Are there tour guides readily available right off of the ship in the Mediterranean?

[OrangeKitty]

At ports, such as Rome, Athens, and Izmir (Turkey)...are there tour guides waiting to book tours with passengers who have just stepped off of the ship?

 

I hate booking excursions through the cruise lines...and I am looking to book something "off the ship" the day we are in port (not before). I am extremely familiar with how things work in the Caribbean, but not so much in the Mediterranean...I was wondering if it is the same/similar.

 

Please give me any info that you can! Thanks!! :)

[carlmm]

I do not know about Izmir but in European ports there are normally no tour guides waiting.

 

What you will find are taxis and of course an excellent public transportation system.

[sea-explorer]

There are plenty of guides available in the ports if you are willing to book them in advance & then they will be waiting for you as you step off the ship. They do not generally charge a deposit or ask for CC details, you just pay in cash on the day. In Turkey they will also often quote you and accept payment in $, at least the independent guides tend to.

[taxatty]

Remember that for Rome--you dock a long distance away in Civitavecchia. The same is true if your "port" is Florence (really Livorno) and various other supposed "ports" in the Med. I would absolutely make arrangements with a guide in advance of going to places like these, unless you just want to take the train to Rome or wherever and do it yourself (which is doable with enough advance planning and reading this CC board).

If you want a guide, also make sure that you are getting a real English-speaking guide, not just a driver, unless you only care about transportation.

Les