Dubrovnik & Split

[paulaud]

Anybody been to these ports and if so what are the best tips for when we get off the ship. Are we better to get local tours just off the ship. Any recommendations?

[kruzseeka]

Anybody been to these ports and if so what are the best tips for when we get off the ship. Are we better to get local tours just off the ship. Any recommendations?

 

 

Dubrovnik:

You can get a local bus but will need local currency (or have they now adopted the Euro? You can check that out). Route rune in front of port. But it's so cheap and easy to pick up one of the fixed price taxis (10E) and with others getting off the ship at the same time if you are just a two, it's not hard to find someone to share. We don't mind walking but it's a fair trek and hardly worth the effort.

 

Taxis will drop you off at Pile Gate - the entrance to the old town. Here the thing to do is walk the walls - from the link it seems as though you can pay in Euros now.

 

http://www.online-croatia.com/croatia-dubrovnik-cultural-attractions.htm

 

If you want to do this I'd recommend you get off early and beat the crowds and heat! If you don't feel like going all the way round (will take about an hour I'd say depending on how much you stop and admire the view - or if you're like my Dh - take 100's of pictures!) you can get down diagonally opposite the Pile Gate entrance (where you can start the walk) at the Harbour. There are boat trips you can take from here too.

 

The walls are well worth doing imo.

 

On our last visit we git the taxi to take us to the cable car (entrance near one of the gates to the old town so close by) and went up to the cafe and view point area at the top for amazing views across the old town.

 

Fabulous place, plenty to do and see independently - I wouldn't book a tour here unless you have a particular wish to do so.

 

Split:

May be tender port in whichcase you are dropped right in the centre opposite Diocletian's Palace. If at the port you have a 10/15 minute walk to the centre.

 

Diocletian's Palace is more like a fortification with little cobbles streets and buildings inside with some remains of the Palace too. It's very interesting and you can spend quite some time there - it's free to go in. There is quite a cafe culture here and atrractive waterfront and again, a nice place to just wander and enjoy the atmosphere. No need for a trip here either although we did do the half-day Trogir trip which we enjoyed very much but we had been to Spilt before. I think for a first visit you'd find it a lovely place to just explore.

 

Two great destinatins! Enjoy! :)

[paulaud]

Hi Kruzseeka

 

Thanks for the comments, i knew you would have some interesting tips. I wonder when you get time if you could make some comments on Izmir and Athens. We have never been to Izmir so dont have a clue what to do here. Did call at Athens about 2 years ago and caught the small train outside the port but it was a bit dissapointing. Is it better here to do an organised trip here? Will actually be travelling with my wife sister in law and daughter (age30)

[kruzseeka]

Hi Kruzseeka

 

Thanks for the comments, i knew you would have some interesting tips. I wonder when you get time if you could make some comments on Izmir and Athens. We have never been to Izmir so dont have a clue what to do here. Did call at Athens about 2 years ago and caught the small train outside the port but it was a bit dissapointing. Is it better here to do an organised trip here? Will actually be travelling with my wife sister in law and daughter (age30)

 

Here is a copy of a post I did about how we got the Metro to Athens:

 

Piraeus (Athens);

It is very easy to get into Athens independently using the Metro - but it is quite a good walk to get to the Metro, at least 30 minutes at a reasonably brisk pace. It may be worth getting a taxi for this bit if you're not into a route-march. If you are using the Metro, ask at Destination Services for a Metro map and instructions - it's very good info. Basically, you skirt all the way around the port (turn left on exiting) passing the Catholic Church and McDonalds on your right. When you get to the foot bridge (steps and escalator) you cross over and the Metro station is the yellow building on your left. The ticket was 1 or 2 E each way - remember to validate your ticket before getting on the train. There was one standing in the station as we arrived and the ticket seller said they run every 5 minutes. Taxis all the way into Athens are expensive and the traffic means that it will probably take longer than doing it the way we did.

We had decided to explore the area as we had a fairly early departure (15.00) and save doing the Acropolis for our next visit when we hope to have more time - although we did leave the ship promptly at 8.00 and were in Athens before 9.00. If visiting the Acropolis was your main objective, it is perfectly possible to do it on this schedule - but go there early before it gets too hot and crowded.

We walked clockwise from Monastriaki, where we got off the train, around the base of the Acropolis and between the Acropolis and Agora.

We then had a leisurely stroll around Plaka (charming!) and the markets of Monastriaki (local, tourist and flea markets) and had a welcome rest and cold beer at one of the street cafes. We felt we'd had a real flavour of Athens (though not the manic roads/streets/traffic of the areas surrounding Plaka and the Acropolis - this looked scary!) and look forward to exploring the Acroplois and Agora in the future now we have our bearings.

Give yourself plenty of time for the return trip - we left Monastriaki at about 12.15 getting back to the ship at 13.30. This took a bit longer than the outward trip as at the port it rather like check-in at the airport - long queues, security and unfortunately the embarkation of a Princess ship (hundreds of passengers arriving at the same time - with hand baggage!) all slowing up the process.

 

Last year we decided to do the Thomson transfer (Athens on your own) which gives you longer in the city as you don't need to leave so early if you have to make your own way back and allow for delays. It drops you close to the Acropolis - we started to walk around the base (anticlockwise) and went into the new Museum which was fantastic we thought - but if you haven't been before I would say doing the Acropolis/Parthenon is perhaps the thing you ought to do. But if you decide to do this get off early if you are going independently or make your way straight there if on the Thomson transfer to try to beat the crowds a bit. Also take water, shoes with a good grip and sunhats - it's hot, exposed and the marble steps are slippery.

 

Another option is the HoHo which you can pick up at the place where Thomson drop you off on their transfer - or you can pick up one outside the port! Very handy - and cheaper than the Thomson transfer - although slower. It's pretty good value though at £18 to go from Piraeus as opposed to picking it up in Athens at £15 is quite a bargain - no route march to the Metro and no approx £35 Thomson transfer fee. You can do a sight-seeing tour of the city, or get off at selected places and concentrate on seeing a few specific attractions.

 

http://www.city-sightseeing.com/tours/greece/athens.htm#tourlandingposition

 

Izmir has less to offer imo - you can walk off from the port - it's about a 20/30 minute level walk along the waterfront which has a well developed promenade so is quite convenient and pleasant. It is a city though - there is a market, shops, open squares and plenty of cafes but if you haven't been to Ephesus I would say that would be worth considering doing an excursion to there. It's very impressive and for me would make for a more interesting day than Izmir itself.

 

Hope that helps! :)

[sodafountain]

Dubrovnik:

You can get a local bus but will need local currency (or have they now adopted the Euro?

 

According to this (by Boris Johnson), Croatia join the EU in July this year, and are duty bound to take the Euro, so might get confusing later this year (depending when they have to change over, might not be instant, i'll see what i can find out).

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/borisjohnson/9516669/The-beautiful-nation-of-Croatia-is-placing-its-head-in-the-Brussels-noose.html

 

EDIT - According to this, it might not change over straight away, so anyone thinking of going there, keep an eye on their EU status and currency after July - http://www.delhrv.ec.europa.eu/?lang=en&content=61#2

 

EDIT2 - Accoridng to this, it could be as late as 2017 - http://www.croatiantimes.com/news/General_News/2010-05-31/11312/No_Euro_for_Croatia_before_2017

[kruzseeka]

According to this (by Boris Johnson), Croatia join the EU in July this year, and are duty bound to take the Euro, so might get confusing later this year (depending when they have to change over, might not be instant, i'll see what i can find out).

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/borisjohnson/9516669/The-beautiful-nation-of-Croatia-is-placing-its-head-in-the-Brussels-noose.html

 

 

Thanks - that must be what was giving me pause for thought over currency. I seem to remember hearing something.

 

Good idea to check it out for those travelling this year.

 

I must say though we did buy Kuna the first time we went as our intention was to walk the walls and I knew we needed local currency for that but on subsequent visits we have managed very well on just Euros. (And I believe you can pay to walk the walls in Euro now too)

 

The local taxis (fixed price) all advertise their fares in Euros - that's been the case since the first time we went in 2009(?). We've found cafes and souvenir shops take Euros although you're probably into a mark-up there but whether it costs you more than the exchange rate then having to sell back spare currency I wouldn't like to say. I suppose it depends on how much you spend!

 

Last year we used Euros for the taxi, no-fee credit card for the cable car and to pay for our drinks at the cafe at the top (although they would have taken Euros but it was much cheaper to pay in local currency on the card) and also postcards, stamps and souvenirs. The boat trips from the Harbour are priced in Euros too so it's quite easy to manage without Kuna anyway.

[kruzseeka]

Hi Kruzseeka

 

Thanks for the comments, i knew you would have some interesting tips. I wonder when you get time if you could make some comments on Izmir and Athens. We have never been to Izmir so dont have a clue what to do here. Did call at Athens about 2 years ago and caught the small train outside the port but it was a bit dissapointing. Is it better here to do an organised trip here? Will actually be travelling with my wife sister in law and daughter (age30)

 

 

Hello again paulaud - just found this link in a previous Izmir post which you might find of interest:

 

http://www.walkizmir.com/

 

The day we went was a public holiday so the shops weren't open although cafes were. There are some nice open spaces but and I think there is some kind of park which we didn't find. There was a very cheap and intersting local market though - which was open and full of genuine fakes! Our friends also found an up-market artisan market with some lovely craft work - but again we missed that. It was advertised in the city map we must have picked up at the port though.

 

The best port to go to Ephesus is Kusadasi (very close) but if you aren't going there I would recommend going to Ephesus - it is really something special (shoes with decent grip, sunhat and water necessary though!). If you are doing both ports I still think I'd weigh up whether going from Izmir (with all the additional travel - and presumably cost) rather than Kusadasi could be a preferred option.

 

Kusadasi gets some bad press re hassle but we quite like this port and you can get a Dolmus from right outside the port for 1E to Ladies Beach which is small but a pleasant area with promenade and nice cafes. It could have more appeal than a whole day in Izmir. We didn't actively dislike Izmir but it's one of the places I wouldn't be bothered about going to again.

[Carib cruiser]

We walked round to the beach which was an experience. It consists of concrete sunbathing areas and steps down into the sea. We went in September and it was warm enough. There were loads of locals who stared at us when we first arrived, groups of men playing cards and really old people taking the waters. I would recommend it if you fancy a swim and to see a bit of local life. We went to the little bar for a drink and used their, not very clean, toilets. It was very cheap. A tip is to follow the locals and walk on the unused railway line. We walked all the way up the hill and down the other side as directed by the ship but came back the flat way. Later in the day we did the old town and market when it was quieter. A very enjoyable day

[Carib cruiser]

I read this week in a Sunday paper that Croatia is joining the EU in June but is to keep the Kuna

[sodafountain]

I read this week in a Sunday paper that Croatia is joining the EU in June but is to keep the Kuna

 

As per my post earlier (post 5), they are keeping the Kuna to start with, but they have no option than to take the Euro when they meet all the EU criteria, only 2 countries do not have to take the Euro, the UK and Denmark i believe is the other one.

 

Although they probably won't comply until at least 2017 now.

 

Their join date is supposed to be 1st July 2013, after it was all finally signed off, i believe, last October/November.

 

Taken from - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatian_kuna

 

The main reference currency for kuna was the German Mark, and later the Euro. A long-time policy of the Croatian National Bank has been to keep the fluctuations of the kuna exchange rate with the euro in a relatively stable range. The country has been on the path of accession to the European Union and it plans to join the European Monetary System. Kuna is expected to be replaced by the euro within two or three years after joining the European Union.