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Rick Steves' Mediterranean Cruise Ports
In this guide, Rick Steves focuses on some of the grandest sights in Europe. As always, he has a plan to help you have a meaningful cultural experience while you're there—even with just a few hours in port.
Rick Steves' Mediterranean Cruise Ports explains how to get into town from the cruise terminal, shares sightseeing tips, and includes self-guided walks and tours. You'll learn which destinations are best for an excursion—and which you can confidently visit on your own. You'll also get tips on booking a cruise, plus hints for saving time and money on the ship and in port.
You can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when cruising the Mediterranean. Inside you'll find one-day itineraries for sightseeing at or near the major Mediterranean ports of call,
Barcelona, Marseille, Toulon, Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer, and Monaco
Florence, Rome, Naples, and Venice
Dubrovnik, Split, Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini
Istanbul and Ephesus
Rick Steves' Mediterranean Cruise Ports explains how to get into town from the cruise terminal, shares sightseeing tips, and includes self-guided walks and tours. You'll learn which destinations are best for an excursion—and which you can confidently visit on your own. You'll also get tips on booking a cruise, plus hints for saving time and money on the ship and in port.
You can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when cruising the Mediterranean. Inside you'll find one-day itineraries for sightseeing at or near the major Mediterranean ports of call,
Barcelona, Marseille, Toulon, Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer, and Monaco
Florence, Rome, Naples, and Venice
Dubrovnik, Split, Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini
Istanbul and Ephesus
1320 pages, Paperback
First published June 28, 2011
412 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
About the author
Rick Steves
571 books694 followersRick Steves is an American travel writer, television personality, and activist known for encouraging meaningful travel that emphasizes cultural immersion and thoughtful global citizenship. Born in California and raised in Edmonds, Washington, he began traveling in his teens, inspired by a family trip to Europe. After graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in European history and business, Steves started teaching travel classes, which led to his first guidebook, Europe Through the Back Door, self-published in 1980.
Steves built his Edmonds-based travel company on the idea that travelers should explore less-touristy areas and engage with local cultures. He gained national prominence as host and producer of Rick Steves' Europe, which has aired on public television since 2000. He also hosts a weekly public radio show, Travel with Rick Steves, and has authored dozens of popular guidebooks, including bestselling titles on Italy and Europe at large.
Beyond travel, Steves is an outspoken advocate for drug policy reform, environmental sustainability, and social justice. He supports marijuana legalization and chairs the board of NORML. He has funded housing for homeless families and donates to anti-hunger and arts organizations. In 2019, he pledged $1 million annually to offset the carbon emissions of his tour groups.
Steves is a practicing Lutheran with Norwegian ancestry and continues to live in Edmonds. He has two adult children and is in a relationship with Reverend Shelley Bryan Wee. Despite health challenges, including a prostate cancer diagnosis in 2024, Steves remains committed to his mission of helping Americans travel with greater purpose, empathy, and understanding of the world. His work reflects a belief that travel, done right, can be both transformative and a force for peace.
Steves built his Edmonds-based travel company on the idea that travelers should explore less-touristy areas and engage with local cultures. He gained national prominence as host and producer of Rick Steves' Europe, which has aired on public television since 2000. He also hosts a weekly public radio show, Travel with Rick Steves, and has authored dozens of popular guidebooks, including bestselling titles on Italy and Europe at large.
Beyond travel, Steves is an outspoken advocate for drug policy reform, environmental sustainability, and social justice. He supports marijuana legalization and chairs the board of NORML. He has funded housing for homeless families and donates to anti-hunger and arts organizations. In 2019, he pledged $1 million annually to offset the carbon emissions of his tour groups.
Steves is a practicing Lutheran with Norwegian ancestry and continues to live in Edmonds. He has two adult children and is in a relationship with Reverend Shelley Bryan Wee. Despite health challenges, including a prostate cancer diagnosis in 2024, Steves remains committed to his mission of helping Americans travel with greater purpose, empathy, and understanding of the world. His work reflects a belief that travel, done right, can be both transformative and a force for peace.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
January 20, 2020
Other reviewers have already pointed out that much of the information in Mr. Steves' book is outdated, incomplete, or just plain wrong. But what they had no way of knowing is that Mr. Steves is a pompous jerk.
Case in point: It turns out that Mr. Steves was also a passenger on a Celebrity Reflection Mediterranean cruise I took on September 1, 2017. He was on board the full 10 days. I called his cabin to ask if he would spare a minute and do me the favor of autographing my copy of his book. I was astonished to hear him say that he was "very sorry" but was "too busy."
I don't know how much time Mr. Steves thinks it takes to sign his rather short name. Evidently he forgot that he writes books showing the locations of public toilets, et cetera in cruise ports, and for a deluded moment must have thought he was Ernest Hemingway or F. Scott Fitzgerald. You know, a real author, with a long name that he was just too busy to sign.
What a pompous jerk.
Case in point: It turns out that Mr. Steves was also a passenger on a Celebrity Reflection Mediterranean cruise I took on September 1, 2017. He was on board the full 10 days. I called his cabin to ask if he would spare a minute and do me the favor of autographing my copy of his book. I was astonished to hear him say that he was "very sorry" but was "too busy."
I don't know how much time Mr. Steves thinks it takes to sign his rather short name. Evidently he forgot that he writes books showing the locations of public toilets, et cetera in cruise ports, and for a deluded moment must have thought he was Ernest Hemingway or F. Scott Fitzgerald. You know, a real author, with a long name that he was just too busy to sign.
What a pompous jerk.
November 21, 2015
This book was extremely helpful in planning my recent Mediterranean Cruise and I used it quite a bit in my planning. I purchased it for my kindle but I would recommend buying a physical copy because it is much easier to navigate. It was a very helpful resource.
September 2, 2014
Used this book for the Mediterranean cruise I just took. I've never read a Rick Steves book before (this was my first trip to Europe) but a few of my friends highly recommended his work. I saw him talk at a travel show once before and he seemed very knowledgable.
The book covered all of the stops the cruise made. It was great! The cruise covered Spain, France, Italy, Greece, and Turkey. The book described how to navigate from the ports to areas of interest, such as taxi costs, directions to train stations, etc. There's quite a bit of info about each city, impressive considering how many he covers in this book. He also marks sights with a rating system (3 stars for things he considers must-see), so that really came in handy for planning our day and narrowing down what we wanted to try to do since there's only so much time in a port day. The background and history of the cities and sights made for good reading pre and post visits. He also includes some walking tours, but we didn't really take advantage of those although I did skim through them.
For Rome, there was so much we wanted to do in our day (plus it takes a lil while to navigate there from Livorno) so we wanted to do a tour. The cruise excursions charge an arm and a leg! In addition they give you less time in the city bc they really want to make sure you get back by all aboard time so they end the day earlier than I would want to. We booked with Can't Be Missed, one of the tour companies Rick lists in his book, and they were fantastic. They squeezed in even more into the day's tour than the cruise's most sight-filled tour for like a quarter of the price.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who takes a Mediterranean cruise. My edition was a couple years old (think an updated version is actually coming out in a month or two) so a restaurant Rick recommended that we tried to go to in Athens was already closed, but for the most part things are pretty accurate. I did look up updated prices and hours for sights but they weren't too far off from what Rick had listed. I would say just double-check the things that you want to see beforehand (a couple of museums were closed for renovation) so you don't find yourself spending time trying to get to them only to be disappointed. I luckily had spent some time poring over this book before the trip so there weren't surprises like that for us. My bf and I got the Kindle versions which made it easy to carry around and look things up on our iPhones on the fly. My bf also liked reading about each stop the night before. We saw other cruisers walking around with their copies of the book on the ship too. :o) I think the book mentions that if you get the paperback edition, you can tear out each chapter to make it easier to tote around little chunks as you walk around sightseeing, which is a great idea. I've always typed up stuff from books into a Word doc that I can print for better portability since I didn't want to lug around a giant book.
The book covered all of the stops the cruise made. It was great! The cruise covered Spain, France, Italy, Greece, and Turkey. The book described how to navigate from the ports to areas of interest, such as taxi costs, directions to train stations, etc. There's quite a bit of info about each city, impressive considering how many he covers in this book. He also marks sights with a rating system (3 stars for things he considers must-see), so that really came in handy for planning our day and narrowing down what we wanted to try to do since there's only so much time in a port day. The background and history of the cities and sights made for good reading pre and post visits. He also includes some walking tours, but we didn't really take advantage of those although I did skim through them.
For Rome, there was so much we wanted to do in our day (plus it takes a lil while to navigate there from Livorno) so we wanted to do a tour. The cruise excursions charge an arm and a leg! In addition they give you less time in the city bc they really want to make sure you get back by all aboard time so they end the day earlier than I would want to. We booked with Can't Be Missed, one of the tour companies Rick lists in his book, and they were fantastic. They squeezed in even more into the day's tour than the cruise's most sight-filled tour for like a quarter of the price.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who takes a Mediterranean cruise. My edition was a couple years old (think an updated version is actually coming out in a month or two) so a restaurant Rick recommended that we tried to go to in Athens was already closed, but for the most part things are pretty accurate. I did look up updated prices and hours for sights but they weren't too far off from what Rick had listed. I would say just double-check the things that you want to see beforehand (a couple of museums were closed for renovation) so you don't find yourself spending time trying to get to them only to be disappointed. I luckily had spent some time poring over this book before the trip so there weren't surprises like that for us. My bf and I got the Kindle versions which made it easy to carry around and look things up on our iPhones on the fly. My bf also liked reading about each stop the night before. We saw other cruisers walking around with their copies of the book on the ship too. :o) I think the book mentions that if you get the paperback edition, you can tear out each chapter to make it easier to tote around little chunks as you walk around sightseeing, which is a great idea. I've always typed up stuff from books into a Word doc that I can print for better portability since I didn't want to lug around a giant book.
January 23, 2018
This book was a huge help in planning for a Mediterranean cruise I'm taking in a few months. Unfortunately it didn't have ALL the ports I need (it was missing Sicily, Malta, and the smaller port of Chania on Crete), but it was still a big help for all the other ports I'll be visiting.
There's a whole bunch of really helpful logistical information such as where exactly the ships dock in each port and how far from town and the attractions you will be, and then a lot of Rick's no-nonsense practical traveler info such as which attractions are the most worthwhile to see, how much things should cost, whether an excursion is the best bet vs. self-guiding in that port, how to get around on your own, suggestions for tour companies/guides if you prefer, some useful phrases in the local language, and more.
I also enjoyed the behind-the-scenes info about the logistics of how a cruise generally operates, what you should/shouldn't pack, details about the staffing and their pay, and other inside info that will help me enjoy the cruise more and appreciate the staff better.
Finally, it's an added bonus that the actual book is designed to be torn apart. He suggests that you fold the book back to break the spine, and literally pull out the sections you want to take with you in each port, instead of lugging the entire book around. Brilliant.
Definitely a must-have if you're planning your own Mediterranean cruise!
There's a whole bunch of really helpful logistical information such as where exactly the ships dock in each port and how far from town and the attractions you will be, and then a lot of Rick's no-nonsense practical traveler info such as which attractions are the most worthwhile to see, how much things should cost, whether an excursion is the best bet vs. self-guiding in that port, how to get around on your own, suggestions for tour companies/guides if you prefer, some useful phrases in the local language, and more.
I also enjoyed the behind-the-scenes info about the logistics of how a cruise generally operates, what you should/shouldn't pack, details about the staffing and their pay, and other inside info that will help me enjoy the cruise more and appreciate the staff better.
Finally, it's an added bonus that the actual book is designed to be torn apart. He suggests that you fold the book back to break the spine, and literally pull out the sections you want to take with you in each port, instead of lugging the entire book around. Brilliant.
Definitely a must-have if you're planning your own Mediterranean cruise!
December 19, 2012
Rick Steves is my favorite travel author when I'm looking for specific, logistical information related to travel. This book is no exception. Though he has been a long-time reluctant cruiser, he has finally stepped into this market and noticed the benefit of cruising - specifically, the ability to see a broad number of sights in a limited amount of time without spending hours packing and unpacking and worrying about the logistics of getting from one place to the other. Here, he gives a fair assessment of a number of different cruise lines, what their strengths and weaknesses are and suggestions for those who might be searching for a cruise line that would best meet their needs and budget. He then highlights a number of major and a few minor Mediterranean cruise stops giving his usual specific details about the logistics of the port location as well as suggestions about efficiently navigating that port.
He shares detailed information about available land excursions and even gives names of suggested guides. If you've ever cruised and balked at the outrageous prices of the liner's "official" land excursions, here is information that you will appreciate. He gives brief histories of the areas and mentions sights of specific historic or cultural interest which takes much of the guess work out of deciding what to do while in port.
I have always wondered about the logistics of those that work on cruise ships. Having met some wonderful people from all over the world who were so competent and delightful to deal with that it made me curious about their lives on board, this book answered many of my questions and I found that aspect of this book fascinating.
I took an electronic copy of this with me on a Mediterranean cruise recently and found the information to be accurate and worth every penny in regard to the information and suggestions given.
He shares detailed information about available land excursions and even gives names of suggested guides. If you've ever cruised and balked at the outrageous prices of the liner's "official" land excursions, here is information that you will appreciate. He gives brief histories of the areas and mentions sights of specific historic or cultural interest which takes much of the guess work out of deciding what to do while in port.
I have always wondered about the logistics of those that work on cruise ships. Having met some wonderful people from all over the world who were so competent and delightful to deal with that it made me curious about their lives on board, this book answered many of my questions and I found that aspect of this book fascinating.
I took an electronic copy of this with me on a Mediterranean cruise recently and found the information to be accurate and worth every penny in regard to the information and suggestions given.
August 11, 2013
A must for first-time cruise travelers. Includes an honest overview of procedures, pros and cons, different cruise lines, packing lists, budgets, and what to expect while aboard ship. It is especially focused on visitors who have limited time in each city, and it can actually save time and money to use his guides rather than relying on expensive excursions offered by the cruise lines. Steves had good advice about how to avoid long queues at top attractions, when to take public transit, taxis, or just walk, and how much we could expect to pay for services both on board and in each port. His self-guided walking tours of Barcelona, Florence, and Rome were particularly useful and easy to follow.
I especially liked how he encouraged readers to "tear up this book" in order to create manageable cheat sheets for each destination. It pays to travel light, and it was convenient to not have to flip through hundreds of pages to find relevant info.
Don't take a cruise of the Med without buying this book (and ripping it up this book!).
I especially liked how he encouraged readers to "tear up this book" in order to create manageable cheat sheets for each destination. It pays to travel light, and it was convenient to not have to flip through hundreds of pages to find relevant info.
Don't take a cruise of the Med without buying this book (and ripping it up this book!).
July 20, 2014
Great tool to use for planning ahead for our 10-city tour in June of 2014. However, once IN Europe and using it for specifics, I began to notice the age of this edition. For example, Steves recommends a dessert walk in Barcelona - 3 stops near eachother just off Las Ramblas that offer churros & hot chocolate, candy, etc. In only 1 of the spots were we able to find what he suggested. We were disappointed to find the other 2 either don't have what he suggested or only make it at certain times.
It was nice to use this resource though as a tour guide atop the Acropolis - rather than paying for a pricey guide, we did it on our own & I just read aloud things that were of interest to us.
Overall, I will keep the 4 star rating, but I would like to see them update some of it.
It was nice to use this resource though as a tour guide atop the Acropolis - rather than paying for a pricey guide, we did it on our own & I just read aloud things that were of interest to us.
Overall, I will keep the 4 star rating, but I would like to see them update some of it.
May 27, 2013
An easy-to-read, easy-to-use travel guide! It provides a helpful overview of cruising in general for newbies, with advice on "what to do" and "what NOT to do" (e.g., tips on safety, dining, tipping). It provides recommendations for which sites are "must-see" and which sites can be skipped--useful advice when you have less than a day in each destination. The guide also provides detailed and easy-to-follow practical information on how to get around in port...My family and I took a water taxi from the airport to the ship in Venice based on the book's advice and it was one of my 5-year-old's favorite adventures on the entire trip!
April 5, 2013
A superb guide to some of the most common Mediterranean cruise destinations. The book contains lots of useful information and advice for travellers, including how to get from the cruise port to the sights and destinations that you might wish to explore. There are good walking guides of popular destinations, including Florence and Rome, that would be useful to any traveller, not just those on a cruise. I'll be keeping my eyes open for more of Rick Steves's books; this one was just that helpful.
August 16, 2016
This book was very informative and helpful. We often used his self-guided tours from the book instead of paying for expensive shore excursions. The only excursion we paid for on our 11 day Mediterranean cruise was the Amalfi coast, and Rick Steves recommended that too. We will continue to use Rick Steves in future European vacations.
September 13, 2014
Great resource but definitely in need of an update. Don't trust what it says about hours or prices, just use it to create a general plan and then look at the details on the Internet. The Acropolis and Venice Grand Canal audio guides are my favorites.
February 8, 2015
My wife and I did a Norway cruise last year and I am wanting to try a Mediterranean cruise in the future. Common to other Rick Steves books, this one provided precise, needed information to make decisions on the most interesting ports of call.
November 15, 2015
I would recommend this book to anyone taking a Mediterranean cruise. It will save you so much time, money, and frustration to read this before you travel. It lays out each city in an easy to read and use on the go format.
April 22, 2012
Great photos anf wonderfu content.
February 17, 2014
I cannot fathom traveling all the way to Europe on a cruise ship and then not having this book. Having a Rick guide with you is like having an all day expert guide.... for $15!!!
January 3, 2021
So far so good.
May 18, 2013
Great book, especially for a new traveler-lots of good advice and tips! It gave me a more informative vacation! :-)
August 11, 2013
Maybe I'll feel differently about this book after the trip, but this book really has me excited about going!
May 15, 2014
I just came back from a 21 day Mediterranean cruise. I took Rick's book with me and used it everyday!
June 14, 2014
Excellent info. Step by step directions on getting from cruise port to sites, lists lots of options, train schedules when possible. Just an overall excellent source of information.
August 5, 2019
You have to do so much cross referencing on the cruise, it's almost useless.
May 5, 2019
Don’t order digital.
March 21, 2022
I felt like this was written by someone who doesn't actually cruise, so doesn't have a good feel for what people are looking for when they get off of a cruise ship in a foreign port and want to either book tours to get them around, or enjoy the port on their own. There were some good walks provided but those are found in the regular Rick Steves guides as well. So, this really adds very little.
May 18, 2022
Rick Steves
What can you say about Rick Steves? He's gone with us, either by book or podcast, on all of our vacations and has not let us down! Never leave home without him!
A tip. Get air pods (or similar). You put one in one ear, your travel partner puts the other one in their ear. You listen to the same thing at the same time!
What can you say about Rick Steves? He's gone with us, either by book or podcast, on all of our vacations and has not let us down! Never leave home without him!
A tip. Get air pods (or similar). You put one in one ear, your travel partner puts the other one in their ear. You listen to the same thing at the same time!
June 1, 2024
I love Rick Steves and his book/shows were critical in making my Europe trip in the 1990’s amazing. I know this book is (out)dated, but it’s exactly what I need for an upcoming trip. I’ve booked excursions through the ship, but want information on how to spend extra time on land.
April 9, 2024
Mostly helpful when planning Med cruises, but many ports have been sidelined due to the crush of tourists and new, less known ports, are being added.
November 7, 2024
Never leave home without Rick!
November 2, 2025
Very Helpful
This is a good overview of many popular ports. I especially liked the self-guided tours. Only wish there were more.
This is a good overview of many popular ports. I especially liked the self-guided tours. Only wish there were more.
August 16, 2024
This one is spot on, he does have an aversion to cruising but as he says it's as cheap as sleeping on a park bench. As a frequest cruiser, he's really done well except there were a few fab excursions he overlooked in ports, but for the most part high marks. I love reading these reviews of places I have been as it's nostalgic and also to see if I notice anything I don't agree with, just a fun book to look at.
We cruise alot so once a year if it's the Med I reread this.
We cruise alot so once a year if it's the Med I reread this.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews