Your 5 favourite........ city ports

I thought it might be an idea to highlight our 5 favourite..... in this case city ports (with reasons to give folk an idea of why you've chosen it).

I always like to hear of places people really rate so hope it may add to the info people gather to put on their wish list of future places to visit.

There are a few other threads of this type which I can start if this is popular - other ideas could be scenic ports/beach ports/historical sites etc. I'm sure other ideas will crop up too - but I'll leave a time interval in between so not to cause overload and give us time to think about one before the tackling the next one.

So.... my favourite city ports:

1. Havana... so easy to explore, just walk off the ship. Fascinating place, magnificent architecture albeit some of it in a state of considerable decay but all adds to the atmosphere and charm. Such a vibrant place; music, bars, larger than life characters, American taxis, horses and traps, Coco taxis, tuk-tuks so many ways of getting around and cheap! Just wonderful especially if you can get an overnight there to sample the bars at night or go to the Tropicana show. A great DiY port.

2. Istanbul..... also possible to walk to the tourist centre but can use the tram. Main tourist attractions clustered together so easy to see a lot in one day; the Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar, Spice Market, Galata Bridge etc. Very cosmopolitan city with cafe culture but very interesting and different from other europoen cities. Fabulous atmosphere and again wonderful if you get an overnight - the cafes come to life at night. Very friendly and fascinating place. Again easy DiY

3. St Petersburg..... just for sheer gob-smacking opulence of the palaces and fantastic history. To get off the ship you do need to book a private tour firm or do the Thomson excursions (they get the visas) or you have to get your own visa prior to travel and that is an extra cost you have to factor into your cruise cost. This really isn't a DiY city (except perhaps for the most confident/adventurous traveller) but it's such an experience that the excursions are worth every penny imo. See at least one of the big Palaces; Catherine Palace and/or Peterhof, the Hermitage, some of the fabulous churches, a river trip and even the ballet. So much to choose from.

4. Venice..... the sail-in, the sail-out, the comletely unique nature of the city. A real experience. Personally I'd always adopt a DiY here too. We walk in from the port but there are other options like the vaporetto or water taxis. But it's easy to get into the centre independently and this is a city where it's just great to walk, get lost, have a drink, have an ice cream - and of course you can visit St Mark's, the Doge's Palace, have a gondola ride too but I just love wandering. So iconic!

(These four aren't in order - I love tham all equally for different reasons)

5. If I had to choose another I think after much deliberation I'd choose Rome just edging it from Athens and Barcelona. I just love the way you can wander around Rome and come face to face with 2,000+ year old history right in the centre of the city. Also somewhere you can see a lot in a day; the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the Forum, Trevi Fountain all possible in a day even on foot and just a great place to stop for a drink at the numerous pavement cafes. This is a possible DiY on the train - we've done that several times but now prefer to do the 'Rome on your Own' transfer - more expensive but takes the anxiety out of getting back and we find we have more time in the city with a later departure time on the Thomson trip. (I wouldn't dare leave it that late to go to catch a train!). Great city - good to have a map and plan your route beforehand though so you can see make the most of your time.

Will be interested to hear of others' favourites - my 'To go there' list keeps growing! :rolleyes::D

How long does it take to walk from port to St marks square we go to Venice in May and was weighing up for doing diy or trip .

I can second Istanbul, St Peterburg and Venice. Hoping to do Havana at some point!!:D:D

How long does it take to walk from port to St marks square we go to Venice in May and was weighing up for doing diy or trip .

I think you have a number of options for DiY:

1. At the port you can pick up a water taxi to St Mark's. It doesn't go down the Grand Canal though if you want to see that. It follows your sail-in route down the Guidecca Canal. Very straight forward though.

2. Or, you can walk to P.Roma -(there is a people mover at the entrance to the port which takes a little of the distance out but it's only a 10/15 minute walk if you don't bother with the people mover). Here you have two options:

a. Catch the vaporetto (water bus)- the right one takes you to St Mark's but via the Grand Canal which is definitely worth seeing from the water.

b. Walk; just look for the first floor height signs attached to buildings showing the way to 'the Railto' and/or 'St Marco'. It's very well sign-posted so you won't get lost - or you may - but not for long. Have a map and every time you come across a Square (usually named after the church located there) you will be able to get your bearings again. Don't be put off you really can't go wrong. On the ship they told us it would take well over an hour to walk in. We didn't rush but were in St Mark's 45 minutes after leaving the ship. On that occasion we walked bith in and out of the centre. It's part of Venice's charm to walk through the back alleys (small canals) and get the real flavour of the city imo. It's a relatively small area so as long as you are up for walking you can easy do it all on foot.

But whatever you chose, unless you really want a guided tour and the benefits of having a guide I wouldn't dream of going on a tour - it's too exciting wandering around and going where you want for as long as you want and not be herded around in a large group. Venice is busy enough without that. So Diy has my vote every time and spend the whole day in the centre - but walking or taking the vaporetto the choice is yours - easy to do independently either way.

Couple of recommendations:

a) find St Stephano Sq about 5 mins from St Mark's for 'Le Cafe' for a drink or something to eat - not too expensive and a lovely peaceful square to sit out and catch your breath. Also use the toilets wherever you stop for drinks - loos area at a premium in Venice!

http://www.lecafevenezia.com/

(Avoid cafes in St Mark's Sq which cost a fortunate - ok if you want an extra special occasion but 40€ for two cappuccinos and a cake which my friends paid is OTT for me).

b) from St Stephano make your way to the Accademia Bridge (again clearly signed) for classic photos of Venice. Turn right over the bridge (you are now on the Guidecca Canal again - you sailed past here on your way in) and find Nico Gelateria for superb icecreams - very reasonable too!

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.gelaterianico.com/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dnico%2Bgelateria%2Bvenice%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DF6O%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26channel%3Dsb

Enjoy whatever you decide to do - I'm sure you'll love it.

I`ll third Instanbul,Venice for the reasons Kruz gives and throw in Barcelona,love the place and quite like the sail into Genoa and where the ship docks,almost in the middle of the city

Would add these two places:):)

I thought it might be an idea to highlight our 5 favourite..... in this case city ports (with reasons to give folk an idea of why you've chosen it).

 

I always like to hear of places people really rate so hope it may add to the info people gather to put on their wish list of future places to visit.

 

There are a few other threads of this type which I can start if this is popular - other ideas could be scenic ports/beach ports/historical sites etc. I'm sure other ideas will crop up too - but I'll leave a time interval in between so not to cause overload and give us time to think about one before the tackling the next one.

Hello kruzseeka

Lovely idea. My only suggestion would be that the ports are put in the Thread Title as we will have other ports and off-thread comments appearing before I can stop sneezing (in the throes of dying at the mo:eek:) :)

Hello kruzseeka

 

Lovely idea. My only suggestion would be that the ports are put in the Thread Title as we will have other ports and off-thread comments appearing before I can stop sneezing (in the throes of dying at the mo:eek:) :)

Ah.......... but which ports to put in the title? I could put mine in but would they be other peoples' choices? I guess whilst there will be some duplication/agreement people will nominate different ones which I wouldn't be able to predict.

I thought it might just stimulate a discussion on different cities to help others appreciate what's appealed to those who have been there. Different threads about different kinds of ports could follow so that people who have a preference for cities/scenic/historic/beachy or whatever could dip in and have a look to see what other people have enjoyed. I think one on scenic ports for example will generate a lot of variety and perhaps ones we'd never even though of.

I don't know, perhaps I've not organised it in the best or most logical way but just wanted everyone to chip in with their own favourites and didn't want to pre-empt their suggestions or exclude any others popping up - I've no idea what I might be missing! :D

Anyway hope you'll soon be feeling better - sounds as though you're really suffering. :( A hot toddy and off to bed with a good book sounds like a plan! ;)

Hello kruzseeka

I thought the thread could be headed e.g. Favourite Ports : Havana/Istanbul/St Petersburg/Venice/Rome then further threads with blocks of 4/5 ports with their own heading, e.g. Athens/Dubrovnik/..... and so on. Just thought it would keep all comments relating to the mentioned ports together.

I see so many threads starting off and the gist gets lost as there have been numerous conversations about nothing to do with the thread. People don't seem to want to stay with the subject matter or start another thread.

Thanks for your wishes. I've done the bed bit with hw bottle and hot drinks etc. Toddies are no good as I couldn't get them over - I don't drink any form of alcohol!:)

Erm, let me think. City stops...

1. Rome (Civitavecchia)

Amazing city with something to see at every turn. I could keep on going back to Rome again and again and would never get bored. One of, if not the best city in the world IMO.

2. Dubrovnik

Yes, it can get busy at times, but I still love the old town here, especially around the marina. Stayed now in Dubrovnik itself a few times and have loved every stay. Dubrovnik in the evening is wonderful.

3. Venice

The sail-in alone makes Venice such a special destination. Always get lost in one of its many streets, but that adds to the charm of this place.

4. Istanbul

Was really surprised the first time I went to Istanbul. Wasn't expecting it to be as nice as it was. Very cosmopolitan, buzzing city. An overnight stop here is on the wish list. ;)

5. Rabat (Casablanca)

An odd 5th choice, but I really liked our trip to Rabat from Casablanca. Quite a contrast to the other stops in Morocco. A really nice city, that is very different from the others on the western Med itineraries.

Rabat - well that's come out of left field for me. Very interesting choice sailaway - and one I shall remember if we ever go to Casablanca again. Thanks! :)

Based on where I've been so far..

Rome,,I'll never tire of a day in Rome.

Venice.

Barcelona,,Love it.

Amsterdam,,for the flower market,as a florist it's my idea of heaven:D

Istanbul is still on my to do list!

Good Thread Kruzseeka, you know how it always takes me ages to decide things......well I've been thinking for a while decided my 5 and then read it was city PORTS.:o

I'll be back again in a little while.;)

sorry...not really a city person......but I luvved havana (a lot) and barcelona too, both cities are very easy to just wander about and explore the back streets.... straight off the gangway no taxi ride required:cool:

Rabat - well that's come out of left field for me. Very interesting choice sailaway - and one I shall remember if we ever go to Casablanca again. Thanks! :)

Good to hear this - have just booked a trip today here (upon recommendation from several on here!)

Istanbul & Venice have to be my favourite....so far......

I am the same as Geo - not too keen on cities but I have fallen in love with Istanbul & would go there again & again!

right,

1. ROME

This was easy I love Rome and have visited lots of times, even stayed there, and still haven't seen everything. It's easy to walk around and even the sights that aren't famous are fabulous.

2. ISTANBUL

Much like Rome all the sights are easily accessible and mind blowing. I would definitely like to go again.

3. HAVANNA

This place has character. All the time I was walking around it was like being on a stage set or in a TV documentary.

4. CAIRO

Not everyones cup of tea BUT it has PYRAMIDS and that does it for me, not to mention the Sphinx and museum. I also like the chaos and hustle and bustle and stupid traffic as you drive through.

5. ST.PETERSBURG

This has to be the most opulent place on the planet. The reason it isn't further up the list is because you can't just wander at will. My favourite places in order were Catherines Palace, Peterhoff Gardens, Canal cruise and Hermitage which included the Gold Room.

Would add these two places:):)

Yes me too and Venice:)

Here goes....

Not in any particular order but Rome has to be number one:

Rome: There is just so much to see, we walked miles.

Istanbul: A vibrant City with a real buzz, loads to see again, Hagia Sophia, and Sulemani Mosque are my favourites.

Venice: Great place to explore, good to see the normal hustle and bustle of the locals going about their business in the smaller streets, it's not all about the tourist hot spots.

Stockholm: Great buildings to see and you can wander around Gamla old town, then over to Skeppsholmen for the greener part of town. The sail out is amazing.

Tallinn: Another great walkable City, looking at the Nevsky Cathedral you could almost be in St Petersburg. Holds a place in my heart because I spent my 50th birthday here drinking the excellent Lager.

Kruz... why oh why did you limit us to 5, there are so many I love... Barcelona, Cadiz, Lisbon, St Petersburg, Bergen, I even liked Helsinki for it's plain architecture and awesome train station.

PS. We should do a worst port thread when it goes quiet on here again.

I was going to suggest that Joe :o:o

I didn't like Havana :eek:

I know it is hard isn't it Joe - but aren't we lucky that we have been able to go to so many that it's difficult to choose? Ten years ago I would never have believed I would have been to these places. Oh the joy of cruises - so much variety and so many places on each trip. :D

Yes - good idea about worst/poor ports too Joe. I'll add that to the list for the future although I don't think I've got as many as five bad ports. Will be good to hear people's suggestions for excursions at those! :rolleyes: Credit to Thomson they do often drop ports which people rate unfavourably.

There are some interesting responses but a high degree of agreement on the city ports with some like Istanbul, Rome, Venice and others featuring prominently. There hasn't been one suggestion I'd disagree with!

Thanks everyone for your contributions. :) For anyone who hasn't been to these ports they will at least now know they come highly recommended. I'll start another thread in a few days - perhaps that will test our decision-making rather more and generate a more varied selection. I'm looking forward to reading everyone's ideas. But in the meantime, we might have some more city ports to add.

I haven't been to many city ports yet, I actually preferred the small ports like Kotor, Sibenik, Madeira and Dubrovnik to Venice. There was too much pushing and shoving in Venice the day I was there and too many queues. The sail out from Venice with Rob, Brandi and Max singing was magical though.

Rome is a beautiful city but you do not get the benefit of it in one day.

I liked Las Palmas in Gran Canaria best in the Canaries, beach, promenade, historical area, massive park/gardens, lots of shops but wasn't allowed to go in them (DH).

However, and I don't know if this is allowed, but my favourite city port is Sydney. I have only entered the port on the Manley ferry and the River Cat, but on my bucket list is sailing in on a cruise ship. :)

I would certainly agree with all the suggestions so far (been to most, not all)

I would like to add Lisbon to the list- it's a very tourist friendly city, easy to get around, plenty to see, but not overcrowded.

kate

I haven't been to many city ports yet, I actually preferred the small ports like Kotor, Sibenik, Madeira and Dubrovnik to Venice. There was too much pushing and shoving in Venice the day I was there and too many queues. The sail out from Venice with Rob, Brandi and Max singing was magical though.

 

Rome is a beautiful city but you do not get the benefit of it in one day.

 

I liked Las Palmas in Gran Canaria best in the Canaries, beach, promenade, historical area, massive park/gardens, lots of shops but wasn't allowed to go in them (DH).

 

However, and I don't know if this is allowed, but my favourite city port is Sydney. I have only entered the port on the Manley ferry and the River Cat, but on my bucket list is sailing in on a cruise ship. :)

I'd love to go to Sydney.

You never know, one day;) as Kruzseeka said I never thought I'd achieve seeing anywhere near the places I have.

My fave 5 in reverse order are :

5 - Ajaccio in Corsica (birthplace on Napoleon)

4 - Trapani in Sicily (an Island I'd love to see more of , plus I had the best pizza I've ever tasted here)

3 - Corfu old Town -(my one and only visit to anywhere remotely Greek and loved it , everyone seemed so friendly and helpful , had a cracking cold beer here in a shady side street)

2 - Venice (the sail in was just stunning , unfortunately in July it was heaving , but the sail in and out was worth it)

1 - Dubrovnik (The walled city is awesome , I was just blown away with how beautiful a place It was and looked all along the Croatian coastline , plus being a huge Game of Thrones fan it was nice to visit Kings Landing !!)

Most overrated/Disappointing - Barcelona (I know people love it , I just can't take to it , much prefer Madrid)

Is Game of Thrones filmed in Dubrovnik or is there a place there called Kings Landing?