Don't be afraid to try things on your own!

[funshyne11]

Go to kayak.com

 

It searches mutiple sites at once, and you can set your own parameters. I found a few places here and there with automatic that way.

[harrtchr]

I have been watching your posts for quite awhile now as I have pre-planned many excursions over the past 10 years and have found your advice, and those like you who have a wealth of knowledge, very helpful.

Don't pay no mind to those who "flame" you. There are always whiners and naysayers who are afraid to leave their comfort zone. I must admit that the very first time I booked excursions on my own in Europe, I was a bit nervous, not knowing the language or any idea as to what to expect. But, it all worked out and there has been no looking back. The only time I use the cruise comapny 'cattle call' shore excursions are when they have a lock on a particular excursion. Otherwise I avoid them like the palgue for all the reasons you cited.

 

Perhaps I could get you to share some of your experiences with Paris shore excursion. I will be on HAL next summer and they have an overnight in LeHArve. Last time we were there we went to Normandy. This time it will be Paris. I am looking for advice from you, and others, as to how to get into Paris and hook up with a local tour guide with the intention of putting together a small group overnight tour with like minded passengers from the ship using this boards Roll CAll as a means of advertising for fellow passengers. I also want to stay in Paris overnight while the cruise ship stays overnight in LeHArve. This way I will get to see alot more.

 

What I am looking for is the kind of deal we had on a Holy Land cruise where we left the ship in one port in Egypt, stayed overnight in Cairo, and got back on the ship the next day.

 

The company (NileBlue), made arrangements for us to be picked us up at the port, brought us to Cairo, did a full day excursion, made the hotel arrangements fo us for the night, picked us up in the morning for another day of sight seeing bringing us back to the ship in plenty of time for sailing away.

 

Can you, or anyone else recommend any companies in France that will do the same thing for LeHArve to Paris?

[travelite]

What rental car company do you recommend for Corfu? Sunshine Rentals is already soldout for "Automatic" cars.

 

There will be a guy with a small office on the left as you exit the building at the pier. He has cars sitting in the lot. There will also be one of his employees near the cars, right out the exit, if you miss the office. He works with walk up business and is reasonable with fast service. If you must have an automatic, be sure to get off the ship asap. We paid less renting from him than those that used Sunshine. Also, we were on our way quickly, much faster than those with reservations using other companies.

[Hlitner]

I have been watching your posts for quite awhile now as I have pre-planned many excursions over the past 10 years and have found your advice, and those like you who have a wealth of knowledge, very helpful.

Don't pay no mind to those who "flame" you. There are always whiners and naysayers who are afraid to leave their comfort zone. I must admit that the very first time I booked excursions on my own in Europe, I was a bit nervous, not knowing the language or any idea as to what to expect. But, it all worked out and there has been no looking back. The only time I use the cruise comapny 'cattle call' shore excursions are when they have a lock on a particular excursion. Otherwise I avoid them like the palgue for all the reasons you cited.

 

Perhaps I could get you to share some of your experiences with Paris shore excursion. I will be on HAL next summer and they have an overnight in LeHArve. Last time we were there we went to Normandy. This time it will be Paris. I am looking for advice from you, and others, as to how to get into Paris and hook up with a local tour guide with the intention of putting together a small group overnight tour with like minded passengers from the ship using this boards Roll CAll as a means of advertising for fellow passengers. I also want to stay in Paris overnight while the cruise ship stays overnight in LeHArve. This way I will get to see alot more.

 

What I am looking for is the kind of deal we had on a Holy Land cruise where we left the ship in one port in Egypt, stayed overnight in Cairo, and got back on the ship the next day.

 

The company (NileBlue), made arrangements for us to be picked us up at the port, brought us to Cairo, did a full day excursion, made the hotel arrangements fo us for the night, picked us up in the morning for another day of sight seeing bringing us back to the ship in plenty of time for sailing away.

 

Can you, or anyone else recommend any companies in France that will do the same thing for LeHArve to Paris?

 

I did respond to this post under another thread (it was cross-posted) so will not go into detail here. But, for others who read this post keep in mind that for an overnight in Paris you can easily take the train from LeHavre to Paris, book your own hotel, and explore Paris on your own. Paris is a city made for walking and exploring (with some help from the great Metro system), not for organized tours.

 

Hank

[travelite]

I enjoy monitoring this board and reading everyone's advice. A few years ago I used to contribute lots of help here for those who wanted advice on how to do any of the European ports on their own (we have been to most of these places multiple times). I stopped most of my help because I got tired of being flamed by others who insisted that the only way to do anything is on an organized tour (this is true for some folks). However, given the very high price of tours (the low value dollar does not help) I am surprised to see almost everyone resigned to tours. Western Europe is pretty easy to navigate on your own although it helps to do some homework. The advantage of being on your own is you avoid the "cattle like" mentality of some tours, get to do what you want when you want with who you want, and usually you will save money. In fact, on a 12 day Med cruise you can easily save over $1000 (or more) by doing things independent of tours. The down side of independent travel is that you do need to do your pre-trip homework,, but to some of us that is part of the fun. My main problem with most tours is that they try to crowd too much "touring" into a short period of time without giving you a chance to see the real Europe. A lot of the joy of visiting some cities (Rome, Paris, etc) is spending time at an outdoor cafe enjoying local cuisine, wine and people watching (this is how many Europeans enjoy themselves). Personally, when in Rome I would quickly give-up seeing some site in order to have time for lunch or a snack at one of the cafes in the Piazza Navona. But, I guess this is where the "different strokes for different folks" saying reigns surpreme.

 

Hank

 

I'm going to be in Brugges a few days pre-cruise. Have you been to Damme, Lissewege, or Oudenaarde? I'm considering picking one of them for an afternoon. Which would you recommend? Another day I'm considering going to Flanders Field. There is a Van tour with a limit of 8, approx. 55 euros each and a bus tour that is considerably more money and people. Is this easy to do on your own? Without a guide, will I be missing most of the background information and drama? The Brugges Tourist Board has mapped out 3 different self guided walking tours. I plan on doing one of these walking tours each day, but I'm sure they won't take more than 2 hours of the day.

How are you with information on cities along the Rhine River? I've been on a Rhine River cruise before. This time I'd like to do more than just the standard walking tour. As I recall, taxis, my first choice, were difficult to locate or not available. Trains and buses were not frequent in most cases. The coin toll bicycles are an option, but finding them is unreliable. Have any suggestions?

[mrspaper]

I'm up to reading page 8 of your thread and find it interesting. I've been to most of the ports, so I agree with all of you on things to do.

 

I've been to Venice 2X and never did the doge palace tour (secret itineraries) Can anyone please tell me the best website to buy advanced tickets. You may have covered it here, but it will take me days to read this wonderful thread.

 

thank you

 

Also, I have passed along a wealth of info from this thread to a friend who is a first timer. You all said it better than I could

[Dianneon2]

Thanks in advance to all of you expert travellers. In checking the train schedule , the travel time is approximately 11/2 hrs between Rome and venice but one train which is significantly cheaper is about 6 hrs. I'm assuming it's a bit of a milk run but since we have the time, would it be worth taking it? My other concern with that train though , is that it seems to end in Mestre rather than St Lucia and that would certainly add some inconvenience particularly as we are staying very close to St. Lucia. station. Just wondering iif the hassle is worth saving 100$ plus. Thanks again, Dianne

[CintiPam]

Another day I'm considering going to Flanders Field. There is a Van tour with a limit of 8, approx. 55 euros each and a bus tour that is considerably more money and people. Is this easy to do on your own? Without a guide, will I be missing most of the background information and drama?

 

We spent two days in Bruges a few years ago, one sightseeing in the lovely town itself, a perfect full day of activity, and one taking a Flanders van tour with four others. We thought it was a fantastic day, and that we got a lot more out of it than if we had done it by ourselves because our guide/driver was so knowledgable.

 

On the other hand, when we went to Normandy two years ago, we spent our three days there, basing ourselves in Bayeau, on our own with a rental car DIY because my spouse is a huge student of WWII, as knowledgable as many guides, and we were able to go at our own extremely slow pace, particularly because my father landed on Utah Beach.

Edited July 19, 2009 by CintiPam

[Hlitner]

Regarding Burgge, we have very little travel experience in Belgium, but absolutely love Brugges. In fact, the next time we are driving in Northern France we will be sure to drive over to Brugges and spend a few days exploring the region.

 

As to trains between Rome and Venice, you should stick to the higher speed (about 4 1/2 hours) IC/EC type trains since these are newer and more comfortable than the regional trains (these make many more stops). You do need reservations (including seat reservations) for these trains...although it is usually possible to get a same day reservation (but you might not get the next train). You should try to get a train that goes through to the Venice St Lucia Station which is located right in Venice not far from the Piazale Roma. The Mestre station is out of town and you would still need to change to a local train or bus to get into Venice.

 

Hank

[Dianneon2]

Thanks Hank. That's very helpful in making our decision. In Rome, we're staying at a Band B close to the Tiburtina Station and I understand the highspeed trains connect there so I'm hoping we can avoid Termini.

 

Dianne

[hat776]

There are frequent trains from Mestre to St Lucia.

However, for such detailed info why don't you go to Trip Advisor and the Venice, Italy forum ?

[PenelopeCorelli]

Thanks to Hank & friends for all the advice here and on CC in general. Just returned from a 35 day trip with a 24 day B2B cruise of the Med. We did it on our own with one exception: Ephesus, which was awesome and very reasonable (180 for 2 private tour & driver; 7 hours plus lunch). No ship tours, except for the debarkation trip, then they gave us the wrong color tags, we missed our bus and we had to do it ourselves anyway! This was in Venice & turned out well, because we took a taxi that took a back route (which we didn't know existed) to the train station where we were taking a train to Milan. Otherwise we would have had to lug our 3 suitcases and 3 carry-ons over the bridge to the station from Ple. Roma!

 

We saw that there are many (most?) who feel they have to do ship tours, even when there's an option not to that would result in better results for less money. I can understand that many are scared of the what ifs. I have a friend who took a weekend 3 day cruise to Mexico who refused to get off in port because he was afraid of anywhere but the USA. (A former airman, no less!) "To each his own". "Different strokes for different folks." Insert saying here.

 

I met a couple (there were others, I'm sure, out of the 1200) who did not go to Olympia from Katakolon (about the only thing to do there) because they had to save money and had done a lot of tours already. The ship's written information & map makes no reference to the train station a couple of hundred yards from port (you can see it from the ship) with a small 2-car train that takes people from Katakolon to Olympia and back for 3 euros!

Of course, we were told by a store owner & by the taxi drivers that the there was a strike (there wasn't).

 

Had a bike tour in Barcelona.

We took the bus from MC to Eze, to Nice, back to Villefranche, to MC.

Took trains to Florence & to Rome, later to Milan, even took a day trip from Venice to Trieste when we had 3 days in port.

Rented a car in Corfu and went to Old Perithia, drove around exploring.

Took metros in Istanbul. Wanted to ferry to Eastern Istanbul in Asia, but it was late & there was no later boat back to Istanbul.

Rented ATVs in Santorini.

Took a day trip from Milan to Lake Como (post-cruise), then from Milan to Zurich where we got our plane home.

 

PS: Switzerland is the most expensive place in Europe, we found. How about a Big Mac or other McD Meal for $11-$18?( F= $.92) Small bottle of water = $3-4.

 

Took over 4000 pics and I kept a journal. Saved the daily programs, also. Talked to some who didn't and by the end of the cruise admitted they couldn't even remember where some of their photos were taken!

 

We had a blast and a vacation of a lifetime!:):):)

Edited August 4, 2009 by PenelopeCorelli
addendum, spelling

[CintiPam]

Thanks to Hank & friends for all the advice here and on CC in general. Just returned from a 35 day trip with a 24 day B2B cruise of the Med. We did it on our own with one exception: Ephesus, which was awesome and very reasonable (180 for 2 private tour & driver; 7 hours plus lunch). No ship tours, except for the debarkation trip, then they gave us the wrong color tags, we missed our bus and we had to do it ourselves anyway! This was in Venice & turned out well, because we took a taxi that took a back route (which we didn't know existed) to the train station where we were taking a train to Milan. Otherwise we would have had to lug our 3 suitcases and 3 carry-ons over the bridge to the station from Ple. Roma!

 

We saw that there are many (most?) who feel they have to do ship tours, even when there's an option not to that would result in better results for less money. I can understand that many are scared of the what ifs. I have a friend who took a weekend 3 day cruise to Mexico who refused to get off in port because he was afraid of anywhere but the USA. (A former airman, no less!) "To each his own". "Different strokes for different folks." Insert saying here.

 

I met a couple (there were others, I'm sure, out of the 1200) who did not go to Olympia from Katakolon (about the only thing to do there) because they had to save money and had done a lot of tours already. The ship's written information & map makes no reference to the train station a couple of hundred yards from port (you can see it from the ship) with a small 2-car train that takes people from Katakolon to Olympia and back for 3 euros!

Of course, we were told by a store owner & by the taxi drivers that the there was a strike (there wasn't).

 

Had a bike tour in Barcelona.

We took the bus from MC to Eze, to Nice, back to Villefranche, to MC.

Took trains to Florence & to Rome, later to Milan, even took a day trip from Venice to Trieste when we had 3 days in port.

Rented a car in Corfu and went to Old Perithia, drove around exploring.

Took metros in Istanbul. Wanted to ferry to Eastern Istanbul in Asia, but it was late & there was no later boat back to Istanbul.

Rented ATVs in Santorini.

Took a day trip from Milan to Lake Como (post-cruise), then from Milan to Zurich where we got our plane home.

 

PS: Switzerland is the most expensive place in Europe, we found. How about a Big Mac or other McD Meal for $11-$18?( F= $.92) Small bottle of water = $3-4.

 

Took over 4000 pics and I kept a journal. Saved the daily programs, also. Talked to some who didn't and by the end of the cruise admitted they couldn't even remember where some of their photos were taken!

 

We had a blast and a vacation of a lifetime!:):):)

 

What a wonderful post! (And how lucky are you to have been able to have 35 days in Europe!!:)) So glad that it all worked out well for you and that you had the courage to try so many things on your own.

 

I continually am astonished at the number of questions raised on these boards that could be answered by spending a couple of hours with a country guidebook from the local library or simply googling.

[travelite]

Thanks to Hank & friends for all the advice here and on CC in general. Just returned from a 35 day trip with a 24 day B2B cruise of the Med. We did it on our own with one exception: Ephesus, which was awesome and very reasonable (180 for 2 private tour & driver; 7 hours plus lunch). No ship tours, except for the debarkation trip, then they gave us the wrong color tags, we missed our bus and we had to do it ourselves anyway! This was in Venice & turned out well, because we took a taxi that took a back route (which we didn't know existed) to the train station where we were taking a train to Milan. Otherwise we would have had to lug our 3 suitcases and 3 carry-ons over the bridge to the station from Ple. Roma!

 

We saw that there are many (most?) who feel they have to do ship tours, even when there's an option not to that would result in better results for less money. I can understand that many are scared of the what ifs. I have a friend who took a weekend 3 day cruise to Mexico who refused to get off in port because he was afraid of anywhere but the USA. (A former airman, no less!) "To each his own". "Different strokes for different folks." Insert saying here.

 

I met a couple (there were others, I'm sure, out of the 1200) who did not go to Olympia from Katakolon (about the only thing to do there) because they had to save money and had done a lot of tours already. The ship's written information & map makes no reference to the train station a couple of hundred yards from port (you can see it from the ship) with a small 2-car train that takes people from Katakolon to Olympia and back for 3 euros!

Of course, we were told by a store owner & by the taxi drivers that the there was a strike (there wasn't).

 

Had a bike tour in Barcelona.

We took the bus from MC to Eze, to Nice, back to Villefranche, to MC.

Took trains to Florence & to Rome, later to Milan, even took a day trip from Venice to Trieste when we had 3 days in port.

Rented a car in Corfu and went to Old Perithia, drove around exploring.

Took metros in Istanbul. Wanted to ferry to Eastern Istanbul in Asia, but it was late & there was no later boat back to Istanbul.

Rented ATVs in Santorini.

Took a day trip from Milan to Lake Como (post-cruise), then from Milan to Zurich where we got our plane home.

 

PS: Switzerland is the most expensive place in Europe, we found. How about a Big Mac or other McD Meal for $11-$18?( F= $.92) Small bottle of water = $3-4.

 

Took over 4000 pics and I kept a journal. Saved the daily programs, also. Talked to some who didn't and by the end of the cruise admitted they couldn't even remember where some of their photos were taken!

 

We had a blast and a vacation of a lifetime!:):):)

 

Way to go!!

I have stopped trying to encourage others to "do it on your own" or book a private tour (and try for others to share). The ships make money from the tours, and for many it is the only way they are at ease. Let the profits from the tours keep cruise prices down. All the better for those of us who are more independent and adventurous.

[Ardy53]

Thanks to Hank & friends for all the advice here and on CC in general. Just returned from a 35 day trip with a 24 day B2B cruise of the Med. We did it on our own with one exception:

....

Took over 4000 pics and I kept a journal. Saved the daily programs, also.

...

We had a blast and a vacation of a lifetime!:):):)

 

Glad to hear you enjoyed it and "Did it your way"!!!!

 

Hopefully we will see the results of the pics and journal in a review soon???

 

Roy

.

[PenelopeCorelli]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it and "Did it your way"!!!!

 

Hopefully we will see the results of the pics and journal in a review soon???

 

Roy

.

 

Thanks!:)Not quite sure exactly how to do this. I started copying my journal into Word so I can cut and paste. So many photos! :eek:

Also, and this was strange & drew attention, I took my family with me - I made dolls from old Tshirts and ironed on facial photos, bought Dollar Tree doll clothes, & added yarn hair, then took their pictures in front of monuments, etc. funny!:p

[HMSDingy]

Another thanks to Hank and all who posted. We will be sailing in 3 weeks and I've made an itinerary of on our own excursions. My sister and her husband just returned from a Med cruise with HAL and they too did it on their own and they had a blast. Saved lots of money.:D

[PenelopeCorelli]

Way to go!!

I have stopped trying to encourage others to "do it on your own" or book a private tour (and try for others to share). The ships make money from the tours, and for many it is the only way they are at ease. Let the profits from the tours keep cruise prices down. All the better for those of us who are more independent and adventurous.

 

Absolutely! Agree with it all! However, some people want to try to do it on their own, even if it's one day. It's about losing the fear of the unknown. There will always be lots - most - who will follow that flag!:D

[Hlitner]

Great to see the wonderful post from Penolope. It really can be rewarding to do the pre-trip homework, have many months of fun dreams, and than live your dream. By the way, those prices in Switzerland can sure be matched by prices in Ireland! And, it is now getting worse with the rapid decline of the dollar. If Congress keeps spending money we do not have we expect the dollar to be so low that a BigMac will cost $20. For those of us who want better than BigMacs it is going to be a lot worse.

 

Hank

[PenelopeCorelli]

Great to see the wonderful post from Penolope. It really can be rewarding to do the pre-trip homework, have many months of fun dreams, and than live your dream. By the way, those prices in Switzerland can sure be matched by prices in Ireland! And, it is now getting worse with the rapid decline of the dollar. If Congress keeps spending money we do not have we expect the dollar to be so low that a BigMac will cost $20. For those of us who want better than BigMacs it is going to be a lot worse.

 

Hank

 

Oh, yeah! Glad we went this year while the $ still has some value! ( My favorite store is the 99cent store.) We took the Zurich tram way out to try to find cheaper food; we were there on their national holiday, Aug 1, so almost everything was closed. Found an Indian restaurant open & got off the tram. "Oh,look, 9.50!", I say. My dh said, "That's for soup!" Price for meal? about 35-40f! So in this case, going away from town wasn't that helpful. We did finally find a Lebanese fast food place open where we ate & shared a meal. The kind owner gave us extra & was apologetic that high taxes made it difficult to find lower prices. Their grocery stores were high: a small frozen pizza was 11-13.

I guess I'll have to save to go to Ireland, or wait a long time. Turkey was great, & Poland also, pricewise. Got several pair of amber earrings for gifts for 22-42 Zloty (about 3 to the dollar). Loved it! Will definitely go to Poland again...I hope.

Edited August 7, 2009 by PenelopeCorelli

[HMSDingy]

We're flying into Barcelona one week from tomorrow and would like to thank all those who posted such great advice on this thread especially Hank:D

 

We are doing our ports of call completely on our own and we are looking to great experiences and equally great memories.

[Hlitner]

Please post your thoughts, experiences, and impressions when you return. Have a great trip and cruise.

 

Bon Voyage

Hank

[SunDapple]

Sundapple, I've gotten different prices from different agencies and have rentals reserved in 4 countries for our upcoming trip. For sure EVERYTIME the highest rates were from the larger, well known agencies, of which Hertz, Avis, Sixt and even (surprisingly to me since we've gotten good deals from them before), Europcar and AutoEurope. The best rates have usually been offered by: Economycar.com; Fastcarhire.uk (I can't get that one straight up by just using.com);Budget and National have come in SOME places, surprisingly - something straight from their website and sometimes through a booking agency. You can do Priceline and BID on a car; run it through Yeego.com (I've gotten different agency options each time) and there is one called something like Spaincarhire or Spain-something, which sounded great but they were a bit higher priced than the lowest; just not as high as the highest.

 

Now, here are some things you should know, but don't let them discourage you. They will make renting sound way more complicated than it is: I've had issues trying to find out WHERE a particular office is located in places where I've wanted to get the car somewhere inside the city (Barcelona, for instance) and not right from the airport. (Can require a lot of legwork - putting address onto Mapquest or Google first, etc.), but when it's an airport, no problem. Watch for opening and closing hours and days. Some of these places close mid-day (siesta) for a few hrs. and while you might be able to access them, it could be of extra cost. Some you save money on if you pay in full ahead of time, or else pay a deposit at the time of booking. But mostly you get all the money back if you cancel by a determined date. Some right up to rental time. (In one case it was a 2 euro fee to cancel.) There was one called Holidayrentals.com or something out of the UK (I THINK?) that was inexpensive and the background seemed good, but I cannot seem to access online myself!? It came up through Yeego.com (a discount booking site) once. Just be SURE to read the terms of each contract THOROUGHLY! One more thing - in the past we have never obtained an int'l. driver's license. Never needed one, either. Often they are required in the country but the rental agency never makes you have one. This time I talked my dh into getting one because IF you get into an accident, THEN you need one. There is translation into even Arabic inside the one he got from AAA and that is the main reason. Plus, in the fine print of the automatic cdw insurance that often comes with a rental (though not usually from Hertz, Avis, etc.) the ins. is invalidated if you wreck and do not have an int'l. license! If you have a credit card and want to waive cdw (we have coverage through our credit card IF we initial/decline it on a contract, but SOME of agencies will not let you have a car if you decline the insurance - Hertz, etc., will, usually). We never knew any of this stuff until we rented in the UK in Oct., when I carefully researched the insurance stuff. Never ever had the int'l. license before this time. So it will be a bit of a risk when I drive, which won't be much - but as long as I don't wreck . . . ! LOL (We did have a side mirror torn off once by a young parking valet at our inn in Positano several yrs. ago. AutoEurope contract included ins. So they never charged us a dime and didn't give us one bit of trouble on the return!)

 

Well, I think that is enough to get you going. Hope this helps! Go have fun and I think you will be glad you got a car. (Just be prepared for a few "discussions" over directions. ;) Good luck!

 

Hi, Don't know if you will even see this as the original post was so long ago, but I want to thank you for your encouragement in renting a car and Doing It on Our Own. We did rent a car from Hertz in Monte Carlo, and drove to Eze, Nice and St. Paul de Vence. It was not difficult at all, except for, as you said, "discussions" on directions. :)

MY DH got an international license, but we did not need it. We could have used GSP but our car did not come equipped with it. Hertz in Monte Carlo does not come equipped with maps either, so we used a map we picked up onboard from the local TI rep. It was ok, but not great since its focus was Monte Carlo and we were leaving MC to go into France. We did get good directions to get out of MC and found Eze easily.

Once in Eze, which was charming, we got a better regional map from the TI at the base of the town. (Good clean bathrooms at the TI center too, although they charge 40 cents for the use of them.)

So in a nutshell, it was an adventure and great fun, and we thank you for the help you, and this board provided. We wouldn't have done it without you. :)

[Terpnut]

We saw that there are many (most?) who feel they have to do ship tours, even when there's an option not to that would result in better results for less money. I can understand that many are scared of the what ifs. ....."To each his own". "Different strokes for different folks." Insert saying here.

Look at it this way: if it weren't for all the people taking the ship tours:

 

1. The cruise lines would have to raise base fares and other onboard fees to compensate for their lost profits from their ship excursions!

2. Private tours would us cost alot more!

 

So I say, thank god for the 90% of people who buy and take the ship tours! :D

Edited August 19, 2009 by Terpnut

[MadisonBay]

Hank et al,

I've been following this thread for a long time and have successfully used your information and appreciated your encouragement as we ventured off on our own on our last several trips. It has been great. Thank you.

 

Next April, we are stopping off in Dublin after our TA to Venice. (One way airfares from Venice to JFK are much cheaper through Venice even with overnight stays.)

 

Do you have any suggestions on how to spend one day in Dublin? We've booked a hotel at the airport for two nights and would like to spend the intervening day just exploring Dublin. This will be at the end of a 3 week+ trip, so our energy levels and wallets will be pretty limited. Any thoughts?

 

Thanks again,

Elaine