In southeastern France in the Rhone valley you’ll find the Tournon Lamastre Steam Railroad line. It features open-air cars (in the warm months), beautifully restored old steam engines and incredible scenery.
About 125 miles north of the city of Avignon along the Rhône River in southern France is Doux Gorges, located in Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, a commune (community) in the Ardèche department. The area features some of the most beautiful and remote wilderness in France and attracts tourists, hikers and bikers from all over.
A network of railway lines was constructed around Vivarais between 1898 and 1903 to provide access to markets for farms and vineyards in the remote areas of the region. When the Vivarais railway network closed in 1968, a group of enthusiasts decided to acquire it and some of its’ rolling stock. In June, 1969 a tourist operation started between Saint-Jean-de-Muzols and Lamastre. The Meyzieu Tourist Railway Company (CFTM) was created, supported by a group of volunteers who restore and maintain the railroad’s rolling stock. In February, 1970 access was restored to the railway station at Tournon, and the new Tournon – Lamastre line, 21 miles long, was officially opened for service in April 1970
At the Train de l’Ardèche station
The journey begins
Pulled by restored and beautifully maintained steam engines over one hundred years old, today’s train cars carry passengers into the most beautiful and inaccessible part of the Doux Gorges with views of this untouched and rugged landscape. At the station of Colombier le Vieux – Saint-Barthélémy le Plain, the locomotive has to be turned round on a turntable and placed at the front of the train for the return trip. Watching the two men push the turntable is a sight worth seeing.
Offering full day or half day excursions, the Train of Ardèche travels through the mountainsides overlooking the gorges. The train is particularly popular with hikers and bicyclists (who can load their bicycles aboard) for the trip uphill to Lamastre and then walk or ride back downhill through the gorge. The trains do not run everyday so it is important to check the schedule when planning the trip The official web site can be found HERE.
Würzburg is a Baroque German city full of architectural masterpieces from various eras shaping the atmosphere of being from another era. From outside the city the two imposing towers of St. Kilian Cathedral – the fourth largest Romanesque church in Germany – point the way toward the old town. Würzburg’s famous landmarks include the Würzburg Residence with its Court Gardens and Residence Square (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Marienberg Fortress and the Old Main Bridge, which is lined with large statues of saints.
Join us as we visit historic treasures, natural wonders and vibrant cities set against backdrops that are endlessly changing and visually magnificent. Celebrate a world of travel experiences with these decorating accessories that are perfect for framing.
Haven’t Joined Us Yet? We Promise To Make It Worth Your While.
Athens International Airport is a good distance east of Athens with the port of Piraeus even farther away. Still there are a number of options for getting to your cruise ship on your own, especially if you plan to spend some timein Athens before your cruise.
Athens Airport to Piraeus Port by Bus
The cheapest transportation option is the airport bus number X96 which is an express route that connects Athens airport directly to the Piraeus cruise port. The bus runs 24 hours and leaves every 20 to 40 minutes depending on the time of day. The trip takes about about 90 minutes on average. You can find the X96 bus between Exits 4 and 5 on the Arrivals Level. Bus tickets cost 6 € each way for adults and 3 € for children and seniors. Children under 6 years ride free. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket kiosk at the airport bus station or on the bus.
Airport to Piraeus by Taxi
Athens airport taxis are readily available from Athens International Airport to Piraeus port. Available 24 hours, yellow cabs have an official pick up line just at Exit 3 on the Arrivals Level. The total journey takes under an hour and a half with a fare of 54 €
Airport to Athens via Metro/Subway
If you are staying in Athens before the cruise and are traveling light you can take the Athens subway. The Blue Line 3 leaves the airport station every 30 minutes, from 06:30 am to 11:30 pm with a stop at Monastiraki Station in Athens city center. The Metro station is a short walk from to the main terminal using an elevated pedestrian bridge.
Metro/Subway Airport To Piraeus Port
If you would like to use the Metro to get to Piraeus port you’ll need to exit at the Monastiraki Station and switch to the Green Line 1 marked To Piraeus. One-way metro ticket to and from the airport carry a premium charge of costs 10 € for adults and 5 € for children and seniors. A return ticket to the airport is 18€.
The main Piraeus Metro station is located at the back of the port itself and is a fifteen to twenty minute walk from where most cruise ships dock. If you are walking from the pier there is a sky walk over traffic at the subway station location.
The Metro (subway) system in Athens offers various kinds of electronic tickets but for a single day trip the best option is the 90-minute ticket at € 1.90 each way.
There are also:
24-hour ticket at € 4.50 that allows 24 hours to travel any number of times in and out of the various public transportation systems. It does not however include the airport as a destination)
3-day ticket at € 22 (Includes transport to the airport)
5-day tourist ticket at € 10 (It does not include the airport destination)
Piraeus Harbor
There are easy to use vending machines at all stations that accept credit cards and provide instruction in a number of languages. You can also purchase any number of tickets at one time and use them as needed. A discount of 25% is also available for seniors over 65, teenagers under 18 and university students under 25. Children under six ride free. In order to get the discount you will need to purchase tickets from a ticket window.
To enter the metro system tap your ticket at the entry post. From that point the ticket is valid for 90 minutes (with the 90 minute ticket) in the system or until you leave by taping out to exit.
Getting on the train going in the right direction is easy. Each platform is named for the last station on the route. So in order to get the train back to Piraeus follow the arrows showing Piraeus which is the last station on the green line.
Uber And Limo Services
Uber is active in the Athens area and your app will easily quote you a fare when you are in Greece (a recent quote from airport to port was 50 €). There are also a number of online care services like Go Velos where you can arrange for a car to meet you. (https://www.govelos.com/). The driver we have used a number of times is Andreas Panagopoulos and you can email him here – andreas7974@gmail.com.
If you are staying in Piraeus an easy, fast and inexpensive metro trip to the Acropolis can be found HERE.
Almost 2,000 years ago a wealthy Roman city, with a population of 11,000 to 15,000 people was located near the southeastern base of Mount Vesuvius, a dormant volcano. These Roman citizens enjoyed many beautiful public buildings, luxurious private houses that featured lavish decorations, furnishings and works of art. Mosaics covered the floors and frescos were common wall decorations. The people attended gladiator games, plays, visited public baths and shopped in several large open-air marketplaces.
It all ended beginning around noon on August 24, 79 AD, when a huge eruption from Mount Vesuvius showered volcanic debris across the city of Pompeii and the whole of the population, that could, fled the city. The eruption followed up the next day with clouds of blisteringly hot gases. Many buildings were damaged or destroyed and any population that remained was quickly killed.
Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area were buried under 13 to 20 feet of volcanic ash and pumice and remained buried for over fifteen hundred years. The ruins at Pompeii were first uncovered late in the 16th century by an architect named Domenico Fontana. Herculaneum was discovered in 1709, and systematic excavation began there in 1738. Work did not begin at Pompeii until 1748, and in 1763 an inscription (“Rei publicae Pompeianorum”) was uncovered that identified the site as the ancient city of Pompeii.
Today the uncovered city of Pompeii covers five square miles and is being excavated and restored. It is open to the public with admission starting at about US$22. Pre-purchase “skip the line” tickets cost about US$27 with group tour tickets starting at US$50 (Online Tickets HERE).
You can visit Pompeii on full-day bus tours from Rome, just 130 miles away, or on your own you can take a train to Naples and switch to a Naples regional train. Purchase tickets in Naples for Pompeii Scavi.
If you are in Naples on a cruise you can catch a train to Pompeii from Naples near the cruise port. Go to the Porta Nolana Circumvesuviana station only a few blocks from the Naples port entrance. Circumvesuviana is the regional Naples train system that runs around Mount Vesuvius with stops at Herculaneum, Pompeii and Sorrento. At the Circumvesuviana train ticket window purchase tickets for Pompeii Scavi. The cost should be about US$9 round trip. Once at Pompeii Scavi, exit the train station, turn to your right, and walk about 50 meters to the entrance to the Pompeii ruins.
The plaza in front of the Pompeii entrance at the train station
America has never been known to back away from a fight and the American Battleship has served as a symbol of the American motto “Peace Through Strength”.
Between 1895 and 1945, the United States Navy commissioned 64 battleships (sometimes referred to as dreadnoughts). As a class of ship they were the largest gun ships ever built. A number of these have managed to survive and are now museums open to visitors in the United States. Recently on a road trip we visited the USS Alabama which is moored permanently at the Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, Alabama.
The USS Alabama (BB-60), or Lucky A, was the first American battleship to be launched after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Commissioned later in 1942, the Alabama’s first assignment in the war was to work with the British navy in escorting convoys across the Atlantic. Later its service was in the Pacific, where it was an escort ship providing protection to aircraft carriers. It took part in many engagements near the end of the war including the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The Alabama received the Lucky moniker due to the fact that it incurred virtually no damage and almost no casualties during the war.
The USS Alabama was decommissioned in 1947, and like the North Carolina, the Alabama is in nearly perfect World War II commissioned condition, thanks to its luck and quick removal from service. Because of this it has appeared often in motion pictures and television productions. The Alabama is now a museum and open to the public along with the submarine USS Drum.
Following are the additional battleship museums in America.
USS Texas (BB-35) (Houston, TX) A New York class battleship launched in 1912. The USS Texas is the oldest surviving battleship of the dreadnaught era. Commissioned in 1914, it is also the only remaining American battleship that saw action in World War I. Between the wars it served as the American flagship, and was used for presidential escort duties in the Atlantic. One of the few American battleships that was not at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked in 1941, the Texas was one of the first in action, and was present at several of the largest amphibious engagements of World War II, including naval support of the Normandy invasion as well as the battles of Okinawa and Iwo Jima.
The USS Texas was decommissioned in 1948, but went on to an impressive retirement. It was acquired by the State of Texas, where it was refurbished as America’s first battleship museum. It was also the first World War II battleship to be declared a national monument. Over the course of her service the Texas earned five battle stars, and is one of the most decorated ships still afloat. It is currently moored in the Houston Ship Channel where it is part of the San Jacinto Battlefield State Historic Site.
USS North Carolina (BB-55) Wilmington, NC. A North Carolina class battleship launched in 1940. The USS North Carolina, or Showboat, was one of the last battleships commissioned prior to America’s entry into World War II in 1941. Originally scheduled to be sent to Pearl Harbor with the rest of the Pacific fleet, it narrowly avoided the attack by being assigned to patrol duty on the east coast. It was than quickly transferred to the Pacific to augment the devastated fleet at Pearl Harbor in 1942. The North Carolina was the first American battleship to go on the offensive against the Japanese, and participated at the battle of Guadalcanal in 1942. The North Carolina’s service ended almost immediately after the war, and she was permanently decommissioned in 1947. She remained inactive but was towed to North Carolina in the 1960s. The only surviving ship of the North Carolina-class, it is also the best surviving example of early World War II battleships. It is now located at the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial site in Wilmington.
USS New Jersey, (BB-62) Camden, NJ, is an Iowa class launched in 1942. The USS New Jersey, or Big J, was one of the longest-serving American battleships of the 20th century, and one of the last to be used in a combat capacity. She sat off the coast of Vietnam and her guns provided cover for ground operations inland. Launched on December 7, 1942, on the one-year anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the New Jersey was one of the chief battleships active in the Pacific during WWII. She was decommissioned in 1991.
USS Missouri & the USS Arizona Memorial
Remains of the USS Arizona
USS Arizona (BB-39) is located in Honolulu, HI. It is a Pennsylvania class battleship launched in 1915. Today the USS Arizona is the final resting place for some 900 of the ship’s 1,177 crewmen who died on December 7, 1941 from the attack on the naval base. Today there is a 184-foot-long memorial over the sunken Arizona that spans the mid-portion of the submerged battleship.
The USS Missouri (BB-63), or Mighty Mo is located at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, HI and is an Iowa class battleship. Launched in 1943 it was probably the most famous American battleship, and the last to be in active service. One of the last battleships ever constructed in the United States, it was officially commissioned in 1944, just in time to participate in the final campaigns in the Pacific and played host to the Japanese surrender.
The USS Missouri at Pearl Harbor
USS Massachusetts (BB-59) Fall River, Massachusetts is a South Dakota-class ship located at Battleship Cove. The park also has the submarine USS Lionfish.
USS Iowa (BB-61) San Francisco, California is an Iowa-class battleship in the ghost-fleet at Suisun Bay and not currently open to the public.
USS Wisconsin (BB-64) Norfolk, Virginia is an Iowa-class battleship located at the Nauticus National Maritime Center.
Flying Into Rome? Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Getting To And From The Cruise Port Of Civitavecchia By Train, Bus Or Taxi
Getting To Your Cruise Ship InCivitavecchia
Civitavecchia Port
Civitavecchia station
Rome is one of the three largest cruise ports in the Mediterranean and it is the largest metropolitan area of the three which include Barcelona and Athens.
Before getting into the details of getting into Rome and out to the port of Civitavecchia a bit of advice. If you’re taking a Mediterranean cruise out of Civitavecchia and haven’t visited to Rome before you must take a day or two and add time in Rome.
Direct Transfers To Rome’s Port Of Civitavecchia
Flying into Rome’s airport and transferring to the port of Civitavecchia provides few economical options. Most cruise lines will offer transfers to your ship from the airport but these usually run somewhere around $100 per person. There’re also shuttles that you can book HERE but the fare is still about the same.
Most airport taxis will take fares to the Civitavecchia port with prices varying a lot. €120 – €170 is about average, but fares back to the airport usually running much more.
Uber also provides service in the Rome area with Uber Black and a recent quote of €125.93
An Economical Option – Rome’s Fiumicino Airport To The Cruise Port Of Civitavecchia By Train
The trip from Rome Fiumicino Airport to Civitavecchia by train takes about 1 hour 44 minutes. There are over thirty trains per day running routes averaging 31 miles. Do not take the Leonardo Express but rather use regular train service. Almost all trains designated as going to the Termini will stop at Trastevere station where you’ll have to make a train change to a Civitavecchia train. Frecciarossa, Frecciabianca or Trenitalia are the main rail operators on these routes and all offer modern cars with space for luggage and comfortable seats.
If your plans include a day or two seeing Rome, the Termini (Central Train Station) area provides good inexpensive and convenient connecting train service to Civitavecchia. Within an easy walk of the Termini are good local restaurants and wine bars, offering good snacks and light fare and a number of nice hotels. You can also easily catch Metro Lines A and B from the Termini to get around the city.
There are trains leaving the Termini for Civitavecchia about twice an hour throughout the day. Trains to Civitavecchia originate at the main Termini in Rome with most stopping at San Paolo, Tuscolana, Ostiense, Trastevere, and San Pietro. Many are double-deck regional commuters with room to set luggage but make sure you keep an eye on it. Fares are about €7 to €9 per person one way. There are a few faster InterCity trains between Roma Termini and Civitavecchia still costing under €12 each.
Roma Termini vending machines
Train schedules that are easy to understand are posted throughout the stations. Make note of the track number and follow the signs to the platform. Always remember the ticket MUST be validated for use at each platform. Validate before boarding the train, punch the ticket in one of the little green and white machines around the platform area. There can be serious fines for being on a train without a validated ticket.
If you’re not staying near the Termini you can still catch the regional trains at San Paolo Station which is a convenient station that connects to the Rome Metro Line B. Other stations that connect for Civitavecchia include Tuscolana, Ostiense, Trastevere, and San Pietro.
.
Download this map below
The Shuttle bus area inside the Civitavecchia port
Getting From The Civitavecchia Train Station To The Cruise Port
There are three options getting to the port bus area from the train station. First is CSP (Civitavecchia Public Services) or PortLink buses. These buses leave from the square in front of the station every 20 minutes and take you inside the port to the bus area in under 15 minutes.The ticket costs € 2.00 (luggage included) and can be purchased at the newsstand and the station bar in the station.
Taxis are another option but are usually very expensive with averages costing € 35 plus.
Walking about a dozen blocks from the station in Civitavecchia with the entrance to the port a pleasant walk (Exit the train station and go right). When you get to the McDonalds turn right and go uphill following the street around a turn to the left. A few blocks further along is the ports free shuttle bus area on your left. The free shuttle buses for each ship are clearly marked.
If you are disembarking from a cruise there is usually a free shuttle bus to the train station in Civitavecchia that you can catch at the port shuttle bus stop.
If you’ve been traveling around Italy there are also good train connections from most major cities that will take you to Civitavecchia. A few times we have stayed a night or two in Civitavecchia and there are a number of good, small hotels near local restaurants and only a few blocks from the city’s shopping promenade, the port entrance and the waterfront. Civitavecchia is also more than just a cruise port and deserves some time exploring the city itself if you can fit it into your schedule.
Around Civitavecchia
Getting Into Rome From The International Airport
There is a high speed express train that travels from the Fiumicino airport to the Termini in central Rome. Catch the Leonardo Express at the Felice Santini train station located adjacent to Fiumicino airport. To get to the station just follow the signs. Leonardo Express trains leave approximately every 15 minutes. The trains run between 6.40 am and 11.40 pm and cost about € 18 each way.
The Leonardo Express
Buses between Fiumicino (FCO) airport and central Rome offer several options. First, buying bus tickets online before your trip is a bad idea. Buying bus tickets online can actually be more expensive. Once you arrive, you’ll discover that there were a number of bus ticket counters near the baggage area and pricing is usually much lower than what is online. Express bus to Termini should be about €8 each. At Fiumicino airport, the bus departure points are outside of Terminal 3, and off to your right. Buses take about 45 minutes to get to Rome Termini from Fiumicino airport, traffic permitting.
For express bus service Cotral offers a bus from Rome Termini to Rome Airport every 4 hours. Tickets cost €2 – €3 and it takes about 45 min. There is also the Roma Airport Bus T.A.M. for €5 per person. These buses run between 08:00 am and 11:30 pm between Fiumicino (Terminal 3) and a stop outside Termini Station. The return tickets cost €8.00 per person and depart from Termini Station between 4:30 am and 8:30 pm.
For other locations in Rome to the airport we would suggest asking at your hotel. There are buses that can pick you up at many hotels and your front desk can provide advice on traffic travel times, costs and the best bus service.
Download printable copies of our guides for getting around Rome.
The Intentional Travelers 