The Trip
The early summer of 2024 will find us back in Europe. The four segments of this plan can be part of a complete trip, or put together to be enjoyed as you see fit.
Classical Greece
After Italy we're off to explore Classical Greece . The 4th and 5th centuries BC is known for artistic revolution, emergence of Greek philosophy, advancements in science, medicine and the advent of Athenian democracy.
Across the Mediterranean
Embarking a Holland America's Oosterdam we cruise to some of the most interesting locations in the Mediterranean. We're stopping in Corfu in the Adriadic, Malta and several Italian ports before continuing to Barcelona. For 12 days, warm sunny weather and the deep blue waters of the Med will acompany us west across the Mediterranean.
Rome
Rome is an amazing city with tons of things to see and do. The number and quality of sites is amazing. This is a city you can spend weeks exploring. Art, history, and food! Oh, how I love the quattro formaggi pizzas of Rome!
Day 1: Your first day would just be arriving in Rome from the US. After a transfer from the airport, settle in at the hotel and maybe take a nap. Before dinner, a nice walk through St Peters square is nice. Then you can explore the neighborhood and settle on a place to eat. There are plenty of nice restaurants that you can find close by the hotel.
Day 2-3: Our recommendation for exploring Rome is to do it over two days. The Rome Connection has a great two-day tour of the city. Each day is a easily manageable 5-6 hours excursion. One day focuses on the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. The other day includes the Colosseum, the Capital and Palatine Hills, the Circus Maximus, and the glorious Pantheon. Moving on, you will walk through the famed Piazza Navona and Gianicolo Hill.
Day 4: The last day is just a transfer to the Rome Airport for your flight on to Athens.
Highlights
- Vatican City From St Peters Square to the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican is an incredible experience. This will be part of the first day's tour with Rome Connection.
- DaVinci Experience On Via Dela Concilazone, just outside Vatican City, the museum provides an overview of, and physical examples of DaVinci's inventions.
Not part of the scheduled trup, you can easily walk to the museum from the hotel. - Pantheon Not far from Plazza Navona, the Pantheon is one of the best-preserved of all Ancient Roman buildings. It's hard to fathom the engineering and alignment of the sunlight entering the dome. This was accomplished with 1st century BC technology.
- Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps Two iconic landmarks that are on the must-see list for any visit to Rome.
Getting your picture taken here is a must for any trip to Rome. - Colosseum The largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world. This is part of the second day tour with Rome Connection.
- Roman Forum and Circus Maximus Surrounded by the ruins of important ancient buildings and temples, the forum is beautifully perserved. The 'Circus' was home to charriot races across from the palace of Roman emperors.
Classical Greece
Globus Classical Greece - May 24-31, 2024
Thought-provoking scenery and stories await in the land of powerful Sun Gods, ancient philosophers, and legendary Olympians.
Our tour takes us from the world-famous Acropolis in Athens to the sacred Temples of Olympia, and the mountainside excavations of Delphi. From there we head north to the monastery-topped rock formations of Meteora and last to the site of the Battle of Thermopylae.
You’ll walk in the footsteps of Greece’s most renowned and mystical figures—and dance in them, too. A glass of traditional ouzo will loosen your joints to learn the lively steps of the sirtaki, made famous in the classic movie Zorba the Greek.
| Date | Location | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| May 24 | Athens | Welcome dinner |
| May 25 | Athens | Tour Athens landmarks including the Acropolis |
| May 26 | Corinth | Tour Corinth and Mycenae Epidaurus 2,300-year-old open-air auditorium |
| May 27 | Olympia | Olympia archaeological site and museum |
| May 28 | Delphi | Tour museum at Delphi. Evening - dance in the steps of Zorba the Greek |
| May 29 | Meteora | Mountain Monasteries of Meteora |
| May 30 | Thermopylae | Spartans 480 BC Battle of Thermopylae |
| May 31 | Athens | End with breakfast - Laundry day. |
Mediterranean Cruise
| Cruise Date | Cruise Location |
|---|---|
| Jun 1 | Athens |
| Jun 2 | Olympia |
| Jun 3 | Corfu, Albania |
| Jun 4 | At Sea |
| Jun 5 | Valletta, Malta |
| Jun 6 | Taormina, Italy |
| Jun 7 | Naples, Italy |
| Jun 8 | Rome, Italy |
| Jun 9 | Ajaccio, Corsica, France |
| Jun 10 | Nice, France |
| Jun 11 | At Sea |
| Jun 12 | Barcelona, Spain |
Leaving Athens mid-afternoon, we sail overnight, arriving in Olympia at 8 AM the following morning (June 2). Olympia provides a view into ancient Greece and the home of the early Olympic games.
June 3rd we stop in Sarande, Albania. With easy access to the sea, the city offers excellent, fresh seafood. Sarandë is also a convenient base from which to visit a plethora of ancient ruins and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Following our first sea day, we arrive in Valletta, Malta (June 5th), Europe's southernmost capital. This is an interesting and easy place to explore on foot. is one of the easiest to explore on foot. Over the centuries, Malta has been ruled by the Romans, Normans, Sicilians, Spanish, Knights of St. John, French and British
Over the next three days (June 6-8) we'll visit some of the top locations in Italy - Sicily, Naples and Rome. Each stop features a wealth of excursion featuring scenic views, art, history and adventure. Welcome to Italy!
Corsica is the next stop (June 9). Ajaccio, Napoleon's birthplace, is filled with pastel buildings whose wooden shutters keep out the Mediterranean sun. The streets, plazas and statues are all marked by Napoleon’s aura.
The French Riviera hosts us on June 10. Villefranche-Sur-Mer and Nice lay along the Mediterranean with rich blue water kissing the warm sandy beaches. Both cities are gems that offer shopping, hiking, strolling and food opportunities.
After one last day at sea (June 11), we arrive in Barcelona where we disembark after breakfast.
Barcelona
Barcelona is the passionate capital of Catalonia region of Spain. We've found it to be an unforgettable city of history, art, culture and beauty. These are some of our favorite spots and day-trips.
- Monastery at Montserrat A spectacularly beautiful Benedictine monk mountain retreat about one hour North West from Barcelona
- Sagrada Familia Described as "the most extraordinary personal interpretation of Gothic architecture since the Middle Ages", it is still under construction after over 140 years.
- Gaudí and Barcelona The city abounds with examples of Gaudi's unique architecture. La Pedrera (Casa Milà), Park Güell, and Casa Batlló are a few of the many unique features in the city.
- The Picasso Museum In Barcelona, this is a unique place in the world for discovering the artist's early works and his relationship to the city he loved so much.
- La Rambla de Barcelona The most famous pedestrian avenue in Barcelona, Spain. You can enjoy the shopping, treet entertainment and food while strolling this beautiful tree lined boulevard.
- The Gothic Quarter Built on the remains of the Roman colony of Barcino and contains numerous Gothic buildings dating from the medieval and neo-Gothic periods
Weather
Money Needs
Recently, several people have asked me for some cost estimates for next summer in Europe. How much money to bring. I know that everyone has a different travel method, but I’ve tried to give a good , average estimates. Some things like hotel and tour costs can be planned with pretty solid numbers. Food, personal local trips, and gratuities have the most variability.
I’ve used 2023 costs, so prices may increase some by the time we travel in 2024. I also based food costs on what we spent in Italy this past summer.
Rome in four daysWe should be traveling together from the US to Rome, and Rome to Athens, so we’ll travel together to and from the Rome airport.
- Rome airport to hotel transfer for 6 Passenger will be € 100 or about € 20 per person.
- We plan on staying at the Star Hotel Michelangelo. With breakfast, the room cost is approx. €459 per night. That will be € 1,377 for 3 nights.
- The Rome 2-day tour for 6 passengers with a guide is € 2,400 (estimate). That comes to about € 400 per person.
- The Hotel to Rome airport transfer for 6 Passenger will again be € 100 or about € 20 per person.
- Meal costs in Rome are dependent on where you want to eat. You’ll eat well on € 40 - € 50 a day, more depending on your selection of wine.
- Gratuities are not included in the above.
- Total costs estimate for Rome is € 2,200 a couple and € 1,800 for an individual traveler.
- The hotel and most dinners will go on credit cards. I’ll pay the transfers and tour costs in advance. That leaves gratuities/tips, lunch, and incidentals for cash (euros).
- For an individual traveler, the cost of the Greece tour is $2809 or $4542 for two travelling together.
- The tour is 8 days with an extra night planned at the start and end of the tour. That means 10 days in Greece.
- You should have booked a per-night and post-night in Athens when you booked the Globus tour. Those costs will be included in the invoice from Globus.
- Meals that are not included in the tour will probably run you $50 - $75 a day per person on average. Estimated total meal costs for 10 days would be about $500 per individual.
- Globus and the hotel will be pre-paid. Dinners should go on credit cards, so gratuities/tips and incidentals will be cash (euros)
The Holland America cruise includes all meals except on local excursions off the boat.
- The cost of any planned excursion should run from $50 to $200 per excursion. We expect to take 4-5 excursions and do 4-5 locations on our own. Excursions and planned and paid in advance.
- You should plan on $20 - $50 a day for food off the ship, depending on your tastes. There are 9 or 10 excursion days, so you could plan on perhaps $500 per person for meals., but that might be on the high side. More of the time we ate out dinner on the ship.
- The cruise and excursions will all have been pain in advance.
- Tips, gratuities, and lunch on excursions will be in cash (euros). Gratuities on the ship are best prepaid, however you may want $100 for additional tips to the room steward and dinning team, and if you have a favorite bartender.
We usually stay at the Hilton in Barcelona. Depending on the room, that’s $300 - $400 a night for three nights.
- We haven’t selected a hotel for Barcelona yet, but from the checking I’ve some so far, those costs are going to be pretty much in line with the Hilton. For three nights you can budget about $1200.
- Plan to spend $100 a day on excursions and $75 for meals over the three nights we may stay there. You might want to use $500 per person as a planning number.
- Public transportation is inexpensive in Barcelona.
- Gratuities and additional admissions are not included.
- Taxi fares to and from the airport and around town could run an additional $50.
- Hotel and excursions would be on credit cards. Dinners on credit cards as well. Taxi costs, lunch and incidentals would be in cash (euros)
Travel Calender
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
19
Rome
Depart US- Fly to Rome (Overnight Flight)
|
20
Rome
Arrive Rome
Afternoon relaxing High 76°, Low 53°
|
21
Rome
Rome Conection Day 1
High 76°, Low 53°
|
22
Rome
Rome Conection Day 2
High 76°, Low 53°
|
23
Rome
Fly Rome to Athens
Pre-night in Athens High 81°, Low 53°
|
24
Globus Greece
Open day in Athens
Welcome dinner High 81°, Low 62°
|
25
Globus Greece
Athens
Tour of city High 81°, Low 62°
|
26
Globus Greece
Corinth-Mycenae
High 78°, Low 56°
|
27
Globus Greece
Nauplia-Olympia
High 78°, Low 57°
|
28
Globus Greece
Patras-Delphi
High 80°, Low 58°
|
29
Globus Greece
Meteora Area
High 80°, Low 56°
|
30
Globus Greece
Thermopylae - Athens
High 81°, Low 59°
|
31
Globus Ends
Ends after breakfast
Post night stay in Athens High 82°, Low 64°
|
1
Med Cruise
Depart Athens
High 82°, Low 64°
|
2
Med Cruise
Olympia
High 80°, Low 60°
|
3
Med Cruise
Corfu, Albania
High 88°, Low 62°
|
4
Med Cruise
At Sea
High 78°, Low 63°
|
5
Med Cruise
Malta
High 78°, Low 67°
|
6
Med Cruise
Sicaly
High 80°, Low 70°
|
7
Med Cruise
Naples
Pompei Tour 81°
High 78°, Low 64°
|
8
Med Cruise
Rome
High 79°, Low 59°
|
9
Med Cruise
Corsica
High 74°, Low 56°
|
10
Med Cruise
Niece, France
High 74°, Low 66°
|
11
Med Cruise
At Sea
High 75°, Low 65°
|
12
Barcelona
Disembark after breakfast
Hotel Check-in / La Ramblas
High 76°, Low 62°
|
13
Montserrat day trip 81°
High 76°, Low 62°
|
14
La Sagrada Familla tour
City tour or just explore
High 76°, Low 62°
|
15
Return flight to US
High 76°, Low 62°
|
Testimonials
Read what others have to say about traveling with Tim
Julie Porter
Director of Ideas
This is the one thing that Tim somewhat does well. Although most weeks, he does manage to get the garbage out. And sometimes he even brings the container back in.
Neal
Traveler
I've lived through some of Tim's adventures, so I consider myself fortunate. Tim deserves credit for being able to pull us out of risky situations on more than one occasion. Of course, the situations were of his own making. I'm just saying.
Paul
Traveler
Our trip to Rome was amazing. I've never been lost that many times in a so few days. Tim is always there trying to help out... always. Kinda like a bad penny.
Sharon
Traveler
We went on a trip with Tim to Paris. It was indescribable! I can't wait for his return trip to Paris. I'll be heading to Arizona.
Kurt
Traveler
A trip I'll never forget (No matter how much I try). He was searching for the elusive Patagonian Cougar, and always seemed to end up in a bar somplace. I can't wait until Tim goes someplace else.
Team
These are the people you can depend on.
Tim Porter
Director Travel Operations
Julie Porter
Director of IdeasFrequently Asked Questions
When should we book our airline tickets?
I track flight costs using Google Flights. As a general rule of thumb, we purchase tickets about 90-120 days out. However, if ticket prices are trending up we may by sooner. The same goes for prices trending down - we may wait.
Do I need to renew my passport?
In normal circumstances, you can’t travel with a passport that expires in less than six months. If you’re going to be close, we strongly suggest renewing it now. According to the US State Department the current expected processing time for passports is 8-11 weeks.
Do I need travel insurance?
I recommend travel insurance for health and repatriation coverage. The cost for health coverage alone is very reasonable. Trip insurance coverage is very expensive, 10% - 25% of the total trip cost. Julie and I generally only get health coverage. You can generally expect for costs for 30 – 60 days in Europe to be in the $125 - $200 per person range. If you get sick or need hospital care, the insurance covers your costs. In the unlikely event you need to be medically evacuated or flown back to the US, that is covered as well.
How much foreign currency should I bring and when should I get it?
See the Money section for a discussion of how much cash to bring
Where to get euros? Unlike Argentina, you should avoid the black-market hangouts that Neal so liked to frequent. Julie and I will probably get €500 from our bank before we depart.
You can always get more from a European bank, but finding the time to do that could be a challenge. You can also get currency at a currency exchange, just check the rate to make sure you’re not paying too much for the exchange.
Last, check with your bank on making a withdrawl on your credit or debit card from an ATM in Europe.
Contact Us
NYPorter Travel
Lakewood Ranch
Florida
tporter@nyporter.com