Don't be afraid to try things on your own!

[EV2008]

I am so glad that I am not afraid. I am too independent, I like to be in charge:o and I love to plan out our trip for months, that is so much fun. There is nothing to be afraid most people in Europe speak english, and I alway try and learn a few words before I go. Maybe because english is my second language. :cool:

[CintiPam]

We are landing in Athens in late October and plan to take the express bus to our hotel in the Plaka area. By the time we get to the hotel and settle in, I believe it will be 2pm. We need to embark on our cruise the next day, plan to be at the ship by 2pm (leaves at 4pm). So, we have that 1st afternoon and the next morning to see the sights.

 

For those of you who have been to Athens, should we do the Acropolis that afternoon or the next AM. Will we have enough time the next morning to enjoy it? (I am still debating about whether to take a taxi or the metro to the port. We specifically chose our hotel for it's convenient location near the Syntagma metro area).

 

We really want to see the National Archeological museum, so that may be a better option for that 1st afternoon as I am concerned the Acropolis museum and sites may be closing at 3pm.

 

What do you guys suggest? :)

 

Welcome first-time cruiser. After several land trips to one European country at a time in the past few years, we took our first cruise in September (Istanbul to Athens) and will take our second cruise (Athens to Rome) this June.

 

I would go to the National Archaeological Museum in the afternoon because it is open until 7 and the Acropolis closes at 3 in late October. We spent five hours at the Museum last fall, and enjoyed every minute, particularly the Mycanean artifacts (much more extensive than I had anticipated and absolutely glorious) and the small but lovely Akrotiri exhibit. Then I would get up early the next morning to climb the Acropolis when it opens (at 8:30 in late October) before the mobs arrive an hour later, then explore the Agora or perhaps the New Acropolis Museum, which has its grand opening scheduled for mid-June.

 

Hope this helps. The sights are all close to each other (except for the NAM), so you can pack a lot in that morning.

Edited March 7, 2009 by CintiPam
Typo.

[goose&mav]

CintiPam,

Thanks for the great advice. I think we'll plan for the NAM that afternoon we arrive and then the Acropolis and hopefully the Agora the next morning. We might be tired, so a good nite's sleep would help with the steps.

Have fun on your cruise in June.:)

[Hlitner]

Wow. Guess I can have a lot fun trying to help a few tonight (its a personal mission). The post (a few above this) by MadisonBay should be read by everyone taking Med cruises. The post describes a situation I have often called (and posted on this forum) the "If its Tuesday it Must be Belgium Syndrome." For those that don't understand this reference just google the old move "If its Tuesday it must be Belgium." I have long argued that folks that try to see everything in a day really see very little...(guess that's supposed to be profound).

 

This will be a long post aimed at the Civitavecchia/Rome questions (there is a lot on this forum if you do a search for thsoe places). Rome is one of the few places where a first time visitor may want to take a tour (private is better than the cruise ships) because the city is sprawling, a bit confusing to those who are not "city people, and some tours have ways of avoiding some of the long line to get into the Vatican. But, if you want to save money and do it on your own here is the way. Keep in mind that if you are in port on a Sunday everything changes (many things are closed)..and many shops are closed on Monday mornings

 

You want to get off the ship as early as possible (fight the crowds and be waiting to be one of the first off when the ship in cleared). As soon as you leave the ship get on the free port shuttle bus (parked right in front of the terminal building or there is a stop near the ship...depending on where you are docked) which takes you to the main port gate. From the gate, you walk about 4 - 5 blocks along the street (just keep the water to your right) and you will come to the train station (on your left). Buy a BIRG ticket which costs 9 Euros and pays for your round trip train (local trains only) and unlimited use of Rome's buses and metro (subway) for the day. If you are lucky and fast you might make the 7:33 train. If not, you want to make the 7:59 (the next train is not until 8:41). If you are going to the Vatican, you can get off at the St Pietro station (this is the station after the Rome Aurelia station). This is about an hour train ride and saves you the last 25 min to get to the main Rome Termini Station. From S. Pietro you can walk to the Vatican and get in the long queue to get into the Vatican Museum. The Museum opens at 9, and the long line usually moves relatively fast...but it can still be a long wait. With luck, you will get in and see everything you want to see by noon. An alternative is to book a guided tour directly with the Vatican (this gets you in without a line) but you need to do that in advance and know exactly when you will be at the Vatican.

 

From the Vatican you can either do a lot of walking or use the Metro (your BIRG ticket will get you on the Metro). To save time, you can take the Metro (Ottaviano station over to the Spagna station which puts you near the top of the Spanish Steps (you should have a decent guide book with maps). You can than make the popular walk to the Trevi Fountain (plenty of shops and eating places in this area). Personally, since we love to walk we would walk from the Vatican to the Piazza Navonna (our favorite spot in Rome) and probably have lunch....and than walk to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. At that point you need to think about how much time you have left. Train leave from the main Termini station at 9 and 39 past the hour (the track is a long walk from the station entrance) and takes 1:10 to about 1:20 min. Personally, I strongly recommend you take nothing later than the 3:39 train which will get you back on-board by 5:30 (assuming there are no delays). By doing the Vatican first thing, you can than tweak the rest of your day depending on time...but you will not get to see everything. In fact, we have been to Rome many times (and stayed there) and have yet to see even a small part of the city. A couple of important notes! If you are going to walk everywhere buy a regular ticket rather than the BIRG and you will save a few Euros. Do not forget that you must validate your ticket (you insert it into the yellow validation machines near the platform) before you get on the train. And of course keep your valuables secure (pick pockets are a reality everywhere in Europe).

 

As to Civitavecchia on April 30, that is the Thusday before a huge 3-day holiday weekend, but the holiday should not impact things that day. If you have only been to Rome once, think about going back and limiting your itinerary so that you can relax. My DW and I once spent 4 hours just sitting at a cafe in the Piazza Navona (we had breakfast and lunch) and watching the tourists rush to and fro. It was one of our favorite days in Rome...but than we are strange! Another option would be to take a tour that goes to a place like Orvieto (a nice hill town). Another option is to go up to Tarquinia and see some of the Etruscan ruins (we thought this was a waste...but some enjoy the area).

 

That's it for my Italy post....

[Hlitner]

Hank, I'm really glad someone resurrected this thread otherwise I would never have spotted it. You are a man after my own heart. I loathe organized excursions - I'm just too independent and also I think they focus too much on seeing the sights and not feeling the place and atmosphere.

 

I noticed that you mentioned Aix en provence is easy to do by train from marseille, can you tell me roughly how long the journey takes?

 

Also have you ever called at palermo? I'm doing the W med again in about 7 weeks and am in research mode but am not having a lot of luck with ideas for Palermo.

 

Thank you

 

You are the only one to ask about France, so I figured it should be in a seperate post. The trains run from the main station in Marseille (St Charles Station) and to get to Aix en Provence is about 45 each way. There is always at least one train per hour (often more). However, you do need to get from the port to the train station (much to far to walk). You can take the shuttle bus (they will offer a shuttle to the old port of Marseille) and walk to the station in about 10 min from where they drop you on the bus. You could also try to get a taxi from the pier to the station and the fare should be reasonable (no more than 12 - 15 Euros).

 

As to Palermo, yes we have been there and did not particularly like the city. But, it's pretty easy to do on your own (a good walker can walk from the port to the center of town). However, there is one site in Palermo that makes me smile just thinking of the place. It is totally wierd, macabre, and you need a weird sense of humor for this place. Just Google "Palermo and Capuchin Catacombs" and you can read all about it. The Palermo tourist office can tell you how to get to the place using local buses (its much too far to walk from the ship or the center of town) or you can just take a taxi. I should mention that Palermo is a vibrant city and it can be fun to just walk around the central area, browse the shops, and have lunch. But, it just does not compare to the great cities of Europe (and many not so great cities).

 

Hank

[kwk1955]

Hi Hlitner,

 

I am really enjoying all your info on indy travel in the Med. We are going on our first Med cruise in May. We lived in Europe for 5 years, and did all our travelling on our own, so we're not afraid of doing DIY. We will be arriving in Monte Carlo at 7AM and departing 6 PM. I was wondering if you could tell me how to go from MonteCarlo to Eze, to Nice, on to St Paul de Vence ( or vice versa) , and back to Monte Carlo. I would like to stop at each and do some walking around as well as see some of Monte Carlo, either first or last. I would like to use public transportation, as I checked into renting a car in Monte Carlo, and the cheapest I could find was about $125 - too much ! Is is possible to do all those sites, or is that too much ? Thanks so much for any help you can give ! :)

[Hlitner]

KWK1955, You mention some of our favorite places (Eze and St Paul de Vence). If you do a search on this forum you will find tons of info on which buses to use to get to Eze or St Paul de Vence (trains are inconvenient for both places). The downside to buses is that you lose a lot of time just waiting for buses. And, to get to St Paul de Vence by bus you need to catch-it in either Nice or Cagnes sur Mer (its actually the same bus line). If you were just going to Eze and Nice, I would recommend using the buses (you can take a bus direct from Monte Carlo to Eze and than another bus from Eze to Nice and either use the train or buses to get back to Monte Carlo (or do the whole thing in reverse). But, since you brought St Paul de Vence into the equation (our favorite place in the region) and since you have experience driving in Europe, I would strongly suggest you spend the money and rent a car in Monte Carlo. If you shop around and look for discounts, you might get a car for a little less (we have previously found one-day rentals for about $80 - $100. The problem for you is that it just takes a lot of time to get to St Paul de Vence using public buses and or trains. There is also car parking just outside the entrance to Eze and there is also a very convenient pay garage just past the entrance to St Paul de Vence. If we were doing this itinerary we would probably head straight to St Paul de Vence (your furthest point), come back through Nice, and than finish at Eze. The road to St Paul de Vence is just past the Nice Cote d'Azur airport and can be accessed by the motorway or local coastal road. I can give you exact directions, but it really is a good idea to rent a GPS with rental cars these days.

 

Hank

[ggo85]

My husband and I have done both types of tour (organized and on your own) and will continue to do so.

 

We like organized tours because you don't have to stress about ship's timing. We've arrived late in ports and have missed ports due to weather. We have seen people left behind b/c they missed the ship. If you take a ship's tour, you don't have to sweat this. We also like having a live guide - have done our own with books and audio tapes but really value the insight that a good guide can provide.

 

We like to do our own thing as well. We like to do things at our own pace -- walking, eating lunch, etc. and don't always like the group pace. We also hate the "herd" mentality of tours and the fact that too many people are discourteous of the other folks on the tours. And the cost is typically higher than doing it yourself.

 

So, for us it's a balance. In general, the further we're going from the ship and the more uncertain the port call is (tides, etc.), the more likely we are to take a ship tour.

[AmoMondo]

many thanks Hank for your advice on Palermo and Marseille. It is greatly appreciated.

[kwk1955]

Thanks Hank !

 

This is just the info I was looking for. I had looked at maps and bus routes, and figured we would need to go to Nice, and change buses to get to St Paul, just wasn't sure if timewise it was a good idea. I read on here somewhere that the buses are never on time and not very dependable. I would hate for us to get too far off, not be able to get back on time, and miss the ship ! I don't think I want to chance it by bus.

 

So back to rental cars. I will look more. I'm also trying to get one for Livorno (Pisa and Florence), and for Naples (Pompeii and Amalfi coast). We have done all these areas before by car (15 years ago, though) so it would be easy for us. Just can't find rental cars very cheap. I'm finding rates like 125 - 150E/ day. More than I want to pay. I've looked at Europcar, and all the American companies, and that's the best I can find. Found one for Corfu for 40 E, local company. Some won't rent for just one day. Where do you find your good deals, and how do you get discounts? Do you book online or over the phone, either in US or in Europe?

 

So, I've been online for a couple of hours trying to find us an apartment for 3 people in Rome. I rented one in Paris for my son last year, and it worked out fine. I'm finding some gorgeous ones right in the center of Rome for about 100 - 120 E. Have you ever done that in Rome? Any problems? I'd hate to show up and have no room ! Do you have any info on this?

 

We loved living and traveling in Europe, so we're really looking forward to going back and seeing alot of these places again. We're taking our daughter who hasn't been to these places since she was 8 years old, and now is 22. Last summer she went to Greece with a friend for 5 weeks - did it all on her own, no tours, just trains, ferries, etc - no hotel reservations. Had a great time, and a great learning experience. This is how we have always traveled, so I guess she learned by example. I did go along for the first 10 days to get them started - then left them there !

 

Anyway, thanks for all the info and help. You seem like you like to get out and travel like we do ! Thanks again.:):)

 

Kay

[CathyCruises]

Kay, we took the public bus in Villefranche right to the bus station in Nice, then waited abiout 15 minutes for the bus to St. Paul de Vence--took about 30-45 minutes is my guess, beautiful drive. Shopped and had lunch in SPdV, then took another bus to (just) Vence, where we visited the Matisse Chapel and wandered around for a while. Then caught a bus back to Nice, then one back to Villefranche. It was very easy (and cheap) to do and we had a lovely day. No time pressure at all that I recall. We like to leave the ship as early as possible, then get back relatively early (3-4 PM) so we never have to worry--it has worked well for us on many trips DIYing it!

 

Good Luck

 

Cathy

[dalgirl]

Thanks so much for all this great information - this has helped me make up my mind. If we were staying in Rome for a few days, then I would definitely "do it myself." But as this is our first visit, and we have limited time, I will take the money that I would have spent on other organized tours (Pompeii, Florence, Cannes) and get a hired guide for Rome. Then I will be adventerous and plan the other stops myself. This should satisfy my husband and ease my mind about seeing the things important to me. I am already doing research (which is a lot of the fun) and leave Rome to the "experts."

[macaroni]

We rented last year for 2 nights with sleepinitaly.com and got a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment right near campo di fiore. It was wonderful and reliable.

[CruiserFromMaine]

I like TripAdvisor.com for a web site to check out hotels. There are many in all the categories, locations and price ranges you'd want.

[happy_travellers]

Hi Hank and all the helpful people on this thread. DH and I have travelled alot but our TA on the GEM in April gives us brand new ports and challanges. One is the cost of the Euro (we are Canadians so we get an extra whammy on that one), the distance from port the sights are , and so manythings to see.

 

I would love some help. Our ports are Ponta delgada, Azores , Lisbon Portugal, Cadiz Spain, Malaga Spain, Corsica France, Rome and then port at Liverno. We end up at Barcelona for 2 days stop over.

 

We have booked the Pisa/ Tuscany trip with Ncl and we are thinking of trying the TRAIN to Rome.

 

Thanks so much, this is probably the most helpful thread at C/C. Karen

[happy_travellers]

Forgot , last port is Cannes France. Karen

[Hlitner]

Hi Karen, We also love transatlantics (try to do 2 a year). That is a great itinerary and we do know all the ports except for the Azores. Lisbon can easily be done on your own, and if you decide to go to Sintra you can take a train from Lisbon for a lot less money than the tours. Cadiz is very easy to do on your own (we like this city), but many will opt to go to Seville which is about 1 1/2 hour away by train or bus. Malaga is in the middle a the big tourist region on the Spanish coast, and you must decide what you want to do for that port day (many options). Take a look at the tour offerings to get some ideas. Ajaccio, Corsica is a small town that is quite attractive. You walk from the pier right into town in 5 min. There is a very nice sandy beach to your left, and if it is a nice warm day you could sun bathe (pretty early in the season). Other than walking around Ajaccio, or going to the beach, there is nothing much to do in town. So, this is where you probably should look at the tours. A few years ago we went to a place called "The Calanches" which is a very interesting area with gorgeous rock formations. This is more than an hour from town, and the bus ride really gave us a nice view of this part of the island (Corsica is a very large island with lots of mountains). If you do a search for Rome we have posted many times the way to take the train into Rome (less than 10 Euros pp). As to Livorno, there are many different options but I suppose you will go to Florence. Again, there are many posts on this subject which give you detailed instructions on how to use the train (you need a taxi to and from the train station in Livorno). As to Barcelona, this is a very tourist-friendly city (with lots of gypsy pickpockets) that you can easily explore on your own with the help of a guide book. Please post any specific questions here and I (and others) will try and help. The only caveat is that we also leave on an extended trip in early April and will not be posting here for about 2 months.

 

Hank

[happy_travellers]

Specifically how would you do Rome. Get off at St Peters station? Then what?

 

In Malaga have you ever taken the train/bus to Mijas and then to the Beach, that might be a nice change of pace?

 

And Cannes is there enough for an afternoon or would St Paul de Vence be a good plan?

 

Thanks so much, Karen

[MadisonBay]

Specifically how would you do Rome. Get off at St Peters station? Then what?

 

In Malaga have you ever taken the train/bus to Mijas and then to the Beach, that might be a nice change of pace?

 

And Cannes is there enough for an afternoon or would St Paul de Vence be a good plan?

 

Thanks so much, Karen

 

Karen,

 

We're on the Gem T/A with you. Be careful about planning too much for Cannes. We are only in port from 7 am to 3 pm and we're tendering. It is also the 4th port in as many days. We found last year on the Gem Inaugural that we were beat when we hit Nice. It was the same routine - a tendered port, limited time in port and we had just been to Naples, Rome and Florence. If the Gem is scheduled to depart at 3, all aboard is at 2. Even though the tendering process was efficient, it still took time on both ends. That doesn't leave a lot of time in port.

 

As much as I wanted to see Eze and St. Paul de Vence and Monaco, we were content walking around the town, exploring the flower/fruit market, watching people and marveling at the beach made of rocks. Just like last year, we will be disembarking the next day in Barcelona so it's good to save some energy to pack!

 

We plan to follow the same routine we used for Nice in Cannes this year.

 

Remember I was recently renamed "If this is Tuesday, it must be Brussels" AKA Madison Bay by Hank for my Amazing Race approach to visiting Rome.

I'm not always insane...just sometimes. You might enjoy this port more if you spend your few hours enjoying Cannes.

 

There's a walking tour of Cannes with maps on line. I'm not sure now where I found it but you can start with www.cannes.fr or google 'Cannes a pied discovery walking tour.'

 

On www.cadiz.es you can find tourism booklets and 4 walking tours and maps on Cadiz. We're there on a Sunday, so I'm not sure what will be open but there looks like plenty to see.

 

If you've never been to Lisbon, there is so much to do on your own - at a leisurely pace not insane like Rome. Take Tram 28 up through Alfama or take a tram or train out to Belem and the Monastary or just sit at an outdoor restaurant and eat great food, drink good wine and enjoy life. Two important places - Clean Accessible Bathrooms. Both at McDonalds. The first is on Rossio Square across from the National Theater. The second is about 2 blocks from Jeronimo Monastery in Belem.

 

I'm also interested in people's recommendations for Sintra, Malaga & Ajaccio.

 

That's all from "If it's Tuesday, it must be Civiitavecchio" AKA the sometimes crazy woman from the Chesapeake Bay.

 

PS Hugh, you are fabulous. I've learned so much from your postings.

[CathyCruises]

Specifically how would you do Rome. Get off at St Peters station? Then what?

 

In Malaga have you ever taken the train/bus to Mijas and then to the Beach, that might be a nice change of pace?

 

And Cannes is there enough for an afternoon or would St Paul de Vence be a good plan?

 

Thanks so much, Karen

 

Well, it depends on what you want to see! You will be right by the Vatican--you can prebook a tour or admission to the museums if you want to save possibly waiting in line http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/MV_Info_Servizi_Visite.html. Then you can use your train ticket (BIRG, 9 euros r/t) to take a bus or metro to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps (really just steps!), Piazza Navona--just read up on Rome and decide what you want to see!

 

If it were me, I would take a bus from Cannes to St. Paul de Vence--it's not a long ride and it's well worth it. A relaxing day, beautiful little village, nice shopping, good restaurants and great view. As far as I can tell, the main attraction in Cannes is the topless beach!!

 

Cathy

[Hlitner]

Specifically how would you do Rome. Get off at St Peters station? Then what?

 

In Malaga have you ever taken the train/bus to Mijas and then to the Beach, that might be a nice change of pace?

 

And Cannes is there enough for an afternoon or would St Paul de Vence be a good plan?

 

Thanks so much, Karen

 

Karen, Since everyone has their own likes and dislikes it's hard for me to plan an itinerary. But, assuming you want to go to the Vatican Museums (that is where you see the Sistene Chapel) than you head straight to the Vatican from St Peter's Stazione. You than get in the long line and wait until you get inside. Once you are finished at the Vatican you do whatever else is on your personal list, and work your way over to the main Termini Station where you can catch the train back.

 

I cannot really be of help regarding bus/trains on the Spanish coast. We once spent a month in the area, but we had a rental car. Our favorite beach town was Nerja, since it was not too touristy (it has now been developed).

 

You have a problem in Cannes. Your cruise ship has committed a crime by giving you a short port day. Keep in mind that nothing really opens in France to around 9 am, and you will have to be back at the tender pier by around 2. There is no way for you to go to St Paul de Vence on public transit (train the Cagnes sur Mer and than bus) with that kind of short day. If you want to go St Paul de Vence you should take your ships' tour. As to Cannes, everything is walkable from the tender pier. The only part of Cannes that interests most tourists is the area right along the water and 2 or 3 streets back from the water. It's very simple, a nice place to stroll, and there are plenty of places to eat. There really is not much special to see in Cannes other than browsing the shops, boutiques, enjoying the fabulous view and atmosphere, and people watching.

 

Hank

[Spygirl13]

First of all, I would like to say that being new to cruise critic I can't believe the wealth of information here and how helpful everyone is! Thank you so much! I was planning to do the ship's tours until I started reading here and then we hooked up with some folks from our roll call for private tours of Rome and Athens. :D:D

Hank you are a wealth of information and I am curious about something. Please do not take this the wrong way but I am just wondering why you always take cruises to all these locations rather than just staying right there? The reason I ask is because my husband and I love to travel and we have immersed ourselves in the cultures of wherever we go like Costa Rica and Belize. We are taking the European cruise just to see as many places as possible to make a decision of where we want to go and stay for an extended time. What is the benefit of cruising over staying in the country itself?

[CathyCruises]

I'll chime in on this one too, if I may. Cruising is about a lot more than just visiting the ports. I get bored at a hotel after a few days and I get tired of having to figure out where to eat every meal--sometimes you pick well, and sometimes not. But I love the idea of unpacking once and then being able to see so many wonderful places for the price of a train or bus ride. And I love 'coming home' to the ship with all of the activities, my new found friends (how often do you make friends with people in a hotel?), having a great dinner, cozy lounges, the entertainment right at my fingertips. It's a package deal, and IMO can't be compared to a hotel-type vacation; more like summer camp!

 

There is also cost. I was looking at a land based trip in France last fall, but found rates so low on a cruise that it blew the land trip right out of the water. So those are at least MY reasons!

 

Cathy

[Spygirl13]

Thanks Cathy! The cost and not having to pack and repack are excellent reasons to take a cruise. We are pretty much "foodies" so we like the experience of eating in new places in strange countries. After the cruise, we are hoping to "narrow down" one area we just LOVE and rent a villa there for a week. When you stay at a place like that you do get to meet the locals and alot of new friends. We have done this in Costa Rica, Belize and Jamaica and would like to do it in Europe too.

I am curious to see what others have to say and how I will feel about it after the cruise!:)

[Hlitner]

That is a fair question Spygirl, and the answer (for us) is quite simple. We are in love with travel, sampling other cultures, trying cuisine and wine all over the world, and just having fun. For about forty years we have been avid cruisers, love our days at sea, and also port days. However, like you, we also enjoy being on land. We have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to do both land and sea. These days, we like to do the longer transatlantic repostioning cruises (its beats flying) and than spend a few weeks (or longer) in Europe before or after the cruise. To us, it's the best of both worlds. You mention "narrowing down" your area to rent a place, and we absolutely agree. In fact, after our upcoming cruise (26 days) we have rented an apartment in France in an area that we have enjoyed on previous land trips. To be honest, we try not to narrow things down too much since it is a very big world and we do not want to get into a rut. So far, we have managed to experience about 75 countries, but we have met others on cruises who have been in more than 200 countries. I guess it is a spirit of adventure that keeps taking us to new places even though we have already found many favorite spots.

 

Hank