I am going to be on a cruise ship which will stop at Corfu, Katakolon, and Rhodes. Are there public busses or tour which might be cheaper than the Princess cruise line tours which we can get where the ship docks? Also, is there one to Ephesus from the port of Kusadasi, or a public bus into kusadasi from the cruise ship port?
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
I can't give you specifics on the Greek islands, but on all the cruises I have ever taken( admittedly only 6) we have always found doing the sites on our own cheaper by far( and more fun) . Cruise ship excurisions are expenisive( and tend to make stops and souvenir places to get you to spend even more money) .
The only time I recommend them is if there is a fair amount of travel time from Port to site,, you don't want something to come up with the public transport system( slow late buses, no taxis etc) and be stuck 2 hours from the ship ,, and its time to go.
We have always found a bus or a taxi is a great way to get to any site within less then an hour( 30 minutes is preferred) of port, and we ALWAYS leave double return time , so if ship leaves at 5pm, we leave site/beach by 3 or 3:30,, even if we get back too early there is usaully something to see around port, so you can wander through little vendors shops or see port town.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Have you gone online at cruise forums, they offer most helpful advise and can be more specific. Try cruismates.com or cruisecritics.com
Posted by
Nottingham, UK
658 posts
It's an old saying but for all that it is true: All buses run on GMT ( Greek Maybe Time ).
If you're on a tight schedule it's not a good idea to rely on local bus services in that neck of the woods.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23282 posts
We were in all of those ports last year. Corfu is very walkable with public transportation. There is nothing at Katakolon and there is nothing around there either. Since we had been there before and had visited the Olympic site we spent the day on the beach. They were building a train from there to Olympic. It was not operating but have read that it is now running. Ephesus is about 30 miles outside of Kusadasi. We hired a private tour guide with van and believe that is your best option. Rhodes is walkable from the ship. Also we have always had good luck with finding a cab driver and negotiating a tour for a flat fee. Contact me off line if have other questions.