First Time European Cruiser-need help please!

[texanitalian]

Trying to plan September 10-day Mediterranean Noordam cruise to celebrate our 30th anniversary and my husband's 55'th birthday. First adventure to Europe and 3rd cruise. After reading and researching this board and the internet, this has become very overwhelming/costly and I need help/suggestions with my itinerary.

Trying to avoid ship excursions and planning DYI tours. What do I need to know about traveling abroad, anything special about my passport that I need to know?

 

Any suggestions/comments will be greatly appreciated!

 

 

Pre-cruise (2-3) days in Rome: Renting a flat in Campo de’ Fiori on Via Giulia (one of the oldest street of Rome). Walking distance to Piazza Navona & most sites, so they say... Do we need the RomaPass for 2-3 days?

 

Day of Arrival: (Sat or Sun) Use romecabs for transfer to flat; rest for a couple of hours, then go for 2 1/2 hr Rome segway tour

in afternoon for an into to the main attractions/locations. This is just a 'drive by' tour to scope out the sights without being to stressed and then decide which ones to revisit on embarkation day.

 

Day 2 Precruise: Vatican, Basilica, St Peter's Square (all day?). Plan to purchase Vatican tickets online but should we book a guided tour?

 

Day 3 Precruise: Revisit any other sites in depth. Leave Rome by 3:00 pm using romashuttle com (90 euro) for transfer services to/from port. (5:00 pm embarkation)

 

Livorno (Florence/Pisa): either connecttoitaly tour (460e) that will visit both Florence and Pisa or stefanorometours (500e), no Pisa visit.

 

Monte Carlo, Monaco: DYI port? How far is port from main area of attraction? Do I need to look for shuttle/taxi service?

 

Barcelona: overnight stay. Maybe a segway tour in afternoon. Need help with tours/ can this one be a walking/shopping day?

 

Palma de Mallorca, Spain husband's birthday, would like to do something special.

 

La Goulette (Tunis), Tunisia: this place doesn't really interest us. Can we walk around near port?

 

Palermo, Sicily: DYI port? Can we easily walk/shop around?

 

Naples: deciding between using APTours (430e) or tourofitaly (350e). Both companies have been very responsive to my inquiries

and are quite impressive and have agreed to let us customize our own tour of the Amalfi Coast including Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, and Sorrento. Not really interested in Pompei, should I be?

 

We really want this to be a relaxing, no stress trip. We are content with not seeing everything and are easily pleased. Our last cruise was Hawaii, and we did all ports DIY, renting a car and just driving around all of the islands on our own.

 

Thanks for any comments!

[Essiesmom]

1. Your Rome/Civitavecchia transfer is way too late. Ship sails at 5pm, you must be checked in at least 60 min prior to that...Drive to port is 90 min. You will not be allowed to board.

2. Get a copy of Rick Steves' Mediterranean Cruise Ports. He will tell you what is doable at your ports (exceptions: Mallorca, Tunisia, Sicily), how to do it, and what it will cost. EM

 

http://www.ricksteves.com/news/travelnews/1107/europe-cruise-ports.htm

[WriterOnDeck]

You will find much better information by going to the ports section of Cruise Critic message boards, Europe, etc., and check out each port. Many of your questions have answers there already. Also, if you haven't joined your cruise's Roll Call, do that (Roll Calls; Holland America; ship; then look for thread for your particular cruise). Many of your fellow cruisers typically offer their experiences there. And you get to know some of them before you go.

[Sea42]

Have you considered using HAL for transportation to and from Florence? See if they offer just bus service to and from Florence and then tour the sites on your own. It would probably much less expensive. Of course you won't have a guide then but it may be worth considering if you would like to cut back on expenses.

We'll be doing the 20 day Med. on the Noordam leaving on the 25th of Sept. I, too, will be celebrating my birthday in Palma de Mallorca. If you are on this sailing, you're welcome to join our Roll Call!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1582817

[jtl513]

... anything special about my passport that I need to know?

Just be sure it's good for 6 months after your cruise end.

 

Day 2 Precruise: Vatican, Basilica, St Peter's Square (all day?). Plan to purchase Vatican tickets online but should we book a guided tour?

We had a private guide, but IMO the main benefit was him getting the tickets quickly. We were in line around 7:00a out around 1:00p

 

Monte Carlo, Monaco: DYI port? How far is port from main area of attraction? Do I need to look for shuttle/taxi service?

The pier we were at was across the harbor from the city. (see pic) A healthy walk IMO, but doable.

 

La Goulette (Tunis), Tunisia: this place doesn't really interest us. Can we walk around near port?

We went to Carthage with a private guide and thought it worth seeing, but if you're not interested in Pompeii, maybe you're not interested in Carthage ruins either.

 

Palermo, Sicily: DYI port? Can we easily walk/shop around?

This was our least favorite port, and I don't think I'd want to walk around there.

Naples: ... customize our own tour of the Amalfi Coast including Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, and Sorrento.

We really enjoyed our Sorrento-to-Amalfi excursion.

:):)

 

[the2ofus]

Another reason for joining your Roll Call is that others may also be planning independent tours you might enjoy and six or eight people together can split the costs of the tour.

 

Agree about the advice re: Rome to Civitavecchia, you are not allowing any where near enough time. Plus, if there is heavy traffic out of Rome you won't even make it in 90 minutes. Check the Rome ports of call board for more info and suggestions.

 

BTW, you haven't mentioned currency. Be sure you buy enough euros ahead of time or plan to exchange in the airport. ATMs may be plentiful but hard to find if you don't know what you are looking for. If you plan to use a credit card, consider getting one with a 'chip' as more and more places in Europe won't accept the ones common in the US.

[cruisinggranmama]

We did this itinerary September 2011. So I can speak to some of your points.

 

Rome:

1. no need for passes. You should be able to walk to most places in the city that you can see in a day and a half.

2. Get the Vatican tickets ahead of time. That worked very well. We did our own thing. We found we could listen to the tour leaders that were in the museums. The port/city boards on CC have some great ideas.

3. We left for the port at 10:30AM and arrived a little after noon. Embarkation was a breeze. I would definitely leave by noon to be sure. Anything can happen on a 1.5 hour commute to the port.

 

Monaco:

1. You will be able to walk into Monte Carlo if you dock where we did. But IMO you would be missing something not to see either Ese or St. Paul de Vence. We did a HAL tour to St. Paul de Vence then had plenty of time to walk around. We had been to Provence previously and the hill towns are

beautiful.

 

Tunis:

Actually the Bardo and Carthage were interesting. As I recall, you cannot walk around outside the port area nor would you really want to. I think they had a few vendors there. There was a visible military presence where we toured.

 

Palermo and Palma de Mallorca:

You can walk into the city from the ship in both places.

 

Barcelona:

There will be buses (for a fee) at the dock to take you to the city where you can either walk around or use the HOHO buses. This can easily be shopping and walking. Lots of both.

 

In general, I would not call this a relaxing cruise unless you stay onboard a couple of port days. But it is a wonderful itinerary.

[texanitalian]

Thanks everyone for your comments/suggestions. Now I probably will add the extra day in Rome to allow enough travel time to get to the port.

 

Most tour operators want to be paid in cash, and really don't want to carry that much for 10 days. I'm assuming that they can take us to an ATM machine. (We are kinda old fashion; we don't have/own an ATM or debit card, but we can get catch up with the 21st century!) Someone mentioned a 'chip' for your credit card-not sure what that means. We have a VISA and Discover Card, no M/C or American Express. Will this be a problem, and what are the charges/fees when using these cards abroad?

 

Since we aren't going to Pompei, maybe I should look at a Hal excursion for Tunis to be on the safe side.

 

I'll keep checking the roll call; but it's been kinda quiet lately.

 

I have ordered Rick Steeve's M. Cruise Ports book-should get it next week!

 

Thanks again!

[skidawg71]

Hello.

You will love this itinerary. We did a similar last September for my birthday. Don't try to do so much that you are too overrun and decide you don't like it. Remember to do just enough that it is fun an memorable. Making you want to come back.

Here's a few suggestions. Note though, we hate crowds and are very intrepid travelers that love other cultures and languages so consider that first......

 

Monoco...

Easily walkable on your own. When you get off the ship, stay to the left and look for the pedestrian stairs and tunnel the lead up the old fortress. From there, you can walk up the steps to the top of the city and near the palace and to the Princess Grace gardens. It's beautiful and a great place for pics. Consider this a great day to walk, climb the walls and get great photos. That's about it. We didn't spend any money here, because there really isn't anything to do in Monoco unless you are mega rich.

 

Livorno....

This is difficult because we have seen Tuscany several times the right way... NOT from a cruise ship. I can't tell you how important it is to SKIP Pisa. Besides the leaning tower and cathedral, there is nothing there except mobs of tourists, expensive and crapy restaurants. Also, not a particularly pretty town. Definately will not give you a true tuscany experience.

 

If you want to experience true Tuscany away from hoards of people, look for a tour to Lucca or even beautiful Chianti. Florence is a great city but expensive and can be crowded. I would suggest Sienna over Florence any day. The Piazza in Sienna is magnificent!

 

Rome...

Be very careful not to do everything in Rome. You will be completely worn out and miserable. Leave something to give yourself a reason to come back. I would never ever rent a car here....its HORRIBLE. Take the shuttle service in or the train. (Beware the toilets on the train are often out of order). Also, there is a bathroom in the basement of the central station in Roma, but have some euros on hand for access into them.

 

I'd recommend this... You could easily walk from the coliseum to the forum and then to the Pantheon. I woulnd't miss the Pantheon and the piazza in front for anything. it's amazing. That's a great day, hitting the best of the ancient world in Rome without trying to do it all. If your a total masochist and you REALLY want to be surrounded by mobs and stand in line, then by all means, go to the Vatican. Otherwise, save it for another trip.

 

Naples....

Everyone goes to Sorento and the Amalfi. It's beautiful and you will of course love it. If you don't, there is a great alternative.

 

You can walk up into Naples, a dirty but art loving city covered in graffitti with awesome cheap food. Many Americans get freaked out because they assume since it is dirty, it's unsafe. Nothing could be further from the truth. There's streets with open art sales and great leather deals in Naples! I bought an incredibly leather bag and purses for my sister and mother there. We went to an amazing museum where all the artifacts from Pompeii and Herculanium were taken. Extremely fascinating and no lines at all.

 

After, we found the most incredibly little cafe, Pizzeria Starita http://www.pizzeriastarita.it/

We ate like kings for 20 euros, including wine! Since 1901, this cafe has been in business for generations. a famous Sofia Loren movie, The Gold of Naples was filmed there and they even presented pizza to the Pope himself. A little tricky to find, but they are so friendly and the food was to die for.

 

Palma.....

I love this port. We stopped on my birthday (40!)

There is a fantastic restaurant in the gothic quarter called 13 Percent. 4 course tapas lunch for only 10.50 euro! http://www.digamemallorca.com/bars-clubs/13percent.html

 

They have fantastic sculpture throughout the city and wonderful water fountains and gardens near the old fortress. It's quite a walk to the city from the docks so if you can get a bus or rent a bike all the better. There is a wonderful walkway and bike path along the harbor from the ship to downtown.

 

Well. That's my 2cents. Hope some of this helps. Happy to answer any questions. Be adventurous and let go of any preconceived idea of things as they are here in the US. Many times, Europeans may seen rude as waiters in restaurants, etc. but its just slightly different customs there. for example, they won't fawn over your table and you usually have to ask for the check.

 

If you know the pleasantries in their language, by all means, please use them. Saying hello, goodbye, please and thank you in Spanish or Italian will go along way :)

 

Happy to answer any questions...

 

Nate

[texanitalian]

Yes! I picked this cruise itinerary to honor my husbands' Spanish heritage and my Sicilian/Italian heritage.

 

I had my heart set on seeing the statue of David and other great masterpieces in Florence, but I am concern about the mobs of people.

My daughter toured Italy last year(even before us!) and took videos of the Vatican and it honestly looked a little too crazy for us.

She loved the Boboli Gardens, //www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/boboli_garden.html

 

Quotes for transfer only to Florence is quite expensive, 340e. Don't really want to do buses/trains unless someone is holding my hand; but then I'll still worry about getting back on time.

 

We will probably do the Vatican DYI and still purchase the tickets online.

 

Thanks skidawg71 for your info -- good advice and sounds more relaxing at ports! Wll keep your restaurant will all my documentation for Palma.

 

Do you have any suggestions for Barcelona or Palermo?

[lcand1923]

You are getting very good advice from everyone. Look carefully at what HAL is offering for Livorno. You want to go somewhere, but don't want to be rushed. Most of the key towns are quite a ride from the port.

Florence is beautiful. However, if you don't have enough time to get into the Duomo and walk around the squares you will feel your time is wasted. We really liked Pisa, more for the Baptistry than the tower. Sienna is lovely. They may offer a trip to some other Tuscan town. Read about them all and see how much time you will have to see the things that interest you.

 

Do the same with the port of Monte Carlo. After reading Rick Steves you may decide to take a trip to one of the old Provencal towns that are really remarkable.

[Sea42]

 

Quotes for transfer only to Florence is quite expensive, 340e. Don't really want to do buses/trains unless someone is holding my hand; but then I'll still worry about getting back on time.

 

HAL offers a bus transfer to/from Florence for $104 pp. That's half the price and you'll have the peace of mind that your looking for.

[texanitalian]

Thanks! I haven't really looked yet a HAL's excursions--will do that tonight.

 

Has anyone done a segway tour ? Friends did it in Rome and really enjoyed it.

 

italysegwaytours.com

[Sea42]

While we usually don't do ship tours it's worth while to check them out just to get ideas and a general idea of costs.

Another thing we look for is how their tours are structured.

Example - If they're visiting a museum in the morning and visiting a botanical garden in the afternoon we would do the opposite.

Of course, that's not a big help for Florence as it's going to be busy at the main sites no matter when you go :)

[MotownVoice]

Yes! I picked this cruise itinerary to honor my husbands' Spanish heritage and my Sicilian/Italian heritage.

 

I had my heart set on seeing the statue of David and other great masterpieces in Florence, but I am concern about the mobs of people.

My daughter toured Italy last year(even before us!) and took videos of the Vatican and it honestly looked a little too crazy for us.

She loved the Boboli Gardens, //www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/boboli_garden.html

 

Quotes for transfer only to Florence is quite expensive, 340e. Don't really want to do buses/trains unless someone is holding my hand; but then I'll still worry about getting back on time.

 

We will probably do the Vatican DYI and still purchase the tickets online.

 

Thanks skidawg71 for your info -- good advice and sounds more relaxing at ports! Wll keep your restaurant will all my documentation for Palma.

 

Do you have any suggestions for Barcelona or Palermo?

 

I'm floored that you're heritage conscious on this trip and you don't plan on visiting Pompeii or Florence. Those were two of the coolest things I did. You simply can understand half of the sculpture work across the entire peninsula without visiting Michelangelo's Academy of Art, or standing on the hips of the volcano that practically shaped the culture in the Bay of Naples.

 

I would strongly reconsider those two visits.

[cruisemom42]

My 2 cents worth below. Once you get the Rick Steves book, you may feel more comfortable in your planning....he is great with specifics.

 

Trying to plan September 10-day Mediterranean Noordam cruise to celebrate our 30th anniversary and my husband's 55'th birthday. First adventure to Europe and 3rd cruise. After reading and researching this board and the internet, this has become very overwhelming/costly and I need help/suggestions with my itinerary.

Trying to avoid ship excursions and planning DYI tours. What do I need to know about traveling abroad, anything special about my passport that I need to know?

 

Any suggestions/comments will be greatly appreciated!

 

 

Pre-cruise (2-3) days in Rome: Renting a flat in Campo de’ Fiori on Via Giulia (one of the oldest street of Rome). Walking distance to Piazza Navona & most sites, so they say... Do we need the RomaPass for 2-3 days?

 

Campo de Fiori is a great location. You will indeed be able to walk all around the Centro Storico; the Vatican is the farthest but if you like walking even that would be possible in about 30 minutes for you at a good clip. Rome is meant to be seen on foot.

 

As to the Roma pass, it greatly depends on what you plan to do. Take a look at their website; they list all the museums/sites that are covered. If you plan to do the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine Hill, that is the most expensive admission, so you'd want to use the pass for that -- plus you get one more free entry. (And local transportation, but that's usually not a great reason to get the pass, on its own.) The Vatican is not included in the pass -- as it is technically not Rome...!

 

Day of Arrival: (Sat or Sun) Use romecabs for transfer to flat; rest for a couple of hours, then go for 2 1/2 hr Rome segway tour

in afternoon for an into to the main attractions/locations. This is just a 'drive by' tour to scope out the sights without being to stressed and then decide which ones to revisit on embarkation day.

 

Day 2 Precruise: Vatican, Basilica, St Peter's Square (all day?). Plan to purchase Vatican tickets online but should we book a guided tour?

 

Definitely use the Vatican website to book your tickets in advance. You will not have to wait in the long line once you get there. Whether or not you book a guide is up to you -- I've used the official Vatican guide, a private guide, a ships' tour guide and done it on my own. If you really have an interest in art, then go for a private guide with a smaller group. In larger groups you usually get about a 2 hour tour with all the so-called "highlights". (I preferred doing it on my own better than any of the guided tours, but you will need some sort of guidebook or notes or you can rent the Vatican museum audioguide.

 

Day 3 Precruise: Revisit any other sites in depth. Leave Rome by 3:00 pm using romashuttle com (90 euro) for transfer services to/from port. (5:00 pm embarkation)

 

Others have already chimed in on this. If your ship leaves at 5:00, plan to be there by 3:00. I'm not one that has to be on board early, especially when in such a fascinating city as Rome. If it were me, I'd probably arrange for a 1:00 pm pickup. Romashuttle is quite good about being on time.

 

Livorno (Florence/Pisa): either connecttoitaly tour (460e) that will visit both Florence and Pisa or stefanorometours (500e), no Pisa visit.

 

Perhaps you could look for a private tour here? Hard for a first-timer to do Florence on your own transportation-wise, although taking the train is quite easy once you get to the station in Livorno (unfortunately not so straightforward from the port itself).

 

Monte Carlo, Monaco: DYI port? How far is port from main area of attraction? Do I need to look for shuttle/taxi service?

 

Barcelona: overnight stay. Maybe a segway tour in afternoon. Need help with tours/ can this one be a walking/shopping day?

 

Rick Steves should provide some good ideas in Barcelona. It's got more to offer than just shopping, but you can see a lot on foot from where the ship's shuttle drops you, including Las Ramblas, the Gothic district, Gothic cathedral, Picasso museum (if that interests you) and just beyond Placa Catalunya you can see two houses built by Gaudi (at least one is open for tours). Also fun is the famous market on Las Ramblas.

 

Palma de Mallorca, Spain husband's birthday, would like to do something special.

 

La Goulette (Tunis), Tunisia: this place doesn't really interest us. Can we walk around near port?

 

Tunisia is a beautiful stop. You really should see some of it. See my recent review (with photos) here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1534049

 

Palermo, Sicily: DYI port? Can we easily walk/shop around?

 

Yes, but a half-day tour to Monreale is also very worthwhile.

 

Naples: deciding between using APTours (430e) or tourofitaly (350e). Both companies have been very responsive to my inquiries

and are quite impressive and have agreed to let us customize our own tour of the Amalfi Coast including Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, and Sorrento. Not really interested in Pompei, should I be?

 

No interest in Pompeii? Ack, why am I even responding? (Just kidding, everyone has their own interests.) However, I happen to think it's very worthwhile. I've been twice and am going back in about 2 weeks for a stay in Sorrento -- from where I plan to spend two full days in Pompeii. Just for reference, I have yet to do the Amalfi Coast drive -- not really interested. LOL. However, even if you don't consider Pompeii (and private tours can definitely get you there plus do the Amalfi drive), maybe think about seeing Herculaneum -- it's a much smaller site and in its way may be more interesting to folks who aren't enamored of *ahem* ruins.

 

We really want this to be a relaxing, no stress trip. We are content with not seeing everything and are easily pleased. Our last cruise was Hawaii, and we did all ports DIY, renting a car and just driving around all of the islands on our own.

 

Thanks for any comments!

 

Yes! I picked this cruise itinerary to honor my husbands' Spanish heritage and my Sicilian/Italian heritage.

 

I had my heart set on seeing the statue of David and other great masterpieces in Florence, but I am concern about the mobs of people.

My daughter toured Italy last year(even before us!) and took videos of the Vatican and it honestly looked a little too crazy for us.

She loved the Boboli Gardens, //www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/boboli_garden.html

 

You can get advance tickets to the Accademia to see David, just as you can to get into the Vatican museum. If it's on your wish list, don't pass it up; it's a wonderful piece of art.

 

Quotes for transfer only to Florence is quite expensive, 340e. Don't really want to do buses/trains unless someone is holding my hand; but then I'll still worry about getting back on time.

 

Are you looking at the ship's option of transportation only to Florence? It shouldn't be THAT expensive (and if it is, shame on them!)

 

We will probably do the Vatican DYI and still purchase the tickets online.

 

Thanks skidawg71 for your info -- good advice and sounds more relaxing at ports! Wll keep your restaurant will all my documentation for Palma.

 

Do you have any suggestions for Barcelona or Palermo?

[FATJACK]

Please open an account so you can use the foreign ATM's. That is the cheapest way to get Euro's and there are plenty available throughout Europe. There is no need to worry about a credit card with a chip. I have been to Europe many times and have never needed one. My last trip was a TA on Holland America last October with a pre cruies to include two weeks in France and Italy. I use a regional office of Wells Fargo that are in many cities that specialize in foreign exchange. They are great for a couple of hundred Euro's to begin with. Wells Fargo also is the supplier for AAA.

[texanitalian]

I now have more things to think about-Rick Steve's book will help. Thanks for all the info/opinions that y'all have provided.

I definitetly will 'rethink' Pompeii and probably will use

HAL's transporation for Florence. Hope that it doesn't

use too much time since it is probably a big motor coach bus.

 

Is there an official website to purchase tickets for the Academia Museum/Uffizi Gallery?

 

Is there time for both?

 

I'm assuming that you can walk to the Piazza del Duomo.

[cruisemom42]

I now have more things to think about-Rick Steve's book will help. Thanks for all the info/opinions that y'all have provided.

I definitetly will 'rethink' Pompeii and probably will use

HAL's transporation for Florence. Hope that it doesn't

use too much time since it is probably a big motor coach bus.

 

Is there an official website to purchase tickets for the Academia Museum/Uffizi Gallery?

 

Is there time for both?

 

I'm assuming that you can walk to the Piazza del Duomo.

 

(Cut and pasted from a recent post I made on Italy boards.....)

 

Book through the official site and you can get tickets for both Accademia and Uffizi at the same time -- at no charge until you go to pick them up. That way, if something happens enroute and you don't get there -- or can't get there on time -- you are not out anything.

 

I used the number and called them (remember you have to call during Italian business hours) and it was a piece of cake. I've read they have more slots available via phone than by reserving online also.

 

Reservations number:

 

39-055-294 883 (when dialling from US, add "011" in front of number)

 

Local hours for reservations phone line: M - F, 8:30 - 6:30, Sat, 8:30 - 12:30, closed Sun.

 

 

You can do both, but you'll not have much time for anything else if you want to do this. I love the Uffizi but I'd probably recommend giving it a skip on a first visit unless Renaissance art is irresistable to you.

 

Most everything in Florence is walkable, and the central area is mostly pedestrian only.

__________________

[texanitalian]

thanks again-truly appreciate your knowledge and help!

[Valley Girl of VA]

We did our first European cruise in September. We stayed in Rome a few days before and after the cruise. We found that public transportation in Rome was quite easy. We used the trams, the buses and the subway to get around. There are a number of pass options to consider. There is an outdoor kiosk outside Termini in Rome.

 

I LOVED Florence. We stayed there a few days after we stayed in Rome. I wanted to see Uffizi particularly. Academia, in my mind, only had the David. There is also a Galileo Museum which we wanted to see but ran out of time. I thought it was so much better than Lucca. Siena was nice but in my mind, couldn't compare to Florence. We also traveled by bus from Siena to San Gimignano. That stop was amazing.

 

I enjoyed the Amalfi Coast but didn't love it. I felt like I was seeing the same vistas over and over. Granted, they are beautiful vistas but all of us on our private tour were ready to go back to the ship. I heard from tablemates how wonderful Pompeii was and wished I had done that instead.

 

When we were at Vatican Museum, it was to crowded. I felt like we were in a wave of people. Even though we bought the audio phones, we couldn't get close enough to the exhibits to punch in the numbers to hear the narrative. St. Peter's was much . We went to a local agency in Rome and bought our tickets - not a problem getting them. On the other hand, we could not get tickets for the Borghese and I wished I had purchased them in advanced. I just wasn't sure what our timetable would be like and how we would feel after the flight.

 

We did a tour the day before our cruise with some Roll Call members for the Colessium, Forum and Pallantine Hills. We used Angel Tours and Joanna was our fantastic guide.

 

Hope this helps you

 

Jane

janeschwalm@gmail.com

[texanitalian]

Thanks valley girl for your comments. I love to hear everyones opinions so that I can take them all in consideration.

My husband is not fond of crowds, so we plan to play the Vatican as it happens and will not feel bad if we don't see everything this time.

 

I need to rethink Florence--I would like to see the David statute and the Uffizi and hopefully the Boboli Gardens.

 

I was a little worried about an 8-hr drive along the Amalfi Coast also.

I may ask our tour company to see if he can spare some time for Pompeii and some time in Naples to visit the Donadio Cameo Factory.

[Valley Girl of VA]

The Vatican is least crowded first thing in the morning. I forget what time it opened but it was earlier than I expected. In the block before the Vatican on the left side, there is a tour company that you can buy group tickets from to bypass the lines outside. The tour guide only takes you to the head of the line and does not follow you inside. Since it was so crowded, I'm glad I was not on a guided tour - once we saw the Sistene Chapel, I wanted out!

 

We had that 8 hour trip to the Amalfi, and as I mentioned before, that is way too long, at least for us. The problem is that it takes more than hour to get there. We were in the van almost the entire time with the exception of lunch, stopping at a pottery shop, stopping at a snack bar and one scenic pullover.

 

God luck with your decisions.

[skidawg71]

Yes! I picked this cruise itinerary to honor my husbands' Spanish heritage and my Sicilian/Italian heritage.

 

I had my heart set on seeing the statue of David and other great masterpieces in Florence, but I am concern about the mobs of people.

My daughter toured Italy last year(even before us!) and took videos of the Vatican and it honestly looked a little too crazy for us.

She loved the Boboli Gardens, //www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/boboli_garden.html

 

Quotes for transfer only to Florence is quite expensive, 340e. Don't really want to do buses/trains unless someone is holding my hand; but then I'll still worry about getting back on time.

 

We will probably do the Vatican DYI and still purchase the tickets online.

 

Thanks skidawg71 for your info -- good advice and sounds more relaxing at ports! Wll keep your restaurant will all my documentation for Palma.

 

Do you have any suggestions for Barcelona or Palermo?

 

Yes, I do have a great recommendation for you in Barcelona. I'll see if I can find the name of this place...

It's on a small street in the Gothic District. Wonderful tapas bar run by an incredibly beautiful and friendly woman. Mostly Locals that eat here..... always a good sign.

 

Look, I'd certainly keep Florence in your list of possibilities. For me personally, I much prefer seeing smaller villages and towns instead of spending my only day there inside crowded museums. It is a magnificent city however and if you think you'll regret seeing everything there, then by all means, go for it :)

 

Pompeii and Herculaneum are fantastic choices because you get some great history and up close to the ancient world. If you can get a private driver or with a small group, you'll easily miss the crowds.

 

I'll see if I can find the tapas bar in Barcelona. I have the business card somewhere......

[texanitalian]

Valley Girl --- did you have a cruise tour or private tour to the Amalfi Coast?

I'm looking at a private tour who said they are just the driver-and hopefully we can decide how much is too much and tell them

when we are ready to leave.

 

I'm assuming I should still purchase Vatican tickets online, then hire a tour company so that we can cut in line?

That's fine with me, I kinda what to DYI anyway this trip.

 

skidawg71 -- appreciate any suggestions! By the time we get to Barcelona, I think we will be ready just to enjoy/meet the locals.

I probably will add Pompeii to my agenda when we are in Naples.