Palermo beach

[shatzi13]

My family and I will be going on our first Mediterranean cruise in August.  One of our stops is Palermo.  The cruise offers a 'coarh transfer" to Mondello.  How easy is it to just get a cab and go to the beach?

[edinburgher]

How easy is it to just get a cab and go to the beach?

 

Have you tried simply googling something like "getting to Mondello beach from Palermo?"

 

Be aware that once you arrive at whichever beach you are going to, during the month of August pretty much ALL beaches in S Europe will be absolutely packed  (for which read uncomfortably crowded)with tourists and locals from very early morning as it is the main European holiday month, and the hottest. This applies no matter the day of the week but could be especially crowded at weekends especially if it is a frree public beach area..

 

And if you need sun beds, umbrellas or any facilities and there is that option, you should probably reserve ahead of time.

 

If the cruiseline transfer includes sun beds, umbrellas etc and guaranteed places, you might want to give that option serious consideration.

 

Palermo is actually a wonderful historic city to explore with some really top sights so you may want to consider having a beach day from a different port.

 

 

Edited February 11, 2023 by edinburgher

[shatzi13]

I've quickly googled getting to the beach but I thought someone with first hand experience would be helpful.  As far as I can see, the cruise transfer pretty much drops off in Palermo which gives the option of exploring or going to the beach.

 

We'll also be in Genoa, Naples and Marseilli.  Would you recommend the beach any of those ports?

[euro cruiser]

Genoa, Naples and Marseille are all busy ports, you've got to travel a bit from each one to find a beach away from constant (and close by) boat traffic.

 

 

[edinburgher]

the cruise transfer pretty much drops off in Palermo which gives the option of exploring or going to the beach.

 

I don't actually understand that, unless the cruise port has changed location since our visit.  Maybe a new one has been built?   We docked centrally, with the city pretty much across the street from the dock.

 

 The port area was busy with taxis, one of the little tourist trains and HOHOs also on offer.  I am pretty sure there was also a Tourist Info office just across the stret as we picked up a map from there. .It was either there in a building or it was from a kiosk beside the taxis, HOHOs etc.  it was very busy there.We were exploring on foot and had even found a YouTube video which showed cruise pax following a suggested route from the port to the old town main sights.  We did that, with our first stop being Four Corners, followed by the Monumental Fountain Square.  Our other sighseeing highlights were easily reached from there and in close proximity to each other.   The longest walk was from the port to four corners.  It was a good 20 or more minutes fairly fast walking.

 

Perhaps the transfer bus goes as far as the Cathedral which we did not reach as we already had a full schedule.

 

Does the cruiseline tell you how to reach the beach from the drop off point? or does it drop- off for city sightseeing then continue to the beach for a second drop-off?

 

And did you read online descriptions and reviews of the beach?.  And if so, will it meet your needs or will you reconsider that option?

 

[edinburgher]

We'll also be in Genoa, Naples and Marseilli.  Would you recommend the beach any of those ports?

 

Genoa offers many possibilities and is, in its own right, a very historical city with many sights.in the historical centre and little winding streets to explore alongside palaces, churches etc.  It is also well located for visits to Cinque Terre, Portofino and others, so a beach day may not appeal to many.

 

Cruise pax already have tough choices to make at Naples as there are many highlights to choose from and they cannot all be done in one port day, so not many would opt for a beach day instead of eg Capri, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii,  or Herculaneum.  Do none of these options appeal to you?

 

Marseille also  has many historical sights.but  is another city well placed for exploring some of the region of Provence including Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Cassis and others. Your family might also enjoy a boat trip from Marseille  to the Chateau d'IF or to the calanques at Cassis. For the pretty Luberon villages you would need a shorex or private tour.

 

You should probably research tourist info websites for all your ports and choose a beach day from the one which holds less  appeal than others.

 

Suggest you also  look at the shorex bering offered by your cruise line to get an idea of sightseeing options in each port. Even if you don't want to do any they will give you an indication of the highlights at each of your ports.  And also read past threads and posts to see what possibilities were suggested to others for DIY sightseeing.

 

You should also use the internet to search eg "Beaches near Genoa/Naples/Marseille" to find the closest to your port cities as you may need to use public transport to reach them.  And do bear in mind the advice above that .during the month of August pretty much ALL beaches in S Europe will be absolutely packed  (for which read uncomfortably crowded)with tourists and locals from very early morning as it is the main European holiday month, and the hottest. This applies no matter the day of the week but could be especially crowded at weekends especially if it is a frree public beach area..  There should also be information on the "for a fee" private beach areas where you would typically pay for the rental of sun beds, umbrellas etc. and reviews of your chosen beach should indicate whether you would need to book these ahead of time.

Edited February 19, 2023 by edinburgher

[fowler9]

On 2/10/2023 at 10:07 PM, shatzi13 said:

My family and I will be going on our first Mediterranean cruise in August.  One of our stops is Palermo.  The cruise offers a 'coarh transfer" to Mondello.  How easy is it to just get a cab and go to the beach?

Easy to get a cab. Always lots of taxis outside Palermo port. Just be careful with price.  Last time, we walked 5 mins into Palermo and caught the public bus to Mondello. If I recall took about 20 mins