IF I LIVE TO SEE THE SEVEN WONDERS, I'LL MAKE A PATH TO THE RAINBOW'S END: Reader Heather K has a request for the ALOTT5MA Travel and Leisure Desk:
I am about to go on my honeymoon (well kind of about) that mostly is a Mediterranean cruise (on Royal Carribean). We are opting not to do most of their excursions because they seem to be for elderly people who are afraid of foreigners and also way too expensive for the return. BUT I thought some people who follow this blog might have some advice on things to do on a few of our day trip stops. We have Athens planned out, but we could use some tips on things to do for a part of a day in the following three ports:
- Messina (Sicily), Italy
- Ephesus/Kusadasi, Turkey
- Chania (Souda), Crete
In Messina, you can hire a care to take you to Taormina for a reasonable amount ($50?). Messina is not particularly exciting but Taormina is absolutely gorgeous and walkable. There is a stunning Greek Theatre there and lovely shops and ample gelato. There are guys with cars lined up on the main street just outside where the ship ports. We negotiated with a guy for a set price for 5 hours. He drove us up to Taormina (30 min away? I think?) and then came back in 5 hours and drove us back. It was spectacular. If you like the cold and are a mountain climbing sort, you can also go to Mount Etna for the day, but keep in mind that it gets cold up there, even in the middle of the summer.
ReplyDeleteEphesus is really just ruins. Most cruise ships seem to port in Izmir nearby. This might be the one place that it's worth buying a tour or at least prearranged transportation to Ephesus itself because it is kind of situated away from the coast and I don't remember seeing tons of easy access public navigation. If you can get transport to the site, you can just get a ticket into the ruins (which are huge and spectacular) and then wander around on your own.
I didn't make it to Crete, but I'd love to hear more after you get back.
I can only speak to Kusadasi/Ephesus. Kusadasi itself is not exciting -- typical port town, not many authentic restaurants unless you get a decent distance away from the port.
ReplyDeleteHowever, my wife and I loved the ruins at Ephesus. I do recommend hiring a tour guide; it's better than relying on a book for all of the history, and it also gets you around the problem of getting from the port to the ruins. We had a very good experience with http://www.aboutephesus.com/; for $75USD per person (as of Sept 2011), we got a private ride to/from the ruins; a very friendly (and good) tour guide; tickets to Ephesus (including the Terrace Houses, which are a highlight and otherwise require a second fee), the Temple of Artemis (very little to see, but still cool to visit an ancient wonder), and St. John's Basilica; and a traditional lunch at a Turkish rug shop. They will try to sell expensive rugs to you after you finish your lunch, but it was enjoyable and free of any high-pressure tactics. The trip only took about half the day; probably from 8am-2pm or so. I highly recommend this way of seeing Ephesus, for what that's worth.
I second (third) the ruins of Ephesus. If you are not into ruins, see if you can get to Selcuk, and, from there, the village of Sirince (prounched She-REEN-jeh). Sirince has amazing olive groves and wine houses that specialize in fruit wine. The market is somewhat unique, given the area's wine production focus, and fun to explore.
ReplyDeleteI second (third) the ruins of Ephesus. If you are not into ruins, see if you can get to Selcuk, and, from there, the village of Sirince (prounched She-REEN-jeh). Sirince has amazing olive groves and wine houses that specialize in fruit wine. The market is somewhat unique, given the area's wine production focus, and fun to explore.
ReplyDeleteI second (third) the ruins of Ephesus. If you are not into ruins, see if you can get to Selcuk, and, from there, the village of Sirince (prounched She-REEN-jeh). Sirince has amazing olive groves and wine houses that specialize in fruit wine. The market is somewhat unique, given the area's wine production focus, and fun to explore.
ReplyDeleteAnd apologize for the multiple postings. My computer had a mini-freakout.
ReplyDeleteAnd apologize for the multiple postings. My computer had a mini-freakout.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, thanks Adam for running this.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I think this has sold me on signing up for a tour/transport to the ruins because why YES I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ANCIENT RUINS YES!
It is my first trip to this part of the world--my husband to be has been many times since his father is a Classics professor and sometimes family trips were made out of book and article research.
I am weirdly excited about Messina because Much Ado About Nothing is one of my favorite plays even though I know that Shakespeare was never there, so its not like its actually based there.
Also we are only in Crete for like 6 hours, all the rest are 9 hours or more.
One thing I will say about cruises (I've done 4) is that in most ports (there are exceptions) you can get the same sort of shore excursion as the line is offering with a smaller group and at a cheaper price through a local vendor on the Internet. This is a little tougher in Europe, when you're dealing with a language and currency barrier that doesn't exist in the Caribbean or in Canada. If you see something on the Cruise Line excursion list that sounds interesting, it's worth looking at whether there's another way of doing it. Another alternative, if you're comfortable, is renting a car and doing your own thing.
ReplyDeleteWe have basically shunned the boat planned excursion because they seemed too expensive to be the best option, except the Ephesus one because it was cheaper than comparable ones we found on the internet and less than William above mentioned. In Athens we are just going to use public transit (to Athens).
ReplyDeleteAs for a car, no way. My fiancee might well be comfortable renting one but I know how he drives, there is no way that day trip would end well or happily.
Driving in Sicily was pretty easy. Sicily is amazing.
ReplyDeleteAbout a decade ago, my family did a Royal Caribbean cruise to Athens, Santorini, Olympia and Ephesus. I highly recommend taking an Ephesus tour with a guide. We did it through the cruise (mostly because my mother is paranoid about missing the boat) and it was fabulous for all ages. We also did a guided tour of the Acropolis. It was super crowded and very hot (August) but if you are going in the fall it should be fine. Enjoy both the excursions and the cruise!
ReplyDeleteSOS: Scuba, Ouzo, Scooters (not necessarily in that order)
ReplyDeleteSirence was a great visit. We did the excursion to Sirence from a Princess cruise, and loved it. We stopped in a museum in near Ephesus and drove by the ruins but didn't get out. I second JLD's rec.
ReplyDeleteraidergirl3
Thanks everyone this info has been super helpful and even opened up some ideas I has not thought of!
ReplyDelete