what to do in these ports

[Raynebaby]

Can anyone tell me if there is something to do on my own as in walking distance in any of these ports. We can't decide what to do. I will either walk to see something or book thru the cruise line. We are on the MSC Grandiosa on Jan 19/2020

 

These are our ports

Palermo

Valetta

Barcelona....this one we have picked the Gaudi experience thru the cruiseline

Marseilles

Genoa

 

I'm thinking of something to see within an 30 mins walk or so, just walk around, see nice things, grab some lunch maybe. Are these areas safe to walk to on my own from the cruise port.

 

Thanks for the help, we have never been to Europe before and we aren't too sure what to expect.

[Daisyloo]

I find this website helpful to give you an idea of what each port is like.

 

https://www.whatsinport.com/index.htm

[CruiseMH]

In Palermo and Valetta the ships dock almost direct in the city. So within 30 Minutes walking distance you will find most of the attractions and places to see without problems.

In Marseille you will have to take an excoursion(either by cruise line or private) cause the port is very big and from the cruise berths up to the bus station at the entrance of the port the walking distance is approx. 1 mile. And there are no shuttle busses inside the port area.

 

[samavarcruiser]

On 8/4/2019 at 3:46 AM, Daisyloo said:

I find this website helpful to give you an idea of what each port is like.

 

https://www.whatsinport.com/index.htm

 

Thanks for sharing, but be careful with the ads which are running on the this site 🙂

[ollienbertsmum]

On 8/4/2019 at 2:21 PM, CruiseMH said:

 

In Marseille you will have to take an excoursion(either by cruise line or private) cause the port is very big and from the cruise berths up to the bus station at the entrance of the port the walking distance is approx. 1 mile. And there are no shuttle busses inside the port area.

 

 

That is not entirely true.  If you plan to wander around the city you can take a shuttle into Marseille.  There are places (e.g. Aix, Avignon) you can visit by train from the St Charles train station You need to go to the France board to get further advice.  

 

We have used the cruise shuttle into Marseille and walked up to the Basilica of Notre Dame - and then wandered around the port and the shops and generally had a couple of low key days in Marseilles.  

[Ski Mom 2]

We loved Valetta. Totally doable on your own. It's a beautiful town with lots to see. We love to walk, drink some beer and wine, eat, shop and perhaps a bit of sightseeing. We had no plan in Valetta which was par for the course for us. We stumbled upon The Bar where Oliver Reed drank the night before he died while filming The Gladiator. Lots of English folks drinking a pint. We saw many restaurants and finally choose one with lots of locals and it was delightful. They were getting ready for a festival so there was a lot to look at too. It was very pretty too and I would love to return. We also watched the shooting off of some cannons which was fun.

[LondonTowner]

In Valletta we did the HOHO bus which is 2 routes and both included in the ticket price. We thought it was good value. The Vieux Port in Marseille is very nice, there is an interesting museum or take the bus up to the basilica or if it’s good weather go on the little ferry to Chateau D’If and I’ve de Froulle.

 

Barcelona is very easy to get around and plenty to see. Personally, I wouldn’t book an excursion in Barcelona. It’s a long time since I e been to Genoa, so cant help.

 

Theres quite a lot to see in Palermo, but last time we were in Sicily we shared a private tour with other passengers on our Roll Call, which was operated by Sicily with Mario. We didn’t have to pay until the day.

[ollienbertsmum]

I agree with the comment about not booking a tour in Barcelona.  How much you do depends on how much time you have in the port.  I would always start by booking my ticket for Sagrada Familia.  Use a taxi to get there and allow about 90 minutes to see the Basilica and towers.  Longer if you like museums.  

 

Then it depends what you want to do.  More Gaudi houses? Park Geulle, what about the gothic area, Las Ramblas.  Rick Steves has some good guided tours.  Visit Barca's stadium.  Go to the beach.  Get to the top of Montjuic.  You need to read some reviews and decide what you want to do in the time available.  The metro system is really efficient.  However BCN is a lovely walkable city.  

[Markanddonna]

I am going on the Grandiosa in November and have been doing a lot of research. You can check out my website for travel ideas in all these ports:  www.DonnaGawell.com   Look under "travel to Europe and Australia."  Also, I believe there is a shuttle from the ship to town in Marseilles. 

 

BTW- all the above advice is very good. I'm stuck on Genoa and Marseilles. My plans will be weather dependent. 

Edited August 17, 2019 by Markanddonna

[MelC12]

Happy cruising.  Please do let us know how it went as I am going on the Grandiosa in January.  Would love to read your tips and ideas.  😊

[Hlitner]

OK, I will bite and offer basic suggestions to the questions.  Palermo- you can walk from the port into the center of town and soak up the atmosphere.  But then I would grab a local bus or taxi and go to the Capuchin Catacombs ( a really macabre and unique experience).     Valetta - You can take the elevator up and then walk into the heart of the city.  But also consider walking over to the bus terminal (not far from the top of the elevator) and taking a local bus to Mdina for a couple of hours of walking exploration.  The folks at the bus terminal will tell you which bus and you can pay the driver.  Barcelona - You already have an agenda :).  But this is a terrific DIY city where you can walk to many places and use the Metro (subway) to get to other areas a bit more distant.  You want to pay the cruise line the big bucks...then bless you since we are stockholders :).  Marseille : I could write a book about the options, but consider this a gateway port to part of Provence.   Yes, you can stay in Marseille, take a boat over to Chateau d'If, walk around parts of the town, have lunch, etc.  But you could also take the shuttle into town, walk to the train/bus station and take a train or bus up to Aix en Provence....which is an interesting city with a lot more charm then Marseille.  Genoa -  Ok, so you want to walk.  From this port you can walk along the water and visit their world-class Aquarium.   There is also the Columbus house which we think is hardly worth the trouble....but it is there if you want to do some tougher walking (much of it uphill).

 

Hank

[BarbinMich]

Recommendation for Genoa:  take the HOHO which is available right outside the cruise terminal.  I've done that and thought it was a good route showing different sides of the city.  I got off at several locations to explore on foot.

[MelC12]

Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo sounds really interesting.  

Hlitner...you mentioned taking a bus or cab there.  What was the price and can you jus5 buy tickets to the catacombs at entrance? Or I need to pre-book?

has anyone else been to Camp NOU FC Barcelona?  How much do tickets cost?  What are your thoughts?  I want to fit it in after or before Sagrada Familia.

cheers from Australia.