Hermitage in the background
As you know, my goal on the 14-day cruise aboard Celebrity’s Constellation from Harwich, England to Scandinavia and the Baltic’s was to test my ability to use public transportation or walk at all of the ports. Let’s look at my success in this venture, or the lack of it.
When we arrived in Amsterdam, I was home free. Central Station was a 15-minute walk from the ship and is the hub of all public transportation. Local transportation worked find for the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. I wanted to get to Anne Frank’s house but time wouldn’t allow. It was a Sunday and I wanted to take some time to just hang out. Score one for public transportation.
Now it’s on to Warnemunde (Berlin).
If I had to do it again, I don’t think I would have made the trip to Berlin. Yes, I used the train, which worked out to over six hours return – when you account for the time at the station. Many had visited Rostock, just 20 minutes up the track, and loved the town. I used the hop, on hop off bus in Berlin – not quite public transportation but only 12 euros. I had time to view some of the most famous spots in the city. The rest of my time was spent visiting the area around Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate and the remainder of the wall.
The hop on, hop off is not public transportation, but it was the only way I was going to see the city in that short of time. The train incidentally was 70 euros return.
Next Stockholm.
Due to forecast winds in Stockholm, we wound up tendering from the town of Nynashamn. As a result, the time was shortened as it was about an hour by train one way with a change. With the tendering and waiting at the station there was four hours of the day gone. No public transportation in Stockholm was needed. I walked right from the station to the Old Town (Gamla Stan) and spent three hours there. I then walked to the Vasa Museum, that took about a half hour or more. One of my knees acts up from time to time, and I was forced to take a taxi back to the train station.
Helsinki.
I road public transportation to everything I wanted to see and I did get to visit all the spots on my list. In fact, the bus comes right up to the ship terminal. You have to transfer, but the people of Helsinki and the drivers are all very helpful. It’s an easy city to get around.
St. Petersburg.
Because this was a last-minute cruise, I had to book tours for the two days. You’re okay with a group visa with private or ship tours. If you want to be on your own, you have to apply in advance and I just didn’t have the time.
Tallinn, Estonia.
No problem here. Most of the activity is in the Old Town, including the shopping. I walked from the ship—about 20 minutes—and at the end of the day I walked back.
Copenhagen.
I was here for two days and had advice from a daughter of a friend of mine who now lives in Copenhagen, but unfortunately was out of town. She sent me a long email on what to do, but in the end, it was again, local transportation to all the highlights of the city. If you plan to visit some of the towns and villages outside of Copenhagen, local transportation is available. No, I didn’t fully meet my expectations in Denmark, but I came close. I am just sorry I didn’t have more time to visit those out of town villages like Dragor.
The key to using public transportation – ask. I would sometimes ask two or three times to different people just to make sure I was on the right track. I will admit, while it can be done, there were a lot of nights that when I finished my blog I would grab a snack and that was it.
By the way, if you didn’t keep score: public transportation and walking – four, private ground transportation (hop and hop off bus) – two private, and one bum knee.
For the most part it worked
More coming up this week
Phil