Cruise across the Mediterranean - Athens to Malaga, via Valletta

[RooFlyer]

Flying out tomorrow to Adelaide for the AFF gathering and then onto Istanbul for a few days (jet lag recovery in one of my favourite cities) and then to Athens, where I will begin two back-to-back Ponant cruises across the Med.

Flights - long hauls on QR.



The cruises - first Athens to Valletta, then Valletta to Malaga.

https://au.ponant.com/the-mediterranean-ancient-cities-of-the-mediterranean-ec081126-10

https://au.ponant.com/the-mediterranean-ancient-shores-of-the-mediterranean-ec161126-10

Included excursions in every port. Myceneans; Ancient Greece (Athenians, Sparta etc); Corfu; Norman Sicily, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Algeria (new country), Islamic and Roman Spain.



Le Champlain; 184 maximum passengers. https://au.ponant.com/cruise-ships/le-champlain




Then there's a high speen rail journey in Spain form Malaga to Barcelona, where I fly home.

See many of you in Adelaide!

 

[SYD]

We did Renfe Málaga - Madrid a few weeks ago.

Did you know that a Renfe ticket includes getting to/from the train stations by local train? “Combinado Cercanías”. So in Málaga you should be able to just scan your ticket QR code at the turnstile. I forgot, until I noticed others scanning Renfe tickets…

But the Malaga trains are relatively cheap and now take contactless card payment (no need to go to a ticket machine).

Renfe ▷ The best prices for AVE (high-speed) and Larga Distancia (long distance high-speed) trains

We have a range of AVE (high-speed) and Larga Distancia (long distance high-speed) tickets on offer (Básico (Basic), Elige (Pick & Mix) and Prémium (Prémium)) Discover the advantages now! ▷

www.renfe.com

 

[RooFlyer]

Did you know that a Renfe ticket includes getting to/from the train stations by local train? “Combinado Cercanías”.

Thanks, yes, but only going from the port to the train station this time.

 

[SYD]

Thanks, yes, but only going from the port to the train station this time.

Yes, Uber is your friend then. The trains don’t go much beyond the canal nor the old town/port area.

 

[ellen10]

Sounds like a great trip!
I will enjoy following along, safe travels.

 

[RooFlyer]

HBA-MEL-ADL had the added frisson of my first visit to the QF 'grab 'n go' at Hobart Airport, still under redevelopment. Caught up with @Dantas who, like me, was off the the AFF do in Adelaide.

Hauling out of Hobart on a nice Spring morning on QF1292, A220, 2B.



Led astray early by dantas, I had my first ever Lois for breakfast.



Caught up with @Lowjhg in the MEL QBP, then on QF683 to Adelaide. Lunch was a salmon soba noodle creation, and quite decent.

 

[RooFlyer]

Staying at the Sofitel in Adelaide for 2 nights, using 2 SNUs to a Junior suite and as a Diamond. Very slow check-in, but eventually rewarded with an upgrade to a Prestige suite because my earlier request for a quiet room, away from elevators etc was (again) not initially honoured.

A pretty good room - a true suite, well laid out with good furnishings. Aircon worked well.









Welcome amenity - initially forgotten to be transferred from the noisy room they originally allocated to me, but a gently prompt saw it delivered



View



The lounge was moderately busy both nights and drinks service a bit slow, but the food offerings I thought was pretty good. Overall knocks the socks of the Sofitel Brisbane (Central). A motley crew of about 6 AFFers occupied the easy chair area.