If you don't read anything else from my blog and if you want to travel Europe economically here's one of the best websites I've found for getting from the dock of your cruise ship to the sites you want to see. If you want to avoid the expense of a shore excursion but are afraid of going it on your own the you need to go to:
PortReviews.com.
Here experienced travelers go so far as to give you multiple photos of the ports where your ship will be docked along with detailed instructions as to how to flag down a taxi if needed, where to walk based on landmarks (along with photos) and how far you'll have to go to the bus stop or train station. They explain which mode of transportation you'll need to take, how long it will take to get to your destination, which stop you'll need to watch for (again with photos of signs in case they aren't in English), and an approximate cost for each transfer plus reminders to keep you from incuring a fine for not validating your ticket (who knew you had to do that?) and what to watch for so you won't get charged too much for a taxi ride around the block.
That said, I'm going to let this little bit of info sink in and give you a chance to go see what I mean. Then I'll tell you how that little website plus a couple of other "tricks of travel " made our trip as luxurious as any.
