My husband and I are taking our first cruise and we are generally doing our sightseeing on our own in most ports. I'm trying to determine if we can either take the Watertram F5 or Bus 106 from the Old Town Gdansk to the Ferry Terminal where cruise ships dock at Westerplatte Ferry Terminal. I have read conflicting information on the options. We can always take a tour that the cruise line offers....at a cost. They do not offer shuttles back to the ship. Ideas? Thank you.
Posted by
Washington DC
28128 posts
I'd be very surprised if there was not good public transportation from Westerplatte to the city (a distance of about 6 or 7 miles), but if for some reason you have trouble with that, there will surely be taxis willing to take you there. The (rebuilt) historic core of Gdansk is gorgeous and highly walkable. There is no need to pay the price asked by the cruise line for a tour to a place so incredibly close to the port. I'm sure there are local walking tours you can hook up with for part of your time if you don't want to tackle the city 100% on your own. It might be worth your while to download the free In Your Pocket guide to Gdansk. Warning: It may be impossible to do that without giving them your email address.
The Solidarity Center and the new WWII Museum in Gdansk are both excellent and totally English-accessible. They (especially the WWII Museum) can take up a great deal of time, however. I'd recommend doing some research on Gdansk's attractions so you can figure out how to allocate your time. The city has enough sights to keep a person busy for multiple days.
If you see a bakery selling Pączki (like jelly doughnuts; fillings vary) with a line, do not walk on by.
You'll be pleased and amazed at how well you can get by in Gdansk with English.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thanks so much for the information and encouragement regarding public transportation from city center to Westerplatte. I have been using the Rick Steves cruise port guide to identify the most important sights to see in at each stop on our cruise; it is so helpful. But thanks for the suggestion on the bakery! Both my husband and I are snack addicts. At this point I'm pretty comfortable figuring out the transfer back to the ship. Thanks again.