On Our Own or Guided Tour?

We are a group of 4 adults who will be doing our first European cruise in May from Venice to the following ports: Athens, Mykonos, Kusadasi/Ephesus, Istanbul, Naples, Rome, Livorno (Florence/Pisa), Toulon and ending in Barcelona. Trying to decide which ports we can easily do on our own and which we need to find a private tour. Not interested in the ships tours unless there is some extraordinary reason to do so. We are not well versed on city transit but willing to try anything as long as we won't end up on the other side of Europe :) Main thing is that we get to see the main highlights on each stop. Thank you in advance.

As this is the Italy board, covering three of your ports, I would cover those.

There are dozens of threads about those three ports here. Two (Rome and Florence) present some logistical issues (the target cities are an hour or better from the ship) that make DIY touring difficult, but technically not impossible. Yes, you can DIY both of these ports, usually by train.

Naples is pretty easy to DIY, but see below about Rome in Limo.

I would strongly suggest a private tour vender, as that is a far better use of your valuable and limited time. My experience is with Rome in Limo, which is a wonderful company, and operates in all 3 places. That fact will probably save you some money by booking more than one tour.

You can take my recommendation with a grain of salt- you should. But you will notice there is a HUGE thread just down the board, with over 3000 positive comments about Rome in Limo. That might add some credibility to my recommendation. They are a top notch outfit.

As you haven't posted on the France, Greece, Spain and Other Med boards, I would suggest some research there on your best options. Barcelona is perhaps the easiest to DIY.

In my opinion only...

If u want to save money, this is what I would do

Athens- diy ( I have very easy)

Mykonos- diy

Kusadasi- tour to Ephesus ( Ephesus shuttle good and reasonable)

Istanbul - I used guide but it would be doable diy

Naples- recommend positano and sorrento so tour

Rome- I've used both tour and diy ( u may miss a bit diy)

Livorno- train diy but guide good too

. If u do cinque terre - guide

Toulon- I shared taxi to cassis but if u stay in toulon DIY

Barcelona - DIY hop on bus

Check out RIL OR italytoursharing.com for italy tours. Ephesus shuttle for kusadasi. In toulon there are some great wine tours but I found them rather pricey. In Athens you can do a walking tour thart gives you your bearings. We took a cab to a walking tour2 hours, then she pointed us to everywhere else we should go then taxi back. There are buses too.

All depends on your budget. If there is no budget, I'd do a tour in every port except mykonos.

I actually enjoy DIY -- it would be my first choice even if money was no object and generally I only do tours (even private tours) when there is a compelling reason to do so, such as nonexistent public transportation, difficulty of access, etc.

I would disagree that you miss out by doing DIY in a city IF you are diligent about doing your research, getting off the ship first thing, etc.

That said, here is what I'd recommend for someone on a first European cruise for your ports:

Athens -- DIY; take the express bus from the port into town. It leaves from close to the port and is inexpensive. Athens historic center is very walkable with many pedestrian-only areas.

Mykonos -- Easy to DIY; take shuttle into Mykonos town and just walk around, take it easy. I'm not a beach person but there are buses or taxis to the beaches if desired.

Kusadasi/Ephesus -- Private tours are relatively cheap and public transport isn't great, so this is one place I'd just recommend a private tour. Be sure it includes the Terrace Houses at Ephesus, these are an extra cost but well worth it.

Istanbul -- The tram runs very close to the port and takes you directly to the historic area, called Sultanahmet. There within easy walking distance you will find all the major sites: Topkapi Palace, Haghia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Hippodrome, etc. .... as well, the two bazaars are not far. Many posts discuss how to DIY in Istanbul on the "Mediterranean Other Ports" forum here.

Naples -- Depends what you want to do here. If you want to visit Pompeii or Herculaneum or if you want to go to Capri or Sorrento, these are easy to do on your own. However, if you want to do the classic Amalfi Coast drive, visiting several of the iconic villages, a private tour is a must.

Rome -- There is a frequent commuter train between Civitavecchia and Rome that takes about an hour. There are MANY posts here with various suggestions and ideas of how to make the most of your day in Rome. You need to have a good plan and that includes knowing which train station is closest to your starting/ending points to maximize time. If you want to visit the Vatican Museum -- the only way to see the Sistine Chapel -- you'll need to pre-reserve tickets.

Livorno/Florence -- Probably the farthest from the port if you want to visit Florence, however, the train is possible and you can end up with 5-6 hours in the city (or more depending on your ship's schedule). Getting an early start is critical and getting to the train station may involve a taxi from the port (if you are lucky enough to get one) or a shuttle into town then a bus to the train station. If you want to see the David (at the Accademia) you'll need to pre-reserve tickets.

Toulon -- one port I've not visited.

Barcelona -- easy to see the city on your own. There is generally a shuttle from the port to the foot of the famous pedestrian avenue, Las Ramblas. Much to see in this part of the city, or use the metro to get around to, for example, the Gaudi cathedral.

Take note of what day of the week you'll be in port. Mondays most museums in Europe are closed. The Vatican museum is closed on Sundays. Topkapi Palace in Istanbul is closed on Tuesdays.

Pre-reserving tickets (as noted above) is critical if you don't want to waste up to several hours waiting in line during the peak season.

Most importantly -- do some research and decide what you are most interested in seeing/doing. Then, if you decide to DIY, post your specific questions and someone here will likely be able to help you. :)

We have done all these ports, some of them many times….. altho not all on the same cruise :D This is truly port intensive !!!!! Remember to take some time to recharge :) I will tell you our experiences - Some DIY, some private tours and even one or two ship tours.

Athens - been 4 times. First time did DIY with metro. Easy to do but a bit more time consuming getting to metro etc. Second visit we did a ship tour that was basically a bus ride into town, we did this due to the fact that we were there right after the large riots in Syntagma square and were worried about strikes which were still sporadically ongoing. Last 2 times we did a private tour and it was the best. Picked up right at the port, taken straight to the Acropolis and arrived minutes before it opened. We were there in time to see the flag raising (special treat) and on top we were there first !!!! Very different experience when there aren't thousands of tourists !!!! Highly recommend Pauls Taxi (PKTours).

Mykonos - been 4 times - first 3 we DIY - used this day as a rest day. Took the shuttle bus into town (thru cruise line) and walked, shopped, ate and took pics. Last trip we did the ships tour to Delos. Short walk to the ferry, 30 minute ride over, short guided tour, then free time to wander. Ferry back to Mykonos town where we had all afternoon to wander after having a wonderful Greek lunch!

Kusadasi/Ephesus

Istanbul - Been 3 times. We always DIY using the tram. Easy, cheap, fast and safe. The sites are all close together and easily walkable. Some people even walk to old town from the ship but I think the tram is easiest. We love Istanbul.

Naples - Been 5 times. Use APTours ! Only once did we DIY and that was because we stayed in Naples and did the museum, pizza lunch and made it a short day (I was sick with a bad head cold) But our private tours with APTours are always perfect ! We do Pompeii first (early!) than Ravello, Amalfi, Positano and then take the ferry back from Sorrento and arrive right next to the ship.

Rome - I cannot comment on Rome being a port stop since we ALWAYS leave from here. We arrive 3-4 days early and stay in an apt…..love this city !

Livorno - was here on our first cruise in Europe. We booked only 6 weeks out so not a lot of time to research and we were unexperienced so we did more ships tours than we do now…… We did Pisa/Florence on your own tour…..they bus you to Pisa where you have free time and then back on the bus to Florence where they give you free time. So basically a bus ride but due to the distances and this being our first time, it was more in our comfort zone than DIY etc.

Toulon - same cruise as Livorno - did a 1/2 day ship tour to Aix-en-Provence. This was our last day before disembarking in Barcelona so only did 1/2 day. Two reasons - 1 we were tired towards the last day of the cruise and 2 I had to pack :eek:

Barcelona - we disembarked here and spent one night before flying home. You can walk this city very easily but a few things are a bit far apart…… we walked most of it but did take a taxi to Sagrada Familia…… my feet were tired !

Hope this info helps. Probably the most influencing factor is distances…… and the time factor. All cruises do not have the same time frames in port so its up to you to decide what is and what isn't in your comfort zone. Make a list of your must haves and then prioritize them - hit as many as you can and then come back again for the others ;) have fun planning !

TEX

What we did at these ports:

Athens: First time we arranged our own private tour for a half day in port. Second time, purchase bus tour with Katakolon Express.

Mykonos: DIY trip to Delos and then walked around town

Kusadasi/Ephesus: First time had private tour to Ephesus when we docked at Ismir. Second time, private tour to Priene, Miletus, and Didyma

Istanbul: DIY two days

Naples: First time private tour to Pompeii, Sorrento, Positano; second time DIY Naples

Rome: DIY pre-cruise; suggestion for one day in port--organized tour

Livorno (Florence/Pisa): Private tour

Toulon: DIY

Barcelona: DIY. First time HOHO bus; second time HOHO bus; third time Metro

 

Athens - been 4 times. First time did DIY with metro. Easy to do but a bit more time consuming getting to metro etc. Second visit we did a ship tour that was basically a bus ride into town, we did this due to the fact that we were there right after the large riots in Syntagma square and were worried about strikes which were still sporadically ongoing. Last 2 times we did a private tour and it was the best. Picked up right at the port, taken straight to the Acropolis and arrived minutes before it opened. We were there in time to see the flag raising (special treat) and on top we were there first !!!! Very different experience when there aren't thousands of tourists !!!! Highly recommend Pauls Taxi (PKTours).

 

TEX

I'll just point out that it's not necessary to take a private tour to get to the Acropolis before it opens. With the new X80 express bus (runs from 7:00 am), it's also possible.

Athens- another vote for PKtaxi. The taxi driver drivers you around from place to place. You're the first ones to arrive at Acropolis. He is not a tour guide and you can simply use Rick Steves as a guidebook. But if you are very interested he can also provide a guide. Get a private taxi, not a shared excursion.

In Barcelona make sure you have preordered your admission tickets to Sagrada cathedral. They offer a very enjoyable audio tour no need for a guide.

We used Rick Steves' Mediterranean Cruise Ports book for our last European cruise. He specifically addresses whether you should go on your own or take a tour in each port. The book is not perfect but is a good reference to get an overview of the ports and make touring decisions before you cruise.

We are a group of 4 adults who will be doing our first European cruise in May from Venice to the following ports: Athens, Mykonos, Kusadasi/Ephesus, Istanbul, Naples, Rome, Livorno (Florence/Pisa), Toulon and ending in Barcelona. Trying to decide which ports we can easily do on our own and which we need to find a private tour. Not interested in the ships tours unless there is some extraordinary reason to do so. We are not well versed on city transit but willing to try anything as long as we won't end up on the other side of Europe :) Main thing is that we get to see the main highlights on each stop. Thank you in advance.

In my signature below are some links to videos, grouped by country, of nearly all of your ports. The places were did a private tour were Ephesus, Amalfi Coast from Naples, and Pisa/Lucca from Livorno, with all the others just using public transport and a good guide book. I'm sure you won't end up on the other side of Europe ! Good luck - and good weather, Tony

Thank you to everyone for the guidance. Much appreciated.

We did this identical itinery oct 2014. For Rome, florence and Naples we joined others from our roll call and used italyshoredrivers, so eight of us in luxury 8/10 seater vehicles, got to all the attractions before cruise lines coaches. Really great tours.

Joined different people from rollcall for another private tour at Ephesus( Kusudasi) a good tour but despite me constantly letting our group know before the trip that I wouldn't want to go to carpet factory, they ended up being talked into going to a leather one instead:eek:( I'm not a shopper on holiday-just a sightseer)

It's a great, but tiring itinery, so be sure to pace yourselves.