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

[Coolcruise02]

Yes, this is the thread I read, but it does not indicate whether it is the first train station or the second he is referring to. I'm going to assume he is talking about the first one you come to walking from the pier and not the one in Piazza Garbaldi (Central Station).

 

Thanks

[nomars_girl]

Yes, this is the thread I read, but it does not indicate whether it is the first train station or the second he is referring to. I'm going to assume he is talking about the first one you come to walking from the pier and not the one in Piazza Garbaldi (Central Station).

 

Thanks

 

We walked to the closer train station and were able to get to Pompeii from there. And it seemed less complicated than what Rick Steves talks about with going to the basement and down a long corridor.

[BARBARAFUNK]

Thank you everyone for all the great information. Hank, it feels you're a member of my family. With all your postings, recent and past, I'll mention a tour or what we should do on our med cruise to my husband and he'll ask "how do you know that?" Well, I answer, of course "Hank". I'll mention another thing and my husband will ask "did you hear that from Hank?" Answer "yep". So thank you very much.

Because of some of you're posts we planned on renting a car in Santorini and doing it on our own; however, on these recent posts I see it might be just as well to take the bus to Oia. Will we be missing a lot in between? For instance, Santos Winery? Will appreciate any suggestions. We're on a 14 day cruise in two weeks - first time to Europe - doing all private tours except two and those are on our own. Hey, that's a start!!

Thanks again for all your information and thank you Hank for being a part of my family (even though you never knew it).

Barb

[Welshlady]

Hello again! We're hiring a car too. Thought about the bus but apparently they're not very frequent. The car will us the freedom to go where we want, beach, winery, etc. They're so cheap too and it's just fun sometimes to explore the unknown. We can't really get lost so I guess we're pretty safe!!! Have you booked a car already?

[lacruiser]

for all the great information. My husband and I are taking our high-school graduating daughter on Voyager's Western Med cruise 6/2. I haven't been to Europe since 1972, when I lived in Paris for 6 weeks and went to school, and neither of them have been to Europe at all. The husband and I cruise the Caribbean every winter, and we learned to make our own arrangements after the first go-round.

 

While I admit I'm a bit apprehensive about it, we are going completely independent in all our ports. That means I'm spending hours at the computer and going over Rick Steves, but the price difference is enormous. And, we know we can't "see everything" -- this kind of cruise is just a "taster" -- we'll hope to hit some high spots and get the best feel for the ports that we can, and then plan a trip back.

 

I have to thank each and every one of you who have contributed to this thread, and a big hug to you, Hank, for getting it started. It's very reassuring to know that even though the European ports take a bit more figuring out than the Caribbean ones, it can certainly be done.

 

Thanks again for the input!:D

 

Nancy D

[BARBARAFUNK]

Hi Judith. Nice hearing from you. No, I haven't rented a car yet in Santorini. Do you think I should before hand? I was just going to do that when I got there. I've heard you go up the cable car and to the right to rent one. Let me know what you think. And if you did rent one in advance let me know who I should get in touch with. Thanks in advance for your help. I love these boards, but they sure can make your head swim. Just so much to read and research. Makes it fun though. Just wish I had more time. Just think - we'll be meeting soon.....

Barb

[Andym]

Pompeii, get your train ticket at the news vendor accorss the street from the port. He speaks excellent English and will tell you the number of the bus and how many stops to the train station etc. When you get to the station, the platform to Pompeii is at the right side of the station entrance as you look at it.

 

Herculaneum, If you are just going to Heculaneum, the bus is a good option. Again get tickets at the news stand and its a 30-40 minute bus trip. He'll give you the bus number etc.

[caring4211]

My husband and I are taking our first trip to Europe in October and are planning on doing all of the ports on our own except Rome where we have a private guide. Someone could make a mint by taking pictures of all the ports and landmarks along with step by step directions of what to look for to find the bus and train stations. It would be nice to know if its a five minute walk or a 30 minute walk etc. And to make sure that you don't pass it by! I'm doing the research on the different ports and usually you find take the train and it might even say which train....but how far is the station and how do you find it?

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I believe there's a travel guide devoted to European cruises. I bet it would give you what you wanted. Can't remember the name or publisher, but it should be easy to find.

[DonLou]

... Someone could make a mint by taking pictures of all the ports and landmarks along with step by step directions of what to look for to find the bus and train stations...

 

The following link has this type of information for major ports. You might want to review it. It has a lot of good nitty gritty info.

 

http://www.europeportreviews.com/

[Emom]

I take a Caribbean cruise for R & R. I take a European cruise as a sampler menu to get a taste of many different places so I can decide where I'd like to return if I can find the time and money in the future! For this reason, the first cruise I take to a port I try to hit the highlights (though because I really wanted to devote more than 6 hours to my first trip to Paris we did Honfleur and Rouen from Le Havre). We were surprised in most ports - ones we were expecting to love (Barcelona, Rotterdam (Amsterdam)) we found disappointing. Others we included simply because they were in the ship's itinerary (Seville (Cadiz), Santiago de Campostela (Vigo)) but loved them! Others simply lived up to our very high expectations: Brugges, St Paul de Vence, Florence. We also spent three days in Rome pre cruise because we thought we'd never want to return - we all fell in love with it (despite crowds and very hot temperatures).

 

This fall I am taking my DH with me. We'll hit some of the ports I did last summer and since he wasn't with me, I'll stick to the highlights. Then after we're home sharing memories, we can decide where we might want to return for a longer stay and which ones would be suitable to bring our daughter when she's old enough to enjoy it!

 

BTW, I generally consider myself an independent tourist; if I use ship's transportation it's usually for drop off/pick up only. We toured Alhambra last year and it wouldn't have been nearly the same without a guide (shared by about 20 people from CC). Some places (and sometimes certain days of the week) public transportation isn't a good option, especially if trains are few and far between and you don't want to risk the last train of the day.

[Boomer1]

At this port we were thinking of taking the train to Lucca, is this a fairly easy thing to do? On the way back we also wanted to stop in Pisa.

[Nodakboiler]

This is our first Med. cruise in Oct., but I have made at least 10 trips to Europe since '99. We have never taken an organized tour. We work through the language, transportation and money issues and have had very few problems. We have always made all of our own arrangements; to us that is part of the adventure. We have stumbled up some great cafes, stores, restaurants, and sights just be sheer accident/luck. Do we learn every little fact that you would from an organized tour? Absolutely not. However, we travel to take in the entire experience and not run from Museum to Cathedral until we drop.

 

My lone suggestion is just have fun and enjoy yourself.

[nomars_girl]

This is our first Med. cruise in Oct., but I have made at least 10 trips to Europe since '99. We have never taken an organized tour. We work through the language, transportation and money issues and have had very few problems. We have always made all of our own arrangements; to us that is part of the adventure. We have stumbled up some great cafes, stores, restaurants, and sights just be sheer accident/luck. Do we learn every little fact that you would from an organized tour? Absolutely not. However, we travel to take in the entire experience and not run from Museum to Cathedral until we drop.

 

My lone suggestion is just have fun and enjoy yourself.

 

Best advice I have ever read.

[mountainmare]

We are also independent travelers who enjoy traveling using local transportation. A group of 12 is about our max. Our first cruise to Europe was last October, we picked the Millennium 12-day because seemed to be the best sampler itinerary. The only ports that we used a private guide were Livorno, because we wanted to climb the tower and then see the David, and for Rome.

Looking back for what we wanted to do the only way to accomplish everything out of Livorno was with a guide. We did not have a good feel for Rome by being dragged from sight to sight for a photo op. My first instinct had been to do Rome by train, and I should have gone with that.

Every other port was a joy, filled with memories of adventure and discovery.

Next March we are cruising out of Rome to Greece, Turkey and Egypt.

We have reserved a guide for Izmir where we are going to share with another family. For Egypt we've spring for a private guide for just the two of us.

 

Now--we do have to realize that everyone has their own travel style. I always feel sorry for the people who miss Europe because they only see it from the tinted glass windows of a tour bus loaded with other Americans, stopping at every "shopping experience" to buy stuff made in China. But I have to remember that they are making memories too--and that the stress qnd risk of doing things on their own would make the trip horrible for them.

I just feel that we are in the lucky group!!!

[Lady Chew]

Eyewitness Travel publishes Cruise Guide to Europe & The Mediterranean

 

Should be available in most book stores, and in the library

 

Been very helpful in planning for our cruise in September!!

[Hlitner]

Wow! We just returned from an extended (5 weeks) trip to Europe and I was surprised to find this old thread still near the top of the board. Regarding the recent question about trains to Lucca (Boomer1) the combination of Lucca and Pisa is perfect for the train. Why? Because in order to take the train from Livorno to Lucca you must change trains in Pisa (the Lucca train usually leaves from far down the platform (in Pisa) ..so check with "Information" on the location). Now, let me further feed the original topic. We just returned from a trip that included a transatlantic cruise (ports of Cobh (Cork), Falmouth, Zebrugge (Brugge), LeHavre and ended in Amsterdam. I can report that we did live up to our normal selves in that we did each of these ports on our own (with great results). We than did a 14 day river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest...with the price of the cruise (Viking River Cruises) including tours in every port. Since the tours were included we did take most of the tours although in many cases we found ourselves leaving the tours (during the tour) to do our usual independent explorations. Our boat had many very experienced travelers and it was interesting to hear many complain about the tours (too slow, too fast, too much walking, etc etc). Our favorite example was in Bratislava where we had a 3 hour (bus/walking tour) that included about 30 minutes total to see a large art museum. The guide got us into the museum, rushed us through the galleries (ignoring a Monet, Van Gogh, etc) and than had to rush us out the door with zero free time. The comments on the boat that night were blistering with many wondering how you can visit an entire country in 3 hours (that was the only stop in Slovakia). Yes, we knew this was the itinerary and did accept the limitations...but, every time we saw cars on the roads along the river we thought that driving the same route would have been a better option. Do not get me wrong, river cruises can be great for many travelers, but at this time of our lives we found it to be too rushed for our taste. On the other hand, I would strongly recommend that any visitor to China or Egypt include cruises on the Yangtzee and Nile (respectfully).

 

Hank

[golface]

We enjoyed your comments. If possible, we would prefer a cab/driver to take us to a predetermind list of sites, shopping, bldgs, etc.. This is our first med trip and the sites are so different, even on the distance from the ship to the "city" in relation to the caribbean crusies we have taken . Combine that with my lack of computer skills and a no-patience level, I have lost what little hair I have left trying to determine the best 3-4-5-6- things to see in each port.

 

It sounds like you have such a "hit list". If you do, would appreciate such a list for Istanbul, Izmir, Athens, Dubrovnik along with any suggestions of drivers, etc.

 

Thanks

 

Larry

[Hlitner]

Larry, I cannot help you with drivers because the only driver we use on European cruises is me (I often rent cars). I also cannot comment regarding Dubrovnik since we have never visited that port (its in our future plans). As to Istanbul, the ships dock right across the Galata Bridge from the main tourist sites. Its actually possible to walk from the ships into the center of town, but its a hike best left to those who love to stroll a couple of miles (me). A taxi can take you from ship to any attraction in a few minutes (make sure they run the meter and take the direct routes). Istanbul is a wonderful tourist city because nearly all the major tourist attractions are within an area that is less than a mile square. Its possible to go to Topkapi, Blue Mosque, Aya Sofia, Covered Bazaar and Spice Market all on foot with no guide or driver. Of course it helps to have a local map (free from the tourist office) and a guide book to explain the sites. Beware that the Covered Bazzar is closed on Sundays and Saturday afternoons, and Topkapi is closed on Mondays (it used to be on Mondays but you should check the current schedule). If you are in Istanbul on a day when Topkapi is closed to the general public it is likely that your cruise ship will have a tour that can get partial access on the closed day. As to Izmir, my personal preference would be to take the cruise line tour that goes all the way to Ephesus (its more than an hour each way). This is a long day and not easily or reasonably done on your own. Athens can be done on your own. There is a subway line that connects the port of Pireaus to downtown Athens (cheap and fast) where you can walk to the main tourist sites of the Acropolis (if you go alone, get yourself on a tour at the entrance to maximize your experience), Plaka (shopping and eating district made for walking), and Syntagma Square (nice to go there when they have the changing of the guard). One very important warning about all of these places (and just about everywhere else in Europe). Gypsy and other pickpockets make a good living from tourists, so always take reasonable precautions to protect your purse/wallet. Simple things often work well such as putting a couple of large rubber bands around a man's wallet (makes it hard to slip it out of a pocket) and carry it in a front pocket (never rear pockets). My wife always uses a large safety pin to secure the zipper of her purse and wears it across her shoulders in areas of high risk. Unlike in the USA the pickpockets will not often physically hurt anybody, but they are very good at their profession so always be alert to your surroundings and do not allow things to distract you (such as a gypsy dropping a baby or spilling something on your clothes). By the way, the baby is usually a doll. You are already doing all the right things for independent travel which is to simply do your pre-trip homework (part of the fun). Personally, we like to research all of our options, but not get too hung-up on a specific itinerary in any port. The advantage of being independent is you can be flexible and change your plans depending on your day. For example, on a recent visit to Cannes we arranged to rent a car for the day and had planned to go to 4 or 5 places (we know this area very well). The weather was so darn gorgeous that we decided to spend extra time in St Paul de Vence and simply skip a few other places in our original plans. When we were going in a favorite restaurant to enjoy a lengthy lunch (with a terrace view overlooking the countryside) we saw our ship's tour being rushed through town so they could get to their group lunch and next site. There are many who prefer to rush around the maximum sites in the shortest time, but its not our style.

 

Hank

[golface]

Hank--thanks for the quick reply and great info. If you ever decide to skip a cruise and visit the hurricane capiltal of the world, known as south Florida, I will try to give you as much info as you gave us.

 

One more question. Since you know the Cannes area well, have you been to Eze, Tourettes-sur-loop as well as St Paul De Vence? My wife was in Eze 10 years ago and loved it and has heard that St. Paul is even greater and the Tsurloop is even more authentic. We have 20 family members with us, and like us, none have been to any of the three except 10 years ago for Candy. Which village would you recommend of the three and why.

 

Thanks

 

Larry

[kihei228]

Hank,

Have you ever stopped in Sardinia and rented a car? We are in Cagliari from 8 to 4. If so, where did you go and was the rental expensive? We've driven extensively in Italy so are confident we could handle it.

Thanks, Laurie

[Hlitner]

Golface (wonderful nick), We are very very familiar with both Eze and St Paul de Vence (two of our favorite places in this part of France) but have driven over to Turettes-sur-Loop so I cannot draw a comparison with that place. Given a choice between Eze and St Paul de Vence we would definitely choose St Paul de Vence because its somewhat larger and the quality of the art galleries in St Paul de Vence is simply stunning. Although a popular touristy town (with the French as well as tourists), St Paul de Vence has become a fabulous place for those who enjoy browsing "arty" shops. We are talking high quality, not tourist junk. Eze also has a few decent "arty" shops, but they are not equal in quality or numbers to St Paul de Vence (I hope this does not start a controversy...its a personal opinion). St Paul de Vence also offers the nearby Maeght Foundation with its great art collection. For us, if we tender into Cannes we will usually rent a car and drive to St Paul de Vence. From Villafranche, we often go to Eze (its close to that port). If we are just driving in the area (we often go to this part of France on land trips) we will often go to both places. If you have some flexibility in your plans, go to St Paul de Vence first (you might even catch some of the locals playing boules at the cafe right outside the main entrance) and than if you hate the place (you will love it) you can always go elsewhere later in the day.

 

Laurie, Sorry but I cannot help you with Sardinia. We have been there twice (on cruise stops) but never rented a car. Both of our visits were in the port of Olbia and we took advantage of the nearby Costa Smeralda area and simply went to the beach. However, for what its worth, we would have no problem renting a car in Sardinia if we had an idea where we wanted to drive. As to rental prices, we have usually found that it costs us approximately $100 to rent a car for 1 day in Italy..partially because we have to buy all the insurance since my AMEX card gives no coverage for Italy. We don't mind the high price of a rental car, but paying approximately $8 per gallon for gas is hard for us Americans.

 

Hank

[kihei228]

Thanks, Hank

 

I totally agree with you about St. Paul de Vence, it's definately the place to find quality art, great food and views, and interesting shops.

 

Laurie

[attagirl]

Unlike in the USA the pickpockets will not often physically hurt anybody, but they are very good at their profession so always be alert to your surroundings and do not allow things to distract you (such as a gypsy dropping a baby or spilling something on your clothes). By the way, the baby is usually a doll.

 

 

Hank, I'm glad to hear it's usually a doll :) Sorry, it's late for me and I am punchy.

 

Thank you to everyone for all your amazing input. We are travelling to the Med. for the first time and our first time in Europe. I've been to the Caribbean so many times that I don't think twice about exploring the ports on our own. But for some reason, Rome, Florence, & Naples terrify me. Not because of physical security, but scare me in that I am going to miss seeing something and I won't get the chance to do it again. I am the type of person who tries to put 10 pounds of sugar into a 5 pound bag. So my dilemna is whether to go completely on our own with our map and guide book or to anty up and use the services of a private guide. I am too cheep to use the cruise excursions - since were travelling with 2 other couples the private guide is better economically. So what's the advice for these ports- totally on our own or private driver????

[Hlitner]

[ Not because of physical security, but scare me in that I am going to miss seeing something and I won't get the chance to do it again. I am the type of person who tries to put 10 pounds of sugar into a 5 pound bag. So my dilemna is whether to go completely on our own with our map and guide book or to anty up and use the services of a private guide.

 

Great attitude but here is the real dilemma (or delight), no matter how well you plan and how much you can fit in a day you are going to not come close to seeing everything. The only solution is to keep returning to the places you enjoy (we have been returning to Europe for about 30 years) and you will keep discovering new things. You are going to have a ball!

 

Hank