Do it yourself shore excursions

[go brydges]

Any advice on Western Med[Azamara Quest] itinerary. travelling with 6 people in their late 50's.

Anyone used the Papillon Service for private land tours?

[Susan-M]

We've done most of the ports on our Med cruises on our own, using local buses, trains, subways and lots of walking, along with the occasional tour with a private driver. The Mediterranean forum is a great place to do research on how to tour on your own or with a private driver.

 

Once you are in the Med forum, use the "Search This Forum" function (top of the page, under the page numbers) to search a particular topic or company (this would be a good place to search the name of the tour company that you asked about.)

 

Also, by scrolling down the threads on the first page or two (or more) of the Med forum, you will find many topics relating to items of interest in preparing for your port days.

 

Good luck with your plans.:)

[critterchick]

We did everything on our own on our recent Quest cruise - all Italy except for Dubrovnik. Like Susan, we did a mix of private drivers (shared with our Roll Call) and self-guided tours.

 

My advice is to first read some guidebooks - Rick Steves and Eyewitness Travel are my two favorites - for suggestions on what to see and do in each city you're visiting. They both give you tips on how to navigate public transportation, too.

 

We used La Dolce Vita Tours in Rome, Sorrento and Taormina (Sicily), and they were terrific - all of the drivers (or in Sicily our guide) have at least passable, if not fluent, English skills and are very knowledgable about the areas they are taking you to.

[Susan-M]

 

My advice is to first read some guidebooks - Rick Steves and Eyewitness Travel are my two favorites - for suggestions on what to see and do in each city you're visiting. They both give you tips on how to navigate public transportation, too.

 

 

I will second that recommendation ... those are the two that I use the most, with Rick Steves being my favorite for DIY sightseeing, walking tours, site tours and transportation details. :)