GTJ

I would be wary of both Celebrity representatives and travel agents that do not specialize in railroad travel. Neither can be expected to have much, if any, knowledge of railroad operations. You might receive a better response by communicating with the Alaska Railroad directly, reservations@akrr.com, and inquire as to whether there is a contract, or a contract is expected to be signed, for train service chartered by Royal Caribbean Group. This is a substantial business for the Alaska Railroad, for it not only involves the Friday service for Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, but also the Thursday service for Silverseas Cruises. Absent a contract, the Alaska Railroad be left only with the Carnival contract (the most substantial) and Norwegian Cruise Line (operating only on alternate Mondays).

It is perfect that you have both an intended plan and a Plan B. Also, I did not mention in the prior post, that the "Park Connection" also includes a morning departure from downtown Anchorage, at 7:00 a.m., arriving in Seward at 10:00 a.m.

The buses chartered by Royal Caribbean Group for its Celebrity Cruises passengers might only depart from the airport. Additionally, beyond chartered buses there are regularly scheduled buses that might be better priced or scheduled. This includes the "Park Connection" service operated by Premier Alaska Tours and brokered by Alaska Tour & Travel, departing the Dena'ina Civic Center in downtown Anchorage at 3:00 p.m., arriving in Seward at 5:45 p.m.; and the service operated by Alaska Cruise Transportation departing the Anchorage airport at 12:00 noon and 2:00 p.m., arriving in Seward at 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., respectively.

The regularly scheduled train departs even earlier than that: 6:45 a.m. I have heard nothing of Royal Caribbean Group suspending its chartering of train service, and thus I assume that service will be provided for Celebrity Cruises departures. The Royal Caribbean Group charter train service is expected to operate every Friday, from May 10, 2024, through September 13, 2024, departing the Anchorage airport (not downtown Anchorage) at approximately 1:00 p.m., arriving in Seward at 5:30 p.m. From downtown Anchorage use People Mover bus route route to the airport and its train station.

Radiance of the Seas has three departures in August 2024: 2nd, 16th, and 30th. Civil twilight and sunrise times for these three dates are, respectively, 4:32 and 5:36 a.m.; 5:19 and 6:12 a.m.; and 6:00 and 6:48 a.m. The train to Seward is scheduled to depart at 6:45 a.m., but you'll want to arrive earlier than that if you do not already have tickets in hand or if you will be checking baggage. If you're worried about tripping and falling, as a consequence of walking in the dark before sunrise, then it may depend on both the specific date in August, and whether you really want to hang around the train station for a full hour prior to departure. But even if it should still be dark, in this area the sidewalks are in fairly good repair, the street lights are decent, and there would not be much risk of tripping or falling.

The mischievous spirit inside me says to arrange for "free" transportation from South Station, Logan Airport, or a hotel in Boston. But I imagine that there is some type of limit imposed. Whatever that limit happens to be, take free reign over the offer. No need to worry about the cost or duration of the transportation while you balance the cost and convenience of hotels.

If the "free" transportation is from any hotel, then the decision factor on where to alight from the train should be based on where you decide to bed down for the night. If you plan to stay in Manhattan, then train to New York. If you plan to stay in Newark, then train to Newark. Pick your hotel based on whatever factors are important to you. Cost of transportation between hotel and Manhattan Cruise Terminal does not matter to you if it is "free."

Baggage (which is the term used more often by carriers than "luggage") can be transported either as "checked," meaning that the carrier takes custody of the baggage, or "carry-on," meaning that the baggage remains in the custody of the passenger. A ticket entitles passengers to both checked baggage and carry-on baggage. If a particular train does not have a baggage car, then you can send checked baggage on an earlier train, and it will be waiting in the baggage room upon your arrival. That said, most passengers do not need checked baggage because the carry-on baggage allowances are generous by themselves. The checked baggage allowance is, generally, two larger pieces. The carry-on baggage allowance is, generally, two larger pieces and one smaller piece. Medical items do not count towards this allowance. Coats and the like generally do not count towards this allowance. Thus, if each of you have one piece consisting of medical items, then the two of you, collectively, could be able to have transported free of additional charge twelve pieces of baggage, plus coats and the like, without charge, eight pieces being carry-on (six regular and two medical), and four pieces sent the day before as checked baggage on the Lake Shore Limited.

With so many people all believing themselves to be in that upper quintile, it is difficult to tell, objectively, who truly is. Some are, but most are not. It is not necessarily that less safe or less skillful drivers are trying to deceive others, for many have persuaded themselves of how good their driving is. Obviously, it is impossible for 88 percent of the population to be above average. Svenson says: "These results may reflect purely cognitive mechanisms or may be mainly a result of lacking information about the others in the group which may lead a majority of the people to regard themselves as “better”. For example, the results may be explained by cognitive mechanisms, such as, low memory availability of negative events (e.g., accidents or near accidents) in the experimental situation. But there is also evidence pointing at greater generality of the findings. For instance, Preston and Harris (1965) compared 50 drivers whose driving involved them in accidents (serious enough to require hospitalization) with 50 drivers without accident histories but matched in relevant variables. When asked about how skillful drivers they were, the two groups gave almost identical means indicating that the average driver, irrespective of accident record, judged himself to be more skillful than the average on the nine point scale. According to police records 34 of the drivers in the accident group were responsible for the accidents. The accident group had a higher frequency of previous traffic violations. This seems to indicate that we have difficulties in learning from experience." [Citations omitted.] Standardized tests might help, but even when available they're sometimes rejected because they do not give the results desired. (E.g., a substantial number of people and even universities are refusing to accept the ACT and SAT tests because they give "wrong" results.) Many people in this forum who drive probably believe themselves to be safer or more skillful than the average driver, or to be in the uppermost quintile. How can we really tell them apart? Perhaps more importantly, how can we discourage the bad drivers from driving? Even those people who are, themselves, safer or more skillful with their own driving would not want those people who are less safe or less skillful to drive. For those persons who are bad drivers, they should, going to for from a port, and otherwise whenever practicable, use public transportation, use a hired car, or walk, instead of driving themselves.

Yes, I do. I have manage bus transportation systems for the past 40-plus years, paying individuals for the "work" of driving. It is work that I respect highly, the dedication and care that most professionals put into their job of driving. On the other side, I do get rather disappointed with the carelessness of many (not all) non-professional drivers who do not respect the speed, power, and inertia of the vehicles they are operating, and who succumb to distraction. They treat their vehicle as an office, engaging in cell phone meetings, eating and drinking, fiddling with the radio, putting on make-up, etc., all with attention to the road being secondary. I do wish that the driving standards required for a CDL were applied to all drivers, even the higher skill level would not mean much if drivers don't take driving seriously and allow themselves to get distracted. (I have encountered some people in this forum who actually support distracted driving!) Driving is work that requires skill and attention, attributes that I know that I do not possess. A number of years ago there was an interesting paper published about the illusory superiority. See Ola Svenson, "Are We All Less Risky and More Skillful Than Our Fellow Drivers?" 47 Acta Psychologica 143 (1981). The author explained her research: "Do people engaged in a risky activity where skill plays some role, have an unbiased view of their own skill and risk taking? More specifically, do they have a correct conception of their own skill and risk taking behavior, e.g., in comparison to others? One of the most common and best known risky activity in modern society is that of driving a car. Therefore, some observations of drivers' notions of their own driving skills and risk taking behavior will be presented in this paper." In the study that was conducted, with respect to drivers in the United States, 60 percent of the survey respondents believed themselves to uppermost quintile of drivers with respect to their ability to drive safely; 87.5 percent of believed themselves to be safer than the median driver. Nearly one-half, 46.3 percent, considered themselves to be in the most skillful quintile of drivers, and 92.7 believed themselves to be more skillful than the median driver. In discussing these results, the author observed: "Very clearly, the present results illustrate a strong tendency among the subjects to believe themselves to be more skillful and less risky than the others in the groups." The perception that you--and many others--have with respect to the safety of one's own driving is consistent with this study. The combination of controlling the movement of a vehicle by oneself, coupled with the self-belief of most drivers as having above-average driving skill, naturally leads to the perception that driving oneself is very safe. Yet, the statistics show otherwise. Driving is exceptionally dangerous, especially among non-professional drivers. The psychology here--of our abilities to accurately self-assess-is absolutely fascinating.

Rarely do I use a hired car, but when I do I keep an eye on the route being taken by the driver, and if I have any doubt as to the driver's intention I will direct the driver from the back seat. That's probably because that idea of the driver possibly not knowing the best route is in my mind. There was one time where the taxi driver told me he did not know the way (we were going from the Port Everglades passenger cruise terminal to the Fort Lauderdale passenger train station) and so I ended up directing the driver the entire way. A similar thing happened in Chicago when the Lakefront Lines bus driver did not know the way (we were on the Skyway and destined for the 95th Street transit center) and I directed the driver there as well. I don't like having to do so because the drivers are paid to know the way--and I should not have to do their work for them--but better than getting lost. Too many who should know the way do not. If I had to use a hired car from Pennsylvania Station to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, I would likely use a yellow taxi, keeping my eye on the driver, making certain that he or she is preparing to exit at Hamilton Avenue, etc. What about a passenger not knowing the way? Well, the driver is supposed to consult the atlas before dropping the flag, but we know that typically does not happen, and yet it is unfair for the passenger to pay extra to be driven around in circles by a driver not knowing the way.Nor is it fair for the passenger to have to pay extra for a TNC vehicle simply to get a flat fare where driving in circles in not charged extra. In the end I don't think there is an entirely satisfactory answer. As drivers being familiar with the various boroughs, many do know their way around outside of Manhattan because most taxi drivers reside in the boroughs outside of Manhattan. My guess is that most taxi drivers know Long Island City, Queens, very well. As to Red Hook, Brooklyn? Maybe not so well.

I would come to the opposite conclusion because, the price being equal, having someone else do the work of driving--and assuming the liabilities for driving--constitutes a better value, compared to you having to perform that work. There is really no alternative to private transportation--be it your own vehicle or that of someone else--If public transportation is not practicable. Maybe it is time to call in a favor from a friend who has a vehicle or who could drive yours there and back.

If public transportation is not practicable, then next lowest cost will be a yellow taxi.

Most reasonably priced means, besides walking, is to use the subway into downtown Brooklyn, then a short bus ride to the Brooklyn Cruise Port in Red Hook. Total cost: $2.90. More specifically, use the Eighth Avenue subway, "A" or "C" trains, from Pennsylvania Station to Jay Street-MetroTech. Exit the subway onto Jay Street, at Willoughby Street, and walk south one and one-half blocks (Jay Street changes its name to Smith Street). There you will find bus route B61. It is a free transfer onto the bus. The ride into Red Hook is about thirteen minutes. Alight from the bus on Van Brunt Street, corner of King Street. Walk back on Van Brunt Street one block, and turn left on Pioneer Street. It is about 1,500 feet along Pioneer Street to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.

It is not that the park beyond mile 43 is completely inaccessible, but rather a very small section of the park that is closed. See http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/closures.htm (the closed area is highlighted in red). Both sides of the small area that is closed are open (though the facilities on the far side of the closure are closed). Depending upon construction and other conditions, it might be possible to walk through the closed area, or hike around the closed area: check-in with the ranger responsible for backcountry permits for permissible hiking routes. For greater certainty you could charter an airplane from Denali Air (Piper Navajo and Chieftain aircraft available) and fly to Kantishna (mile 89). From the Kantishna airstrip you could hike to all the various points of interest on the other side of the closure, including Wonder Lake, Eielson, Stony Hill, Toklat River, Polychrome Overlook, etc. Probably more serene with the closure and the absence of many tourists. What a story to bring home! You could hike the 45 miles between Kantishna and the and closure (you'll need a free backcountry permit if you're going to camp overnight). With a private charter you could probably even take a bicycle on the airplane, and bike from Kantishna to the closure. It all comes down to how much money one is willing to spend, and the time and ambition possessed to go hiking (or biking) and backcountry camping.

That was my assumption. I suppose some people mistakenly believe that all cruises are round-trip excursions, and overlook the fact that many voyages are simply one-way transportation that can be pieced together in many ways. One who travels by sea to Europe and return might well want to travel one-way on an inexpensive repositioning trans-Atlantic cruise, the other way on a QM2 trans-Atlantic crossing, and use two different cruise terminals in New York Harbor in doing so (a variation of that may be what is going on here). Using different terminals is not much of a concern . . . at least if you don't plan on leaving a vehicle parked in one port and returning to another.

Delving a bit into the weeds here, Holland America Line utilizes its own transportation and hotels, operated by corporate affiliates, while Celebrity Cruises utilizes third party transportation and hotels. More specifically: Holland America Line and Princess Cruises use mostly railcars owned by a corporate affiliate, Tour Alaska, Inc., which are bi-level glass dome cars. All trains are distinct from those offered by the Alaska Railroad. It has four rail routes: (1) "McKinley Explorer," Anchorage - Talkeetna - Denali, operated daily, (2) "Denali Express," Whittier - Denali, operated Saturdays, Sundays, and alternate Wednesdays, (3) "McKinley Express," Whittier - McKinley, operated Saturdays and alternate Wednesdays, and (4) "HAL Cruise Train," Whittier - Anchorage, operated Sundays. Trains (1) and (2) use Tour Alaska, inc., bi-level glass dome cars, while trains (3) and (4) use Alaska Railroad single level glass dome cars. Where needed, tours use motorcoaches operated by Royal Hyway Tours, Inc., also a corporate affiliate. Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International use railcars owned by a third party, Premier Alaska Tours, Inc., which are bi-level glass dome cars. These cars are attached to a regular Alaska Railroad passenger train. The Alaska Railroad uses its own bi-level glass dome cars, as well as traditional single level coaches and other cars. The Premier Alaska Tours, Inc., cars are known as the "Wilderness Express," while the Alaska Railroad cars are known as the "Denali Star." These cars are used on a single route: Anchorage - Talkeetna - Denali - Fairbanks, operated daily. Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International also contract with the Alaska Railroad for a train on the route: Seward - Anchorage Airport, operated Fridays. This train uses Alaska Railroad single level glass dome cars. Where needed, tours use motorcoaches operated by Premier Alaska Tours, Inc. The notable distinctions are that Holland America Line can offer rail service directly to and from its port in Whittier, while Celebrity Cruises requires the use of a motorcoach on the segment between Seward and Anchorage. Additionally, Celebrity Cruises can offer rail service between Denali and Fairbanks, while Holland America Line requires the use of a motorcoach, or Alaska Railroad service, on the segment between Denali and Fairbanks. Finally, Holland America tours typically include only a single rail segment, regardless of tour length. Celebrity Cruises tours are not limited to a single rail segment, and some tours include multiple rail segments. If one were to make individual arrangements, outside of a formal tour, the Alaska Railroad can provide rail service on the routes Seward - Anchorage, Whittier - Anchorage, Anchorage - Talkeetna - Denali - Fairbanks. Tour Alaska, Inc., will sell individual tickets on its Anchorage - Talkeetna - Denali train, and Premier Alaska Tours, Inc., will sell individual tickets on its Anchorage - Talkeetna - Denali - Fairbanks train. The Park Connection motorcoach service also operates on the routes Seward - Anchorage, Whittier - Anchorage, Anchorage - Talkeetna - Denali, and Alaska Cruise Transportation motorcoach service operates on the routes Seward - Anchorage and Whittier - Anchorage.

This information is useful to know in providing relevant advice. I am going to make an assumption that the "hotel in Elizabeth" is one of the hotels across the street from The Mills at Jersey Gardens outlet mall and not in downtown Elizabeth. The hotels in Elizabeth are not particularly convenient for travel using public transportation from JFK, particularly at night. You can readily travel by train from JFK to Newark Pennsylvania Station (JFK AirTrain from JFK to Jamaica, then LIRR to New York Pennsylvania Station, then NJT to Newark Pennsylvania Station), but then it is a bit clumsy getting to the hotel. There is bus, New Jersey Transit route 40, that goes from Newark Pennsylvania Station to The Mills at Jersey Gardens, but the outlet mall bus stop is on the other side of the mall from the hotels. As well, the last departure from Newark Pennsylvania Station is at 10:20 p.m. weekdays, 10:25 p.m. Saturdays, and 5:27 p.m. Sundays. While there is a bus from downtown Newark direct to the Elizabeth hotels, that operates until late at night, New Jersey Transit routes 24H and 24J, it stops on Broad Street in downtown Newark, not at Pennsylvania Station. (There is also a bus direct from midtown Manhattan to the Elizabeth hotels, New Jersey Transit route 111, but it, too, does not operate at night.) A taxi would likely be necessary, a ride of seven or eight miles. You probably would not get to the Elizabeth hotels until 11:00 p.m. A hotel in Jersey City might be a bit more expensive than one of the Elizabeth hotels, but the transportation would be much easier. Then, from New York Pennsylvania Station go one block to Herald Square (or use the "F" subway train from Jamaica direct to Herald Square), and then the PATH service to Jersey City. Stay the night in Jersey City, then in the morning use taxi to Bayonne (or optionally, New Jersey Transit light rail train from Jersey City to Bayonne, then taxi locally within Bayonne to port). Accordingly, it might be best to spend the night at JFK. A possibility for doing so is staying at a JFK airport hotel in downtown Jamaica, such as the Fairfield Inn & Suites. This will probably be one of the least expensive airport hotel at JFK that is convenient to AirTrain. After arriving at JFK, use the AirTrain to the Jamaica station, and it is a short and quick walk to the hotel. The next morning, use the LIRR or subway into midtown Manhattan, then the PATH train to Exchange Place in Jersey City. Use a taxi from Jersey City (or optionally ride the New Jersey Transit light rail train from Jersey City to Bayonne, and a taxi within Bayonne to the port). In any case, no need to go to Newark in the morning: it is out of the way. You will have more options on the return into the Manhattan Cruise Terminal. You could stay in midtown Manhattan, and the next day use LIRR or subway to Jamaica, plus AirTrain to JFK. Or you on the day of return you could use the subway to Jamaica, stay the night there, and AirTrain to JFK the next morning. From an economic perspective, the main objective is avoiding the hiring of a car to cross the state line, for that is where things can get very expensive quickly, so using a train to go from New York to someplace in New Jersey can bring significant value.

Do be wary of relying on general assertions that a cruise line will make arrangements to "catch up" with the vessel. For Holland America Line departures from Vancouver destined for Whittier, all of the down line ports are within the state of Alaska. Federal law, the Passenger Vessel Services Act, would prohibit the boarding of passengers at any down line port if destined for Whittier, and Holland America Line would refuse to make such arrangements, notwithstanding any promises it appeared to make to the contrary. If you miss the embarkation in Vancouver, you lose the entire cruise to Whittier. On the other hand, if the departure from Vancouver is a round-trip, with an eventual disembarkation in Vancouver, then you would be permitted to "catch up" at a down line port, as the law permits boarding at a port within the state of Alaska if the ultimate destination is in Canada. Hopefully, all pre-cruise travel will go well, and any concerns about missing embarkation will remain theoretical.

I assume that you are aware that Princess Cruises and Holland America Line are both the same company, the differences being the particular branding attributes of each. From a logistics perspective, if you're traveling on the Rocky Mountaineer rail service prior to the cruise, then you should travel westbound on the train (Banff or Lake Louise to Vancouver) and northbound on the cruise vessel (Vancouver to Whittier). But if traveling on the Rocky Mountaineer rail service after the cruise, then you should travel southbound on the cruise vessel (Whittier to Vancouver) and eastbound of the train (Vancouver to Banff or Lake Louise). Should you choose to go round-trip on a cruise vessel, then travel round-trip from Vancouver (to Whittier and return), not from Whittier (to Vancouver and return), and travel either eastbound on the train following the round-trip cruise, or westbound on the train preceding the round-trip cruise. Handling the logistics in this manner means that your air transportation from Australia would involve a flight to or from Calgary (which is proximate to Banff and Lake Louise) and either Anchorage (which is proximate to Whittier), if cruising one-way, or Vancouver, if cruising round-trip. If I were planning this type of travel for myself, then instead of considering a round-trip cruise, I would consider an overland extension on the Alaska end. In particular, I would consider overland travel, by bus or railroad, on the route Whittier - Anchorage - Talkeetna - Denali - Fairbanks, stopping off at any or all of the noted intermediate points. In effect, the trip would over land and by sea, one-way, from Calgary to Fairbanks, or vice versa. (I might also consider continuing from Fairbanks, by Dalton Highway Express bus, to Prudhoe Bay, on the Arctic Ocean, just under 2,000 km from the north pole. For someone wanting to visit all the oceans, it would significant check mark going there. In sum, a one-way trip, overland and by sea, about 6,000 km, from Calgary to Prudhoe Bay, or vice versa!)

Is there a particular concern with the coach stopping at intermediate points? Or is the real concern the amount of time elapsed while on the coach? The first trip operated by Quick Coach Lines, departing the port at 9:10 a.m., stops to pick-up additional passengers at the Holiday Inn in Vancouver, then drops off passengers at the airport in Bellingham and at the convention center in downtown Seattle, before arriving at the airport in Seattle. That's not a terribly slow schedule. If there are a large number of passengers boarding at the port in Vancouver, then Quick Coach Lines will add extra sections, one of which would likely go direct to the airport in Seattle without any intermediate stops at all.

Although LGA is not most proximate to the port in Bayonne, because you're staying the night before, that airport choice is not particularly critical. Your plan to arrive at LGA for a cruise departing from Bayonne the next day is just fine. The critical element where you're rightly focused is determining a place to stay for the night before. There is no hotel immediately proximate to the port in Bayonne, so you would be best served with a hotel in-between LGA and Bayonne, and reasonable accessible to and from both. Midtown Manhattan clearly and best satisfies those criteria, though at a price: it is expensive, be it in dollars or in points. Second choice would be Jersey City or Hoboken. While you could stay the night in Newark, it is not as proximate to Bayonne as is Jersey City, so it would be a third choice. Since you mentioned travel by train, I assume that you're amenable to public transportation use. Here are some general directions. Upon arrival at LGA, look for the bus stop for route Q70, also known as the "LaGuardia Link." It is a free shuttle from the airport terminals to the nearby subway station in Jackson Heights. Once at that subway station, you can travel on the "E," "F," "M," or "R" trains into midtown Manhattan. If you're staying the night in midtown Manhattan then one of these trains likely goes close the hotel chosen. If you've decide to stay the night in Jersey City then use the "F" train from Jackson Heights to 34th Street, then change at that location to a PATH subway train to Jersey City or Hoboken (there are several stations in Jersey City, one of which will likely be close to the hotel chosen). While there are train stations in Bayonne, none of the stations are at the port itself, so you will need to travel by Uber (or other hired car) for at least part of the journey. Uber from Manhattan to the port in Bayonne is the most expensive option; Uber from Jersey City to the port in Bayonne is less expensive; and Uber within Bayonne, from the train station to the port, is least expensive. As noted above, there is a PATH subway train connecting Manhattan with Jersey City and Hoboken. There is also a New Jersey Transit light rail train connecting Jersey City and Hoboken with Bayonne.

You should have checked-out with CBP before leaving the United States, but it sounds like this was not done. Seemingly the error was not caught by Canadian immigration. Many countries require reporting to immigration both on entry and exit, and it is up to traveler to do so, to not leave a country without taking care of immigration matters, so as to avoid this very type of problem. I recall several years ago that I had faced this issue. I had forgotten to check-out of Panamá when crossing the land border into Costa Rica, but the friendly Costa Rican immigration official noticed this, explained the Panamanian procedure, and asked that I take care of the Panamanian exit before doing the Costa Rican entry. Thus, I was able to take care of the issue then and there, a solution you would not have been able to do. If I were in in your position, I would contact the United States consulate in Edinburgh. Visit their website for contact details: http://uk.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/edinburgh. Obviously, your physical presence in Scotland (perhaps at the consulate itself) would be proof that you have departed the United States, though you should be prepared to present your ticket from New York to Montréal plus proof of your lawful entry into Canada on a date particular.

Royal Caribbean sells a package that includes both hotels and transportation between the hotels. But it does not sell these components separately, so it you wanted to do one component independently you would also have to address the other component. Hotels can, of course, be booked by yourself independently. Potentially more challenging, however, is the transportation between the hotels. Transportation in Alaska is limited, and not all the segments for some tours can be purchased independently. The main routes, including Seward (Royal Caribbean's port in Alaska) to Anchorage, and Anchorage to Talkeetna, Denali, and Fairbanks, can be booked readily by yourself, either by railroad or by bus, but it would would some effort on your part to make those arrangements. In other words, for a standard tour of Alaska visiting these places alone, you would be able to do so with relative ease. There are a few other places in the state, going beyond these standard tourist places, where transportation is available, but otherwise those places would require hiring some type of individual transportation (e.g., for-hire vehicle, rental vehicle). Best to first assess where you would like to visit, then return here with specific questions. The hotels will be relatively easy, while the logistics of getting to and from those places to which you would like to visit may be more involved.