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The ports of departure
and arrival are holiday
destinations in their own
right and so it is worth
adding on a couple of
nights pre or post cruise
hotel stay to make the
most of your flight and
these incredible cities:
BARCELONA: The airport is situated
south along the coast from central
Barcelona. The city centre can be
reached in 25-30 minutes depending on
traffic - taxis cost approx 25-30 Euros.
The best place to stay is Las Ramblas
which is a 1.2 Km pedestrian avenue full
of shops, bars and restaurants. At the
end of Las Ramblas is the monument to
Christopher Columbus which marks the
entrance to the port. The nearest cruise
terminal is about 10 minutes walk from
here & there are seven cruise terminals in
total. In fact the Blue Bus Shuttle departs
from this monument and can take you
directly to your ship for just 6 Euros.
Sightseeing musts include the Sagrada
Familia Cathedral (building commenced
in 1882 and has not finished), Barcelona
FC Museum, the Picasso Museum
and the Magic Fountain of Mon Juic
for nightly light, water and music
extravaganza's.
ROME: The main airport of Fiumicino
is situated approx 16 miles from Rome
City centre. The best place to stay is near
the train terminal where it is easy to get
to all of the main attractions either on
foot or on the Metro. Whilst in Rome
you must visit the Coliseum, The Roman
Forum ruins (which are the old heart of
the Roman Empire), the Trevi Fountain,
the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps and the
Vatican. Civitavecchia Port is situated
50km north west of Rome. Roundtrip
pre-booked transfers usually cost
approx £100pp and (unlike many cruise
specialists) we usually include these in
the cost of your cruise holiday.
GENOA: Christopher Columbus airport
is situated just 6km from Genoa city
centre passing the port on the way. It
is also the closest airport to the port of
Savona - 56km away. Genoa is steeped
in history, has lots of low price cruises
departing from here and is the gateway
to the Italian Riviera including Portofino -
just 15 miles away. Genoa is a dense and
fascinating medieval warren of alleyways
where Christopher Columbus grew up.
Steeped in history - Genoa has always
been a city of merchants where tiny
grocers, textile workshops, and bakeries
jostle for position with boutiques, design
outlets and goldsmiths. The rejuvenated
Old Port area is a great place to stay
with its celebrated architecture and lots
of things to do. Nightlife can be found
along the waterfront, there are also two
theatres, an opera house and even the
Britannia Pub.
VENICE: The sail away from Venice
through the Grand Canal, past St Marks
Square and out to sea is one of the
best in world. You can reach Venice by
land using the bus (approx' 15 Euros )
or a private taxi (approx' 45 Euros) to
Piazzale Roma. The journey takes about
30-40 minutes depending on traffic .
Alternatively you may want to arrive
James Bond style - by water taxi direct
from the airport to St Marks Square or to
the lobbies of larger hotels with landing
pontoons. The cost for an airport water
taxi is approx' £90 and the journey takes
around 30 minutes. In many of our cruise
packages we include water taxi transfers.
If you are visiting Venice the only place to
stay is on Venice Island - popular choices
tend to be Saint Marks Square, the Rialto
Bridge, Piazzale Roma or close to Santa
Lucia train station. Many unscrupulous
operators will include a hotel stay in
Venice and further investigation reveals
they have included hotels in Mestre
-Venice which is on the mainland three
miles away from Venice Island- so
beware!
The restaurants and bars lining Saint
Marks Square are the most expensive;
but whilst in Venice you must at least
have a drink here to watch the world go
by. Restaurants close to the Rialto Bridge
are much cheaper and just as scenic.
History, architecture, dining, romance
and pure wander lust through the
cobbled streets and by the canals is what
Venice is all about.
Corfu
Genoa
Venice
Rome
Choose a Mediterranean cruise for a varied
holiday experience - close to home. They offer
an inspiring holiday experience at amazing low
prices and are perfect for singles, couples and
families of all ages.
