can i walk off the ship and get private tours in italy

[bobbarker005]

I have cruised the carribean a lot and have always just walked off the ship and have found lots of private tour operators that are waiting to take people on tours. is it the same in Europe, will we be able to find a decent tour when we leave the ship or should we book something in advance? we are going on the epic Sept 21.

thanks

[-Lew-]

It's quite unlikely you'll have the same experience in Italy or any countries bordering the Mediterranean. I see you've joined your roll call. There should be private tour activity there. If not, scan or search this board and other Med boards for private tours.

 

Enjoy your cruise...

 

Lew

[cberge]

I have cruised the carribean a lot and have always just walked off the ship and have found lots of private tour operators that are waiting to take people on tours. is it the same in Europe, will we be able to find a decent tour when we leave the ship or should we book something in advance? we are going on the epic Sept 21.

thanks

 

Absolutley not...maybe you could find a taxi to drive you around,but probably no english spoken and a good chance,no make that a perfect chance, to pay so much more than you thought.I have written several times about how different cruising in the Med is from cruising on the carib is and this is one of the BIG differences. I would check the board here for each of your ports for ideas re tour operators as well as your roll call as Lew mentioned.I would start right now as the good tours fill up fast.Some places are easy DIY's too if you check them out.

[John Bull]

As other posts, compared to the Caribbean it's a whole different ball-game.

Yes, there will be taxis at the ports. Sometimes useful for a local A to B such as Livorno port to Livorno station, or even a one-way Naples to Herculaneum.

But not for touring, apart from the problems of language even a couple of hours would cost an arm & a leg at metered rates. :eek:

 

For a private tour, check on the web for the availability of pre-booked seat-in-bus tours, and your RollCall for shared tours.

 

The other big difference compared to the Caribbean is public transport. Not available or unsuitable virtually everywhere in the Caribbean, but a great option in Europe. Trains, buses, ferries. Fast & frequent, reliable & cheap.

trains Livorno to Florence 18euros return, Civi to Rome 12 euros return, Naples to Pompeii about 6 euros return, ferry to Capri about 16 euros.

Needs plenty of research, but its how the majority of cruisers explore most Med & other European ports.

 

JB :)

[John Bull]

As other posts, compared to the Caribbean it's a whole different ball-game.

Yes, there will be taxis at the ports. Sometimes useful for a local A to B such as Livorno port to Livorno station, or even a one-way Naples to Herculaneum.

But not for touring, apart from the problems of language even a couple of hours would cost an arm & a leg at metered rates. :eek:

 

For a private tour, check on the web for the availability of pre-booked seat-in-bus tours, and your RollCall for shared tours.

 

The other big difference compared to the Caribbean is public transport. Not available or unsuitable virtually everywhere in the Caribbean, but a great option in Europe. Trains, buses, ferries. Fast & frequent, reliable & cheap.

trains Livorno to Florence 18euros return, Civi to Rome 12 euros return, Naples to Pompeii about 6 euros return, ferry to Capri about 16 euros. And ho-ho buses - great for some ports, a waste of time for others.

Needs plenty of research, but its how the majority of cruisers explore most Med & other European ports.

 

JB :)

[bobbarker005]

ok thanks everybody I have been researching a lot but now I guess I will go ahead and start booking tours.

thanks

[KirkNC]

Get Rick Steve's Med book, it does a good job outlining each city, it suggests some tours but more importantly explains how easy some cities are to do on your own.

[Hlitner]

Agree with all the above! You certainly should take a look at the CC Roll Call thread for your particular cruise and see if anyone is organizing some private tours that might be of interest.

 

Hank

[Papa C]

You might also check the Rome in Limo web site. They have a tour sharing option for cruisers. We used them for Florence and Naples/Amalfi coast last fall and they are really excellent. You can check for groups that have been started but not filled on this site and sign up to join others on your ship for the needed date.

 

Take a look as it may be a good option for you. I would certainly not try to walk off and find a tour.

[CathyCruises]

What I have found valuable is to pick a port a day and read up on just the one for that day. Use various methods, from Cruise Critic, Rick Steves, internet search etc. That allows me to choose what I want to see/do; then I can figure out how best to get there. As mentioned, public transport can be your best friend (and gives me an odd sense of satisfaction that I can put it all together on my own) but some destinations are not ideal for DIY, like the Amalfi Coast. In that case I look for a shared tour on my roll call that I can join or initiate.

 

On some port-intensive itineraries, I have printed out directions/restaurant recommendations etc. and kept a notebook with tabs for each day. Not only have I saved a lot of money, but I have learned a lot about each port and have had great, personalized experiences.