marazul

The Villa Ephrussi is a very short distance from Villefranche. It's only about 3 miles. Take a taxi. The flower market in Nice is about 6 miles from Villefranche in the opposite direction. (The market closes around 12:30-1.) There would be plenty of time to go to Nice in the morning to enjoy the flower market, take the "petit train" around the old town and walk around some to the Place Massena, and even have lunch before heading back to Villefranche and on to Cap Ferrat to see the Villa Ephrussi. A taxi would cost about €30 from the port to Nice. A taxi from Nice to the Villa E would cost a little more, about €40. Or you can take a public bus for about 2 euros for both trips. It is bus line 15 and it has a stop very near the Villa. Search this board for details on the buses. From the Villa E you could walk to the port at St Jean-Cap Ferrat and walk around the town if you have time. Or go back to Villefranche and explore the town. You do not need a tour to visit Nice or the Villa. https://www.villa-ephrussi.com/en/home There is an app with a free guided tour: https://www.villa-ephrussi.com/en/prepare-your-visit/visitor-information

I updated the answer to "pay ahead of time" since the actual day before you are probably at the airport or on the plane. Just pay when you are comfortable doing so.

Pay online ahead of time and print or save the screen shot of the receipt just in case. You will have no problems. As for how many euros to bring, it is always a good idea to have a minimum of 100-200 euros with you in case of emergencies. You can use your ATM card to get more once you are there. If you have any leftover, save them for your next trip. At the current exchange rate that is also a good investment!

George's Taxi taxigreece.com

Point taken. In respect to Barcelona, the Gothic Quarter is just next to La Ramblas - just cross the street to the East and you are there. The Passeig de Gracia starts at Plaza Catalunya at the top end of las Ramblas. Taxis are plentiful and you can get back to the pier in a few minutes. A map would be helpful to allay your fears of being too far away and missing the ship.

I have. No noise from above.

I agree. The OP has been in Barcelona once before when they stayed at a hotel one night and walked Las Ramblas. As I pointed out above, they should visit the areas and places that make this an extraordinary city. IMO - the only thing worth looking at in Las Ramblas is the Miró pavement mosaic in the center. But it is not worth getting harassed by vendors or dealing with the crowds during a short port visit when there is so much more to enjoy.

Yes. Don't book ahead. There are a million taxis at the airport. It is a fixed price. There is a huge sign at the head of the line specifying the prices. Before you get in the cab agree that the price on the sign is the price you will pay.

Leave it blank. Rome Cabs will look it up when it is assigned closer to the date.

Always proud of you. Research is key to knowledge. I do hope to keep up my own search for the perfect soupe de poissons. I will keep you posted. M

One of the stops is Plaza Catalunya at the top of Las Ramblas. If Las Ramblas is all you have seen in Barcelona, you should really go to la Sagrada Familia. Walk the Passeig de Gracia where two of Gaudi's most famous works are: Casa Batllo and Casa Mila. Visit the Gothic Quarter (there are "free" walking tours there). Restaurants along Las Ramblas tend to be the tourist trap type. Much better in the Passeig de Gracia area and in the Gothic Quarter. Search through this board. There are lots of good pointers.

I enjoy amari and Campari is one of the most suitable for cocktails. My favorite is the Negroni. A plain Campari on the rocks with a splash of soda and an orange slice is as summery as the Aperol spritz. Although there is a lot to be said for the Aperol while in Venice.

To follow up on Hank's ideas. There are several restaurants on your left as you walk along the Old Port (marina). That street is called Quai Saint-Pierre. We used to take visitors to L'Assiette Provençal because it was good and reasonably priced (for Cannes), plus it has a view of the water. We haven't been there since before the pandemic, so no guarantees. If you don't care about the water view, do look for the Rue Saint-Antoine which is very near there. To get there just walk past L'Assiette Provençal to the corner (there is a police station there). Turn left and, at the end of the short block, cross the street. Rue Saint-Antoine is a cobblestone pedestrian street directly in front of you. Like anywhere in France, the best thing to do is walk along the street, read the menus and see what appeals to you. All restaurants have a plat du jour or daily special available. Look for the little blackboards by the doors. This will always be tasty and reasonably priced (for Cannes) 😉. You can always order a pichet (carafe) of house wine instead of a bottle if you prefer. They come in 1 liter, 1/2 liter or 1/4 liter sizes. Also, order a pichet of water (free) instead of expensive bottled water. I assume this is your first visit to the area. If so, I encourage you to have Soupe de Poissons (fish soup) as a first course. If there are a few of you, and if they are in season, order stuffed courgette (zucchini) flowers as a first course to share. For a main course try the grilled daurade (sea bream) or loup (sea bass). The waiter bones it and filets the fish for you. For wine, you are at the heart of the rosés area and they go perfectly with that meal. There is a stone church nearby, Nôtre Dame d'Espérance which has great views over the city and the sea. It will be a little bit of a climb, but well worth it. Don't fail to come back to the port past the Congress Palace (where the Film Festival is held) and walk along the beautiful Boulevard de la Croissette where the hotels and beaches are. Actually, some of the beach restaurants are very good, but they might not be open in April. There are some wonderful and horribly expensive restaurants on the other side, like Fouquet's.

Your plan only gives you a jetlagged afternoon in Venice followed by a transfer to Trieste the next morning. If you want to have a meaningful, if short, visit to Venice, plan to fly in two days before the cruise for two nights in Venice. That would give you the afternoon of the fly-in day and a full day the next day. You will have to leave early on the day of embarkation for your transfer to Trieste. Venice is the highlight of any cruise and you should not shortchange it if possible. Ideally, three nights there would be best, but two will give you a good taste of the city.

The airport Hilton has a shuttle to central Rome.

You can do your own tour by ferry. No need to take the train. https://traghettiportofino.it/en/lines-trips/trip-4/#ad-image-0 https://www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it/en

That could be optimistic. 60-70 F is more likely.

Only if you like cold water. It will be in the low 70sF. By then many beach facilities have closed. It is not the Caribbean.

Well past the peak season. A little later and restaurants start closing for the winter. It is a good time to go. Cooler, but it could be windy and no longer swimming season.

Yes.

BTW - safety regulations have to require tenders have to be able to handle wheelchairs. Think of evacuation during an emergency. No doubt some tenders are more convenient and accessible than others. As you are boarding the ship for the first time, ask one of the officers on the gangway or even a crew member, how easy it is to get the wheelchair in the tender. These are the same officers and crew that handle the tenders.

If you find out that you can manage the tenders, both Kotor and Portofino have flat, level streets in town right near the tender docks. No need to plan anything special. Just enjoy the towns.

Just in case you take eurocruiser's suggestion of just going to Pompeii and get back early, here is the website for the Salerno ferries: https://www.travelmar.it/en/index The ride to Amalfi is 35 minutes. You can either turn around and go back to Salerno or spend an hour there and then go back in the next ferry. It takes 2-3 minutes to walk from the pier into the center of Amalfi to the Piazza Duomo. Check the schedules for your day in port. If you go after the high season there is no need to prebook your tickets. You can get them at the dock.

You do not cruise past the Amalfi coast if you port in Naples. You cruise past it if you port in Amalfi or Salerno.

Yes, by the port the Stavros Niarchos Cultural Foundation. https://www.snfcc.org/ Benaki Museum - more recent history, byzantine, some contemporary, etc. https://www.benaki.org/index.php?lang=el National Museum of Contemporary Art https://www.emst.gr/en/ Ilias Lalounis jewelry museum http://www.lalaounis-jewelrymuseum.gr/