Jewels of the med itinery on th destiny

[Happydays 123]

Hi
My husband and i are going on our first cruise in may this year, i wonder if anyone one who has been on the jewels of the med itinery could give us some tips on the best ways to get about at the different ports and the best day trips to do ?We are really looking forward to experiencing our first cruise :)

[kruzseeka]

Hi
My husband and i are going on our first cruise in may this year, i wonder if anyone one who has been on the jewels of the med itinery could give us some tips on the best ways to get about at the different ports and the best day trips to do ?We are really looking forward to experiencing our first cruise :)

Hello there happydays (even happier when on your cruise! :D )

We have experience of some of your ports but not many of the excursions as we try to do a DIY approach if possible.

In Naples we walked to the train station and caught the local train to Pompeii SCAVI (that's the ruins - not the town). The train stops just across the road from the entrance to the site. We got off the train early and beat the crowds and tours - it can be a bit hard seeing some of the buildings when 30+ people are trying to squeeze in although you do have the benefit of a guide explaining everything to you. Anyway, we had about an hour when there were very few people there before it began to get busy.

We bought the radio commentaries and you just punch in the number at various points on the site or at different buildings and it tells you what it is and it's significance. You can go at your own speed and where you like with this approach. They give you a good map of Pompeii and there are suggested routes lasting different lengths of time. We elected to do the two hour one which covered all the high-lights and it took us nearly three hours to do. I can't remember the over-all cost but it wasn't cheap - but cheaper than the organised tour. If you Google 'Pompeii' you will probably be able to find admission charges plus the commentary hire charge (I wouldn't do it without the commentary as this brings everything to life for you.)

We had loads of time back in Naples to explore when we got back - and that's quite an experience! Take care crossing the road - follow a local as they cross - preferable a Mum with a buggy - they like children! :D and watch out for the motorcycles in pedestrianised areas - even between market stalls!

Toulon we did the half-day trip to Cassis which was great. I've recommended it to several others on here and no-one has been disappointed in the trip. It's a beautiful little fishing village with quite a 'buzz' about it.

http://www.google.co.uk/images?q=cassis+photos&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=LMJGTZ_4C8mxhAfYlZD1AQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CCAQsAQwAA&biw=1280&bih=587

You still have some time to look around Toulon as well - there are some waterfont cafes here and a local market when we called but I didn't think there was enough for the whole day so was glad we did the trip.

Barcelona is a great city and there is a Hoho bus which will take you to the main sights. Parc Guell (free entry) is worth a visit - but go on the bus or on the Metro which is very cheap, efficient and easy to use to get around the things you want to see otherwise you'll spend a long time walking between them. The Sagrada Familia (the famous unfinished church) is well worth a look even if you don't go inside and Gaudi's Casa Batllo is very interesting too - again get the audio commentary to highlight things you would otherwise miss. And of course, you should have a wander down the Ramblas the famous thoroughfare in Barcelona - lots of mime artists, cafe culture but as with other cities - watch your bags.

Ajaccio we just took the little landtrain trip - it's a nice place but again, perhaps not for a whole day. I understand Corsica is a beautiful island so if we were to go again I'd try an island tour to see a bit more.

Can't help with Trapani but I'm sure some others will be able to help and offer other suggestions to those I've come up with.

Enjoy your trip - you will love it! ;)

[Happydays 123]

:)Thankyou Kruseeka

We really cant wait to experience cruising and your information is greatly appreciated:)