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Tuggers, this is a follow up to this thread: https://tugbbs.com/forums/threads/need-assistance-planning-a-visit-to-italy.355114/
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Buongiorno! and Kaliméra!!
We’re home from our bucket list Italy and Greece trip. Simply put, it was absolutely outstanding! We had a fantastic time. Thanks to all the Tuggers who helped us out! Your suggestions and ideas were invaluable.
All the planning and research, and the lengthy thread post picking the brains of Tuggers with knowledge of the areas, went a very long way to helping us put together a fantastic vacation. All the time spent trying to learn what to do, (and what NOT to do), when and where to go, and how to get there, how not to spend too much or be taken advantage of, came together just about flawlessly. If we had this trip to do over again, quite honestly about the only change we’d make would be to stay longer in each city. We saw plenty, but there is plenty more waiting to be seen. We’re already talking about going again. It was really, really fun.
Things started from Las Vegas Harry Reid airport, the closest airport to our home in Southern Nevada. We flew Premium Economy on British Airways nonstop to London, had a layover at London Heathrow airport, then connected to Venice Marco Polo airport. There is no way to shorten these flights, and sitting together without a seat between us gave my husband and I space enough to cocoon together, and make the best of the flights. It was actually quite comfortable, and BA treated us well. We flew using only carry-on luggage, so we wouldn’t have to worry about lost bags, and so we could make a fast getaway at the Venice airport, and it’d be easier to tow behind us along unknown city streets. That part worked out fine.
Logistics in Venice are everything, and arrival time can be crucial to being able to get around more easily. Our flight departure from London was delayed, and we eventually arrived in Venice after 10:00PM. Customs took only a minute or two – much easier than we expected – and we were out the airport door within minutes of arrival.
The airport is on the mainland, and Venice is an island. The vaporetto (water bus) from the airport doesn’t run at that hour. We knew in advance that we’d be arriving late, so we had hired a private car to get us from the airport to Piazzale Roma, the last point vehicles can go. We walked from there to our hotel, very near the Ponte degli Scalza bridge. (On the Grand Canal, this is the second bridge over the canal from our starting point, and is an easy landmark.)
We’d watched a number of Venice video walking tours during our planning, and we knew exactly where to go, what we’d pass, and which turns to make. We arrived at the hotel exactly as expected, and without getting lost. We chose to stay in this area because it’s very close to the Santa Lucia Train Station. After a very long travel day, we were ready for a good night’s sleep. We had four nights and three full days in Venice.
A little criminal excitement: On the last side street leading to our hotel at nearly midnight, a young woman and three men were walking in front of us. The woman kept taking photos with her phone, stopping to look at them, and showing them to the men. They stopped right in front of us, blocking our way, which forced us to stop, too. We stepped around them a few times, but they quickly got in front of us and stopped again.
I felt someone messing with my suitcases, and turned back to look. One of the men was trying to steal my smaller bag that was attached to my roller suitcase. I loudly said, “Stop that!” and he smiled, stepping back. I said, “Go in front of us.” He did, but soon one of the men was behind us again, as the woman continued her photo taking.
I again felt my suitcases being touched, and I quickly turned and saw him trying to take my bag again. I yelled “Stop that!!” at the top of my voice. I pulled my suitcases closer, and by then we were at the hotel doorway. The night clerk came out to help us, and demanded to know what the people wanted. I heard them making some lame request for directions to Mestre, the mainland city. I don’t speak Italian, but even I knew it was all a scam. They were opportunist thieves who wanted to steal anything they could get. The desk clerk told them they knew where they were and to get out before he called the police. They ran off.
We went inside, and he asked what had happened. We told him, and he said, “Make sure you didn’t lose anything.” Our bags had been tightly closed with locking zippers and securely fastened to our roller bags, so nothing was stolen. It was a strong reminder to be vigilant, even on a deserted street. These people were skilled and if I hadn’t been super-aware, I’d have easily lost my passport, wallet, camera, and iPad. As it was, we didn’t lose anything.
It made for an exciting way to arrive at our first hotel. But I need to say, it was the only time on the entire trip we ever felt at risk, and we had no further incidents. I believe it was the very late hour of our arrival. If we’d arrived in daylight, it wouldn’t likely have happened at all. Traveler beware!
The next morning, after enjoying the excellent complimentary breakfast the hotel provided, we set out to start our three days in Venice.
We had purchased a 72-hour unlimited vaporetto pass, which was an excellent option for us. (We spent 40 Euro each, and received a scannable card pass we tapped at each entry point, to gain access to that boat. Very convenient.) We were able to ride these water buses along the canals as needed, to get to where we needed to be. The trickiest part of that was learning which boats stopped at which docks, in which direction, and when. If you’ve ever ridden on a major city metro subway, it’s a similar kind of thing. There were plenty of people available to help us figure out what we needed to know, and we were quickly riding like an expert.
Next to the Scalza bridge are the several Ferrovia boat docks, named Ferrovia A through Ferrovia F. (Other docks on the canal had similar naming schemes.) The letters are significant, as vaporetto that go to certain destinations stop at different docks. It would be easy to wait at the wrong-lettered dock for a boat that might not ever arrive. (Ask me how I know this?
) Once we had this sorted out, getting around was quite simple and straightforward.
During our three days in Venice we only booked formal tours of St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. The rest was walking through the city, riding the vaporetto out to the nearby island of Murano, and generally exploring things. It was all very nice, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. We especially enjoyed eating in local restaurants, and enjoying the atmosphere of the city.
When we left the Venice hotel the final morning, the short walk to the train station took only a few minutes. We had checked things previously, so we knew the train station layout, and where to go. Trains are listed on Arrival and Departure boards much like in airports. It was a simple matter of finding our Frecciarossa high-speed train number, departure time, and which track it was on. Our tickets had pre-assigned seats in a particular car number, and we easily found our seats.
Note that since June 2024, tickets are pre-validated, so there is no reason to have to scan a ticket before getting on the train. Just ensure you are there at the right time to get on the right train – they are only in the station a short time, and they don’t announce when they’re leaving. They show up, people get off, other people get on, and the train departs. It’s very efficient. On our first ride, after we were seated and the train was moving, a Conductor did ask to see our tickets (the only time our train tickets were ever checked) but there was no issue. I think it was mainly a formality.
We arrived in Florence mid-day at the Santa Maria Novella train station, and walked the few blocks to our hotel. It was another easy choice, because we wanted to be close to the train. We had four nights and three and a half days in Florence. We began to settle in, feeling fairly comfortable with the process by this point.
In Florence, we visited the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia Museum, and the Galileo Museum. All were amazing, and filled with so many incredible things. The iconic statue of David was probably the most awesome thing to see. I think because I’ve seen images of it so often, to stand before the real thing (all 18-feet tall of him) was pretty impressive. It is certainly an amazing piece of sculpture. The rest of the time we walked around the city, visited a few street markets, shopped for nice leather goods, eating in more excellent restaurants, and enjoying our time there.
We took a half-day side trip tour to Pisa, which involved a bus ride (caught on a street on the back side of the train station), which was quite a bit of fun. The ride through the countryside was nice, seeing the farmland and rural houses, before pulling into Pisa, and walking to the center of things. Again, after years of seeing pictures of the Leaning Tower, it was amazing to stand in front of the real thing. It really does lean, and they let people climb it. No thanks!
From Florence, we caught another high-speed train to Rome, arriving at the Roma Termini train station. This is a very busy station, but the process was similar. We had to wait in a long queue to catch a taxi to our hotel, near Piazza Navona. We felt that location centered us around the things we most wanted to see. The driver was as wild as every Italian taxi driver story I’ve ever heard, and we were amazed there aren’t a lot more accidents on those streets. Once he finally found our hotel on a quiet side street, we arrived in one piece. We booked just two nights in Rome, but spent three full days exploring things.
While in Rome, we visited the Pantheon, Vatican City and the Vatican Museums, (including the Sistine Chapel), the Borghese Gallery, and Palatine Hill. There aren’t words to describe the overwhelming beauty and immense history in these places. It was all quite remarkable. We walked around quite a bit, and ate dinner the last evening in a sidewalk café in Piazza Navona. There were street performers and many restaurants, families with children, and a very comfortable sense of peace and comfort. It was quite nice.
We left Rome late on the last day via train from the Roma Ostiense train station to the town of Civitavecchia (pronounced CHIV-it-uh-VECK-e-a, for those who want to sound like a local), where we stayed overnight, and caught our cruise ship the next morning. This was a very relaxing way to do things, because we weren’t fighting the crowds at the train stations the next morning when we boarded the cruise ship.
We had time that evening for a relaxing al fresco dinner at a great restaurant in Civitavecchia, on a back street near the hotel, before getting a quiet night’s rest. Our hotel arranged for a car to take us all the way down onto the cruise ship dock, and dropped us literally at the entrance of the ship’s boarding ramp. It was extremely convenient. We were among the first to board the ship, and we were on board by about 11:00AM.
The ship was Celebrity Ascent, the newest of the Edge-class ships Celebrity has put together. It was just excellent. We’ve cruised before, but never on a ship this size. For as busy and full as it was, it never felt overly crowded, or like there was too much noise. The ship has only been in service since the first of this year, and it still felt like brand new. It was extremely nice, and we had a great cruise.
The ship departed around 5:00PM that Saturday, and stopped Sunday morning in Naples, Italy, mooring to a pier. We took a ship’s tour of Pompeii, which was just perfect. Our guide knew plenty and was quite informative. Things there have changed quite a bit since I visited so long ago. (That was in 1973 – 51 years ago. How is that possible??) They now have static museum displays with signage that educate visitors to what was going on during the 79A.D. eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, and how the people were trapped and died in the city. It was sobering, but extremely informative.
The ship’s original itinerary had been shuffled around to give us fewer other cruise ships to contend with during our in-port stops, so we spent the next two days as Sea Days on the ship. It was very restful and relaxing on the ship, and we enjoyed the pseudo-downtime. We ate excellent meals in a variety of locations on the ship. Overall, the food was quite good. We relaxed, enjoyed our share of cocktails, attended a few of the ship’s nightly entertainment shows, and we slept very well. It was nice having a break.
On Wednesday we moored at a pier in Kusadasi, Turkey. We took a ship’s tour to Ephesus, and learned plenty about how things were, back in biblical times. The ruins now are pretty deteriorated, but in its day, the buildings would have been something spectacular.
On Thursday we anchored at Santorini, Greece. We took a ship’s tour across the island to Oia, a village at the end of Santorini’s curved rim shape. There were very iconic views, with plenty of hills and white buildings built along the cliff sides. This was where I learned the buildings with blue or red roofs are actually churches, and private homes and businesses are mostly all painted plain white, to reflect the heat.
The tour returned us to Fira, the main village on the island, where they dropped us off, to explore things on our own and to make our own way back to the harbor, to catch the tender back to the ship. This is where the cable car funicular runs up and down the cliff face, donkeys provide rides up or down, or you can walk. It’s 588 long, slippery steps, on worn marble stairs covered in donkey manure. That trek in 100-degree heat was the last thing we wanted to endure, so we rode the cable car down to the harbor. It was easy and fast. From the harbor, it was an easy boat ride back to the ship.
On Friday we stopped at Mykonos, Greece, anchoring out once again. We took another ship’s tour, this one around the island. We saw several incredible beaches, and stopped at a beautiful monastery for an in-depth tour. It was extremely informative, and we had a very good time. After enjoying refreshments from a nearby restaurant, (and a glass or two of Ouzo), the tour bus delivered us safely back at the harbor. We could have taken a free shuttle into Mykonos’ main village to continue shopping, but we chose to return to the ship, and enjoyed a quiet afternoon, while most folks were still ashore. It was a great last afternoon on the ship.
On Saturday, our cruise ended at Athens, Greece. Debarkation was a breeze, and we were on the pier at 9:00AM. We had arranged for a car to take us from the Piraeus cruise port to our hotel near the Acropolis in Athens. We arrived around 10:00AM, left our bags with the hotel, and we went exploring.
We found ourselves in a vibrant city-center neighborhood, filled with a wide variety of excellent restaurants and shops. It reminded us quite a lot of San Francisco. We had yet another excellent meal in a sidewalk restaurant, but this time, it was traditional Greek food, not Italian. The moussaka, souvlaki, and pastitsio were all excellent. If you like authentic Greek food prepared by knowledgeable people, it was a perfect location. After lunch, we made our way back to the hotel, got keys to our room, and relaxed till evening. We headed back to the area with all the great restaurants, and we had yet another fine meal. I’m not a wine drinker, but my husband Jeff said he had some of the best wines he’s ever tasted in these small sidewalk restaurants. Everything was casual, safe, and surprisingly affordable.
The next morning we had a scheduled tour of the Acropolis hill, including the Parthenon, and then on to the new Acropolis Museum. Both were amazing, and it was easy to imagine how life had been, back in ancient Athenian times. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable, and he gave us some great anecdotal insight into how life was back then.
After the tour we wandered around some more, exploring even more of this exciting city. There was plenty to see, and we enjoyed ourselves. We had a final supper at another outdoor restaurant, and even more excellent Greek food.
Over the time we spent in Italy and Greece, I can honestly say I’ve never had so many outstanding pasta dishes in my life. Everything was great. Salads were fresh, flavorful and organic. Entrees were generous and well prepared. Desserts were excellent. Service in every restaurant was attentive and courteous. People who say the reason to visit these countries is for the food are absolutely correct. If you’re a foodie, start packing!
Our flights home started early Monday morning, and we had hired a car to take us from the hotel to the airport. He met us at 5:00AM, and the streets were very empty at that hour. The driver spoke excellent English, and asked what we had seen during our two days in Athens. We told him, and he diverted to drive in front of a few things we hadn’t seen, including the Parliament building, with the Evzones guards out front. It is guarded 24 hours a day, and they change guards every hour. We saw the guards who had just changed out marching back toward their barracks, in their traditional Greek uniforms. It was quite impressive, even at that still-dark hour.
At the airport, we opted to check our carryon suitcases all the way to Las Vegas, so we’d have less to handle on the plane. We had to go through a series of Security Checks and Passport Control stations, but we didn’t have any trouble. We were soon waiting for our flight from Venice to London. It left on time, and by noon we were in London. We had to switch terminals at Heathrow, a very easy process, and we were soon waiting for our long flight from London to Las Vegas.
We’d opted to fly Business Class back to the USA, mainly because of the lay-flat seats. We wanted to arrive as rested as possible, (and to give my husband’s bad back a rest.) This gave us access to one of the British Airways Gallery lounges at the airport, and we spent a restful afternoon waiting for our final flight back. There was plenty of free food and drinks, free WiFi, and comfortable seating.
By the time we boarded, we were ready to be home. The Airbus A350 jet’s seats were very comfortable, but we both agreed they were a bit more than we needed. Premium Economy had been quite comfortable on the way over, and were less expensive seats. Next time we head overseas like that, we’ll probably opt for Premium Economy again.
The flight actually landed early, and we were in Las Vegas on Monday evening, the same day we’d left Athens, even though we’d had a 28-hour travel day. We spent the night in a favorite Las Vegas hotel, getting a good night’s rest. We were home by noon the next day. (No, they did not lose our luggage – it was exactly where it was supposed to be, when we needed to collect it.)
As we sit and digest through everything we saw, sort through the thousands of photos we took, and remember all the great food we ate, the memories of this trip are remarkable. So many “moments” stand out. We met so many kind and helpful people, it was impressive. I think the people and the food were the two best things about the entire trip.
Our booked tours were good, the hotels were comfortable, and there was no mad panic at any point. There is something to be said for planning things ahead. We didn’t overdo anything, and we had a lot of time to relax and enjoy what we were doing. We agree it was a worthwhile trip, and we’d do it all over again.
I know it wasn’t the kind of trip others might take, but it worked very well for us, on our own time and schedule, with respect for our physical limitations. As I said initially, if we had it to do over again, the biggest change we’d make would be to stay longer in each city. We both understand why some people return to these places time and again. It was a really nice time.
By the numbers, we were gone 23 days. We were in 5 countries, 10 cities, and crossed 10 time zones. I wore a Fitbit to track our movements, and it reported we walked 190,276 steps, for a total of 87.13 miles.
Not bad. Not bad at all.
Dave
The nuts and bolts:
I don’t want to put too much specific focus on the things we did, because there are hundreds of ways to do a trip like this. But here are some names of things we used. You may want to research these companies, and decide if they’ll work for you:
Car from Venice Airport into Venice was booked via AtoBTransfer.com
Hotels were all booked directly through Booking.com.
Venice public transport was booked via https://www.veneziaunica.it/en/e-commerce/services?macrofamily=2&family=2
Train tickets were purchased directly via https://www.italiarail.com and https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html
Cars from cruise ship to hotel, and from hotel to Athens airport were booked with Viator.com
Land tours were booked through GetYourGuide.com and Tiqets.com
Guggenheim Museum tickets: https://ticket.guggenheim-venice.it/en/
Ship tours were all booked via Celebrity Cruises, from within their website
Theft-proof travel packs and daypacks with locking zippers: Pacsafe.com
Clothing with hidden zipper pockets: https://aviatorusa.com
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Buongiorno! and Kaliméra!!
We’re home from our bucket list Italy and Greece trip. Simply put, it was absolutely outstanding! We had a fantastic time. Thanks to all the Tuggers who helped us out! Your suggestions and ideas were invaluable.
All the planning and research, and the lengthy thread post picking the brains of Tuggers with knowledge of the areas, went a very long way to helping us put together a fantastic vacation. All the time spent trying to learn what to do, (and what NOT to do), when and where to go, and how to get there, how not to spend too much or be taken advantage of, came together just about flawlessly. If we had this trip to do over again, quite honestly about the only change we’d make would be to stay longer in each city. We saw plenty, but there is plenty more waiting to be seen. We’re already talking about going again. It was really, really fun.
Things started from Las Vegas Harry Reid airport, the closest airport to our home in Southern Nevada. We flew Premium Economy on British Airways nonstop to London, had a layover at London Heathrow airport, then connected to Venice Marco Polo airport. There is no way to shorten these flights, and sitting together without a seat between us gave my husband and I space enough to cocoon together, and make the best of the flights. It was actually quite comfortable, and BA treated us well. We flew using only carry-on luggage, so we wouldn’t have to worry about lost bags, and so we could make a fast getaway at the Venice airport, and it’d be easier to tow behind us along unknown city streets. That part worked out fine.
Logistics in Venice are everything, and arrival time can be crucial to being able to get around more easily. Our flight departure from London was delayed, and we eventually arrived in Venice after 10:00PM. Customs took only a minute or two – much easier than we expected – and we were out the airport door within minutes of arrival.
The airport is on the mainland, and Venice is an island. The vaporetto (water bus) from the airport doesn’t run at that hour. We knew in advance that we’d be arriving late, so we had hired a private car to get us from the airport to Piazzale Roma, the last point vehicles can go. We walked from there to our hotel, very near the Ponte degli Scalza bridge. (On the Grand Canal, this is the second bridge over the canal from our starting point, and is an easy landmark.)
We’d watched a number of Venice video walking tours during our planning, and we knew exactly where to go, what we’d pass, and which turns to make. We arrived at the hotel exactly as expected, and without getting lost. We chose to stay in this area because it’s very close to the Santa Lucia Train Station. After a very long travel day, we were ready for a good night’s sleep. We had four nights and three full days in Venice.
A little criminal excitement: On the last side street leading to our hotel at nearly midnight, a young woman and three men were walking in front of us. The woman kept taking photos with her phone, stopping to look at them, and showing them to the men. They stopped right in front of us, blocking our way, which forced us to stop, too. We stepped around them a few times, but they quickly got in front of us and stopped again.
I felt someone messing with my suitcases, and turned back to look. One of the men was trying to steal my smaller bag that was attached to my roller suitcase. I loudly said, “Stop that!” and he smiled, stepping back. I said, “Go in front of us.” He did, but soon one of the men was behind us again, as the woman continued her photo taking.
I again felt my suitcases being touched, and I quickly turned and saw him trying to take my bag again. I yelled “Stop that!!” at the top of my voice. I pulled my suitcases closer, and by then we were at the hotel doorway. The night clerk came out to help us, and demanded to know what the people wanted. I heard them making some lame request for directions to Mestre, the mainland city. I don’t speak Italian, but even I knew it was all a scam. They were opportunist thieves who wanted to steal anything they could get. The desk clerk told them they knew where they were and to get out before he called the police. They ran off.
We went inside, and he asked what had happened. We told him, and he said, “Make sure you didn’t lose anything.” Our bags had been tightly closed with locking zippers and securely fastened to our roller bags, so nothing was stolen. It was a strong reminder to be vigilant, even on a deserted street. These people were skilled and if I hadn’t been super-aware, I’d have easily lost my passport, wallet, camera, and iPad. As it was, we didn’t lose anything.
It made for an exciting way to arrive at our first hotel. But I need to say, it was the only time on the entire trip we ever felt at risk, and we had no further incidents. I believe it was the very late hour of our arrival. If we’d arrived in daylight, it wouldn’t likely have happened at all. Traveler beware!
The next morning, after enjoying the excellent complimentary breakfast the hotel provided, we set out to start our three days in Venice.
We had purchased a 72-hour unlimited vaporetto pass, which was an excellent option for us. (We spent 40 Euro each, and received a scannable card pass we tapped at each entry point, to gain access to that boat. Very convenient.) We were able to ride these water buses along the canals as needed, to get to where we needed to be. The trickiest part of that was learning which boats stopped at which docks, in which direction, and when. If you’ve ever ridden on a major city metro subway, it’s a similar kind of thing. There were plenty of people available to help us figure out what we needed to know, and we were quickly riding like an expert.
Next to the Scalza bridge are the several Ferrovia boat docks, named Ferrovia A through Ferrovia F. (Other docks on the canal had similar naming schemes.) The letters are significant, as vaporetto that go to certain destinations stop at different docks. It would be easy to wait at the wrong-lettered dock for a boat that might not ever arrive. (Ask me how I know this?
) Once we had this sorted out, getting around was quite simple and straightforward.During our three days in Venice we only booked formal tours of St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. The rest was walking through the city, riding the vaporetto out to the nearby island of Murano, and generally exploring things. It was all very nice, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. We especially enjoyed eating in local restaurants, and enjoying the atmosphere of the city.
When we left the Venice hotel the final morning, the short walk to the train station took only a few minutes. We had checked things previously, so we knew the train station layout, and where to go. Trains are listed on Arrival and Departure boards much like in airports. It was a simple matter of finding our Frecciarossa high-speed train number, departure time, and which track it was on. Our tickets had pre-assigned seats in a particular car number, and we easily found our seats.
Note that since June 2024, tickets are pre-validated, so there is no reason to have to scan a ticket before getting on the train. Just ensure you are there at the right time to get on the right train – they are only in the station a short time, and they don’t announce when they’re leaving. They show up, people get off, other people get on, and the train departs. It’s very efficient. On our first ride, after we were seated and the train was moving, a Conductor did ask to see our tickets (the only time our train tickets were ever checked) but there was no issue. I think it was mainly a formality.
We arrived in Florence mid-day at the Santa Maria Novella train station, and walked the few blocks to our hotel. It was another easy choice, because we wanted to be close to the train. We had four nights and three and a half days in Florence. We began to settle in, feeling fairly comfortable with the process by this point.
In Florence, we visited the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia Museum, and the Galileo Museum. All were amazing, and filled with so many incredible things. The iconic statue of David was probably the most awesome thing to see. I think because I’ve seen images of it so often, to stand before the real thing (all 18-feet tall of him) was pretty impressive. It is certainly an amazing piece of sculpture. The rest of the time we walked around the city, visited a few street markets, shopped for nice leather goods, eating in more excellent restaurants, and enjoying our time there.
We took a half-day side trip tour to Pisa, which involved a bus ride (caught on a street on the back side of the train station), which was quite a bit of fun. The ride through the countryside was nice, seeing the farmland and rural houses, before pulling into Pisa, and walking to the center of things. Again, after years of seeing pictures of the Leaning Tower, it was amazing to stand in front of the real thing. It really does lean, and they let people climb it. No thanks!
From Florence, we caught another high-speed train to Rome, arriving at the Roma Termini train station. This is a very busy station, but the process was similar. We had to wait in a long queue to catch a taxi to our hotel, near Piazza Navona. We felt that location centered us around the things we most wanted to see. The driver was as wild as every Italian taxi driver story I’ve ever heard, and we were amazed there aren’t a lot more accidents on those streets. Once he finally found our hotel on a quiet side street, we arrived in one piece. We booked just two nights in Rome, but spent three full days exploring things.
While in Rome, we visited the Pantheon, Vatican City and the Vatican Museums, (including the Sistine Chapel), the Borghese Gallery, and Palatine Hill. There aren’t words to describe the overwhelming beauty and immense history in these places. It was all quite remarkable. We walked around quite a bit, and ate dinner the last evening in a sidewalk café in Piazza Navona. There were street performers and many restaurants, families with children, and a very comfortable sense of peace and comfort. It was quite nice.
We left Rome late on the last day via train from the Roma Ostiense train station to the town of Civitavecchia (pronounced CHIV-it-uh-VECK-e-a, for those who want to sound like a local), where we stayed overnight, and caught our cruise ship the next morning. This was a very relaxing way to do things, because we weren’t fighting the crowds at the train stations the next morning when we boarded the cruise ship.
We had time that evening for a relaxing al fresco dinner at a great restaurant in Civitavecchia, on a back street near the hotel, before getting a quiet night’s rest. Our hotel arranged for a car to take us all the way down onto the cruise ship dock, and dropped us literally at the entrance of the ship’s boarding ramp. It was extremely convenient. We were among the first to board the ship, and we were on board by about 11:00AM.
The ship was Celebrity Ascent, the newest of the Edge-class ships Celebrity has put together. It was just excellent. We’ve cruised before, but never on a ship this size. For as busy and full as it was, it never felt overly crowded, or like there was too much noise. The ship has only been in service since the first of this year, and it still felt like brand new. It was extremely nice, and we had a great cruise.
The ship departed around 5:00PM that Saturday, and stopped Sunday morning in Naples, Italy, mooring to a pier. We took a ship’s tour of Pompeii, which was just perfect. Our guide knew plenty and was quite informative. Things there have changed quite a bit since I visited so long ago. (That was in 1973 – 51 years ago. How is that possible??) They now have static museum displays with signage that educate visitors to what was going on during the 79A.D. eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, and how the people were trapped and died in the city. It was sobering, but extremely informative.
The ship’s original itinerary had been shuffled around to give us fewer other cruise ships to contend with during our in-port stops, so we spent the next two days as Sea Days on the ship. It was very restful and relaxing on the ship, and we enjoyed the pseudo-downtime. We ate excellent meals in a variety of locations on the ship. Overall, the food was quite good. We relaxed, enjoyed our share of cocktails, attended a few of the ship’s nightly entertainment shows, and we slept very well. It was nice having a break.
On Wednesday we moored at a pier in Kusadasi, Turkey. We took a ship’s tour to Ephesus, and learned plenty about how things were, back in biblical times. The ruins now are pretty deteriorated, but in its day, the buildings would have been something spectacular.
On Thursday we anchored at Santorini, Greece. We took a ship’s tour across the island to Oia, a village at the end of Santorini’s curved rim shape. There were very iconic views, with plenty of hills and white buildings built along the cliff sides. This was where I learned the buildings with blue or red roofs are actually churches, and private homes and businesses are mostly all painted plain white, to reflect the heat.
The tour returned us to Fira, the main village on the island, where they dropped us off, to explore things on our own and to make our own way back to the harbor, to catch the tender back to the ship. This is where the cable car funicular runs up and down the cliff face, donkeys provide rides up or down, or you can walk. It’s 588 long, slippery steps, on worn marble stairs covered in donkey manure. That trek in 100-degree heat was the last thing we wanted to endure, so we rode the cable car down to the harbor. It was easy and fast. From the harbor, it was an easy boat ride back to the ship.
On Friday we stopped at Mykonos, Greece, anchoring out once again. We took another ship’s tour, this one around the island. We saw several incredible beaches, and stopped at a beautiful monastery for an in-depth tour. It was extremely informative, and we had a very good time. After enjoying refreshments from a nearby restaurant, (and a glass or two of Ouzo), the tour bus delivered us safely back at the harbor. We could have taken a free shuttle into Mykonos’ main village to continue shopping, but we chose to return to the ship, and enjoyed a quiet afternoon, while most folks were still ashore. It was a great last afternoon on the ship.
On Saturday, our cruise ended at Athens, Greece. Debarkation was a breeze, and we were on the pier at 9:00AM. We had arranged for a car to take us from the Piraeus cruise port to our hotel near the Acropolis in Athens. We arrived around 10:00AM, left our bags with the hotel, and we went exploring.
We found ourselves in a vibrant city-center neighborhood, filled with a wide variety of excellent restaurants and shops. It reminded us quite a lot of San Francisco. We had yet another excellent meal in a sidewalk restaurant, but this time, it was traditional Greek food, not Italian. The moussaka, souvlaki, and pastitsio were all excellent. If you like authentic Greek food prepared by knowledgeable people, it was a perfect location. After lunch, we made our way back to the hotel, got keys to our room, and relaxed till evening. We headed back to the area with all the great restaurants, and we had yet another fine meal. I’m not a wine drinker, but my husband Jeff said he had some of the best wines he’s ever tasted in these small sidewalk restaurants. Everything was casual, safe, and surprisingly affordable.
The next morning we had a scheduled tour of the Acropolis hill, including the Parthenon, and then on to the new Acropolis Museum. Both were amazing, and it was easy to imagine how life had been, back in ancient Athenian times. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable, and he gave us some great anecdotal insight into how life was back then.
After the tour we wandered around some more, exploring even more of this exciting city. There was plenty to see, and we enjoyed ourselves. We had a final supper at another outdoor restaurant, and even more excellent Greek food.
Over the time we spent in Italy and Greece, I can honestly say I’ve never had so many outstanding pasta dishes in my life. Everything was great. Salads were fresh, flavorful and organic. Entrees were generous and well prepared. Desserts were excellent. Service in every restaurant was attentive and courteous. People who say the reason to visit these countries is for the food are absolutely correct. If you’re a foodie, start packing!
Our flights home started early Monday morning, and we had hired a car to take us from the hotel to the airport. He met us at 5:00AM, and the streets were very empty at that hour. The driver spoke excellent English, and asked what we had seen during our two days in Athens. We told him, and he diverted to drive in front of a few things we hadn’t seen, including the Parliament building, with the Evzones guards out front. It is guarded 24 hours a day, and they change guards every hour. We saw the guards who had just changed out marching back toward their barracks, in their traditional Greek uniforms. It was quite impressive, even at that still-dark hour.
At the airport, we opted to check our carryon suitcases all the way to Las Vegas, so we’d have less to handle on the plane. We had to go through a series of Security Checks and Passport Control stations, but we didn’t have any trouble. We were soon waiting for our flight from Venice to London. It left on time, and by noon we were in London. We had to switch terminals at Heathrow, a very easy process, and we were soon waiting for our long flight from London to Las Vegas.
We’d opted to fly Business Class back to the USA, mainly because of the lay-flat seats. We wanted to arrive as rested as possible, (and to give my husband’s bad back a rest.) This gave us access to one of the British Airways Gallery lounges at the airport, and we spent a restful afternoon waiting for our final flight back. There was plenty of free food and drinks, free WiFi, and comfortable seating.
By the time we boarded, we were ready to be home. The Airbus A350 jet’s seats were very comfortable, but we both agreed they were a bit more than we needed. Premium Economy had been quite comfortable on the way over, and were less expensive seats. Next time we head overseas like that, we’ll probably opt for Premium Economy again.
The flight actually landed early, and we were in Las Vegas on Monday evening, the same day we’d left Athens, even though we’d had a 28-hour travel day. We spent the night in a favorite Las Vegas hotel, getting a good night’s rest. We were home by noon the next day. (No, they did not lose our luggage – it was exactly where it was supposed to be, when we needed to collect it.)
As we sit and digest through everything we saw, sort through the thousands of photos we took, and remember all the great food we ate, the memories of this trip are remarkable. So many “moments” stand out. We met so many kind and helpful people, it was impressive. I think the people and the food were the two best things about the entire trip.
Our booked tours were good, the hotels were comfortable, and there was no mad panic at any point. There is something to be said for planning things ahead. We didn’t overdo anything, and we had a lot of time to relax and enjoy what we were doing. We agree it was a worthwhile trip, and we’d do it all over again.
I know it wasn’t the kind of trip others might take, but it worked very well for us, on our own time and schedule, with respect for our physical limitations. As I said initially, if we had it to do over again, the biggest change we’d make would be to stay longer in each city. We both understand why some people return to these places time and again. It was a really nice time.
By the numbers, we were gone 23 days. We were in 5 countries, 10 cities, and crossed 10 time zones. I wore a Fitbit to track our movements, and it reported we walked 190,276 steps, for a total of 87.13 miles.
Not bad. Not bad at all.
Dave
The nuts and bolts:
I don’t want to put too much specific focus on the things we did, because there are hundreds of ways to do a trip like this. But here are some names of things we used. You may want to research these companies, and decide if they’ll work for you:
Car from Venice Airport into Venice was booked via AtoBTransfer.com
Hotels were all booked directly through Booking.com.
Venice public transport was booked via https://www.veneziaunica.it/en/e-commerce/services?macrofamily=2&family=2
Train tickets were purchased directly via https://www.italiarail.com and https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html
Cars from cruise ship to hotel, and from hotel to Athens airport were booked with Viator.com
Land tours were booked through GetYourGuide.com and Tiqets.com
Guggenheim Museum tickets: https://ticket.guggenheim-venice.it/en/
Ship tours were all booked via Celebrity Cruises, from within their website
Theft-proof travel packs and daypacks with locking zippers: Pacsafe.com
Clothing with hidden zipper pockets: https://aviatorusa.com
