euro cruiser

It's about 1.5 km/just under one mile from the basilica to the entrance of the museums. I personally prefer the basilica at opening time, 7 AM, before the tour groups arrive. In addition to the amazing art, it's also a place for reflection and that's hard to do with a couple of thousand people crowding the nave.

I know how personal this question is, and how inculcated tipping is in all Americans. Somehow it just feels pejorative, like a throwaway, to hand someone ten or twenty euro when you've just spent 1,000 euros (or not far from that amount) on their service for three days. I'd feel more comfortable offering nothing vs. one or two percent. Your sincere thanks, plus excellent reviews posted to whatever sites the driver deems important, are more valuable and demonstrate your appreciation more than a token amount of money. The reviews help him/her build their business and have a longer lasting impact.

Tipping is not the culture in Italy. That said, Rome in Limo is an American company so who knows what they tell their employees. However, by law in Italy the drivers are either private contractors or they are paid a full wage with benefits. Tipping is absolutely not required.

If you're considering the both/and solution, I would price out a simple transfer from Salerno to Positano vs. the cost of a tour. In normal traffic at 7 AM I would expect it to take about two hours (🤯I know, it's only a little over 25 miles, but that's what it takes), which would get you to Positano between 9 - 9:30 AM. There is only one road that cars can travel on in Positano, in one direction. Anything more than that must be on foot anyway, so a traditional tour means you'd be paying for the driver to sit somewhere while you see the village. Ferries from Positano to Amalfi begin at 10:00 and there's at least one every hour or so.

You might want to consider doing a both/and solution, using a car service in the morning to get you out along the coast, but then transitioning to the ferries as the traffic builds later in the day. The ferries don't get going that early in the morning, so it would be an efficient use of your time.

Well, they have a Facebook page but the last post was in 2020. You might want to reach out to them and see: Via Zara Wash & Dry

Ferries run throughout the day but don't start that early. While there are several ferry companies, most are run by TravelMar. They are shut down for the season but you can the times and prices here: Orari traghetti Travelmar - Traghetti veloci in Costiera Amalfitana Most of the ferries to/from Salerno use the Concordia dock, about a mile and a half walk along the waterfront promenade from the cruise port. If the timing works for the Molo Manfredi ferry that's quite close. However, the only departure is at 8:40, wasting the first few hours of your port day. The returns to Molo Manfredi are too late for you, but it's easy enough to make the walk from Concordia. If you decide to wait and take the ferry from Molo Manfredi, do purchase tickets ahead of time directly from TravelMar, as this one ferry does sell out. The Concordia ferries generally don't need advance purchase, though I would buy my return ticket in the morning rather than wait since you must be back at the port at a specific time. To make the most of your day, you could walk from the cruise port to villa comunale (public park) and get the SITA bus from there to Amalfi. It's less than half a mile on foot, an easy walk. There is a bus around 6:40 that gets you to Amalfi at 7:45: Salerno-Amalfi SITA bus schedule The bus fare is just 2,60 euro and you will pass a couple of bars (coffee shops) as you walk from the port where you can purchase the tickets.

Uber in Italy is not how you understand it in California. They do not have amateur drivers using personal cars, the app works as a connection to a professional driving service. In some places it's a taxi, in others it's a car service. You can get to Tarquinia by bus, the biggest issue is from the agriturismo into town. I would reach out to them and ask what they suggest.

That looks lovely, the issue will be getting to and from the train station, which is about two and a half miles away. Perhaps they can help arrange transportation?

I wouldn't describe Civitavecchia as quaint. Maybe utilitarian is more apt. A smaller but, to my mind, nicer option is just down the road a bit at Santa Marinella. It's on the same train line about 10 km/6 miles south of the port.

She'll need to be at the airport by 10 AM, which shouldn't be a problem with a 6 AM arrival. Even if they don't start letting folks off until 7 or so you'll be fine if you use a car service directly from the ship to the airport.

The regular train is perfectly safe and allows you more time in Rome. However, if the times for the Civitavecchia Express feel okay to you, use it on the first day to gain experience and comfort with the trains then use the regular ones on day two.

Lucca and Siena are the easiest to reach using public transit, San Gimignano requires a bus (or a train-bus combination). Lucca is smaller than Siena, if size matters. Siena is better for views, as it's up on hill while Lucca is in a valley and is flat (although there are interesting views from the city walls, which you can walk on).

Certainly a private car service is the easiest way to do this.

Take a look at Google maps street view, the main roads are from October 2022, you're probably not going to find more recent pictures than that.

Yes, you can do it. From Florence to the winery will require a car in almost all cases, so factor that cost into your research. You may be able to lessen the expense by having them drop you off in Pisa after the winery and taking the train back to La Spezia, but it may not be enough of a difference if you're uncomfortable with taking the train. The car service will give you more usable time, as with public transit you'll need to leave earlier to give yourself some "pad" time. However, if you use the train to get from La Spezia to Florence on the first day (very easy to do, especially without the pressure of a time limit) you may have enough of a comfort level to make it back on your own.

You'll need to be at the airport by 10:15 AM, it's unlikely that you can easily do that since arrival at 8:00 does not mean disembarking at 8:00. A car service would be the fastest and most efficient route, it should take about an hour and three quarters, assuming no unusual traffic. If you can't reasonably be on the road no later than 8:30 this won't work.

Venice is too far for a day trip from Rome, in my opinion, and not seen in its best light at midday when everyone else who is day tripping is crammed into a relatively small space. Perhaps consider adding a few more days to your trip and flying from from Venice rather than Rome. As for Rome, the Vatican area (museums and basilica) eat up most of a day by themselves. The Colosseum, Roman Forum and Capitoline use up another half to full day, depending on your interest level.

It makes more sense to do the winery tour as part of your overnight in Florence. For example, train to Florence on day one, drop overnight bag at hotel and spend the day and night seeing the city. On day two, use a car service to drive into the Tuscan countryside and visit a winery or two, then either have the driver bring you back to La Spezia or drop you at a train station so you can get back on your own.

The only Marriott properties in the heart of historic Florence are the Westin and the St. Regis, the location is good (the are practically next to one another, overlooking the Arno) but wow, are they expensive. I've stayed at the Machiavelli Palace a couple of times, it's right in the middle of things and reasonably priced but it doesn't have a lot of amenities. That may not be all that important for a one night stay. Hotel Machiavelli Palace | 3 Star Hotel Florence Center

LOL! 🙄🤣 Yoke! No more late night posting!

It's so aggravating that cruise lines list La Spezia as a port for Florence. I would seriously consider overnighting in Florence so you can have enough time to enjoy this beautiful city. It will take about two hours each way to travel back and forth by car and about the same (or a little less, depending on connections) by train. People in tourist facing industries speak English, there's no need to yolk yourselves to ship excursions.

Yes, armed with information that we can help you with, it is very easy to get from the ship in Naples to Pompei and back on your own, joining a guided tour at the site if you wish. From the cruise port you can walk to the bus depot and get a bus right to Pompei. Or you can take a tram to the Circumvesuviana train station and take the train. In either case, some research on google maps (using street view) will help familiarize you with what you can expect to see, making it a lot less daunting. There is an in-between option as well. The company that runs the HOHO bus in Naples also offers a shuttle bus to Pompei and back. It's more money than the public bus or train, but may be a more comfortable alternative if you're not sure about using public transit.

It's up to your interests. The hike isn't difficult, it's only one mile in length but it is steep. Bring a hat to keep the sun off your face and be sure to carry some water (although there are two bars along the one mile trek if you don't have your own).

This is an important point.