travel within cities

[leavingnextweek]

Well...I'm leaving next week and officially freaking out! Anyway...I reilized something...whats a good, cheap way to travel WITHIN a city? Esp. some of the larger ones like Dublin, Rome, Paris?

We're going here: Dublin, Galway, possibly other places in Ireland...ideas?
Pairs, Bordeaux
Rome, Venice, Florence, Pompeii
Berlin, Frankfurt

thanks!

[me]

public buses work best for me. in rush hour, subways also work well, but you can't see anything from a hole in the ground.

but, the best way to get to know a city is to walk. use up those shoes a bit!

- d

[WillTravel]

I'll answer what I know.

The metro can be good in Rome, depending where you're going. The metro is almost always good in Paris. The buses are good in both cities. Rome also has trams.
Venice - get a 72-hour vaporetto pass if you're there long enough to make it count.
Florence - you probably don't need anything.
Berlin - the S-Bahn and U-Bahn. You may or may not find a pass helpful, depending where you stay and where you go. I think I did take a bus or tram there too.

[LHR02]

I'll chime in as well....

As WT said, the metro in Rome can be helpful, but it is somewhat limited. Truthfully the bus is the better option most of the time.

Florence....agree totally, there is no need for anything but your feet for Florence unless you want to go to Fiesole or the trek to Piazza Michelangelo tires you out. No need for a pass, the few occasions you might want to ride will be cheaper just PTP

Venice is totally walkable and there is really no need to pay for transport. However.....riding up and down the Grand Canal is worth the cost of a day or two or three pass. And they are realtively inexpensive so no big budget cruncher.

Berlin....you need public transport. S or U bahn quickest and most efficient, but buses allow you to see where you are going as David pointed out.


Paris....metro too good to mess with a bus! And some of the stations worth the cost just to see them!

Frankfurt.....are you actually 'visiting' here or just your flight arrival/departure. And sorry, if you are visiting, why?

Dublin.....walkable for the most part and a good bus system if you need to go a bit further afield. Galway.....totally walkable, use your feet.


Can't help you with Bordeaux.

Pompeii...you need a train or bus to get there but there is no option other than foot to see the ruins best as I know.

Hope this helps some.

ging

[leavingnextweek]

well... we're doing Frankfurt because I have family there that i've never met and my Oma insists that I go meet Why? Not that interesting?

[LHR02]

Well, if you are visiting family that is indeed reason enough to go. Other than that, it is a HUGE airport in a very big industrial city that has basically had any heart and soul ripped out of and built over with another factory.

As ever....just my opinion

ging

And if Oma insists you must go....get your traveling shoes on and get yourself there asap! ;D Cause Deutsch Omas rule the world.

[me]

my zwo Pfennig worth, ;D: while in Frankfurt - take day trips to Mainz, a very short train ride away - and a *much* more interesting city. [Frankfurt's got the ECB, but few of those central bankers actually live there. (it looks like any big US city, w/ skyscrapers and all. VERY commercial!)]

Frankfurt & Mainz are twin cities, w/ Frankfurt getting the commerce, and Mainz getting the culture. (a slight exaggeration, but not a huge one!)

[me]

just to clarify: S-Bahn is on street level, one can see just fine from them, if it isn't too crowded.

- d

dustoffmom said:

Berlin....you need public transport. S or U bahn quickest and most efficient, but buses allow you to see where you are going as David pointed out.

[CowTown19]

Learn how to use the metro, they are just awesome. Also, check out your eurail pass info, I believe your eurail covers transportation on the S/U-Bahn in Berlin, and it works for other places similarly.