Shuttle Buses

[Ilovemygarden]

Are shuttle buses still usually available from the ports into town?   We will be stopping at Taormina, Civitavecchia, Sorrento, Livorno, Nice and Marseille.  Any help appreciated.

[KirkNC]

Generally shuttle buses were not available on our recent cruise to Portugal and Spain.  The exception was Portimao.

Edited April 12, 2022 by KirkNC

[travelberlin]

47 minutes ago, Ilovemygarden said:

Are shuttle buses still usually available from the ports into town?   We will be stopping at Taormina, Civitavecchia, Sorrento, Livorno, Nice and Marseille.  Any help appreciated.

I will be stopping at the same ports. I imagine that Azamara will stop quite central in Sorrento, Livorno, Nice and Marseille. Civitavechia could require a shuttle from the ship to the port entrance. From there it is easy to walk in Civitavechia. But if you wish to travel to Rome, you will have to do your own arrangements or take a ship excursion. 
The ship will not stop at Taormina. Taormina is up on the hill. The ship offers excursions there. I have never been in Giardiny Naxos so I do not know if a shuttle is required.

Ivi

[Ilovemygarden]

17 minutes ago, travelberlin said:

I will be stopping at the same ports. I imagine that Azamara will stop quite central in Sorrento, Livorno, Nice and Marseille. Civitavechia could require a shuttle from the ship to the port entrance. From there it is easy to walk in Civitavechia. But if you wish to travel to Rome, you will have to do your own arrangements or take a ship excursion. 
The ship will not stop at Taormina. Taormina is up on the hill. The ship offers excursions there. I have never been in Giardiny Naxos so I do not know if a shuttle is required.

Ivi

Thanks.  That is more or less what I thought.   Taormina will probably be best done by the Azamara excursion transfer.   Not too long to wait now!

[Riocca]

Unfortunately due to a strong taxi union shuttles from Giardina Naxos to Taormina haven’t been allowed for quite a while. 
I my memory serves me right there was a shuttle from the tender dock to a location on the sea front where you could get a local bus to Taormina. Last time we took a taxi to Taormina it was €25 each way but this was a good few years ago now.

[nordski]

Traditionally they have offered a “Taormina On Your Own” excursion which will provide at least 3 hours in the town to use at your leisure.

At Sorrento there have been shuttles to the bus station and that allows one to avoid a rather lengthy uphill climb to the main attractions. Walking back down to the port is fairly easy.

We were docked about 15- 20 minutes from the convenient drop-off point on the Marseilles waterfront.. As I recall, shuttles ran fairly frequently.

 

All of this was pre-Covid so offerings may well be changed. 
 

Hope this helps!

[lisaten98]

Nice is easily walkable from the dock. And right along the beach, too.

[marinaro44]

5 hours ago, nordski said:

Traditionally they have offered a “Taormina On Your Own” excursion which will provide at least 3 hours in the town to use at your leisure.

At Sorrento there have been shuttles to the bus station and that allows one to avoid a rather lengthy uphill climb to the main attractions. Walking back down to the port is fairly easy.

We were docked about 15- 20 minutes from the convenient drop-off point on the Marseilles waterfront.. As I recall, shuttles ran fairly frequently.

 

All of this was pre-Covid so offerings may well be changed. 
 

Hope this helps!

There's an elevator that goes from the tender arrival level up to Sorrento.

[nordski]

9 minutes ago, marinaro44 said:

There's an elevator that goes from the tender arrival level up to Sorrento.

Thanks for pointing that out.

 

I had forgotten that we had used it to descend to the tender area the last time we were in Sorrento thus avoiding the rather busy road.

[laurieb]

8 hours ago, nordski said:

Traditionally they have offered a “Taormina On Your Own” excursion which will provide at least 3 hours in the town to use at your leisure.

At Sorrento there have been shuttles to the bus station and that allows one to avoid a rather lengthy uphill climb to the main attractions. Walking back down to the port is fairly easy.

We were docked about 15- 20 minutes from the convenient drop-off point on the Marseilles waterfront.. As I recall, shuttles ran fairly frequently.

 

All of this was pre-Covid so offerings may well be changed. 
 

Hope this helps!

when in Marseilles in November, apparently our place was given to another ship so we had to dock way far away.  There was a complimentary shuttle to the city.

 

[mappyuk]

Am on the Dalmatian coast cruise in a couple of days and planned on exploring ports independently by foot so was disappointed to get an email from them yesterday saying that no shuttle busses will be provided and the only way of guaranteeing to see the city was to book a tour. From experience, do they stop a walkable distance normally from the main tourist areas. Especially thinking about Dubrovnik.
 

Thanks

 

Michael 

[Tuscany4]

Did the email give a reason for no shuttles ? Azamara always used to provide shuttles where needed or is this cost saving?

[Mrs Miggins]

We board Quest on Saturday. No emails about shuttle busses for our first cruise or the second which is also up the Dalmatian coast.

[Mrs Miggins]

Azamara in the past has tendered straight into the Old Town in Dubrovnik.

in Kotor they either dock by the centre or tender you in.

Information on our Travel Summary says Docked in Kotor, tendered in Dubrovnik and docked in Zadar.

[beatnix]

The regualar port of Dubrovnik is not really nearby old town.

But there are Taxis available and also a bus station at the port to town, about 10 to 15 Minutes ride.

Ticket you can buy at a kiosk near the station. 

[Riocca]

In Zadar you dock on the Promenade next to the solar clock and sea organ, so it’s a level short walk to the main sights.

 

[nordski]

9 hours ago, laurieb said:

when in Marseilles in November, apparently our place was given to another ship so we had to dock way far away.  There was a complimentary shuttle to the city.

 

Your phrase “way far away” captures the situation far better than my attempt to rely on my rather vague memory.

 

Although we only saw a small part of Marseille, we would highly recommend it and hope the shuttle distance does not deter cruisers.

 

It lives up to its reputation as a rather gritty port in comparison to the more touristy cities on the Med.

 

We hope to return.

[travelberlin]

I have seen that they offer an excursion to Cassis from Marseille. Cassis on your own. Has anyone been there?

Ivi

[uktog]

34 minutes ago, travelberlin said:

I have seen that they offer an excursion to Cassis from Marseille. Cassis on your own. Has anyone been there?

Ivi

Did it before lockdown it wasn’t great. By the time we got there got off the coach then onto the organised shuttle train thing we’d less than 2 hours in time. Couldn’t do the 45 minutes boat trip we’d planned as timings didn’t then work out

[Mrs Miggins]

I agree our trip to Cassis was much too short. In the end we stayed on for lunch and got a taxi back.

[travelberlin]

Thanks UKtog and Mrs Miggins. I will reconsider that excursion. How long does it take from Marseille to Cassis by bus. I think they say a 6 hours excursion but if we only have two hours there, it is not worth it.

Ivi

[Grandma Cruising]

9 hours ago, mappyuk said:

Am on the Dalmatian coast cruise in a couple of days and planned on exploring ports independently by foot so was disappointed to get an email from them yesterday saying that no shuttle busses will be provided and the only way of guaranteeing to see the city was to book a tour. From experience, do they stop a walkable distance normally from the main tourist areas. Especially thinking about Dubrovnik.
 

Thanks

 

Michael 

Depends if they are docked or anchored. If they are anchored in the bay at Dubrovnik the tender takes you right into the old town harbour. If docked at the port it’s too far to walk but there are buses that go backwards & forwards along the front.

[Janet&Carl]

On 4/13/2022 at 1:29 AM, travelberlin said:

I will be stopping at the same ports. I imagine that Azamara will stop quite central in Sorrento, Livorno, Nice and Marseille. Civitavechia could require a shuttle from the ship to the port entrance. From there it is easy to walk in Civitavechia. But if you wish to travel to Rome, you will have to do your own arrangements or take a ship excursion. 

 

The port has a free shuttle it takes you to the train station. I have taken the train to Rome 3 times from Civitavecchia.     It is easy to buy an all day ticket for the local transport train/metro/bus system and get to Rome in about 1 hour. The all day ticket last time I was there was 9 Euro. My sister in law bought a private tour for 450 Euro and spent the day in traffic jams.  The roads around Rome are chaos and the transport system is good - cant say I have used the bus but I have travelled extensively in Italy by train and metro.

 

Edited April 14, 2022 by Janet&Carl

[marinaro44]

Train has worked for us, too.  Be sure to watch wallet or purse on Rome's  buses and subways.

 

[AJCM]

Absolutely agree with the train option from Civitavecchia to Rome - very easy in both directions; although there may be a 15 minute walk from the Port entrance to the station ( if the Port shuttle actually goes to the station now, that is very welcome). We’ll be doing precisely this off an Azamara cruise in Sep this year. On arrival in Rome, either take a taxi to a specific destination or you could use the HOHO, which starts and ends outside the station. This has one of the most interesting HOHO routes IMHO.