Europe Shore Excursions
Where the ship really docks, and how to make the most of your day.
Get Up to 5 Free Cruise QuotesEurope: Know Your Port
In Europe, the cruise port is often not the city on the brochure. Knowing the distance decides whether to take a ship tour, a train or a private driver.
| You want to see | Ship docks at | Distance / time |
|---|---|---|
| Rome | Civitavecchia | About 1–1.5 hours each way |
| Florence and Pisa | Livorno (or La Spezia) | About 1.5 hours to Florence |
| Athens | Piraeus | About 30–45 minutes |
| Paris | Le Havre | About 3 hours each way |
| London | Southampton or Dover | About 2 hours |
| Berlin | Warnemünde | About 3 hours each way |
For long transfers, a cruise-line tour guarantees the ship will wait. For short ones, independent exploring is easy.
Favorite European Shore Activities
Santorini & the Greek Isles
Cable car or donkey path from the old port, Oia’s sunset views, wineries.
Venice
St. Mark’s, gondolas and the islands of Murano and Burano. Large ships now dock outside the historic center.
Istanbul
Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar and a Bosphorus cruise.
Northern Europe
Copenhagen’s Nyhavn, Stockholm’s old town, the Norwegian fjords.
Get European Cruise Quotes
Mediterranean, Northern Europe or rivers: specialists will send free quotes.
Get Free Cruise QuotesRiver cruising in Europe? Most river-cruise fares include guided walks in each port — see the Official River Cruise Directory.