Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Insanely long 12 port trip report

This summary contains as much practical “Rick Steves” type information as possible. It’s for the slightly adventurous, fit traveler. I personally hate most guided tours because they are expensive, you can’t control where you go or how much time you spend there, and the ship’s excursions just weren’t that good. I heard from another passenger that the Rome Highlights tour didn’t even go to the Coloseum, Pantheon or Trevi Fountain. What kind of “highlights” tour is that?! I also advise you to learn some basic phrases or print them out on a sheet of paper and bring them in your bag. We never used a money belt, even though I bought two. I kept my money in my front pant pocket or in a front buttoned shirt pocket. I kept my camera in a small, lightweight messenger bag. This is such a long write-up because I was such an obsessive planner and we visited 12 ports of call on a 16-day cruise.

Athens, Greece
We flew from Paris CDG to the Athens airport. There is a subway metro stop right at the airport. Buy your tickets at the machine instead of with the ticket vendor – it will be cheaper that way. We were charged 10 euros to get to Syngrou Fixe, but if we had bought a single trip ticket, it would have only cost something like 2 euros. The subway is new, clean, and fantastic. There is even a museum of sorts at the main hub at Syntagma Square, but we were carrying luggage so didn’t go looking for it.
To be frank, we did not find the people in Athens to be friendly or nice to tourists. We shared this observation with other passengers and they agreed. After getting out of the subway stop, I asked a café waitress where a street was (I pronounced it correctly), and she shook her head as if she did know. We discovered later it was right behind us. I have never been to a place where someone was deliberately unhelpful to tourists. We checked into the Acropolis Select Hotel, which was affordable and clean. The A/C is a huge plus because Greece is HOT even in May. Then we walked about 7 minutes to the Acropolis. It was amazing, of course. Keep your Acropolis ticket if you decide to go to the ruins of the Temple of Zeus or the random ruins in the Plaka district. They will gain you entry there. The next morning, we walked 5 minutes to the Plaka district. It was cute but nothing very special. We took the subway to the Piraeus Port. Take a taxi to the cruise ship! It was a 30 minute walk in the hot sun with luggage for us. I was sweating crazy. If you do walk, keep walking around the outside of the port until you see your ship. The embarkation was efficient and fast, though.

Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey
Originally, we planned to take the Dolmus local bus to Ephesus. But after we asked for directions from the tourist office and the port lecturer and received different advice about where to get off, a taxi actually sounded good. As you walk out of the port terminal, a lot of taxi drivers will approach you and try to sell a ride or tour to Ephesus. Skip the ones near the front – they are the most expensive and will ask for $100+ euros. Walk a little further into the city streets and there will be more taxis for about 50 euros. We took one of these to Ephesus where the taxi driver waited about 2 hours for us to finish the walk at Ephesus (which is fantastic). We hadn’t brought enough euros for the entrance fee to the Ephesus ruins (which must be paid in Turkish lira), so the taxi driver lent us the money. Then we paid him back in euros. The taxi driver will do everything in his power (including automatically driving there) to take you to a carpet factory. This is because the taxi company and the carpet or jewelry store are often owned by the same person.
A handsome, young educated man greeted us and showed us how carpets were made. Then he took us inside and showed us some absolutely stunning Turkish carpets. However, they were priced at around $1000 each for the best ones. I told him I would order from the States in the future. We had a very nice conversation since he went to law school, too. But we left without buying anything and the taxi driver was clearly disappointed. Still, he was friendly, as were all the Turkish people. I loved Kusadasi and the Turkish people. They are very aggressive salespeople, however. Just smile and keep walking in the bazaar.

Santorini, Greece
Our cruise ship (and about 4 others that day) docked in the old port so we took tenders to shore. The cable car line was incredibly long so we opted for the donkey trail. At first, we were going to just walk up the steps (many people were), but the smell of the donkey poo was overpowering and everywhere. There is no way to avoid stepping on it, and I was wearing sandals. So for 4 euros each a Greek man pushed both me and my mom onto one donkey. The poor donkey! They all seem so overworked and tired that some of them simply refused to move at times. Some will stop and no matter what you do, the donkey will not go. Our donkey did this until finally it was driven forward by a crowd of other donkeys coming up behind it. The ride was traumatizing, fun, and unforgettable. Hold on!! It is a long way up. Also, if you are walking up the steps, you will often be pushed to the side by the horde of donkeys. It often seemed dangerous to the people walking alongside the donkeys. We got to Fira and it was lovely, but quite commercialized. We took the 2 pm KTEL local bus to Oia, which was a 25 minute drive away. Oia was the place I imagined in my mind. It was peaceful and stunning and where I took the best photos. I ate mousaka (OMG it was so delicious) for 8 euros at the Scala Restaurant in Oia. Great restaurant.
Be careful when you take the local KTEL bus because it is a huge, air-conditioned bus that looks like one of those tourist buses. We almost missed it because I assumed it was a tour bus. Look for the KTEL on the front of the bus or ask someone! We took the bus back to Fira and the cable car down to the bottom.

Messina, Sicily
It was raining until about 10 am, so we left the ship late. This was a mistake because we missed the bus and train to Taormina and they do not run frequently at all. So if you really want to go to Taormina, make sure to leave the ship soon after it docks. To get to the main train and bus station, take a left after exiting the port and just keep walking along the waterfront. The “stazione” is huge and you can’t miss it. There are also signs as you get near it.
Still, we had a good time in Messina shopping. I bought a very cute dress for 13 euros. And we were so impressed by the clothing in Italy. Messina itself is not a tourist town at all, but Italians are helpful and friendly (much more so than the Greeks).

Naples, Italy
We walked from the port to the Circumvesuviana train station on Corso Garibaldi. It was far – a brisk 20 minutes. I wished we took the tram along the waterfront instead. From the port, you can cross the street and buy a day pass at the newsstand (it cost us 6.40 euros each). Then, you basically want to turn right and keep walking all the way down to Garibaldi, then turn left onto Garibaldi. In Naples, there are actually huge maps about every 2-3 blocks with a blue dot showing where you are. People do not speak English in Naples! But they are helpful. Just ask “Dov’e la stazione?”
At the train station, get a schedule if you planning to go to Pompeii or further on, such as to Sorrento or Positano. Train your brain to get used to the European time system (13:00 is 1 pm, 14:00 is 2 pm, etc). We ran into a big group of fellow travelers from our cruise ship at the train. The Circumvesuviana train itself is not very comfortable – hard plastic seats and totally graffitied. But it will get you to Pompeii in about 35 minutes and to Sorrento in about an hour. Naples itself was very chaotic and dirty – we did not enjoy it at all.

We took the train to Pompeii and the entrance fee was waived that day because it was Culture Week in Rome. We timed ourselves to spend 2 hours in Pompeii, which was amazing. Then we took the 11:47 am train from Pompeii to Sorrento. Sorrento was totally lovely and posh. The brief view of the Amalfi Coast was stunning. But unless you really want to shop, it might be a little dull. The little side streets are filled with these wonderful small shops. I had some yummy gelato there. Our ship was scheduled to leave at 4:30 pm, so we did not have time to take the local SITA bus down the Amalfi Coast from Sorrento to Positano. This was one of my biggest regrets and I vow to return to see the Amalfi Coast one day. We took the train back to Naples from Sorrento and arrived back at the Circumvesuviana Station. We walked a bit North to Piazza Garibaldi then down the Corso Umberto to the port (you’ll know you’re near the cruise ship area as you get closer to the gigantic fortress). Plus, there are those huge street maps posted on the streets. We tried some margherita pizza at a random place on Corso Umberto, which was really really good and fresh. Still, Naples was generally disappointing. Later, I read it the NY Times Digest delivered to each stateroom that the people in Naples were literally burning their own trash in the street because the city had neglected to collect it for so long!

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy
We tagged along with a group of fellow cruise ship passengers and walked to the train station. After you exit the port, simply turn right and keep walking along the waterfront for about 4 blocks until you see the big yellow train station on your left. Everyone seemed to have bought a BIRG or all-day Metro and bus pass that day for 9 euros each. Be sure to validate your ticket in the yellow machines before heading to the train platform. I had a brain fart and assumed that the train stations would somehow be the same as the Metro stops diagrammed in Rick Steve’s Rome guide. Of course, the train and subway are different! However, this confusion actually worked to our advantage because we ended up at Rome Termini station where we transferred to the Metro and went to the Coloseum first. Originally, I’d planned to visit St. Peter’s first. But because we ended up at St. Peter’s much later at noon, we got to see the Pope speak to the crowds from his papal apartment.

So from Rome Termini follow the signs to the Metro and take Line B to the Coloseo stop. When you emerge from the station, the Coloseum will be toward your left and the Roman Forum to the right. Walk up the Via Sacra and get your ticket at the Roman Forum because the line is much shorter. Explore the Forum and Palatine Hill if you wish.
At the Coloseum, the line will look intimidating. If you are standing facing the entrance with the turnstiles, the line on the left is the one for people who already have tickets. The line on the right is for people who don’t have tickets and have to purchase them inside the Coloseum. This line is usually longer and moves more slowly. There was no sign informing people of which line to stand in, by the way. So we were in the line on the right side for people without tickets and when a Coloseum worker saw the tickets in our hands, he motioned us to get into the left-side line. We were inside the Coloseum in no time. Even though it was Culture Week in Rome and the Coloseum and Roman Forum, etc, were free, people still had to obtain tickets to enter the sites.

We left the Coloseum and took the Metro to the Ottaviano stop for St. Peter’s. Just follow the crowd and walk down Ottaviano street to St. Peter’s Square. We arrived just at noon and a huge cheer erupted from the huge crowd gathered there. I was startled and completely forgot that the Pope addresses the audience on Sundays. A red flag or tapestry is hung from his papal window before he appears. His voice just booms over the entire Square and he’s treated like a rock star. It’s pretty cool.

We toured the Papal Tombs and the Basilica. I most looked forward to seeing the Pieta. Incredible. We filled up our water bottle at the fountain in St. Peter’s Square near the Obelisk then left by walking down the main street where African vendors line up to sell fake handbags! I wanted to take Bus #64 to Piazza Navona, but was too tired to hunt for it. So we just followed the map to the bridge connecting the big Castel San Angelo across the Tiber River. The crowd will be moving toward that way. After crossing the river, a small brown sign points the way to Piazza Navona through small streets. The signs are not consistently present and you might feel lost. Just ask someone. You’re never alone in Rome. Cross the Piazza Navona to see the small brown sign to the Pantheon. You’ll come to a street where there is no sign. Turn left and walk one block up and you’ll see a post with lots of brown signs and one will point to the Pantheon.

From the Pantheon, we walked to the Trevi Fountain. Yes there’s a sign, but just ask if you feel lost. No street leads directly to the Fountain and that’s why no tour buses stop here. Buses are too big for much of Rome. When you get there you’ll be blown away. I thought it would be just like the movies and sort of cliché, but it wasn’t. It was worth every fucking drop of sweat I spent that day walking in Rome. The water feels very cool and there is a fountain where you fill your water bottle or drink.

From the Trevi Fountain, we walked to the Spanish Steps. I got a little lost. But if you see a McDonald’s, walk away to the left of it and you will have to go downhill a little. We walked down one of the posh streets near Via Condotti. We stepped into a small café where I started scooping gelato myself because I thought it was self-serve. A lady yelled at me in Italian, and I had no idea what the noise was about. Apparently they scoop it for you even if the gelato is not behind the counter. We took the Metro at the Spanish Steps back to Termini station, then took the train back to Civitavecchia. The train is not air conditioned, by the way.

Monaco (Monte Carlo, Eze Village, and Nice)
Our cruise ship docked at the Fontveille Port in Monte Carlo. As you walk out of the port area, there are stairs and an escalator. It’s a rather confusing place to get around. But we took the escalator to a pedestrian walkway and that’s where the Monaco Stamp store is. I bought a set of Monaco stamps for 5.40 euros from a very nice French man. He told us how to take the bus to the casino. We went back down the same way we came – there is a bus stop near the escalator bottom. Take the #4 or #6 Lavortto bus to the Casino stop. There is an electronic sign on the bus notifying you of what the “Arret prochaine” or next stop is. Or just ask the driver. They don’t speak good English, but they know what “casino” is. There are clean public restrooms in the Garden across the street from the Casino for 50 cents.

To get to the buses to Nice/Eze/Villefranche, etc on the TAM buses, walk North through the garden across the street from the Casino. You will come to a busy street with a large Tourist Information office. Here, you can get your passport stamped with a souvenir Monaco visa stamp. Get a schedule for the buses. To get the #100 and #112 bus stop to Nice, Eze, Villefranche, etc, go across the street from the Tourist Info office and walk up to the next street. Once you emerge onto this next street, walk across to the bus stop. We took the #112 bus to Eze Village and walked around there. Then we walked back down to the same bus stop where we were dropped off to take the #112 to Nice.

We got off the #112 in Nice at the Gare Routiere, the main bus station. We walked along a commercial street with fancy shops then walked across the street to a big park bordering the waterfront. There are public WC here for 50 cents, too. We walked onto one of the famous Promenade des Anglais or Promenade des Americains. As you walk East to the end of the Promenade, there will be a bunch of signs for the Cours Saleya’s famous outdoor flower or antique market. Since it was a Monday, it was antiques, and not flowers as I’d wished. Still, the antique market was huge and surprisingly fun. The items are not cheap, but you are supposed to bargain. From the Cours Saleya, there are many small streets you can shop in. We randomly chose one and walked down it and came upon the Palais de Justice. We wandered around until we saw the Gare Routiere again. We took the #100 bus from Nice back to Monte Carlo. We got off at a different stop in Monaco than the one we got on at. And since they were setting up for the Grand Prix race, it was more chaotic than usual. We got lost. We walked to the wrong port. Remember the port name where your ship docks and ask people. If you’re at the Fontveille Port, you have to take a lift or elevator down into the port area. I also almost got ran over by a very expensive car. There are not many pedestrian traffic lights so you have to cross at your peril. Nice was my favorite French city next to Paris, actually. We bought the best soap here.

Marseille (Aix-en-Provence)
This wasn’t the best day. We had to pay $10 each for a shuttle bus from the port to the Vieux Port. Cruise ships no longer dock at the Vieux Port but at new terminals quite far from the city. You cannot walk it yourself because it’s a 25 min ride at least across the freeway with traffic. Marseille was extremely crowded and noisy. It is not elegant but it is full of life and very ethnically diverse.

I wanted to go to Aix-en-Provence, so I walked to the Gare St. Charles train station. From the main street along the port, turn left at Rue Canebiere. Walk about 3 or 4 blocks up until you see a huge set of stairs about three blocks into your left. When you see those magnificent stairs, turn left and walk toward them and then up them. There is a large information center with English speakers to help you.

The TGV to Aix cost about 5.90 euros for students. However, the train does not drop you off in the town of Aix-en-Provence. It drops you off outside it and you then have to go downstairs to take a shuttle for 3.90 euros to the town itself and the ride takes about 25-30 minutes. I made the mistake of assuming the train went right to the cute little town itself. I also made the mistake of getting off the shuttle at the wrong place. I had to wait 25 minutes in god-knows-where-France to take the Aix-en-Bus bluish local bus to the Rotunde (the area in Aix-en-Provence with the big water fountain and main tourist office). This bus costs 1.10 euros. Aix-en-Provence was lovely but far more commercial and crowded than I expected. I ate the best Flan noix de coco (coconut pie) here.

You can take the big blue SNCF bus back to Marseille from Aix-en-Provence for 6.90 euros. From the fountain in the middle of town at the Rotunde (there is also a big tourist info office here), walk up Rue Victor Hugo until you see a big building with a blue sign “GARE SNCF.” Then just buy your ticket and validate it in one of the yellow machines. The big blue SNCF buses are very comfortable and air conditioned.

Rue = street
Gare = station
Gare routiere = bus station
WC or les (pronounced “lay”) toilettes = bathroom
Où est (pronounced “ooh ay”) = where is . . .

Almost everyone in France speaks a little English. But it’s best to always say “Bonjour. Parlez-vous anglais?”

I really liked French people and did not find them to be rude like so many others. But I always spoke some basic French with them before starting English.

Back in Marseille, I discovered that my favorite skin care line, La Roche-Posay, is quite inexpensive in the drugstores (marked with those bright green neon crosses). A large tube of facial cleanser was only 6.40 euros. It was more expensive in Paris. So stock up on French skin care products in Marseille.
Barcelona
We didn’t like Barcelona and, aside from the huge indoor market on Las Ramblas (a must-see in my opinion) and the pet sales outdoors, found it quite dull. We simply walked up Las Ramblas to Playa Cataluna, stepped briefly into the large department store Cortes Ingles, walked back down Las Ramblas and made a short detour to the government square, then went back to our ship via the port shuttle. I had no interest in seeing anything by Gaudi since I had already seen his monstrously ugly work on a TV travel documentary. Athens has the Acropolis. Paris has Notre Dame and so much more. And Barcelona offers the work of a deranged infant. I don’t blame the Spanish government for not funding the Sagrada Familia one bit. It’s unique, sure. I have the same reaction to it as a really ugly baby. We had planned to go to the Picasso Museum, but were so blahhed by Barcelona that we just wanted to get back to the ship and left at 1:30. However, we were shocked at how clean it was. We expected Spain to be something like Mexico – dirty and chaotic. It was….European. We noticed in a drugstore that all the cabinets, even for cough drops, were locked. There must be so much theft in Barcelona.

Cadiz, Spain
This was the most surprisingly wonderful port of call. It is on an isthmus near the Strait of Gibraltar and thus extremely easy to traverse. You can’t walk far without running into the sea. And what a gorgeous sea it is. Cadiz is clean, peaceful, breezy, and has lots of subtle laid-back character. And I found a super cheap Internet café that charged 50 cents for 15 minutes. The rate on the cruise ship was 65 cents a minute! We just walked inside and around…we saw the Great Cathedral, which was probably a mosque back when the Moors ruled. We saw a market where large bags of live, writhing snails were sold. It was a breath of fresh air after such intense port hopping.

Lisbon, Portugal
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Lisbon. It turns out the most friendly people of all the countries were visited are Portuguese. People literally came up to us if we looked confused to help us. At a street corner that seemed uncrossable, two young men came up to us and started speaking Portuguese! At first I wondered if they were politely trying to rob us. Then I blurted out “English” and said “St. Geronimos Monastery.” He seemed to understand and motioned for us to walk to the bus station in the middle of the street. Then a young woman told us via hand motions which bus to take.

To St. Geronimos Monastery
So when you exit the port, take the damn bus! Take #12 or #15 Algès bus/trolley (it looks like the Little Trolley That Could) heading left or West to the Monastery in an area called Belem (the old town). The trolley ticket costs 1.80 euro. The correct stop is literally across the street from the Monastery and the bus stop is labeled Geronimos Monastery. However, an old man on the trolley told us that he was getting off at the Monastery (not in English but using hand motions) and to just follow him when he got off. So the Portuguese are insanely friendly and helpful. The main church portion of the Monastery is free and there was actually a special mass going on when we visited. The entrance fee to the cloisters is 4.50 euros. It’s basically a large courtyard (with free and clean public bathrooms inside!). However, from the outside the Monastery looks huge, but you cannot explore most of the left portion of it – it’s closed to the public.

From the Monastery, you can see the giant Explorers’ Monument near the sea. We walked over and took photos. We walked back to the Monastery bus stop and took the 15 Algès trolley (it gets very crowded) to the Praco de Comercio (a very large plaza with a big monument in the middle), then walked further East to the Alfama District. This was really disappointing. The Alfama, although it has some historical value as the old Moorish part of Lisbon, is basically a slum. The streets are not paved. The buildings are very dilapidated, etc. There are no charming shops. So after about 5 minutes, we headed back to the Praco de Comercio. There is a main commercial street starting at the Praco de Comercio that is extremely wide and lovely. You’ll see modern stores like Zara here and a delicious bakery that was packed with customers called Casa de Brasiliera. We walked up this street to Rossio Square, which has two large mermaid fountains, a big monument in the middle, and beautiful tree lined streets and white stone benches. We just explored up and around the Square. Lisbon was such a grand and lovely place – a true surprise since we’d learned that it was once one of the poorest countries in Europe before joining the EU. My favorite sight in Lisbon was actually a beggar boy playing his accordion with a tiny dog that had a small green pail in its mouth for people to put coins into.

Le Havre and Paris, France
Paris - my favorite city of our entire cruise! First, we left the ship as soon as the announcement was made that the ship was cleared at 7 am. Yes this was wonderfully early since the schedule stated that we would dock at 7 am. We must have arrived early since it usually takes about 30 minutes for port authorities to clear the ship. We were waiting for the taxis to arrive to take us to the Le Havre train station when we saw two other passengers that we had met start to walk out of the port. We asked them what they were doing and to our surprise they said they were walking to the train station! We’d heard that it was at least 1.5 miles away, but they said that it can’t be far. Anyway, they were even more budget-minded than us and did not want to take a taxi. Well we decided to try it out and walked with them into town. There, I asked a man in French how far the train station was on foot. He said 25 minutes! Of course, we took a damn taxi. The taxi stand was right at the start of town and it only cost 5.60 euros (the minimum charge). At the train station, we bought tickets for the 7:53 am direct train for about 28 euros each. Buy your return ticket, too, if you can. The next train to Paris was at 10 am! So make sure you get off the ship ASAP and know the train schedule if you’re docking at Le Havre and plan to take the train. Remember to validate your train ticket in the yellow machine on the platform. Anyway the train was very comfortable and the Normandy countryside was a joy to look at. We arrived at 9:55 am at Gare St. Lazare. This is the only and last stop in Paris that the SNCF train makes, so don’t worry about sleeping and missing your stop! From the train station at Saint Lazare, follow the signs to the Metro or subway (a big M in a red circle is the symbol).

We took the Metro Purple Line 14 Direction Bibliotheque to the Chatelet stop. From there, we walked 3 minutes to the Seine (near the Pont Neuf). We turned left and walked along the Right Bank until we saw signs for the Ile de Cité (the island where Notre Dame, Sainte Chappelle, etc, is located). We walked into the Ile de Cité and walked left until we saw Notre Dame. We went in and peaked around. It was ok. After St. Peter’s, Notre Dame was just a church. Then we all used the public, free, relatively clean WC to the right of Notre Dame. We crossed to the Left Bank and entered a small park called Place Viviani. You’ll see beautiful arches covered in roses. There’s a fountain in the park that we used to fill our water bottle. Hey Rick Steves said it was ok to drink from it, so we did, and it tasted good. From Place Viviani, we continued walking on the Left Bank away from Notre Dame toward downtown Paris. We stopped briefly in the Latin Quarter at Place St. Michel where there is a huge wall sculpture with a flowing fountain. I really wished we spent more time in the Latin Quarter – it looked so full of life and charming. But we crossed back into the Ile de Cité and walked around the Palais de Justice (Sainte Chappelle and the French courts are in the same courtyard so the line is long and slow because of security checks). We walked to the end of Ile de Cité and through Place Dauphine. It was a very cute neighborhood, but nothing amazing. We crossed to the Right Bank and to the Louvre. It was closed on Tuesday, but you can always enter the courtyard of the Palais du Louvre and out into the Pyramides area. It’s stunning. Then we kept walking West toward the Place Concorde (the very tall obelisk place). There is a large lovely fountain between the Louvre and the Place Concorde. I had a yummy 3 euro Nutella crepe somewhere after the Palais du Louvre. After the Place de Concorde, you walk down a large tree-lined boulevard, then the Champs Elysées. It was a energetic place, but commercial. It was interesting to see French people in their business clothes grabbing lunch at nice cafes and fast food places. We walked all the way down to the L’Arc de Triomphe and then walked back on the side of the Champs Elysées. We stopped in the flagship Louis Vuitton store. Bags here are about 30% less than in the States, or so I hear. I developed a slight stomach ache at about this time and really needed to find a restroom. Good luck finding one in Paris! I finally popped into a café near the Musée d’Orsay, where a host at the door asked me what I wanted. I replied drink in French and he sat me down. But there was no service! Nobody came to get my order. Finally I stood up to find the restroom. The host saw me stand up and I asked him where the WC was, then gave him an order for a glass of cold milk that cost 3.80 euros! When I came back from the WC, there was no milk on my table! I was so surprised at this lack of service. But it was good because then I could leave without buying something. We walked along the Left Bank then took the metro at Pont Neuf back to Gare St. Lazare. I had printed out tickets on the SNCF website for the 3:51 train to Le Havre before the trip. If you print out your tickets at home, they do not have to be validated. Two train conductors checked tickets on this trip. We were back in Le Havre and taxied back to the ship at around 6 pm – just as the tour buses came back! It was perfect timing and everything went smoothly. I recognized at least 5 other people from our ship on the trains coming to and from Paris.

Harwich and London, England
I’m an old hand at London. I spent a week there in college and loved it. Anyway, from Harwich the train terminal is right inside the port. A one-way ticket from Harwich to London cost 22.90 pounds. Holland America disembarks quite early from 7-9 am. We took the 9:20 am train to London and arrived at about 10:45. We checked into our hotel near King’s Cross St. Pancras then took the Tube (subway or Underground) to the British Museum. The prices of the Tube have gone up! A single ticket costs 4 pounds. A day pass in Zones 1-2 (the only zones most tourists visit) cost 5.10 pounds. We bought day passes. We then went to Covent Garden, Buckingham Palace, Whitehall, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Bridge, National Gallery. The British Museum and National Gallery are free. Even the audio guides at the National Gallery are available for a donation of your choice. I’m not a museum person so I quickly tired of the National Gallery. But I really loved the British Museum. At about 8 pm (the National Gallery is open late until 9 pm on Wednesdays), we took the Tube back to our hotel to sleep. Our flight was at Gatwick the next morning. So it took about 30 minutes to get from King’s Cross to Victoria Station where the Gatwick Express train runs to the airport. This is early morning commute traffic, so assume some delays of about 10 minutes on the Tube. At Victoria, the Gatwick Express train leaves from platforms 13 and 14. You can buy your tickets right on the train for 14.90 pounds each. The ride takes 30 minutes. It’s all very comfy and reliable.