Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may get a commission, at no cost to you. Any recommendations that I make are for products or services I have personally used and highly recommend.

OK, so I’m a bottom line kind of girl. Here’s Tootsie’s bottom, bottom line!

• Cruise ports are not always near your desired destination. Know upfront that significant time can be spent travelling
• We didn’t book any tours through our ship because research told us that the smaller tours gave more bang for the buck BUT, you have to do your research.  We used Trip Advisor and Cruise Critic.com as our primary sources for information as well as tour providers’ sites and good old fashioned research.
• Figure out which places are most important and spend your tour dollars there.

• If you do group tours, be flexible and accept that you may not see everything you want.
• Remember, you’re only sampling the destinations.
• Weather: we traveled in late May/early June and found it warm to hot
• Dress code: like the U.S., most places don’t have strict dress codes; however, many churches require covered shoulders and knees.  Bring a backpack to add/remove what you need
• To maximize your dollar, eat a big breakfast before leaving the ship, eat lightly during the day and return for dinner and entertainment.
  The cruise allowed us to let someone else worry about logistics-travel, meals, etc.  Sounds crazy, but sometimes having fewer choices makes life easier!
• Eat local specialties when it fits your diet.  In our case, lots of gelato!
  Finally, this was an incredible opportunity for my daughter and I to have some time together sharing this adventure before she sets off on the next big step in life.

We have a tendency to go until we literally cannot go anymore.  If you read the Paris and Barcelona blogs, we started our days super early and often didn’t get back to our hotel until 11:00 PM or later having walked much or all of the day.  An unexpected but HUGE perk of the cruise was the departure times of the ship.  We had to end our day by late afternoon most days so we put in full days, but not so full that we were exhausted.  That allowed us to relax on the ship rather than try to squeeze one more thing into the day.  Instead, we had relaxing dinners, talking about the day and either went to an evening show, watched a movie on the pool deck or just talked. 

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may get a commission, at no cost to you. Any recommendations that I make are for products or services I have personally used and highly recommend.

Please note that the posts about Barcelona, European Cruise and Paris relate to a single trip. The trip started in Barcelona where we stayed for two days prior to boarding a 7 day cruise. Following the cruise, we flew to Paris for two more days.

Tootsie’s Bottom Line:

• Hotel: we stayed at the Marriott Renaissance Le Parc Trocadero.  Again, looking to save money, we used hotel points.  Location was great-walking distance for us to most things
• Tips: the sites we went to were a good distance apart and, in a desire to get some exercise, we walked 15+ miles each day. Uber is an easy and cost-effective alternative

Must See:

• Tour on Seine River (evening)
• Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower
• Arc de Triomphe
• Palace of Versailles
• Visit Notre Dame (if possible)
• Tennis Lovers: Roland Garros

The list of places I want to visit has always been long but never included Paris. Having heard people rave about it over the years, I’d become more interested in visiting.  It didn’t disappoint, and like so many others, I feel in love with the city!

The cruise ended for us in Barcelona where we headed to the airport for a quick flight to Paris.

Versailles & Paris

The trip to Paris was an easy add-on to the cruise.  We arrived early from Barcelona, and after dropping off our bags at the hotel, we got an Uber and went immediately to the Palace of Versailles.  This was something that Leah really wanted to do, so I wanted to make it happen, if at all possible.  If you imagine a palace, this is it! It is absolutely massive and seeing the home of Louis XIV was so cool. The gates, the palace itself, the gardens, there is so much to see. My favorite part of the visit was walking through the gardens. We were there on a Sunday, and music was being played throughout them. We stopped for an ice cream in a cafe nestled in the woods. We spent the whole afternoon there, and could have stayed for days.  Throughout the gardens, families were enjoying the warm weekend afternoon. Clearly, Versailles is loved by locals and tourists alike.

We did the Seine River cruise at 10:00 PM, and it was incredible.  Our hotel was about a 15-minute walk to the Eiffel Tower, so we walked over and enjoyed the street vendors and shows on our way there.  The boat tour starts at the base of the Eiffel Tower, so we got our tickets there and waited for our tour.  We were exhausted at this point, but even after dark, Paris looked magical.  What a nice way to end our first day!

Paris

We started our day with a trip up the Eiffel Tower where the views of the city were breathtaking.  We walked from there to Notre Dame.  Not a short distance but the company was great!  Notre Dame was beautiful, but we didn’t stay long as a service was in progress, and we felt a little disrespectful moving around as tourists.  Given the fire in April 2019, we are so glad we were able to see this beautiful cathedral.

We sat with someone on our way from Barcelona to Paris who told us that he’d attended the French Open at Roland Garros.  We managed to get tickets in the afternoon for same day play and paid around $30 per person.  There were no tickets for the “named courts” (top courts) but given that, we were shocked to get any tickets and we took what we could get.  Probably some of the best money I’ve every spent!  The venue was small and intimate and there were large screens showing top court play.  We had full access to the numbered courts and went straight to court 1 and watched Sock and Johnson (US) play local favorites Mahut and Herbert (FR).  It was a great match but the Americans lost in two sets.  Our seats were incredible and I still cannot believe that we were able to watch the round of 16 play! 

That evening we took an Uber from dinner to the Arc de Triomphe and enjoyed views of the city’s lights.  The flame at the base burning in memory of the unknown soldier was especially moving.  We stopped for our last chocolate mousse and took the long walk back to our hotel.

Again, Paris had never been at the top of my list of places to visit, but I would love to go back and have more time to spend in the City of Lights.  Yes, a city is a city, and each has its own character, but Paris is truly unique and so special.  I understand why people fall in love with this magical place.  I look forward to my return.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may get a commission, at no cost to you. Any recommendations that I make are for products or services I have personally used and highly recommend.

Port: Naples

Tootsie’s Bottom Line:

• Tour Provider: See Amalfi Coast
• Travel Type: Private
• Transportation: Sedan
• Cost: approximately $470 includes private tour of Pompeii and excludes gratuity
• Kid Friendly: 15+
• Tips: Ask for “Johnny boy”
• Good to know: We traveled in late May and it was extremely hot and there is little to no shade.  Plan accordingly.

Pompeii

The ship arrived early Tuesday morning in Naples, Italy.  We disembarked after an early breakfast and located our tour guide, Johnny, from “See Amalfi Coast”.  I’d booked a private tour from the Port of Naples so that Leah and I could maximize the day.  A Mercedes sedan in impeccable condition was our transportation for the day.  Because Johnny was our private driver, we had the luxury of choosing how to spend our day.  Johnny is from Naples originally and knows the area well.  I’d made arrangements in advance to see Pompeii and “See Amalfi Coast” arranged for a private guide within the ruins.  In order to get ahead of the crowds, Johnny took us directly to Pompeii so that we could be one of the first to enter the ruins.  We had a little time before the ticket office opened and were treated to an espresso at a local eatery outside the city walls.  Neither of us are coffee drinkers but “when in Rome…”.  We took Johnny’s advice and sweetened the espresso and shot it back before starting our day.  Not bad, I must admit!  Perhaps softened by being on vacation in such a beautiful place.

Pompeii was amazing! As a quick history review, Pompeii was a bustling Roman city until the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 left it buried in 14+ feet of volcanic ash and pumice. The city was literally buried alive! I cannot imagine what it was like excavating a city that was frozen in time. Visiting it, however, is pretty cool. Because it’s fairly small, you can easily walk the city.  A separate local guide walked us through the ruins and was able to take us to some of the highlights.  One of the things that I found most amazing was the vivid colors in paintings found in homes that have long been unoccupied and unprotected. You really get a sense of the layout of the city and the residential areas versus commercial.  A great tour and well worth the time and money!  It also served as a great introduction to our visit to Rome. At the end of our Pompeii tour, we were reunited with Johnny and quickly hit the road before the big crowds had arrived for the day. We paid our guide directly at the end of the tour.

Amalfi Coast

Amazing!  There really are no other words to describe this area.  I’d wanted to visit it mainly because I’d heard the Amalfi Coast was really pretty.  It is a drastic understatement to call this pretty.  The roads are very narrow and I was glad to be in a car with a private guide rather than trying to navigate the area on a large bus.  Johnny stopped to allow us to take some pictures and took us to a roadside stand for some lemon ice (like a lemon slushy, but so much better).  We continued to Sorrento where we had lunch and walked around the charming town.  We elected to forgo the Positano portion of the trip due to time and instead spent more time in Sorrento. 

I would love to return and drive the full distance of the Amalfi Coast to Positano, visit the island of Capri and see Cinque Terre.  Another time….

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may get a commission, at no cost to you. Any recommendations that I make are for products or services I have personally used and highly recommend.

Port: Cannes

Tootsie’s Bottom Line:

• Tour Provider: Liven Up
• Travel Type: Semi-Private (8 people)
• Transportation: Large van
• Cost: $75/person
• Kid Friendly: 15+
• Tips: If there is something that you really want to do, let the guide know early
• Good to know: Book a private tour for this one

Eze

We booked this tour through Liven Up for our day in Cannes.  We were really looking forward to this tour because we had no idea what to expect!  We were met at the port by our guide and were in a van with a total of 8 people.  We quickly headed off to the medieval village of Eze.  We had no idea what to expect here but found the most amazing town that can only be traversed on foot through cobblestone streets.  It was so pretty and an amazing surprise!  We then visited a perfume factory in town which was interesting but, in my opinion, we spent far too much time here.  We were behind schedule leaving here due to some of our fellow tourists spending lots of time shopping. 

Monaco

We were then off to La Turbie and Monaco.  We passed quickly through La Turbie which gave us a glimpse of what was to come in Monaco!  We arrived in Monaco, you know you’re there because the sidewalks change, and it was spotless.  One of the reasons that I chose this tour was to make sure we’d be at the palace for the changing of the guard. 

We arrived at the palace but had missed the changing of the guard due to the shopping time in the perfume factory.  Both Leah and I were really frustrated since this was the one thing we really wanted to see.  From the outside, the palace was really pretty and we loved walking around that area which included amazing views of the port as well.   

We met up with our group and drove to Monte Carlo which is tiny and basically consists largely of a hotel, casino and restaurant built around a square.  Everything is absolutely pristine!  The hotel was so pretty inside and out. 

We were visiting the week after the Grand Prix, and they were still getting back to normal.  Our guide took us on the course, which is really a drive right through the middle of town!  The walls were still up, and it was really cool to be on the Grand Prix course. 

On our way back, the guide mentioned stopping in a place that offered spectacular views.  Sounded like a great opportunity to see something a little off the beaten path.  Unfortunately, one of our group wanted to board the ship early so we had to pass.  Another downside to the small group tour.

If we had it to do over again, we’d book a private tour rather than a small group tour.  Everyone on our tour was great, but people have different agendas.  We didn’t realize how much we’d love Eze and Monaco, and due to constraints of others we missed out on some things.  Hindsight is 20/20.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may get a commission, at no cost to you. Any recommendations that I make are for products or services I have personally used and highly recommend.

Port: Majorca

Tootsie’s Bottom Line

• Tour Provider: Viator
• Travel Type: Large Group-Hop On Hop Off
• Transportation: Large bus-double decker bus
• Cost: approximately $20 per person
• Kid Friendly: 15+
• Tip: If you’ve toured extensively, you’re tired at this point.  Do something relaxing or stay on the ship

Majorca was a half-day stop for our cruise.  We had planned two days in Paris following the cruise and were going to travel by train.  Due to a rail strike, we were forced to use a couple of hours making alternate travel arrangements.  With the strikes, you are not informed until 24 hours before your departure that you will definitely need to make alternate arrangements.

From the city and ship, Majorca looked beautiful.  We used the short time that we had to see the city on a Hop On Hop Off Tour that included a stop at Castel Bellever.  While we enjoyed the overview of the city and the castle, it was our last stop, and we felt like we would have enjoyed the time more walking the quaint streets near the port or stayed on the ship.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may get a commission, at no cost to you. Any recommendations that I make are for products or services I have personally used and highly recommend.

Port: Civitavecchia (Rome)

Tootsie’s Bottom Line:

• Tour Provider: Private Tour Italy
• Travel Type: Private
• Transportation: Sedan
• Cost: approx. $500; expensive but money very well spent
• Kid friendly 15+
• Tips: Ask for Cristiano; let tour guide get tickets and make reservations for you (see last paragraph for more detail)
• Highlights: Pantheon, Sistine Chapel, Roman Colosseum, Forum, & Trevi Fountain

Good to know:

• Let the tour company make reservations/purchase tickets for you to optimize your time. The Pantheon and Trevi Fountain are free of charge.
• Plan for the weather-we traveled in late May/early June and days were hot with little relief from the sun.  Some destinations require that shoulders and knees be covered.  Plan accordingly.
• If it’s of interest, see the calendar for dates when the Pope will hold audience.
• Wednesday, we arrived in the port of Civitavecchia which is about an hour’s drive from Rome.  Interestingly, the only other time I’d been to Rome was when I was pregnant with Leah 17 years prior.  History came to life for me during that trip, and I had anxiously awaited my return!  Of course, there were things that I wanted Leah to see, so again, we reserved a private tour from the port.  Our guide, Cristiano, from “Private Tour Italy“, was waiting at the port for us and whisked us away in another Mercedes sedan.  I’d done some legwork myself and reserved tickets for tours of the Sistine Chapel and the Coliseum in advance.  It turned out my attempt at efficiency had made things more complicated.  Navigating the city wasn’t easy and trying to do all that I wanted became somewhat constrained by the entrance times for the sites.   I also wanted to attend an audience with Pope Francis.  In addition, I’d told Cristiano to try to incorporate the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and the Forum.  He said it wouldn’t be possible but couldn’t resist the challenge!  Keep in mind, I started the day with “I know there’s a lot to see and we don’t care about food.”

Pantheon

One of the best preserved monuments from Ancient Rome, Cristiano couldn’t let us miss the Pantheon on our way to hear Pope Francis speak.  He dropped us off close to the entrance and stayed with the car.  The Pantheon is a church and former Roman temple. A huge oculus (circle) in the center of the dome shaped ceiling provides the only light and must be beautiful on a starry night. I was told on a tour years earlier that it serves as a view of heaven. With a circular interior and floor slanted to allow for rain to run off, the building is an architectural marvel. Sadly, we were unable to stay long here.

St. Peter’s Square, Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel

On our way to the audience, we passed the Circus Maximus, where the chariot races had taken place.  Mind boggling that this is thought to have been built in the late 7th or early 6th century B.C.. I hadn’t seen this during my last trip so it was an amazing site.  He quickly drove us to the audience where we listened to Pope Francis speaking in St. Peter’s Square.  Again, Cristiano waited with the car in an opportune location so that we could get to the Sistine Chapel for our entrance time.

I mistakenly assumed that St. Peter’s square would adjoin the entrance to the Vatican Museums; Cristiano quickly drove us to the entrance.  Leah and I made our way as quickly as possible through the Vatican Museums in an attempt to maximize the sites and see the Sistine Chapel.  The Vatican Museums are incredible and there is so much to see even as you quickly pass through.  After a few wrong turns, we arrived at the Sistine Chapel. I’m hardly an art aficionado, but you cannot help but be in awe of the incredible work contained here!  Even after so many years, it is breathtaking.  After racing through so much of our morning, I was grateful for the chance to stand still and appreciate what was around me.  I was equally grateful that the employees gently reminded people to speak in a whisper with their frequent requests for softer conversation.  We were somewhat saddened by the fact that we were rushed through the museums, but given one day in Rome, it was simply logistics.

Colosseum

The Roman Colosseum, home to the famous gladiatorial fights, was next on our agenda, and Cristiano was waiting again with the car for us.  He was very concerned about lines, but we got lucky.  It was hot at this point, so we made quick work of our tour.  We did the audio tour but really spent our time taking in the arena.  The remains are amazing and the history itself is mind boggling.  Construction began in 72 AD and concluded in 80 AD, and it is the largest amphitheater ever built, holding an estimated 50,000 spectators. It has been significantly damaged by earthquakes, weather, and vandalism but will still take your breath away.

Forum

Quite simply, the Forum was the center for daily life in any city housing government building, shops, markets, banks, etc. Cristiano said the best view of the Forum could be seen by following a path at the base of Palatine Hill.  It did not disappoint.  While we were unable to walk through the Forum, we were able to see the remains as well as other parts of Rome from this lookout point.  Having seen a much smaller version in Pompeii the day before, this was a nice contrast, and you can get a sense of how powerful Rome was. Even as ruins, the Forum is spectacular.

Trevi Fountain

As with any city, you need to plan your travel times, and we were now approaching rush hour.  Cristiano decided to squeeze Trevi Fountain in as our last stop.  He dropped us at the top of a street leading to Trevi Fountain and suggested we grab a bite to eat on our way there, and of course, a gelato on our way back.  We did just as he said.  Trevi Fountain was mobbed but we both managed to throw a coin in and make a wish to return to Rome.  Time to get back to the ship!

If you have read this lengthy description of our day, you know there is so much to see in Rome.  One day isn’t enough, but it’s what we had.  I am so glad that we had a private tour and truly couldn’t have hoped for more.  I would strongly encourage anyone to let the tour company make reservations on your behalf because they know the city, traffic patterns, and when the best times are to go.  Again, we knew that a cruise would only allow us to sample the cities we visited.  Where Rome is concerned, it was truly just a taste.  Keeping my fingers crossed that my coin in Trevi Fountain is working on my behalf!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may get a commission, at no cost to you. Any recommendations that I make are for products or services I have personally used and highly recommend.

7-Day Western Mediterranean

Please note that the posts about Barcelona, European Cruise and Paris relate to a single trip. The trip started in Barcelona where we stayed for two days prior to boarding a 7 day cruise. Following the cruise, we flew to Paris for two more days.

Tootsie’s Bottom Line:

o Type of Trip: International-Europe
o Travel Type: Cruise
o Cruise Line: Norwegian
o Cost: $800+/per person plus airfare
o Kid Friendly: 15+
o Tips: Check cruise to see if boarding is permitted in multiple ports and compare airfares to cities where cruise boards passengers
o Good to Know: Cruising allowed us to sample a variety of cities; there simply isn’t time to really get to know any one place well

Cruisin’ Europe

My daughter has always wanted to visit Italy and France become of great interest when she began studying French in middle school. She’d been asking for several years to visit Europe but as anybody knows, it’s incredibly expensive. She and I had the travel bug so I researched and researched to find economical ways to see as much as possible in a limited amount of time and on a BUDGET. The trip was still expensive but I feel like we maximized our dollars.

How to Travel: Norwegian Epic

A cruise quickly surfaced as the easiest way to visit several cities and allow us to enjoy day long tours but not be responsible for transportation between cities. We narrowed the broad range of cruises down based upon the cities we most wanted to see. In addition, both my daughter and I are vegetarians and far from foodies so we knew from the start, we’d hit the ground running in the morning and grab food on the go. A great meal would be a bonus, not a requirement!
I began searching cruise lines for the best price given the itineraries that were available. We’ve cruised to the Bahamas with Disney Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean before so we had some experience with those lines. Norwegian Cruise Lines offered the best price and allowed us to save money by boarding in Barcelona rather than Rome. We selected the 7-Day Western Mediterranean from Barcelona cruise on the Epic (link at the bottom of article). When I was booking, they were offering a discounted drink package which I added to my ticket. Of course, to keep costs to a minimum, we booked an interior room.
We boarded the Epic on a Sunday afternoon and found our room to be cozy but comfortable. The interior room was perfectly adequate for the two of us but if you’ve never cruised before, be aware that the rooms are tight. Clearly, it had been recently redesigned and our room was incredibly functional with lots of cubbies and smart storage solutions. We were at sea on Monday so we had the opportunity to explore the ship.

Food on the Epic:

There were lots of dining options on the Epic. As I said, we are not foodies so we didn’t opt to go to any of the upgraded dining options. We ate most of our dinners at The Manhattan Room and unlike the other cruise lines, there were no assigned seating time for meals. There was a vegetarian selection each night and we enjoyed our dinners very much. We ate breakfast at the Garden Cafe (buffet) most mornings. I enjoyed made to order omelets; they also served fresh fruit, waffles, eggs, cereal, pastries, etc. There’s surely something for everyone here.
We ate at O’Sheehan’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill when we boarded the ship and one other evening. This was a big disappointment, maybe because we are vegetarians and this is more pub style food. In any case, I wouldn’t recommend.
We also got snacks and ice cream on the pool deck during the day at the Great Outdoors. A great place to grab a bite between meals or a late-night snack.

Entertainment on the Epic:

We splurged the first night and went to the Svedka Ice Bar. There was an up charge (around $20.00 per person) to go and it included two drinks per person. If you’ve never been to one, it’s worth the cost. Everything is made out of ice-literally everything! Before you enter, you’ll be given what you need to stay warm while you’re inside. My daughter is a minor so she enjoyed a creamsicle (non-alcoholic) while I sipped on a Northern Lights (SVEDKA Citron, Cointreau, and Blue Curacao). You’re only given 45 minutes inside but that’s plenty of time. You must have a reservation to enter so plan accordingly. We also enjoyed several nightly shows that served as a relaxing end to a long day on our feet.

Getting There:

Leah’s a high school student so our travel time is limited primarily to summer vacation. Luckily, schools here get out just before Memorial Day weekend. We seized the opportunity to travel then before the flights skyrocketed for the peak season. We flew in and out of Barcelona simply because it was the cheapest city from which to board our cruise.
Selecting our travel date came down to spending two days in Barcelona before our cruise or spending the same amount of money on a flight two days later. Slam dunk! We left two days earlier and used the time and money to see a little of Barcelona.

After the Cruise:

Since we saved money on other parts of our trip, we tacked two days on the end to travel to Paris. I’d booked rail tickets thinking it would be nice to see the country side; however, a rail strike forced us to re-book and fly from Barcelona to Paris. I’m disappointed that we didn’t get to enjoy the train ride but we did make the most of our day in Paris. The additional cost incurred was painful but given the circumstances, we made the best of it.

Link to cruise from Barcelona:
7 Day Western Mediterranean from Barcelona