Bangkok DIY excursion

Has anyone done this excursion? Can you tell me how far it is from the Asia Hotel where you are dropped to the Grand Palace? Is it hard to get a cab back to the hotel when you are done?

Suggest you surf over to tripadvisor Bangkok forum and acquaint yourself on taxis, tuk tuks, Grand Palace scams and other useful topics. I am a frequent visitor to Bangkok and recommend as much research as possible.

The Grand Palace is quite a long way from drop off stop and there is no public transport directly to it (besdes buses which are very confusing), if Asia Hotel I googled is correct it is nearish the very bustlng Sukhumvit Rd.

I would probably try to find a driver/guide to meet you at hotel and there are several on the tripadvisor site who get high marks. I have used Mr. Mana a few times and he is great....prompt, kind, etc.

Bangkok traffic is a nightmare. Our taxi needed 30 minutes just to get across an intersection. Our other drivers used back roads through narrow alleys, across a wooden bridge and through a courtyard with an open gate to get back to our hotel on Sukhumvit Rd. This is one port and city I would never do on my own if I wanted to see the major sites. Those were extremely crowded but worth the visit.

Thank you all. We were in Bangkok a few years ago on the Diamond Princess and took a ship's tour. But all we had was about a half hour at the Grand Palace. We were thinking we would like more time there. I am afraid to have someone drive us from Laem Chabang, remembering the horrible traffic. So I thought I might try the drop off excursion. I wish we had more time.

We had a guide through a travel agent in our hotel and she took taxis with us. Check whether your drop -off hotel has a travel agency. I found ours on the hotel website.

Asia Hotel is right beside Ratchatewi Skytrain station. Transfer south transferring lines at the next stop Siam to head to Saphan Taksin and you can take a Chao Praya Express boat to the Grand Palace. This will avoid traffic but not the scammers hanging out at the Grand Palace. Alternatively, you can walk a block to the canal and take a canal boat heading west to the last stop (by Wat/Saket Golden Mount). This will get you closer where you can continue your journey by taxi. There is a lot of stair climbing when riding the skytrain and you also need to have good balance boarding and exiting canal boats.

Also you should confirm the tour still drops off at Asia Hotel since Central Word is also used.

I am also considering the DIY option on our cruise next month. We've never been to Bangkok so unsure if to just get dropped off and explore on our own. The ship tours are ridiculously expensive. No was I'd risk private from the port though.

Those who are wary of DIY should really lose that inhibition.;)

There's no suitable public transport from L/C, and taxis at the port are in a cartel & will screw the un-prepared, but there are plenty of operators on the 'web who can be pre-booked for little more than half the cost of ship's transfers or the taxi cartel - you just need to be sure to book one with plenty of good independent reviews. Do this for transfers only, or to include a tour, according to your preference.

Traffic between port & city is not normally problematic, it's within the city that it can all come to a grinding halt. Ships' transfer buses are committed to their route & drop-off point, your private transfer driver can circumvent the worst of the traffic - and can drop you at your first chosen sight, rather than that not-very-convenient hotel.

For the return journey it's best to meet back at the point where you were dropped, or you can avoid back-tracking by agreeing some other point as long as you have confidence that you know exactly where that is. The return drive should be about 90 minutes but, yes, do allow at least 2.5 hours.

For travel within the city there's the Skytrain and ferries.

And tuk-tuks. Again, you need to cast off inhibitions - the tuk-tuks are much quicker through traffic than taxis, but you do need to agree a price before you board - and insist that the ride is DIRECT, not via his mother-in-law's fabrics shop or his second-cousin's jewellery workshop. Friendly but firm.

And Skytrain, ferries & tuk-tuks are much more fun than being cocooned in a taxi.

If your ship overnites in port, strongly consider booking a Bangkok hotel. This avoids duplicating the long drive & gives you an evening in the city. Book that taxi for both ways, or get your hotel to book a return taxi for you will probably work out cheaper.

I think all cruise ships' bus transfers can only be booked for travel to and from the city on the same day.

Just MHO as always

JB :)