I recently got back from a Norwegian cruise in Europe. The cruise started and ended in Barcelona, Spain for us. You had the option of getting on and off at other ports as well. We walked a total of 77 miles in a span of 7 days!!!! So much to see and do in these cities. Just an FYI: it's about an hour train ride from the port to Florence, Rome, and Monte Carlo. You are docked in Barcelona and Naples so those don't require transportation. Pisa was a 10 minute train ride, and in Palma Mallorca, it's about a 2 mile walk to Old Town where the old monastery is.
We arrived two days early in Barcelona to explore this amazing city. The sights, the palm trees, the sangria....shall I go on? We stayed at an AirBnB in Barcelona that was a 10 minute walk to Los Ramblos. Some places to see while in Barcelona are as follows: (cue Pharrell's new track "Sangria Wine")
1. Los Ramblos: street with canopy trees, street vendors, and restaurants (don't recommend eating here)
2. Park Guell: get here before 8 AM to get in for free
3. Barceloneta Beach: fun beach, bar areas with some good sangria, nice walk to see the W Hotel
4. Barcelona Aquarium: has a full tunnel to walk through SO COOL
5. Sagrada Familia - go in if you want to spend the money
6. El Corte Ingles : shopping mall with 10 floors
Good places to eat:
1. Bar Ramon
3. Ugot
4. Ciutat Comtal - we went here for breakfast, eat in the library in the back, it's beautiful
5. La Placa - located at the top of El Corte Ingles and has a great view of the city
Once on the ship, we enjoyed one day at sea where we ate, ate, drank, tanned, went on the slides, and ate some more.
1st Port: Naples: We tried going to the first pizza shop where Eat, Pray, Love was filmed but it was PACKED.
We then took the train to Sorrento where we walked everywhere, and took the ferry back to Naples.
You can also go to Positano and Capri which are both supposed to be beautiful as well.
While in Sorrento: ( they are known for their limoncello and tile work)
2. Go have coffee or tea at Hotel de la Syrene (most amazing views and the bellman was so nice)
3. We ate at one of the tavernas by the water at the bottom of the cliffs.
2nd Port: Rome (we walked EVERYWHERE)
1. Vatican: go here first, we couldn't get into the cathedral because the pope was speaking that day but if you get off at the train stop called Roma St. Paul and walk there, you can get in the back entrance which usually doesn't have a long line especially in the morning. You're welcome =)
2. We walked towards the Bridge of Angels and past an old castle
3. Spanish Steps
4. Trevi Fountain
5. All the piazzas because they are all beautiful
6. All the square markets have great stuff
7. Panthenon- first recorded Church B.C.
8. The Forum-nice to walk around, it's big
9. Colloseum (we didn't go in)
10. Gelato from Venchi (this particular one has a Chocolate wall for it's back logo....amazing) I got the fresh milk and the mascarpone/carmelized figs in a cup. I want it again, NOWWWW. Hands down, incredible.
3rd Port: Florence/Pisa:
1. Not my favorite city but I will say everyone should try this restaurant while there: Buca dell'Orafo where I had the most amazing balsamic and crema ravioli. You will not be disappointed.
2. We did our touristy photos in Pisa on the way back to the boat. We just grabbed a taxi, took our pics, and went back to the train station. Pisa would have been nice to walk around if we had more time.
4th Port: Cannes, France/Monte Carlo, Monaco
1. They were setting up for the film festival which was in 4 days so it was cool to see them set up.
2. The hotel to see: The Intercontinental Carlton
3. Train to Monte Carlo: most beautiful train ride I have ever been on.....ever. If you have time, stop in Nice, and Eze.
4. In Monte Carlo: climb the "rock" where you will get the best views of the city and see the changing of the guards at noon. The Casino costs 10 Euros just to get in the door, FYI. So take a pic out front.
5th Port: Palma de Mallorca
1. Old Town - beautiful buildings, famous monastery, great shoppes. I was very impressed and would love to go back and explore more of what Mallorca has to offer.
This trip was one to remember. The cruise itself was the best I've ever been on. It's so nice to be able to wake up and be in a different country. We didn't need our passports or to carry luggage to and from Definitely recommend getting a balcony. Every morning when we woke up, there were beautiful mountains and sights to see right outside your room. Get up early to watch your ship come into port. The food was amazing and so was the entertainment. The ship we were on (Norwegian Epic) had an ice bar, multiple slides, amazing restaurants, and even a Howl at the Moon. You can get a quick idea of what places you want to go back to.