[Hyacinth Bucket]

This is also posted under Mediterranean Cruise.

Hi, I agree with you on the cost of booking tours through the cruise line. I use Port Promotions and Shore Trips. They have both been extremely reliable companies. What I am wondering is that for eight people it may be less expensive to use one of these companies to get around in Europe.

Another option we have used is to hire a local taxi and tell him where we would like to go and what we want to see. We also ask what he suggests. This has worked out extremely well for us and has saved us a lot of money.

In some ports, the minute you get off the port there are local tour companies who offer the same tours as the ones on the boat for a lot less.

Hope this helps.

Have fun.

HB

[njgranny]

We had a great tour in St. Petersburg using a local Russian company. We got the info about them from the Cruise Critic Board. We often do the taxi route when in the Caribbean. Seldom use the ship's tours any more. When we were in Denmark, my husband was sick, so I took a bus that stopped near the port to the downtown and then went on a local tour. Had a great time and felt very comfortable being alone.

[Hyacinth Bucket]

ALASKA if you want to take the White Pass and Yukon Route train ride in Skagway it is best to make that reservation on the ship.

From my experience the cruise lines buy up all the seats since this is such a popular excursion.

I have taken this train ride and I suggest you sit on the left side of the train going up and down if you can. You will be on the side facing where the gold miners walked and when we were there there you could also see the outlines of where they walked.

I also read the novel Alaska before going on our first trip to Alaska and it made the places we visited come to life.

HB

[784caroline]

Having cruised in Alaska a number of times, I will through out another option for Skagway!!

On our last trip we actually rented an Avis van in Skagway that easily held 6-8 people (our crowd) and we took the highway route that was parallel to the White Pass and Yukon Train route. It was much cheaper, more flexible in that we could stop along the way to take pictures when we wanted, visit some small water falls, and continue further into the Yukon Terrority to see some beautiful lakes beyond where the train goes. If I am not mistaken the windows on the train do NOT come down and since the train always is rolling you need to stand on the (crowded)platform between cars to take a clear picture. Also if it is warm the day you are on the train,it can get warm since since there is little air flow through the closed up cars.

ON the way back we were able to drive to the Old Cemetery that is on the City Tour where some of the legendary ole timers are burried

Practical Tip: In Skagway the National Park Service has some great exihibts (I dont think you call them museums) and they are free and well worth visiting...especially before you take either the train or drive into the Yukon terrority. Actual artifacts are on display along with numerous pictures describing the bitterly cold/snowy winters, how they supplied to the gold rush camps using Mules and fate they encountered, plus an interesting story about the roles women played during the Gold Rush days. A MUST SEE!

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[Hyacinth Bucket]

with everything you wrote. This was our first time in Alaska when we took the train.

The National Park Service does an excellent job. When we were there they offered a walking tour of the town. Skagway is a fascinating place. The cemetery that 784caroline writes about is quite interesting. If I recall correctly we walked to the cemetery.

I am always ready to go back to go back to Alaska and explore another area.

HB