Baltic vs Med

[teacherman]

We cruised the Baltic last year and had a wonderful time. What we especially enjoyed was basically walking off the ship and beng able to enjoy all of the ports (except SP) on our own, which we enjoy. Is it also convenient/easy to do Med ports on our own, or does it take a lot of time/expense to get from the ship into the main sightseeing areas? (Villefranche, Livorno, Civitavecchia-Rome, Corsica, Valencia, Gibraltar)

All suggestions are appreciated.

[paul929207]

Livorno is about 2 hours from Florence.

 

Civitivechia is about 1 1/2 hours from Rome.

 

We walked from the ship to Gibraltar.

 

Haven't been to the others yet.

 

Paul

[Susan-M]

We also like to explore on our own and enjoyed doing the Baltic and Med ports on our own with a couple of exceptions (in the Baltic, SP, and in the Med, Naples.)

 

Of the Med ports that you mention, we went to Villefranche, Livorno and Civitavecchia.

From Villefranche, we visited Eze and Monte Carlo/Monaco (by bus and train).

In Livorno, we had planned to take the train to Florence, but a strike was scheduled for that day, so we opted for the Celebrity "Florence on Own" bus and spent the day exploring on our own.

In Civitavecchia, we caught the train to Rome, and once there, used the subway and our feet. For 9E/pp you can take the train to Rome and back, and use the subways & buses in Rome.

 

Advance reservations at the Accademia in Florence and the Vatican are a 'must' to avoid waiting in lines.

 

I spent a lot of time planning our Med cruise and had an itinerary planned for each day. (It was a 12 day cruise with only 2 sea days). I had also downloaded bus and train schedules. All of the effort that went into advance prep paid off .... we had such a good time & packed a lot into our days.

 

If you want more specific info on doing the ports on your own, I can post a link to a review I wrote which has details on bus and train websites, etc.

[Morgans]

Villefranche - tender into town. Very easy & very near. Easy walking though there are a few steps. Good choice of bars, restaurants and small boutique style French shops.You don't have to go to Nice or Monaco as Villefranche is beautiful in its own right.

 

Livorno - an interesting Italian town with lovely shops and a fantastic market. Depending on docking berth you will either have an easy walk into town or will need to take a shuttle. Again it is not necessary to go into Pisa or Florence - Livorno is interesting and there are plenty of opportunities to eat fantastic Italian food here. Lots of souvenirs to buy and some beautiful perfumeries and sweet shops.

 

Civitavecchia - will need transport into Rome as has been mentioned. About 1 and a half hours away.

 

Corsica - most ports here very near & walkable from ship. Ajaccio just a gentle stroll & beautiful. Lots to see and do - beach: ice creams parlours: bars; sight seeing; Napoleon memorabilia etc etc.

 

Valencia - ?

 

Gibraltar - walkable but you will need comfy shoes and is very very hot but spectacular. Lots of shuttles usually provided or taxis available. The view from the top of the rock is magnificent. Main Street is full of interesting churches, British memorabilia, tiny graveyard where Nelson's men buried - interesting and not at all morbid. Excellent shopping and plenty of cafes where if you are so inclined you can sample good old British fish and chips.

 

All in all - it sounds a lovely intinerary and well worth trying.

[Normandie-BCN]

Valencia docks (El Grao) are in the city but at a not walkable distance from the historic center (it is like Pireus and Athens). In any case, you have public transportation to the center and unexpensive taxis.