Bonjour,
De passage pour une escale à Palerme, je souhaiterai savoir où je peux acheter des billets de bus pour les lignes rouge, jaune et verte qui desservent les principaux monuments . Cela n'a pas l'air simple d'acquérir des tickets dans cette ville . D'autant plus que ceux la semblent pas cher du tout . Suis preneuse aussi pour bons plans de visites ou circuits accessible seule , ne souhaitant pas du tout participer aux excursions proposées par le bateau !
Merci beaucoup pour votre aide .
Cordialement .
Ghislaine
S'il s'agit de bus de la ville et s'ils existent encore, on doit trouver des billets dans les bars/tabacs affichant le logo "AMAT" ou aux bureaux de l'AMAT (voir leur site internet)...
Il y a une nouvelle zone ZTL depuis le 10 octobre... donc peut-être des changements de trajets des bus, etc...
Plus chers, les bus City Sightseeing pourraient peut-être aussi faire l'affaire.
Voici ce que j'avais noté à l'époque de ce qu'il y avait à voir:
Il y a un endroit pour voir des marionnettes, j'ai été très déçue très peu de marionnettes au moment où j'y suis allée. On en voyait à travers une porte rangée dans une pièce.
Sud de Palerme:
Palais dei Normanni o Reale Le vieux Palerme est délimité par piazza Verdi (Théâtre Massimo) Porta Nuova et Porta Felice. Via Corso Vittorio Emanuele De cette rue partaient, à l’époque phénicienne et romaine, les ruelles alignées en amont, auxquelles s’adossèrent les quartiers médiévaux. Ce n’est qu’en 1581 que la rue fut prolongée jusqu’à la mer, avec aux deux extrémités Porta Nuova et Porta Felice
Le Mercato Ballaro l’un des marchés les plus animés de la ville.
L’Albergheria est l’un des quartiers les plus pauvres de la vieille ville mais c’est l’un des plus fascinants. L’église paroissiale San Francesco organisent des visites.
xxxCathédrale 7 (Trésor payant) 1179 peu de traces du monument d’origine.
xxxCappella Palatina payant médiévale période normande 1132 un joyau de l’art arabo normand.
xxxChiesa San Giovanni degli Eremiti e chiostro jardin luxuriant de Palerme
Nord de Palerme
Quattro Canti formée du corso Vittorio Emanuele et via Maueda la place à la mode date de 1600. Les 4 coins aux angles arrondis, riches en armoiries, niches, fontaines, sont divisés avec des statues représentant les saisons, 4 rois d’Espagne (Charles V, Philippe II, Philippe III et Philippe IV) et 4 saintes patronnes de la ville La place appelée “Teatro del Sole” toutes les heures une des coulisses architecturales est éclairée par le soleil.
Bonjour,
Et merci pour votre réponse . J'avais vu qu'il existait cette société de transport mais pas sûre
qu'il vende aussi ces tickets ! De toute façon, j'irai et je verrai bien !
Merci.
Bonne journée .
Ghislaine
Bonjour,
Merci pour tous ces renseignements ! Un vroi trésor ! La carte des monuments et vos desciptions vont beaucoup m'aider . Cela remplira bien une journée ...
Est ce que le 05 de Nine05 signifie que vous êtes sur les Hautes Alpes ??
Bonjour,
Plus futée que moi 🙂 ! Super .
Je vais agrandir et imprimer cette carte . Trouver la Porta Felice, qui devrait pas être trop loin du port apparemment et en avant la balade !!!
Merci beaucoup de vous être donné la peine de rechercher .....
Amicalement .
Ghislaine
En principe, les bateaux arrivent le long de la via Crispi.
Si l'on tient à la navette et si elle existe toujours, on pourrait peut-être la prendre via Cavour et aller jusqu'au Palais des Normands, puis élaborer un parcours pédestre pour rentrer au bateau en voyant les principaux monuments en route...
Bonjour Mathilde,
C'est pour cela que j'ai posé la question car Nine parle des marionettes je n'ai vu que le panneau aux environs de la porta Felice, en moins qu'il y en ait plusieurs.
C'est exactement le parcours T.Massimo-Capo-Cathédrale....et le temps d'escale pour élargir.
.....
Bonjour
Non, la Porta Felice est l'endroit d'où part le bus si j'ai bien compris ! Mais le port ne semble pas très loin .
L'escale est de 10 à 17h . je pense que dans ce délai, avoir le temps de faire les principaux sites.
Bonjour,
Oui, je pense que je vais imaginer quelque chose dans ce sens ....effectivement prendre la navette pour aller au plus loin et revenir à pieds pour voir les sites en chemin .
En tout cas, merci pour votre aide !
cordialement .
Ghislaine
Bonjour Nine
Non, si Ghislaine prend le bus P.Felice, il n'y a qu'1 seul km de différence quelque soit le point d'amarrage du navire entre prise bus, ou y aller à pied. Comme l'a signalé Mathide, rue Crispi et sur g.map on voit bien un bateau de croisière presque en face la via cavour.
Mes calculs : 6 à 7 kms Aller-retour (cavour-Masimo-Cathedrale et tout droit Pretoria.. pour reprendre la via de Rome..et cavour.
D'ailleurs du Théâtre Massimo, je voyais très bien le haut des grues du port.
Maintenant, c'est mon avis et à Ghislaine de voir.
Bon w.end
...
Cathédrale, rue Victor Emmanuel, Quattro Canti, via Maqueda, via Lincoln jusqu'au jardin botanique, on a mis 35 minutes à pied, ça situe un peu les distances...
Donc, vous êtes d'accord avec moi faisable à pied.
On mettait 4 h env.pour 5 kms env/jour en trainant, en visitant et surtout pause café et douceur et à 4 on perd toujours du temps.
En ce qui concerne la navette je l'ai vu P. Nuova le conducteur a fermé la porte au nez à un couple, pas sympa.
Un p'tit renseignement, avec les nouvelles ZTL est-ce que les résidants ne peuvent rouler en journée, ex. p.Verdi ou petites rues dans centre historique?
..
Les résidents doivent s'inscrire sur un site internet et payer une taxe mensuelle, sinon 5 euros je crois pour entrer une fois ou quelque chose comme ça...
Franchement, pour les ZTL, ils abusent.
Pour l'escale, admettons 6 h , avec au max 2 h de marche sur grands axes, sauf P.Carini-Cathédrale
c'est largement jouable.
...
Pour les ZTL, il n'y en a pas qu'à Palerme... Pour l'instant, ceux qui râlent le plus semblent être les commerçants avec une forte baisse de leur chiffre d'affaires depuis le 10 octobre... il faudra sans doute un temps d'adaptation...
Bonjour Lucette
J'imaginai peut être un bus parce que j'ai ma maman avec moi ! Elle marche encore bien (80 ans !)
mais si c'était necessaire, je voulais avoir la solution bus pour elle .....
Alors on verra effectivement une fois sur place (et en foction de la météo aussi !) .
En tout cas, grâce à vos explications à tous, je sais au moins où aller pour trouver les sites à visiter.
Un grand merci à vous .
Ghislaine
Bonjour Mathide,
Nouvelle demande qui ce coup ci ne concerne plus Palerme mais La Valette !!!
Nous sommes à La Valette de 10h à 18h. Mon projet était d'aller en 1er à Mdina en prenant
un bus ( à priori le 133 ou 130 ) à la station Kurcifiss pour aller jusqu'à la Fontaine des Trittons et bus ( 51, 52 ou 53 ) pour Mdina ( trajet à priori de 33mn avec un bus toutes les 10mn ) .
Sera t'il possible de retour de visiter au moins un ou deux sites et avant d'embarquer passer par Upper Barraka . Ou bien je dois je vraiment faire le choix d'en supprimer ?
Je pense que vous y êtes allée par rapport à d'anciennes discussion sur le forum .....
Merci de vos suggestions et conseils .
Bon dimanche .
Ghislaine
On peut aller à pied en longeant la mer jusqu'à un ascenseur (payant 1 euro) sur environ 500 mètres. L'ascenseur est fléché "lift" et se trouve dans une cour. Ensuite, on rejoint la place où se trouve la fontaine des Tritons pour prendre le bus pour Mdina. Tickets en vente sur la place ou dans le bus.
Au retour à la place des Tritons, il faudra voir en revanche le temps qui vous reste pour le centre ville... avant de redescendre au bateau avec l'ascenseur (gratuit dans le sens de la descente)
Hello everyone,
We’re a senior couple signed up for a 13-day cruise in Japan on the Princess Sapphire, departing from Yokohama on April 8, 2027.
Are there any other French speakers on this forum who’ll be on this trip?
Hoping for a reply...
Hi everyone,
I’m going on a Mediterranean cruise in November and I’m looking for some "tips" to visit the cities of Naples, Messina, and Valletta in Malta without booking the ship’s excursions, which are really expensive.
Thanks so much for your advice and suggestions. We’re a group of 6 people.
Looking forward to hearing from you...
Best,
M
PS: We’re also stopping in Genoa and Barcelona—even though we know these two cities, we’d still love any tips for visiting them!
Thanks
Just back from our first cruise on the Renaissance, and I’d like to share a few thoughts about life on board. Our feelings are mixed—we wanted a change after several MSC cruises, but the value for money on this repositioning cruise left us torn.
After taking advantage of successive promotions, we finally secured a well-located balcony cabin for 2600 € (almost 50% off the brochure rate). Given the amenities and the ship’s age, this now feels like the absolute maximum we’d pay for that period.
Overall, we were happy with our vacation on board, but a few details—when added up—left us with a somewhat mixed impression.
The pros:
- Ship size
- Reasonable noise levels, except in the restaurants (aside from the covered pool area)
- Spacious balcony cabin (20 + 5 m²) with plenty of storage and a bathtub with jets
- Understated, tasteful decor
- French language spoken on board
- Friendly staff for the most part
- 100% French-speaking clientele
- Decent food with French dishes (even with an Indian chef)
- Tables for two available (though the ship was full, so no changes possible)
- Some high-quality shows, thanks to an excellent English-speaking troupe
- Interesting lectures (especially on history and cetaceans)
The cons:
- Unreliable air conditioning in common areas (you’d go from a freezing lounge to a hot one, as if the system only worked in certain spaces at certain times)
- Aging ship with a few glitches (noises, AC, toilet flushes, lights) reported at reception (luckily, our only issue was the bathroom door not closing...)
- Industrial, thawed-out bread and pastries (a letdown for a ship with a French image)
- Limited fruit selection (often just apples and watermelon/melon) and not much variety in vegetables
- Worn, sometimes stained restaurant towels
We’re not ruling out another cruise on the Renaissance—their itineraries are unique—but only at a very competitive price.
Hi,
The MSC Magnifica has been refurbished and a Yacht Club class has been added. Could anyone share their impressions of cabin 14001, as the view is slightly obstructed? Is it really a "disadvantage" in terms of brightness? Thanks in advance
Hi, we're heading to Venice soon. We have a hotel in Mestre and we'd like to know which bus can take us from the Mestre hotel to Marghera Port. Thanks.
Hi everyone ...
We’re planning to do the 83-day Cunard cruise ...
departing from Southampton on January 10, 2027 aboard the Queen Anne ...
has anyone done it ... or have any info ... or tips ...
for example ... deck and cabin choices ... drink packages ... excursions ... etc.
... anything good to know about this ship???
Thanks everyone ...
Hi there,
Here’s the 2027 cruise schedule.
It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members!
2 essential rules:
1) Never "quote" the schedule when replying—this avoids any confusion.
2) Follow this format:
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
REMINDER Despite my requests, few people follow the requested format. Cruises that stray too far from it won’t be listed anymore—sorry about that. IMPORTANT Please respect the templates!
PLEASE COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE HAVING TROUBLE
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
It takes time to fix mistakes, so THANKS TO EVERYONE for your help!
YOUR TURN 😉
NUMBER OF 2027 CRUISES: 1
JANUARY
14/01 - poupou10 / AZAMARA JOURNEY / 74 days / South America Tour / Miami
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
Hi there,
I’m looking for an all-inclusive Nile cruise on a comfortable boat with as few passengers as possible.
Which tour operator can you recommend?
Thanks in advance.
I’m about to book the panoramic suite, and I’m not sure whether I should go for the one at the front of the ship or the one at the back. I’d really appreciate any feedback—anyone who’s already booked this kind of suite and can share the pros and cons?
Hi,
We’ll be visiting Barcelona for the first time on our upcoming cruise.
I was wondering if it’s better to book a taxi in advance to get from the train station to the cruise terminal, since there’ll be four of us. Are there enough taxis around that we won’t have to wait too long?
For the return trip, same question—are there enough taxis, since we have a flight to catch? Though I doubt we’ll know in advance which terminal we’ll dock at.
I came across this site below—has anyone heard of it?
https://taxibarcelona.taxi/fr/
hi there
Here’s the cruise schedule for 2026.
It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members.
2 essential rules:
1) never "quote" the calendar when replying—this’ll avoid any confusion
2) follow the format below
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
REMINDER Despite my requests, few people follow the requested format. Cruises that stray too far from it won’t be listed anymore—sorry!PLEASE respect the templates!
COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
It takes time to fix mistakes, so THANKS TO EVERYONE for your help!
YOUR TURN 😉
NUMBER OF CRUISES 2026:
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
Hi everyone, we're going on a week-long cruise and I have a question: can we travel by train and on a cruise with small refrigerated injectable syringes?
Do we need to complete any formalities?
And how should we store them?
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
I'm considering a cruise on the Hurtigruten Coastal Express from Bergen to Kirkenes and back to Bergen over 11 days in mid-March 2027.
Has anyone already done this trip?
I think it’s a great way to discover the Norwegian coast with the chance to see magnificent northern lights, but isn’t the trip a bit *too* long?
There are about thirty stops, but most last only a few minutes, with just one daily stop of over 2 hours, which gives a quick glimpse of a few towns but doesn’t allow for a full excursion.
Is the supplement for an outside cabin with a porthole (800 € for 2!) really worth it?
It’s more pleasant than an inside cabin, but do you spend enough time in your cabin to make the most of it?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this journey.
Best regards.
Hi everyone! I’m used to sailing on a sailboat with two or three people—it’s amazing. But I’d love to try the experience of a cruise. Just to clarify, I’ll be going alone. My first question: are there other solo travelers on these cruises, or is it mostly couples and families?
For a first cruise, I’d prefer a short one (maximum 8 days). Do those exist? And on the smallest boat possible. I live in Marseille, so a departure from Marseille would work, but I’m open to other ports too. If you have a cruise line to recommend and a destination you’ve enjoyed, or if you’ve had a great experience on a more intimate-sized ship, I’d love to hear about it!
We’re looking for a group of people available to share an excursion to the Trollstigen (Trolls’ Road).
We’ve contacted a local provider who’s offering us the following rates:
- 6,325 NOK for 4 people
- 6,874 NOK for 5 to 8 people
Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to discuss!
Happy planning to everyone! !
We just returned from a cruise from 08/13/26 to 08/20/26 on the MSC ORCHESTRA with stops in Tarragona, Valencia, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Genoa, and back to Marseille.
The ship was fully booked. Deck chairs were already occupied by beach towels early in the morning, and there were only 1 or 2 people in the pools... However, on the day the Italians disembarked, there were very few towels on the deck chairs.
We found the Italians less talkative.
We had a balcony cabin on deck 9, starboard side. The cabin was spacious, but the sofa was facing the desk, making it a pain to watch TV (neck strain guaranteed). So, we changed the sofa’s orientation to face the TV (we put it back in place on disembarkation day).
There were 325 French speakers on board, and a lot of staff from Mauritius, which made communication easier.
No annoying announcements about bingo, etc.—a nice change from COSTA.
For dinner, we were at the first sitting at 7:45 PM, at a table for 6. On the first night, we were two "gray-haired" couples at the table. The second night, two young women joined us but asked to change tables after seeing us...
The show for our dinner time was at 10:15 PM and ended around 11:00 PM. We found that a bit late for us. The shows were varied and of good quality.
The restaurant menus offered plenty of choices, but at the buffet at lunchtime, there were a lot of dishes with quite a few carbs. Afternoon tea from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM included some great pastries, among other things.
We had an issue with the air conditioning and bad odors in the cabin one afternoon. I reported the problem to the reception, and staff along with our cabin steward came to check the cabin. The issue was resolved that same afternoon.
Two days later, we were surprised to find a bag with items inside: 2 MSC mugs and 2 MSC thermos flasks that keep drinks hot or cold for 10 hours. It was a gift from customer service following the bad odors in our cabin. We weren’t expecting this at all and thanked MSC’s customer service.
For excursions, MSC always offers port-to-city-center transfers for 14 € per adult in Valencia and Tarragona, and 12 € per child. In Livorno, it was 10 € per adult and 7 € per child.
In Civitavecchia, there was a shuttle to the train station for 6 €.
On the MSC for Me app, there were "promotions" on certain excursions.
We really enjoyed this cruise, but we couldn’t revisit some stops (Tarragona and Valencia) on our own because it was too hot.
Great evening: Mum49
We're leaving on August 25th for a Danube cruise from Vienna to Bucharest. The travel agency refuses to postpone this cruise despite navigation changes due to the exceptional drought, which include bus transfers that don’t interest us.
Have you had any experiences with this that you’d like to share?
Hi there!
I’m going on a cruise with MSC on the World Europa this coming October.
Stops: Genoa, Naples, Messina, Malta.
Has anyone visited Mount Etna and Pompeii?
Could you share some tips for each of these stops?
I’d like to explore on my own without booking the ship’s excursions.
Thanks for your advice!
Hello!
After a lot of hesitation between different cruise lines (Explora, Oceania, YC, HAL, NCL) and several destinations like Norway, Ireland, and Iceland,
I finally chose NCL’s Star for Iceland.
I had already looked at this itinerary when I went to Scotland in April with CFC, but it was really expensive.
You should know that CFC often offers last-minute deals 45 days before departure (the point when you can no longer cancel or modify).
So, I got a great opportunity and grabbed it.
Departure is on August 23rd.
Hi everyone,
I’m staying in a suite on the Pacifica in October and I can’t find any details about the suite benefits beyond the elite restaurant, the butler, and the espresso machine.
What about breakfast and meals served free in the cabin, and the spa?
Costa’s been cutting back on perks for Gold members, and it seems like suites are next.
Thanks for your replies!
Hello,
We’re back from this cruise.
Boarding in Dunkirk: The doors opened around 12 PM. Since we were a bit early, I asked if my husband, who uses a walker, could wait inside instead of outside. I left him with the two suitcases and our two backpacks in the small hall while I parked the car in the reserved CFC parking lot for 10 € per day.
The shuttle that was supposed to take people from the parking lot to the model pavilion was supposed to arrive in 5 minutes, but after 15 minutes, nothing. After waiting 15 minutes, I saw a man walking and asked if I could follow him. In 15 minutes, we arrived, and still no sign of the shuttle—it must have passed us. Arrived at the model pavilion.
My husband had already checked in the suitcases with the help of a CFC staff member. The remaining formalities were completed quickly. We were on board by 12:15 PM. Headed to the buffet on deck 11 and waited in a lounge to access our cabin.
At 2 PM, we discovered our balcony cabin on deck 9 at the rear: spacious with a large balcony compared to MSC/COSTA.
Since we were at the rear, cabin 9202, there was always an issue with elevator number 4: "priority."
Elevator number 2 stops at deck 10... and elevator number 3 was often out of order, leaving only number 1 for those with mobility issues to reach the buffet, especially for people who struggle with stairs. Note: only one child on board and lots of "gray hair."
DAY 2: At sea. Lots of activities offered.
Day 3: GOTHENBURG (Sweden). Sunny, 19°C at 11 AM.
Excursion booked with CFC: Gothenburg and Haga for all.
Interesting visit with a great guide. The HAGA district, in our opinion, is full of cobblestones and nothing special, not suitable for people using a cane or wheelchair. Elevator number 3 was out of order again.
Day 4: Copenhagen. 15°C in the morning, showers in the afternoon.
We didn’t book an excursion since we’d already stopped here with CFC in 2025, and based on advice from this forum, we took the hop-on/hop-off bus right in front of the ship. I still went to see the Little Mermaid again.
No TV, but the elevator was fixed.
DAY 5: At sea. Still no TV.
DAY 6: GDANSK (Poland). 15°C, rain all day.
There’s a shuttle to get to the city center.
We took the excursion: Panorama of Gdansk.
The guide left us at the entrance of the city center for 45 minutes, telling us what to visit. Meet-up for the rest of the tour at 3 PM. The bus left at 3:15 PM to cover 10 km to see St. Mary’s Cathedral. We arrived at 4:16 PM... The guide said there are often traffic jams in that direction. We had 10 minutes on site before heading to see the lighthouse and the Westerplatte monument, where we also had 10 minutes.
Many of us wondered why we didn’t do the tour in the opposite direction since they knew there would be traffic...
I went to reception to complain about the organization. The staff member read me the program: we were supposed to start with the lighthouse, then go to the cathedral and stay for 30 minutes before heading to the center of Gdansk for a short guided walk with some free time to buy souvenirs, etc.
The guide did the complete opposite of what was planned and didn’t even give us a guided tour—just dropped us off in the city...
DAY 7: Bornholm Island (Denmark). 14°C, a few sunny spells.
We saw in the excursions that there was a walking tour of RØNNE. So, like many others, we explored on our own. There was a small orchestra welcoming us at the port and two people with city maps. We took the shuttle to leave the port—it ran every 15 minutes. The tourist office was next to the "shuttle bus." A pleasant visit at our own pace.
DAY 8: KIEL (Germany). 18–23°C, nice weather.
We took the "Kiel for all" excursion. Great guide and interesting visits.
The port is in the city, and in 10 minutes, we were in the city center by following a blue line on the ground from the port. Elevator 3 was stuck again... and the TV was back.
DAY 9: At sea. Elevator 3 works.
DAY 10: At sea. Elevator 3 is out of order again...
DAY 11: Disembarkation in Dunkirk.
Cabins had to be vacated by 7:30 AM. Buffet open until 9 AM.
Elevator number 1 was "reserved," leaving only number 2, which doesn’t go up to deck 11... a problem for people with mobility issues who had to cross the entire deck 11 and try to use one of the four working elevators at the front, which were crowded.
My opinion: Interesting stops.
The onboard staff were always welcoming, smiling, and mostly French-speaking.
Evening shows were better than in March/April 2025—better singers, dancers, and presenters, and the costumes were improved.
I liked the "magician" shows less.
There were three onboard lectures by a very cultured person, but they went off-topic and were too historical for my taste. I didn’t attend the other two; my husband went to the second but not the third.
For this cruise, there was a bridge theme, but we’re not players or interested.
We didn’t take a drink package on board—water, coffee, tea, and herbal teas were available.
We had a water leak in our cabin the night before disembarkation. We reported it, and after the technical staff came (with a translator who didn’t speak English), we were asked to leave the cabin for a while for repairs. We went to a lounge, and after 1.5 hours, I checked in at reception. The repair took longer than expected... we had to change cabins... not ideal the night before disembarkation. No balcony cabins were available, so we got an ocean-view cabin, 6075, with a bathtub (impossible for both of us to use). We packed our suitcases, took a shower in our cabin, and moved to the new one. Noise from chairs until 12:30 AM because the cabin was under a lounge, and constant ventilation noise in the hallway... sleep was hard to come by.
Disembarkation: Well organized. We were helped with transporting the two suitcases and bags to the waiting room while I took the shuttle to get the car.
Guylène