msmoger

I'm hoping someone will be able to answer this question. I found a website for the Djurgården Ferries (Slussen to Djurgården) and it has a timetable that seems to provide a schedule thru September 13th only. I have never heard this before. Does the ferry service stop after 9/13 or am i reading this incorrectly? We dock at Stadsgarden on the 15th.

http://www.waxholmsbolaget.com/djurgardsfarjor/en/djurgardsfarjor.aspx

Thanks,

Excuse me for jumping in. Does anyone know if there is a TI at the Frihamnen Port and can we buy the Stockholm Card there?

 

We have the same plan as Giantfan13 - Vasa first, then to Old town. We are docking at there on a weekday so the plan is to take bus 76 since there is no HOHO boat. Am I correct? From what I have read we have to get either the 24 hour pass or the Stockholm card before boarding the bus and the Stockholm Card seems to be a better deal considering all the admissions we have to pay. I tried doing it online but it says we have to pick it up at the TI in town.

I ordered the Stockholm Card online and received it a few days ago. It took about a week to arrive (maybe 10 days, I can't remember for sure).

I used this website:

http://beta.stockholmtown.com/en/Information/Buy--Order/The-Stockholm-card/

Hope this helps.

Do yourself a favor, if you plan on pre-booking a taxi use Taxi Stockholm - +46 8 15 00 00

 

They are the biggest and most reputable company. The cars you find usually waiting outside the cruise terminals tend to be the so called "Black Taxi's", in other words they are more independent and these are the guys that prey on unsuspecting tourists from time to time, I would avoid them.

 

Reliable cab companies in Stockholm:

 

Taxi Stockholm - (I recommend these guys #1)

Taxi Kurir

Top Cab

Taxi 020

 

Enjoy your visit,

 

Al

Good point. Which is another reason we agreed on the fare before we got into the cab. There is another thread going somewhere on here which talks about unscrupulous taxi companies in Stockholm.

Thanks for the advice. As it turns out, Taxi Stockholm was the company I intended on contacting. It's good to hear that is the best choice.

They need to advertise this more. We would have done this instead of taking a taxi, had we known at the time. The clock-wise routing, and the Vasa being next-to-last on that routing, kept us from even considering it.

Wally,

Did you arrange for a taxi ahead of time or just grab one when you got off the ship? We dock in Stadsgarden, not Frihamnen. I don't know if that makes a difference. If you did make advanced arrangements who did you contact. If not, were there and ample number of cabs waiting. We won't be in Stockholm until 9/15 and it appears the HOHO boat no longer runs at that point.

Thanks,

Does the Emerald Princess dock at the Langelinie Pier(near little mermaid), or at the newer Freeport Terminal, Nordhavn?

Freeport

In Poland, Princess does not offer a shuttle service to Gdansk. However, there are several taxis available just off of the gangway that you can hire either to drive you to Gdansk or take you around the area on a private tour.

 

This is another Princess option in Gdansk for $34 per person:

 

GDANSK ON YOUR OWN

Drive the main road to Gdansk, where you disembark at a drop-off point close to the major landmarks. Explore the day as you please and have lunch on your own. The excursion is non-guided and does not include entrance fees. City maps are provided for your convenience.

 

 

 

In most of the other ports, you can catch a Princess shuttle into downtown for $5 or $6 each way.

 

How do these shuttles work? Do you need to make a reservation in advance on board the ship or do you just disembark, board the shuttle and pay the driver?

 

 

Thanks,

The route looks longer than it really is. The Tallinn streets and alleys are short but interesting. We did this walk from about 9:00 am until 4:00 pm but spent a lot of time for lunch and browsing and shopping in the afternoon. You could do the whole route in two hours if you don't stop anywhere, but that is no fun.

 

The first part is where you could save some time.

After you enter through the main gate and pass the first church, stay on Pikk street until you come to the busy intersection with the grey house and portal. This skips the section with the wall and towers, but it takes you directly to the more interesting sites. I believe this is also the way Steve's route recommends.

 

Thanks to all of you who had nice comments. When we took this walking trip we enjoyed it very much. We did get 'lost' a couple times when we explored narrow alleys, but found our bearings within seconds.

One thing you might consider, something I did not mention but we actually did, is to explore the open markets along the east wall.

For some additional pictures and comments you might browse our experience at http://www.*****.com/Estonia.html

 

Have a marvelous trip, you all.

Thanks again!!

This is great, thanks so much. I have one question. About how long does the Tallinn Tour take. Unfortunately we're only in Tallinn from 7:00 until 1:00. If we try to do the entire tour, will we be rushing too much? Are there parts you would suggest to either skip or view quickly?

Thanks again for all your help.

Most of the hidden places that I know of apply to the Island/Coral Princess in regard to the viewing areas aft forward/aft.

 

On the Ruby/Emerald/Crown etc there is a door all the way froward on Lido deck that goes to the observation area over the bridge. ;)

 

On the Ruby be sure and try Adagio for a pre dinner drink and stuffed Olives.

I just checked out the deck plan on the Emerald. It took me a while (old eyes :eek:) to see the door on the Lido Deck. Thanks for the pointer and I love stuffed olives!! :D

I booked a morning Coastal glacier tour with Coastal followed by whale watching w/ Harv & Marv. They seemed to know the drill, both knew exactly how and when to do the "handoff". I've realized another advantage of independent booking is the locals know each other and are willing to be flexible and help each other out to benefit us tourists.:)

They sure do "know the drill"!! We're doing Harv and Marv in the morning and they're dropping us off at Coastal in the early afternnon. A couple months ago I recieved the following email from Eileen at Harv and Marv:

Hi Michael,

I received a call from Lisa at Coastal Helicopters and they are requesting all passengers to be at their offices at least a half hour before the tour. In order to make sure you get there on time, we will be changing the meeting time to 8:30 am with the tour starting at 9:00 am and go to 12:00 pm. We will have you there by 12:15 pm.

I will let Lisa know that you will make your 1:00 pm tour on time.

Thank you Michael! See you in July,

Eileen

Harv and Marv's Outback Alaska

I was very impressed with the thoroughness and attention to detail.

• Friday July 4th
  • Leave Newark at 1:55 PM and arrive Anchorage at 8:14 PM
    
  • Pick up Avis rental car at Airport in Anchorage
    
  • Check in to Holiday Inn Express Anchorage near airport

  [*]Saturday July 5th

  • Travel by car to Seward Alaska
    
  • Take Renown 6 hour Kenai FjordsNational Park Wildlife and Scenery Tour
    
  • Check in to Holiday Inn Express Seward on the Small Boat Harbor

  [*]Sunday July 6th

  • In the morning visit The Alaska SeaLife Center by 9:30 AM. Take “Behind the Scenes Tour” at 10:30 AM and continue visit after tour.
    
  • Seavey’s for a 1:45 PM Sled Dog Tour
    
  • Visit Exit Glacier

  [*]Monday July 7th

  • Leave Seward in the morning heading towards Girdwood
    
  • Visit the Portage Glacier and the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center.
    
  • Visit The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
    
  • Check in to The Hotel Alyeska at the Alyeska Resort
    
  • Dinner at the Seven Glaciers Restaurant

  [*]Tuesday July 8th

  • After check out, Breakfast at The Bake Shop in Girdwood
    
  • Travel 113 miles north to Talkeetna
    
  • Lunch at The Roadhouse in Talkeetna
    
  • Take Talkeetna Air Taxi 2 hour Grand Denali Flightseeing Tour with Glacier Landing at 2:00 PM
    
  • Travel 153 miles north to The McKinley Chalet Resort

  [*]Wednesday July 9th

  • Take 6:15 AM 12 hour DenaliWonderLake Shuttle

• Thursday July 10th
  • Denali Outdoor Center for a 2 hour Nenana River Canyon Run White Water Rafting Adventure
    
  • After lunch we will drive back to Talkeetna and check in to the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge

  [*]Friday July 11th

  • Drive leisurely back to Anchorage
    
  • Visit The Alaska Native Heritage Center
    
  • Check in to The Hotel Captain Cook in downtown Anchorage
    
  • Return the rental car to Avis in their downtown office
    
  • Dinner at Simon and Seaforts

  [*]Saturday July 12th

  • We will be picked up between 8:00 and 8:15 AM by Prince William Sound Glacier Cruises
    
  • We will be provided with a guided tour along the Seward Highway as we travel to Whittier
    
  • At 11:00 AM we will take a 6 hour Wilderness Explorer Glacier Cruise of Prince Williams Sound
    
  • At 5:00 PM we will board the Diamond Princess

  [*]Sunday July 13th

  • Scenic cruising into College Fjords and the Gulf of Alaska

  [*]Monday July 14th

  • Scenic cruising into Glacier Bay National Park

  [*]Tuesday July 15th

  • Dock in Skagway at 7:00 AM
    
  • Picked up on the dock at 7:30 AM for a Chilkoot Charters 7 hour Yukon Bus and Rail Excursion
    
  • Explore Skagway on our own prior to ships departure at 8:30 PM

• Wednesday July 16th
  • Dock in Juneau at 6:30 AM
    
  • Picked up on the dock at 8:30 AM by Harv and Marv for a 3.75 hour Whale Watching Tour
    
  • Transported by Harv and Marv to Coastal Helicopter for a 1 hour Juneau Icefield Glacier Excursion
    
  • Transported by Coastal back to the docks. Time and weather permitting, take the Mount Roberts Tramway prior to ship departing at 4:00 PM

  [*]Thursday July 17th

  • Dock in Ketchikan at 10:00 AM
    
  • Explore Ketchikan and have lunch,
    
  • Picked up at the Rain Gauge at 12:15 PM by Island Wings for a 2 hour Misty Fjords Flightseeing Tour
    
  • Transported back to the Rain Gauge by Island Wings where at 2:45 PM we will be met by Lois Munch of Classic Tours for a 2 hour Totem Tour in a restored 1955 Chevy sedan
    
  • Time permitting we can spend a little more time wandering around Ketchikan prior to the ship departing at 6:00 PM

  [*]Friday July 18th

  • Scenic cruising the Inside Passage the entire day.

  [*]Saturday July 19th

  • The ship docks in Vancouver at 7:30 AM
    
  • Leave Vancouver at 1:05 PM and arrive Newark at 9:26 PM

The Northern Lights coupon for Talkeetna Air taxi says Morning and Evening flights.....it is 25% off.

 

I noticed they advertise 3 flights. Would one be superior over the others?

 

South Face McKinley

Base camp McKinley

Grand Denali

 

with Glacier Landing Add On

If you scroll up to near the top of this thread you'll see a couple of recommendations concerning these tours. Stired has been on the Grand Denali with Glacier Landing and NancyIL is going to be doing the Base Camp Tour. We decided on the Grand Denali with Glacier Landing to get the extra flying time. However, I'm sure other experienced travelers will be able to give you some more concrete suggestions.

Looks like Talkeetna Air wins out.

Stired, Do you think the Grand Denali Tour at $340 pp for the extra half hour is worth the extra price (as compared to $265 pp)?

Thanks,

Does anybody have an opinion concerning these two flightseeing companies. Does one have a better reputation than the other. I'm comparing the K2 Aviation McKinley Experience for $265 per person (1 1/2 Hour with Glacier landing) and the Talkeetna Air Taxi South Face McKinley Tour for $255 per person (also 1 1/2 Hour with Glacier landing). Is one tour better than the other? The maps on their web sites look similar.

Also, it looks like it will take about two hours to drive to Talkeetna from Anchorage. We'll be there in early July. Am I correct?