Excursions in Europe??

[DeeMarch]

Going on the Galaxy for 10 nights to Europe. Does anyone have any suggestions for doing the ports on our own? Is it doable???

[tom_uk]

Which cruise? One of the 'Best of the Med' cruises? Which date?

 

Your best bet would be to do the following:-

 

a) look at the Celebrity Connections discussion for your ship & cruise date: if the one I'm involved in is any guide, there'll be lots of discussion there about exactly this topic. Our group has already arranged a private trip for some of us, for example;

 

b) look at the Ports of Call - Europe board. Again, you'll find lots of info about DIY trips, privately-arranged tours, etc, etc.

 

c) and there's a really good book, an Insight Guide called 'Mediterranean Cruising' which is full of maps and advice for cruisers. Lots of practical info like how to get from the port to the town-centre, etc.

[SheilaNC]

Be SURE to go to the Ports of Call boards for each port you are visiting. And go back in history by at least 6 months. We found most of the wonderful information that we used to plan our own shore excursions last fall on those boards - names of private drivers with email addresses, reviews (some quite informative and helpful), and ideas for day trips that we wouldn't have known about. Good hunting!!

[DeeMarch]

I will do some searching. We are planning the 10 night, Best of the Mediterrean aboard the Galaxy, Sept. 15, 2006.

[Franken]

Denise,

We are booked on the Sept. 15th Best of the Med also. I just started a Celebrity Connections thread yesterday and was hoping to get to know a few others before the cruise. We have a few books about the port cities and have been to Europe a few times, but never on a ship. I'm sure that it will be wonderful!

[Bruin Steve]

>>Fri, Sep 15 Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy Depart 7:00 PM

Sat, Sep 16 Naples, Italy Arrive 7:00 AM Depart 7:00 PM

Sun, Sep 17 At Sea

Mon, Sep 18 Mykonos, Greece Arrive 12:00 PM Depart 11:59 PM

Tue, Sep 19 Santorini, Greece Arrive 8:00 AM Depart 9:00 PM

Wed, Sep 20 At Sea

Thu, Sep 21 Sicily (Messina), Italy Arrive 9:00 AM Depart 6:00 PM

Fri, Sep 22 At Sea

Sat, Sep 23 Nice (Villefranche), France Arrive 7:00 AM Depart 10:00 PM

Sun, Sep 24 Florence, Italy Arrive 7:00 AM Depart 7:00 PM

Mon, Sep 25 Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy Arrive 7:00 AM<<

 

Here's my 2 cents:

 

Naples: You might want to consider some kind of tour here...Rather than spend your time in Naples itself, I recommend Pompei--absolutely incredible...My wife liked Capri, a lot of folks like Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast...All of these places will take some effort getting to on your own as logistics can be difficult...

 

Mykonos: This is one you can certainly do on your own...

 

Santorini: You can see Santorini on your own as well...You'll need to get a cable car ticket up and down the cliff...You can rent a jeep cheaply enough or take the sometimes crowded public bus...

 

Messina: I haven't been here so I really don't know...

 

Villefranche: Similar story to Naples...From Villefranche, you're going to want to go to Monte Carlo/Monaco, Eze or St. Paul de Vence...You can take a train to Monte Carlo on your own, but, getting to multiple places will require some logistical difficulties...

 

Florence: You don't actually dock in Florence...You are in Livorno...and Florence is a considerable distance away...as are Pisa, Lucca, San Gimignano, Volterra and other places worth visiting...it helps to have a tour or at least a driver...

 

Some people will tell you that you can see ANYPLACE on your own...but, it really depends a lot on how well you already know your way around, how much research you've done and how comfortable you are with the language and the transportation systems...And there are various logistical risks with using local public transportation--you need to know the schedules and the quirks in the system, lest you be stranded somewhere or waste a lot of your limited time waiting in train stations or bus depots...

 

It is easier to do places like Mykonos on your own because the ship will drop you right in the middle of where you want to be and it's a small town and small island...But, getting off the ship in Naples or Livorno is a completely different story...

 

Also, "on your own" might mean more "adventure" (read "Confusion", "getting lost", "wating time") as well as not seeing quite as much of the stuff you want to see...

 

Ship's excursions are good because everything is packaged for you...

...Or, you can hire a private guide or driver and pay the freight for that and let them give you a personalized tour...Of course, both options will be costlier, but, how much do you want to skimp considering how much you're investing in this trip overall?

 

It all depends on you...

[GramaFran]

I want to add that we are on the 13 night cruise Amsterdam to Barcelona on Sept 2 and I got all my information from the Europe Boards. Plus googling the port/city names.

We have either booked a driver/guide or a rental car for all the ports. We want to be able to see and do most everything and on our own using public transportation just is not for us. I like the convience of someone picking us up at the dock and driving to all the scenic/historical places. We are also into wine and good food so in some ports we have plans to visit wineries and have a gourmet lunch with some sightseeing along the way.

 

On your cruise - you can easily do Santorini on your own, Florence I would recommend a driver (rentacar would work too) We also stop in Villefranche and have a driver booked for a tour to Eze, Nice, St. Paul de Vence and Monaco. We found him on the Europe Board. It takes work to look up everything, I have made a binder of all the information I found and plan to condence it into 1 or 2 pages per Port to take with us.

Hope this helps - Mainly have fun, enjoy meeting the locals, even getting lost can be an adventure.

Francine

[herb]

For all who have booked this Med cruise, did you book your own airfare or go with cruise-airfare? I just checked... the prices from NYC to ROME :eek:

[Franken]

We are using frequent flyer miles out of Atlanta - hope Delta is still around in Sept. The flights were just too expensive and we have the miles so we might as well use them.

[GramaFran]

I am retired airline so travel on passes but for the intra Europe flights we purchased discounted tickets - now worrying about 1 suitcase per person with a weight limit of 44lbs per bag. UGGGG. This is for a cruise with extra time spent in London, Oslo and Amsterdam before the cruise.

I have had to think and re-think what I am packing and the weight. I guess I will be shopping in Amsterdam for the extras I normally have in the bag.

Like shoes, sandles, sunscreen, and misc.

Francine

[kelmac]

Bruin Steve did an EXCELLENT job running down all the options!! My wife and I have been to Europe many times and we feel really comforable touring on our own. Just tell yourself that you will return some day and not try to do everything during your first visit!:)

 

Enjoy!

Kel

[Susan-M]

Denise - We like to do the ports on our own, but it involves a lot of research to avoid the "confusion, getting lost and wasting time" that Steve mentions. I made up a binder with a section for each port and then all I had to do each night was take out the next day's material - with my 'itinerary', maps, bus and train schedules, guide book material, etc.

Of the ports that you are going to, we did:

Villefranche - by bus and train

Naples - with a private driver (Amalfi Coast & Pompeii)

Santorini - rental car

Mykonos - walking & local bus to a beach

Livorno - Celebrity on-your-own-bus to Florence

Rome - by train and subway

This is the report that I wrote following our cruise if you want more detail on those ports: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=240792

[PattyMichael]

We are taking the Celebrity 9/2 Best of Europe. Our first time. We are planning on taking the ships shore trip. Just easier for us.

[tom_uk]

The 2nd June 'Best of the Med' has had its Villefranche visit switched to Cannes. (Got a confirmation letter from RCI/Celebrity UK in January, I think.) You might want to check that for your cruise.

[dmarch@islc.net]

Hey, I thought I was the only DMarch! LOL

[katiebeth]

Bruin Steve,

 

I believe I read on one of the threads on the European boards that you had taken the Capri, Sorrento, and Pompeii tour offered through Celebrity.

 

We are considering that tour as well and was wondering if you enjoyed it? It sounds like alot for one day. The Celebrity website also mentioned that large crowds may be encountered in Capri while waiting for the funicular.

I understand that after visiting Capri you take the hydrofoil back to Naples and then a motorcoach to Sorrento. How long is the ride from Naples to Sorrento? Pompeii seems to be the last stop. How was Pompeii in the afternoon?

 

Celebrity also offers an exclusive tour in Naples that is done in mini-vans. It is rather expensive but we are considering this tour as well. The tour includes Sorrento, Positano, and Pompeii. We wouldn't be able to see Capri, but have read that Positano is terrific. My only concern about Positano is the drive there from Sorrento. I'm not terribly fond of heights or hairpin curves.

 

Anyway, I guess we are leaning toward a ship excursion or doing the port on our own using the trains and/or hydrofoils.

 

Any thoughts are suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you,

 

Nancy

[Bruin Steve]

Bruin Steve,

 

I believe I read on one of the threads on the European boards that you had taken the Capri, Sorrento, and Pompeii tour offered through Celebrity.

 

We are considering that tour as well and was wondering if you enjoyed it? It sounds like alot for one day. The Celebrity website also mentioned that large crowds may be encountered in Capri while waiting for the funicular.

I understand that after visiting Capri you take the hydrofoil back to Naples and then a motorcoach to Sorrento. How long is the ride from Naples to Sorrento? Pompeii seems to be the last stop. How was Pompeii in the afternoon?

Yes, we did--While on the Millennium in August 2003.

The actual tour order was...

From the ship, hydrofoil direct to Capri--done in the morning to avoid the crowds--which worked--the lines for the funicular were no more than about 5 minutes each way...Our guide toured us through town and over to the botanical gardens (with tremendous views), then we had free time...met back with guide at the funicular terminal at appointed time and took the funicular down to a different hydrofoil for a DIRECT ride from Capri to Sorrento...Public buses up the hill to town, a tour of a furniture (inlaid stuff) maker and shop, then a very nice lunch at a small restaurant, then free time in Sorrento...Then on to a tourbus for the ride to Pompei, and a very good guided tour of Pompei (main square, brothel, private residences, shops)...finally to a Cameo Factory (which I could have done without, but many of the women seemed to enjoy shopping)

 

All in all, I think it was an excellent tour--and fits quite a lot into the day...

 

You couldn't duplicate it with a private driver since they'd be tied to a car, so you'd have to return to Naples from Capri before heading elsewhere and the backtrackling would cost you valuable time...Plus, In Italy, by LAW, most private drivers are not licensed as "tour guides" so they can't give you a tour at Pompei, they can only drop you off to wander on your own or to hire, at additional expense, a local guide...

 

I wholeheartedly recommend this tour...

 

That said, for our upcoming Med Cruise in July, we have booked a private driver for a tour of the Amalfi Coast--I thinkl that aream, with it's small villages and winding roads, lends itself more to a car and a small group than to a bus...

 

Good luck...

[katiebeth]

Dear Steve,

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. Your replies are always so informative.

 

I do have one further question. The Celebrity website description of the tour indicates that after touring Capri "return to the marina by funicular and travel by watercraft back to the mainland". Driving south, the next stop is the fabled town of Sorrento. Does this sound like a change from the route you took?

 

I don't know if I am reading it wrong, but I read it to mean that you return to Naples and then board a motorcoach and drive to Sorrento. However, I guess mainland could also mean Sorrento, although I don't know why you would need to drive south to Sorrento if that is the case. I assume that if we take the hydrofoil directly from Capri to Sorrento then there is no need to drive anywhere.

 

Anyway, I am a little confused. I sure like the idea of the hydrofoil to Capri and then another hydrofoil directly to Sorrento. Any other way seems more complicated than what I would prefer.

 

Are you able to shed any light on this?

 

Thanks again for taking time to reply.

 

Nancy

[Bruin Steve]

Nancy,

They MAY have changed it since we took it--after all, it has been 2 and a half years now...

However, it may also just be a case of the person who writes the blurbs just not having the info down properly...

If they in fact DO go back to Naples, yes, that would cut into the time...

OR, the "ride to Sorrento" might be that 4 block bus ride up the hill!

 

Maybe someone has been on this excursion more recently than I and can elucidate...

[katiebeth]

Dear Steve,

 

Thanks again for your quick response. It's possible that the drive they are referring to is the 4 block trip from the pier into the town of Sorrento. I will talk with Celebrity and see if they can clarify.

 

I am almost certain that we will sign up for this excursion. I can't think of any other way to see all three places in one day. It sounds like an exhausting day, but it will be great to tour Capri, Sorrento, and Pompeii. I really want to see Capri and Sorrento and my husband and children are eager to visit Pompeii, so this excursion will cover all bases. (even a glass of wine with lunch which will be a nice treat for Mom!)

 

I hope you enjoy your cruise on Oceania. I have read great things about Oceania and will be eager to read your review when you get back.

 

Thanks again,

 

Nancy

[woodofpine]

An excursion billed as "new" on Princess in '03 was "Climb Vesuveus and Pompeii Tour". This was a terrific combination and may or should be available on other lines. One was bused about 3/4 of the way up the mountain past lava flows during which a guide gave a very interesting description of life on the mountain and the government's attempts to lure the loyal residents away (Vesuveus is active and blew in the late '40s). The trail up to the caldera is not too strenuous for the able bodied but is interesting with terrific views. The tour of Pompeii means a great deal after being on the mountain.

 

Ask your officers about the cruise by Stromboli (usually late at night) and worth getting up to see. This is often unannounced. Strombo - an island - is the world's longest continuously erupting volcano - going now for 1,000 years. One can see the lava pulsing from the mountain as you go by.

[bubbadog]

hi dee we did europe and 2 of the guides we used were( limo in rome),and driver in rome these guys are good and very knowledgable ,and gave us a better price than the ships could offer,it was an outstanding cruise we went on,and these guides are very professional,but look in the europe forum way back around pg 60 or so lots of info there:rolleyes: ,enjoy yourselves and just take it all in,its breathtaking;)

[thmpsn]

Naples: consider a private driver nad do the Amalfi coast. We shared a van with three other couples and had a great time. Don't do this on a ships tour. Big busses and very heavy traffic.

Florence and Rome:Do the "On Your Own" tours thru the ship. It takes roughly 1 1/2 hrs to get to the cities and then you are free from other tour members.

Jim

[SkystheLimit]

Pompeii, Sorrento, and Capri in one day is a huge undertaking. We overnighted in Sorrento on another cruise line last May. We toured Pompeii and browsed through Sorrento one day and evening. Capri followed the next day.

Capri is a destination in itself. Fabulous scenery. Remember many shops and attractions close for lunch so there is some down time for sightseeing. While shops and sights were closed, we enjoyed a wonderful leisurely lunch. Our trip to Capri was on our own. We were on the same hyrofoil as passengers on the ship's tour so that made us more comfortable about not being left behind. Make sure you get to Anacapri. Blue Grotto was closed the day we were there. The ferry service to Capri is often cancelled because of rough seas. The ride out on the fast boat(enclosed cabin) was very uncomfortable for many. On the return to Sorrento we were on the slower boat with open decks and enjoyed that ride.

Pompeii is amazing. If you have a choice, make sure that your tour includes the museum. That is where many of the artifacts are now located.

Sorrento is a pretty town but we felt it was enjoyed most after dark--restaurants, gelaterias, clubs, etc. Hope this helps--wish we there right now. MJ