Allie54

We are taking a 12 day cruise that starts in Barcelona, to Monaco, throught Italy, Croatia and ends in Venice.
Can't decide if we should fly home or take the train and travel to more cities.
Any suggestions on what to do?

bilboburgler

Allie welcome to Fodors, it depends on the time of year, where you have been before and where you come from.

If it were me I'd
1) hang out in Venice for a couple of days
2) catch the train to the Euganian hills for a apa visit and some little hill walking or a dau in Padua
3) catch the train to Ferrara or Bologna (2 days)for some good food and
4)then Ravenna for some 500c art and maybe hire a bike and visit the Po delta and the sea front.

Others will send you off to Florence, Rome etc and that is ok too.

So back to the questions
1) when?
2) what else have you seen?
3) where is home?

Mimar

Are you coming a long distance? We always think that having made the long flight and the adjustment to local time, we should spend at least 3 weeks in Europe.

Your cruise will not have exhausted all the sights in Italy. You could spend some more time there, traveling by train. What about the Italian lakes, set at the base of the Alps? Rural Tuscany? Towns like Bologna (great food), Ravenna (beautiful mosaics), Assisi?

Or perhaps fly to Paris and spend some time there and elsewhere in France. In fact, is there some other place in Europe you'd especially like to see? Almost any place is available to you. (Lucky you!)

This is not a decision we can make for you. If you have the time and the money, then all you need is the inclination.

ParisAmsterdam

Spend more time in Venice?

Take a train to Rome?

Fly to Paris for another week?

The possibilities are endless and since you're already in Europe...

HappyTrvlr

Travel more! Considering the cost of arfare and time spent flying, if you have the time and resources, see more of Europe on land. The cruise put you back on a ship at night. Experience being IN Europe. Italy would be an easy and wonderful place to start. Have you traveled in Italy before?

Cindywho

I agree with HappyTrvlr!! If you have the time and the money.....of course!

StCirq

I don't know anyone in my circle of friends or travelers who wouldn't say spend every last minute you can spend traveling anywhere, anytime, but then, I don't have anyone in my circle of friends or travelers who does cruises, either, so it depends totally on your interests, travel proclivities, and budget. Not really a question that can be answered by anyone but you.

But it's true that you aren't going to experience much of Europe on a boat, and you will already have spent a bundle just to get there, so stay as long as you can and see as much as you can.

adrienne

I would at least add two days to the beginning and end of the cruise (4 days). You've already paid for the airfare to get to Europe and for a cruise so you might as well spend just a bit more and see something of these two cities. I would not add more places in Spain or Italy unless you're adding an extra week or more to the trip.

nytraveler

If you have the time and money - of course stay and travel more. Taking this kind of cruise is an entertainment - but you are actually seeing little of europe and a lot more of the boat.

How much time do you have and what are your interests?

Allie54

May 15 to May 27 2013. Barcelon, to Provence France, to Monte Carlo Monaco, to Florence/Pisa, to Rome, to Naples, to Messina Italy, to Katacolon Greece, to Kerika, Greece, Dubrovnik, Croatia to Venice. We are from Ohio, USA and have only traveled once before to Isreal and Rome under a very structured tour. Took cruise because we are nervous about going "out on our own". We are 58/59 years old in great health. Not sure what we want to see, but hate to miss something. Some people say Paris others say ick. Thought about Germany and Prague, but not sure either. My bucket list was a paramid and sphinx, but Egypt is out. Help!
Help!

StCirq

Why is Egypt "out?" And what do you need help with? Where do you want to go? What do you want to see? Get some maps and a guidebook or two or three and plan it out. You're ending in Venice, so start with that.

bilboburgler

Well you are 6 years older than me and I was in Egypt (Luxor) over Christmas so I don't see it as "out". May might be a bit hot in Egypt by then but most of Europe will be warm (or at least not cold) by then.

"Some people say Paris others say ick." not sure what "ick" means.

adrienne

“Do one thing every day that scares you.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt

You have 12 locations in 12 days on the cruise so you will not see very much of any place you visit during the cruise and, as others have said, will have a very limited European experience. A cruise will not prepare you for a DIY European trip.

Figure out what makes you nervous, get some guide books and read the introductory sections - there is so much information in guide books on travel in general that by the time you finish reading you will be reassured that you can do this on your own.

Who says "ick" about Paris? People you know? Have they been to Paris? People I've met who start bad mouthing the French have never been to France.

The more prepared you are and the more you read about your destination(s) the better the experience. The trips I've taken where I have not been prepared were not as good as the trips when I had done the research.

Ackislander

The problem with going on a tour -- and I have been on some and recommended one -- is that you spend a lot of time eating lunch when you could be seeing sites. If you are in a place where sites are few and the food is good, no problem. But if you are stopping for one day at each of a number of places, I can guarantee that there will be more places you want to see than you will be able to see.

If the cost is not too prohibitive, I would do two things: skip lunch or at least the group lunch in stops where you want to absorb more and spend some time in one place at the end of the cruise. Venice is absolutely ideal for that. It is sort of impossible to rush in Venice when you get into it.

The only problem with Venice is that all the flights that allow you to connect to the US in one day leave early -- often very early -- in the day. If you are then flying halfway across the country when you get back to the US, you will be whipped. I would recommend a night at an airport hotel between Venice and your flight home.

adrienne

Ackislander - the OP is going on a cruise, not a tour.

isabel

If you are nervous about doing it "on your own" then you will probably take the tours offered by the cruise into the cities. As stated above, you will see very little of each place. So consider it an overview and then after the cruise go back and do it again "on your own" and this time spend at least a few days in each location you choose.

Even though you are nervous I would probably fly to Barcelona a few days early and see it before the cruise. It's a very tourist friendly city, there are hop on hop off bus tours, and with just reading a guide book ahead of time you can "do" Barcelona.

Then stay in Venice after the cruise for a couple more days and see it. Then take the train to other places in Italy. The usual 'intro' itinerary includes Florence and Rome (and Venice) and you will have had the overview on the cruise tour so maybe you will feel more comfortable. Fly home from Rome instead of Venice.

What I just suggested would add another ten or so days to your cruise of 12 days giving you about three weeks. And doesn't include any extra flights, just easy train rides. If you are 'nervous' this would probably be the best. You could certainly do Germany or Prague or Paris but those involve more travel to get there, and you will not have had your 'intro' on the cruise to those places so they might be more challenging for you. But European travel is not at all difficult, you'll probably love it and go back many times.

mamcalice

If you can stay, do. I think I would do something completely different from your cruise experience. On a cruise, you will have a rather hurried visit to some fabulous places but won't have a chance to experience those places and their cultures in depth.

Take another week to visit an area or a city - either one on your cruise or a different one. Think about Florence and the Tuscan countryside or Provence and the Cote d'Azur or (my suggestion) Paris and a few of its great day trips such as Giverny, Chartres and Versailles, or London. Make it your own trip at your own pace.

Ackislander

If you can afford it, absolutely do what Isabel suggests. It would be the trip of a lifetime.

capxxx

I agree it's a great idea to stay for a while, since you're already there, and isabel's suggestions are good.

I have the impression, thought, that people who take cruises tend to bring extra luggage along. If that's you, you might find it a big pain to lug all that stuff around by train.

So my idea is to just add extra days to Barcelona and Venice at each end of your trip -- you won't regret getting to know these places better, and it would be easy to include day trips if you want to.

TPAYT

Our first trip to Europe was with work so totally structured and paid for. A few years later we took a cruise from Rome back to Rome. When they booked our air home to Chicago they had us changing in Paris. It was on my birthday and MDH said that we could not just change planes, after all it was my birthday. It was the best thing we ever did. BTW, we were your age when we started so don't let that stop you.

First of all, going on the cruise was wonderful to see a little of many places. We took some tours from the ship but also went out on our own in a few places. This made us realize that it wasn't that hard to do. We too were nervous about the language and money difficulties.

Our 4 days in Paris were so fantastic that we've now completed our 9th trip to the city of light. We've gone back to Europe every Sept. since that first trial run. Switzerland, Italy, France, Ireland with more on the radar.

I'm posting this to let you know that you CAN do it. With some travel guides, lots of help from the Fodorites, and an adventuresome spirit you'll be on your way.

IMO, I would spend 2 nights ahead of the cruise (maybe booked through the cruise line for ease and comfort of details.) With jet lag flying from Ohio that first day will be a blur. That gives you a day to get oriented to a different way of life and enjoy Barcelona and also to make sure your luggage is with you. Then the cruise. Then I would spend maybe 2 or even 3 more nights in Venice. You'll be good to go with handling the language and money by that time. Also in tourist places it's just not that hard. You can almost always find someone who speaks a little English.

After the whirlwind of a city a day on the cruise we would find it nice to just relax and see the city at our leisure for a few days.

Alternative if you feel you have seen enough of Venice with the cruise-----have the cruise line book a flight or train to the city of your choice. Yes, you can do this on your own but you'd probably be more comfortable having them do it for the first time.

Paris is our personal favorite. It is very tourist friendly. A great walking city and very easy to get around. Of course, there are many other choices. Do research and start asking questions here on Fodors.

I do hope I've helped some in your travel decision. The world is your oyster!