Baltic Cruise on Oceania With Berlin Stop

Well, I'm one of those who constantly beats my head against the wall by advocating AGAINST day tours to a major city from a faraway port. Not that people listen, but I'll go public again anyway.

 

To see Paris (or Normandy for that matter) in one day from Le Havre or Berlin from the Baltic for me is a waste of time. There is so much to see in these cities that even one day isn't enough. And if you have to travel several hours back and forth, you see even less.

 

Our first trip to Berlin, we had 5 days there. When we returned we spent another 5 days. We still haven't seen everything we'd like!

 

As to other options from the Baltic, we really enjoyed a day in Luebeck (although that was on a land trip where we had a car). That requires travel time as well, just not as much as to Berlin AND it's a much smaller city!

 

Mura

 

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(Yes, SPB has a wonderful reputation here although we personally haven't used them -- they didn't exist when we did our St. Petersburg visit in 2001.)

Hello again, Mura. I agree with you about those high speed tours of great cities. Under the circumstances parking buses isn't always feasible, so these trips have to consist of driving close to sites for a quick look. Stops at must sees, and meals have to be on steroids, An additional complication is the horde of other tourists everywhere, including restrooms. The underlying reality in all this is that missing the ship isn't an option.

My husband is an EU citizen, and we owned a condo in Paris for three years. Paris is inland and not well situated for day tours from cruise ports. Traffic is terrible because Paris is ancient, and one way streets are common. We lived in the Sixth on such a street. Many people think Parisian taxi drivers are thieves because they don't know that lots of addresses are hard to reach. On many bus routes, going and coming from somewhere may mean having to search for return routes.

Mary

For those wish a slightly alternative version of the typical Berlin Tour, I suggest renting a car and driver for the day (surprisingly affordable) and taking in the Elgin Marbles at the Pergamon in the morning....

Followed by an excellent Lunch at the Restaurant atop the Reichstag

The food is amazing! .

For those wish a slightly alternative version of the typical Berlin Tour, I suggest renting a car and driver for the day (surprisingly affordable) and taking in the Elgin Marbles at the Pergamon in the morning....

Followed by an excellent Lunch at the Restaurant atop the Reichstag

The food is amazing! .

Good idea but they might be disappointed as the Pergamon collection is currently closed for renovations (till 2025?)

Also, while Pergamon is in Berlin, the Elgin marbles are in London, AFAIK.

Also, better make reservations for that lunch at Reichstag well in advance.

Don't believe that British propaganda, Paul.

What Lord Elgin stole.....er.......rescued from Greece is in the British Museum, but the Pergamon alter is still in Berlin.

Pergamon closed the older exhibit room, but those parts of the original sculptures of the altar which could be moved, as well as a stunning three D representation of the restored alter are currently on display in a space just outside. .

http://www.smb.museum/en/museums-institutions/antikensammlung/collection-research/3d-model-of-the-pergamon-altar.html

Don't believe that British propaganda, Paul.

What Lord Elgin stole.....er.......rescued from Greece is in the British Museum, but the Pergamon alter is still in Berlin.

Pergamon closed the older exhibit room, but those parts of the original sculptures of the altar which could be moved, as well as a stunning three D representation of the restored alter are currently on display in a space just outside. .

http://www.smb.museum/en/museums-institutions/antikensammlung/collection-research/3d-model-of-the-pergamon-altar.html

Online, not outside! I was in Berlin at the Pergamon a year ago touring privately with a group of art docents and will be returning there I n late April. The Ishtar Gate and the Market Gate of Miletus are open plus lovely newly-opened Persian galleries but it still will be a few years until the Pergamon Altar reopens.

Jim, I trust you took advantage of the wonderful Pergamon exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that ran April through July 2016, a collaboration with the Pergamon Museum.

Our group had lunch at the Reichstag and indeed it was very delicious!

One of our all-time faves is the Pergamon in Berlin. We've been there twice.

When we were in Turkey many years ago our guide asked us if we wanted to go there and I said, "No, we've been to Berlin ..."

Nasty of me, I guess. But so many of these artifacts have disappeared from the original sources.

Mura

Don't believe that British propaganda, Paul.

What Lord Elgin stole.....er.......rescued from Greece is in the British Museum, but the Pergamon alter is still in Berlin.

Isn’t that exactly what I said - British Museum being in London? :)

Quote:

“Also, while Pergamon is in Berlin, the Elgin marbles are in London, AFAIK.”

Geez, if the fine folks who "rescued" the Elgin marbles returned them to their home, we wouldn't be having this debate...The Acropolis Museum is stunning and has plenty of space....