First time to Europe...excited but a little overwhelmed!

[Beachbabyboo]

Hi fellow cruisers! Taking a bucket list trip to Europe in Sept on Celebrity. We are not new to cruising, but we ARE new to Europe and also new to Celebrity...so we are very excited! Hubby and I in our mid 40's and thought it's never too early to start taking those bucket list trips, right?

I know there is a wealth of information on this website, and especially in these forums. But I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed trying to find the information I need. Hoping someone here might be able to point me in the right direction or offer some suggestions.

I looked at the excursions Celebrity offered in our ports and wasn't too excited about many of them, and really wanted to check out some other reputable tour companies, but there are so many online I don't know where to begin! I know those companies may be a little less expensive (yay!) but I also want to go with one that has a good reputation and will ensure we are back at our ship on time!

Our ship leaves from Rome and goes to Siciliy, Amalfi Coast, Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, Slovenia, Montenegro, Croatia, and Venice. I think in Rome, Santorini, and Venice we will do our own thing if, and are looking at the cave tour in Slovenia.

We definitely want to see the Acroplis in Greece and would love a more private tour of Amalfi Coast. But where is the best place to book these tours/ private driver?

Have no idea what to do in the other ports so if you have suggestions please do share!

We love seeing the sites, architecture, shopping, eating and drinking the local fare. Don't like as much being stuck on a big tour bus all day just driving by everything.

If anyone can steer us in the right direction, we would be so grateful! Thanks so much. This is the biggest trip we have ever taken, and we want to make the most out of it!

[buggins0402]

Save your money in Kotor...it's an easy DIY. Great sail-in and town is right there. There is also an old wall up the side of a mountain. It makes a wonderful nearly free active excursion, if you are up to it, with wonderful views into the town and harbor.

 

What is your port in Croatia? If it's Dubrovnik - just take the ship's shuttle right into town. Again - it's an easy DIY..just explore the town and walk the walls.

 

You might look into getting a copy of Rick Steves' Mediterranean Cruise Port book. It will have most if not all your ports and will have information on how to DIY, what to see and when it's best to take a tour.

 

Also, google Tom's Port guides. He will probably have a few of the ports you are visiting on PDF. A word of caution with these is that they are not updated with new information so it is always best to double check anything time critical (he has links to actual websites for transportation). But, he does a good job of logistics of getting from point A to B.

[wheezedr]

A couple of brief points. You may want to be a little more specific about your ports, i.e. Sicily and the amalfi coast as cruise ships stop in varying locales and what to do nay be a function of where you are. I would hope that you are allowing some extra time at both ends so you can do both Rome and Venice as tours on the ground (or canals) rather than 1 day shore excursions. I am off next week to embark from Athens so have spent a lot of time looking at it. The Acropolis should be easy to do oyo. The express bus from the dock has restarted or by walking a short ways you could take the metro into town. Off at the Acropolis stop for either and away you go. Most other major sites, the new museum, plaka etc are all walkable from there.

Koror is said to be fun on your own and a couple of nearby towns can be reached by local cab.

Mykonos is a small diy town as well as a place for a beach stop.

In all these places some issues relate to how long and at what time you are docked

Lots of good info on these boards, also TA, and you might check tomsportguides as well. Last but not least is Rick Steves Mediterranean cruise ports although he misses some you will hit.

[euro cruiser]

More specificity is critical, as some cruise lines market a stop as Amalfi when it's actually Salerno or Naples, while others tender into Amalfi. Similarly, Sicily could be Messina or Palermo (although with this itinerary I would suspect it's Messina).

[tribeagle]

I second the idea of the Rick Steves Mediterranean Port Guide. Like someone else said, most of your ports should be in there and you can get an idea for things you might like to do. The other thing I found helpful was to search these forums for the name of your port and just browse what other people have done to get ideas. Then you'll have a better idea of what specific questions to ask.

 

Also, your Roll Call might be a good resource for finding shared tours.

[Beachbabyboo]

Great suggestions guys, thanks! To be more specific on our ports, here is a copy of our itinerary:

ROME (CIVITAVECCHIA), ITALY

AMALFI COAST (SALERNO),ITALY

CATANIA,SICILY,ITALY

AT SEA

ATHENS (PIRAEUS), GREECE

SANTORINI, GREECE

MYKONOS, GREECE

AT SEA

KOTOR, MONTENEGRO

ZADAR, CROATIA

KOPER, SLOVENIA

VENICE, ITALY

We are staying 2 days before in Rome and 3 days after on Venice to explore those towns!

[euro cruiser]

From Salerno you can get a fast boat to Amalfi or Positano, or you could take a bus or hire a car service. It depends on how you want to travel and how much you want to spend.

[cruisemom42]

Mykonos is another easy port to do on your own. There are beaches, and a town with typical feel of the Greek islands (good places to get a bite to eat or a beverage and just hang out). Your ship will either tender you right into town, or you'll dock a bit out of town with a shuttle to take you in (usually for a small charge, not for free).

 

In Athens, it is very easy to get into the historic part of the city from Piraeus (which is only about 20-25 minutes away). There is an express bus that you can get right outside the port; it will take you to a spot in town from which you can walk to most sights including the Acropolis, Acropolis museum, Greek agora, the Plaka, etc.

[Host Bonjour]

Great suggestions guys, thanks! To be more specific on our ports, here is a copy of our itinerary:

ROME (CIVITAVECCHIA), ITALY

AMALFI COAST (SALERNO),ITALY

CATANIA,SICILY,ITALY

AT SEA

ATHENS (PIRAEUS), GREECE

SANTORINI, GREECE

MYKONOS, GREECE

AT SEA

KOTOR, MONTENEGRO

ZADAR, CROATIA

KOPER, SLOVENIA

VENICE, ITALY

We are staying 2 days before in Rome and 3 days after on Venice to explore those towns!

 

One thing I would suggest - if possible - is switching the number of days to three in Rome and two in Venice. Rome is quite a lot bigger than Venice and you will need more time to see the highlights of the city - to say nothing of possibly having a bit of jet lag (depending upon your flight arrival) after arriving in Rome. Not sure if how long your total flight time will be - traveling can be tiring, although some folks do sleep on flights so maybe that will work out OK. Venice in two days should work out alright although and it's quite an easy DIY city - in fact most people prefer it that way and do not hire a guide or take a tour at all; it's compact, fun and one of the best recommendations is allowing yourselves to "get lost" for a little while - don't worry, you'll find your way back very easily on any map - the wandering is a bit of a Venetian past time and just lovely.

 

Suggest you take a little time on our other Port of Call threads for tour suggestions as all your calls have great recommendations by our veteran members/cruisers for you to consider on your dream cruise holiday :) Everyone has different interests and plans so it might be cool to browse through to see what some others have done/are doing to get ideas for your journey. There are many exciting options in each port to choose from. Your itinerary is lovely and will be an unforgettable adventure.

 

Here are some links from my favorite one of my favorite travel guides, Lonely Planet, to help get you excited about the destinations....

 

Santorini - http://www.lonelyplanet.com/greece/cyclades/santorini-thira/things-to-do/top-things-to-do-in-santorini-thira

 

Mykonos - http://www.lonelyplanet.com/greece/cyclades/mykonos/things-to-do/top-things-to-do-in-mykonos

 

Amalfi Coast - http://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/amalfi-coast/things-to-do/top-things-to-do-on-the-amalfi-coast

 

Catania - http://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/sicily/catania/things-to-do

 

Athens - http://www.lonelyplanet.com/greece/athens/things-to-do/top-things-to-do-in-athens

 

Kotor - https://www.lonelyplanet.com/montenegro/coastal-montenegro/kotor#sights

 

Zadar - http://www.lonelyplanet.com/croatia/dalmatia/zadar/things-to-do

 

Koper - http://www.lonelyplanet.com/slovenia/karst-and-coast/koper/things-to-do

 

I didn't provide Lonely Planet for Rome or Venice because the threads on our Italy board almost always have the very best of what to see/do listed - also, the guide books would be too overwhelming but for these smaller cities/port stops, they are less intimidating and actually quite a lot of fun to read. Actually, now that I think of it, the Rome and Venice guides are too - let me link them - it is a very big trip for you - why now indulge yourself and read all you can about where you are going?

 

Rome - http://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/rome/things-to-do/top-things-to-do-in-rome

 

Venice - http://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/venice/things-to-do/top-things-to-do-in-venice

 

I also enjoy the Frommer's Guides - Eyewitness DK too (especially for history and art) and find them beyond dependable, spot on accurate and reliable.

 

Have fun planning - it's part of the adventure :)

Edited May 14, 2016 by Host Bonjour

[Beachbabyboo]

Thank you SO MUCH for all of this information. It is so helpful! I will dig right into it! I can always count on the good people at Cruise Critic to help a fellow traveler out! Thanks again.