or at least see the Vatican from the outside.

[DonMar]

I really like Frommers. They have never given me poor information and I like the way the guides are organized. I have used all Frommer's guides for our Eastern Med cruise last year - as well as many other places around the world.

 

Enjoy!

[zoncom]

For first timers in Europe R.Steves. My personal fav if Frommers. Fodors in second. Lonely Planet is good for finding public transportation, which is excellent in Europe. Also most of these also write books on Euro cruiseports.Some of the books have walking tours. Trip Advisor an excellent travel web site. A private guide will cost you 100s. Not necessary. Check the books out at your library.

[cb at sea]

Frommers, Fodors...there are many...your library has guidebooks...and you don't have to pay for them! Check them out...see what you like, and then, you can choose which to "download" (for a price!)

[cruisemom42]

I like Rick Steves if you are going to be staying somewhere for more than a day and are planning to do some things on your own -- his guides are full of practical information, if short on history and detail.

 

If you are in port for a day and plan to take a private or ship tour, you can probably download more than enough information from the internet to see you through (basic descriptions of sites, history, etc).

 

Personally, I research the heck out of every trip I take and I find most of the guidebooks, including Frommer's Fodor's and DK, just don't include as much information as I can compile on my own.

[maryann ns]

I am with Cynthia (Well, not actually, but I bet we'd get along!) Rick Steves is the best for independent touring with great tour guide info about what you are seeing. Since you have an ebook, check into downloading chapters from Lonely Planet which is what I have done for our upcoming trip to China and Janpan.

 

I also agree for one day in port besides Rick Steves, go to Trip Advisor and you can get all you need.

[stowaway2k]

Chances are your cruise will have a port lecturer, which can be helpful.

They will lecture for about 40-60 minutes on the next port on the cruise itinerary, and if they're good they'll provide some history and social insight, local customs, practical informations such as local ground transportation, sights to see, things to do including excursions to nearby locations... and if they're bad it may just be little more than an endorcement for certain shops and restaurants.

 

Often there will be a separate shopping guide for those who cruise to shop :rolleyes:

 

Many people visiting a port for the first time find the lectures helpful in addition to whatever research they may have already done.

[stowaway2k]

Rick Steves is the best for independent touring with great tour guide info about what you are seeing.

 

I like the off-the-wall and sometimes cheeky humour in his guide books. It's a nice change from the usually dry "Go here, see this. Go there, eat that." found in other guide books. ;)

[gone sailing]

Thanks for all the help. From everything I've read it does help to do your research before you go. I'll see what I can download. I'm guessing that good maps are available on the ship or in the ports??? Thanks suite traveler for the hotel recommendation in Barcelona - we're arriving there 2 days before the cruise!