VirtualRain

We went to Vasa early last Sunday to avoid the crowds. We couldn't wake up early enough, and only got there at 9:30am. There were still no crowds. When we left the museum after 11 am , the lines were getting pretty long. So early is definitely good.

 

Tram 7 comes very frequently so that should work for you.

 

Where does your boat dock? If it docks at Frihamnen you could catch Bus 76 which runs along the East side on Gamla Stan and shares a route wth Tam 7 and then goes out to Frihamnen.

 

The bus stops display maps and show the number of minutes before certain busses will arrive. I really liked knowing that bus 76 wold be there in 11 minutes, for example.

Thanks. We're at the pier on the south side of the bay... Viking Terminal?

I could use some validation or suggestions of my latest Stockholm plan...

I want to see the Vasa Museum in the morning. It opens at 8:30 before any shops etc. and this way I can hopefully beat the crowds.

I have a 12:45 booking at the IceBar near the central station. As a general rule, I avoid drinking heavily before noon, so this works :p

We can then spend the rest of the afternoon wandering around old town.

Now for transportation options that minimize walking (as I may still be on crutches)...

The HOHO boats seem to run in a clockwise direction which just isn't going to work for my itinerary. Plus they can't get me that close to the IceBar anyway. However, at least one of the HOHO boat companies offers early morning direct service to the Vasa museum from the pier for 40Kr. That seems like a no brainer for that leg of the tour.

Tram #7 seems to run from outside the Vasa to central Stockholm getting me to within a few blocks of the IceBar. That seems like a logical choice for that leg.

The Metro seems to run from central Stockholm to Old Town. Again, a natural choice for that leg.

That leaves getting from Old Town back to the ship at the Viking pier... any suggestions? Does anyone know if Princess offers a shuttle service? Otherwise a Taxi may be the final leg.

Any suggestions are welcome.

I've discovered Princess does offer a shuttle to "Erottaja (City Center)". I wonder if that's the same as Erottaja which is a Tram stop near the Theater. That would be great.

 

 

Yes, Erottaja (meaning "the divider") is a short street in downtown at corner Boulevard, Esplanade, Mannerheim road. Many of the shuttle buses stop there. To reach tram 3 stop you go downhill to the corner, turn left and continue a bit on the Boulevard.

 

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=sv&ll=60.165981,24.943691&spn=0.002421,0.008256&sll=60.165981,24.943691&sspn=0.002431,0.008256&t=m&layer=c&cbll=60.166195,24.943667&panoid=1KJAiPnhl56wDwvwoUmb6Q&cbp=12,322.24,,0,-0.7&z=18

 

 

 

Correct! Note that you shall change to opposite platform at the railway station and also note trams will change numbers sometimes this summer (3B will become 3 and 3T will become 2)

 

Thanks but I'm a bit confused... Where exactly do the Princess shuttles drop you off? Is it by the Theater? If so, it looks like I can catch the 3B tram at either the Erottaja Tram stop on Bulevardi or up on Mannerheimintie at the Ylioppilastalo stop. I'm not sure where you are trying to direct me (perhaps your Google street view link is off - what position is that supposed to be? Where the busses drop you off?).

Be VERY cautious re. Stockholm taxis. They are not regulated. We required police intervention after ride from cruise terminal to the airport...

Wow... ok, thanks for that. I generally avoid taxis due to trust issues but some jurisdictions are better than others. I guess Stockholm is not one of them.

Here's a question for the Stockholm experts...

I'm in Stockholm in a couple of weeks on the Crown Princess which will dock at Berth: S167 STADSGÅRDEN.

Due to a recent mis-hap, I'm on crutches with a broken foot and while I hope to be well on my way to being more mobile by then, I'm planning for the worst case which would be still using crutches to move about. Therefore, I want to limit any walking distances.

The key things we want to see are (in this order)

- Vasa Museum (morning)

- Ice Bar (have reservation for lunch)

- Old Town (afternoon - I may sit on a patio while the GF shops)

I'm considering the HOHO bus for the convenience and the fact it stops at all of these (and will drive by other key points of interest too). The only issue with it is the price is rather steep at 260 SEK for just 3 essential stops.

The other option is the HOHO boats (120 SEK), but they don't serve the Ice Bar area, which would require a taxi to/from the dock (no idea how much that would add). The other issue with the HOHO boats is the added challenge of getting on/off with crutches. Any thoughts on this option?

Lastly, I could just use a taxi from A to B to C and back. But I have no idea how the price of that would compare to using the HOHO. If it's similar or more expensive, than the HOHO offers the added scenery. If it's less, than it may be a better option that's more direct and convenient.

Any suggestions?

Further to my post above, I've discovered Princess does offer a shuttle to "Errottja (City Center)". I wonder if that's the same as Errottaja which is a Tram stop near the Theater. That would be great.

To minimize walking, it looks like we could take the 3B from Errottaja to the central station, switch to the 3T to go to the stone church and then return on the 3T and get off at the market square. Is this correct?

This is a great thread... awesome resource for the DIY'er.

I'm in a bit of a situation on this upcoming cruise where I may still be on crutches with a broken foot, and after spending the few days prior in Tallinn and St. Pete's, I'm going to want a low key day with a minimal amount of moving about while the GF can do some shopping.

If the ship offers one, I'm thinking of just taking a shuttle into the market square area.

My question: Does Princess offer a shuttle? Cost? Where does it drop you?

I'm on the Crown Princess tied up at the LMA location (West) on the 21st.

As I have said we are planning to do almost this exact itinerary, but we are very worried about the amount of time. We were thinking of renting a car with another couple which would be cheaper than an ATV for each one of us, but I was wondering about parking and getting around the island in a car. Would that be hard? Is it easy to find parking for the ATV, but maybe harder with a car? Can you get closer to each sight faster with an ATV? Can you go much faster on the roads there in a car? Any thoughts would be appreciated!

I think a car is better on all accounts except cost and maybe open air fun factor. There's plenty of parking and no accessibility options. I would do that too with a few people. Even for couples I saw SMART car rentals that looked like a good option but I don't know how they compare cost wise to an ATV.

VirtualRain your DIY posts for Rome, Istanbul, Athens, Mykonos and Santorini are a delight. They are just the tool I need for my trip in 10 days!

 

 

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Thanks... I'm glad you're finding them useful.

awesome post and pictures.. I have bookmarked this and your other DIY tours. We are planning to purchase a new P&S for the trip and wondered if you had an opinion comparing the Panasonic Lumix ZS20 vs the Canon PowerShot SX260? We really need something that will go into a shirt pocket or purse.

 

We have already reserved an ATV from Markos and I'm working on getting the wife to ride the mules up.

 

thanks for any help.. Mike & Sally

Good stuff. I'm not intimately familiar with those two cameras, but from what I understand the Panasonic has an HDR mode which could be a killer feature. The key weakness with any digital camera these days is dynamic range, and that's what HDR tries to address.

Thank you that worked much better.:) Does that route take me past the view point you spoke about in your trip?

No... Gary's map does not include the view point. I've fixed the route on my map in the first post... this includes the route over the hill on Arlet Peter's Rd. with the view point (marked on the map with a pin)...

Google Map of St. Martin

Hello Virtual Rain!

At your suggestion, we rented a car in Santorini and will ride the donkeys to the top! So we jump in the car and drive to Oia first ending in Fira? Our ship is in port with another, the Wind Star, from 7:00 am until 6:00 pm. We would like to lunch at the restaurant you did. Did you have reservations, or just went? I copied your maps as well. Is there any other advice you can offer? Thanks so much!

Hey, great stuff. In any port, I always head to the furthest point I plan to visit first and then work my way back. It's just a wise way to ensure you don't run short of time while far away from the port/tender... so yeah, I would head to Oia first thing... Explore that in the morning and then head back and stop at Mama Thira restaurant for lunch, spending the remainder of the afternoon in Fira.

We didn't have or need reservations at the restaurant, it wasn't that busy.

Good luck, enjoy!

Thanks, virtual rain and euro cruiser, great info.

 

Metro at the end of the day does sound good. What about lines? If we did the Vatican first would we have less crowds or is it pretty busy all day?

 

4 miles of walking sounds manageable.

 

We always DIY but Amalfi coast, I don't want to drive, just enjoy it. And Florence we might take the train and find our own way once we get there.

 

Thanks again,

Tony

In terms of lines, I offer a few tips in the original post on avoiding lines which are pretty much common knowledge around here... eg. buy your Coliseum and Forum combo ticket at Palatine Hill and if you visit the Vatican Museum, buy your ticket online in advance and use that to skip the line for St. Peters.

My understanding is that a lot of people aim to do St. Peter's first thing in the morning. In fact, on my port day in Rome, there was a mass exodus off the train at the San Pietro station. A relative few people remained on board to Ostiense. So unless you're among the first tourists on the Vatican grounds, I suspect the line ups there are always significant. Having said that, the line for St. Peter's is a security line and does tend to move fairly quickly.

What they dont like are professional photos using tripods etc.It is really difficult to police the photo thing and who really cares. The only reason to not allow photos is the decrease in postcard and souvenier sales and if you think about the value of the treasures in the museum the concept is ludicrous.

You're absolutely right, dozens of people were taking photos despite several being told not to by the guards. And the photography ban is all about protecting revenues... But interestingly, it's a Japanese TV network that owns the rights for all publication of the Sistine Chapel artwork. They paid for a portion of the restoration in return for all publication rights.

I'm always respectful of no flash photography (that's what a high ISO sensor is for) and also generally follow the rules where no photography is allowed... but I have been known to take a discretionary photo here or there where none are usually permitted ;)

Hi VirtualRain,

I was looking at the ship's tour and then someone on our RC has this planned....I will copy and paste it for you and see if you think I will see enough on this excursion...definitely want to spend more time in Oia than the ship offers.

Oh, and the cruise it web site is not always correct...the Azamara Journey is also there in Sept. when we are but it's not listed. :rolleyes:

 

 

Imerovigli Village:

 

Located at the highest, most central part of the caldera, with possibly the best views anywhere on the island. It used to be the best spot to look out for pirates.

Oia Village:

 

Recognized as the jewel of Santorini, best location to look at the famous sunset. Here you will enjoy the panoramic view of caldera, the volcano, Thirassia Island, and the rest of Santorini looking back toward Fira.

Ammoudi Port:

 

Tiny charming port with a very small beach in the caldera at the foot of Oia with clear blue green water andoffers several excellent fish restaurants with local food.

Wine Museum:

 

An extraordinary natural cave, 6 meters below ground and 300 m. long. You will taste local wines and view semi-mobile and still life figurines, accompanied by audio guides and sound effects.

Mountain of Prophitis Ilias:

 

The highest point of Santorini (586 meters). You can actually see the whole shape of Santorini.

Red Beach:

 

Soaring red lava cliffs which drop right to the sandy shore and into the clear blue sea, make for a majestic setting and one to enjoy.

Lighthouse of Akrotiri:

 

Built in 1892. The views from its cliff top position are simply breathtaking, looking out across the caldera and the Aegean Sea!

Panagi Episkopi Church:

 

One of the most important Byzantine churches of the island. Built in 1100 AC and survived the invasions by the Venetians, the Francs, the Russians, the Turks and even the frequent earthquakes.

Pyrgos Village:

 

Formed by traditional houses built all around the Venetian castle, and the small streets follow the shape of the hill.

That sounds like a great itinerary... If you're there for a week! :D

Honestly, I don't know how they can fit that all in. I think you know my thoughts on this. I'd trade it for a day spent lingering in Oia and Fira (Likely for a fraction of what they're charging you for this).

Just found this review. Great info. How many miles do you figure you covered? It looks like quite a hike, don't know if we're up to it. But it hits all the spots we want to see.

Thanks for spelling it all out so clearly.

 

Wonder if it would cut the walking if we got off the train at St. Peters metro and started at the Vatican, then the Colosseum and finish up with Trevi fountain and Spanish Steps before making our way to Termini?

 

Looks like Rome is the easiest city to do DIY on our itinerary. Amalfi coast, Florence and Messina are probably going to have to be guided bus or van tours.

 

Thanks for a great review.

Tony

Thanks.

If you consider that St. Peter's, the Coliseum, and Spanish Steps (& Trevi Fountain) are roughly three points of a triangle, it doesn't matter what order you do them in, you're going to cover roughly the same amount of ground. However, as I stated in my original post, the order I propose has a couple advantages including leveraging the metro at the end of the day when you will appreciate it the most.

BTW, you can do all those other ports on your own as well by train or renting a car. Searching will reveal a few reports similar to this one from me and others. I never take tours.

VirtualRain, we're heading to Santorini as well in a few weeks. Just curious how you got the great contrast in your shots. Are you using a polarizing filter?

Yes. That's part of it. The lens and post processing are also important to maximizing contrast. I posted a full essay on this earlier in the thread. :)

Hey VirtualRain,

 

Thanks for sharing your DIY report and pictures.. Your review is very helpful and has convinced us to see Santorini on our own.

 

We are from Canada and will be getting an IDP for car. Had a couple of questions:

1. Is it easy to drive an ATV on Santorini? I drove one in Aruba and had a hard time turning it..

2. I think we'll be more comfortable driving a scooter... But would need a bike license to do so :-( An alternative is to get a scooter with our car IDP without insurance...

3. How's the traffic? Are the roads steep? Are you aware of any random checks done by police?

 

Thanks a ton!

Great... glad this was useful.

ATV's are difficult to turn on a dime, that's for sure... but I don't have a lot of experience with ATV's and found getting around one one to be easy. I feel it's safer than a scooter which is why I'd always opt for one when I have the choice.

Some places in Fira also offer a Smart Car which is probably even safer, although I suspect it's a lot more expensive.

There wasn't a lot of traffic on the roads but when there was some, I would pull to the side to let them pass me as I was often slower mostly because the ATV I had was gutless compared to a car. I didn't see any police the day we were puttering around.

I don't think you need a motorbike license to rent a scooter. As far as I know, the use of scooters is permitted under any driver's license in most jurisdictions that I'm aware of.

By the way, I think a lot of people are under the misconception you need an international driver permit to rent vehicles in Europe. I've never encountered any rental agency in Europe (UK, Germany, Greece, Italy) that wanted and IDP. They were perfectly happy with my home drivers license. I believe where an IDP may be important is when the police demand to see your driver's license. In this case, having an IDL is probably wise, although I don't know this part from personal experience. (knock on wood) :p

Thank you for such beautiful pictures and great information. We will be in Corfu this July on a cruise from 8 am to 3:30 on a "Sunday". We will be traveling with our teenage daughter and college son. We have never been there and want to see as much as possible; including some sight-seeing, shopping, some food and wine and beaches to make everyone happy. First...Are the shops open on Sunday? Is this all possible to do in this amount of time? Do you think the rental car is still the best way to take it all in? Any recommendations you have will be appreciated! :) We know the time is now to start planning! Thanks! :)

Thank you!

I'm not sure what will be open or not on a Sunday in Corfu. Hopefully someone else can comment on that or a Google search may help. It sounds like you are interested in similar things as us so our itinerary may be a good fit for you. You could probably skip the side trip we made up the hill to Lakones and spend more time at the beaches in Palaiokastritsa before heading back to town. A car rental is absolutely the way to go in my opinion. Good luck.

You may very well be the best photographer we have seen! We will be in Santorini this July on a Monday from 1:30 -10:00 pm. Based on those unfortunate evening hours, we may not be able to fit everything in.

 

Do you still recommend an ATV rental. We want to see "everything" you posted above and the dining and wine sound amazing too, but we might be short on daylight. Please let us know your thoughts! Thanks! :)

Wow... thank you very much!

I'm actually jealous of your itinerary there... apparently a Santorini sunset is to die for and Oia or Fira in the fading light must be something to see! Anyway, I wrote more about how I might spend an afternoon/evening there in posts #43 and #55... check those out. As for the ATV, I'm not sure I'd rent an ATV if I was going to be riding around at night. I'd probably opt for a proper car, or a Smart car or something that I know has headlights etc. The public bus is another option which may be fine depending on how many ships are in port at the same time as I hear it can get packed and frustrating to wait when there are many ships in port together.

Thanks for all of your great posts! We don't usually do the do it yourself thing at ports but for the upcoming cruise we are going on it just seems that DIY is the best option. Your info has been a huge help and I saved a few of your maps. And of course, the pics you posted are so good :)

Great... and thank you for the kind words. I'm glad you found it helpful.

sorry for all the questions but what about the place to rent a car in Corfu. Did you use Sunrise?

Yes. We rented from Sunrise in Corfu. See the first post.

As for your other questions, no car rental agencies in Europe don't require a International drivers permit in my experience, but I would carry one... It can be helpful if you get stopped by the police.

As for DIY, the risk is all in your hands. Just plan an itinerary (by doing research) that has plenty of buffer (an hour?) at the day and do it sensibly like going furthest afield early in the day so you minimize any risk and stress at the end.

First off Virtual Rain I LOVE your posts. My husband and I are taking a June RC cruise to Venice, Dubrovnik, Katakalon, Santorini, Corfu and Athens. We have booked a cruise excursion for Athens and thinking of doing Santorini on ATV's like you did, Corfu and Katakalon on our own. Is this doable? I am hesitant as I am nervous about doing this on our own and getting lost or not making it back in time but the hubby wants to be adventurous :) Have you been to Dubrovnik? Can we DYI? Thanks!!! Love the pics!!! :)

Thanks! Yes... All ports are doable on your own... Corfu and Katakolon are no exception. You should be able to dig up my DIY report on Katakolon with a search. Dubrovnik is super easy to do on your own as its a small medieval walled town... Just take the cruise line sponsored bus from port into town and walk the wall, explore the shops, cafes, and museums, and maybe even take the gondola ride up the mountain for a spectacular view. It was so easy to DIY in Dubrovnik, I had nothing to write about, so never posted a report of any kind.

Pls pass on any info re renting the ATV. We're thinking of spending 3 nites in Santorini May 2014 before our Black Sea cruise. Want to stay in Oia. Send any info direct to my email cyr13408@yahoo.com. Many thanks.

Everything I know I put in the first post.

Thanks!!! I use a polarizer as much as possible... Always on sunny days.