When in Cobh you could really fill your day by staying in the town of Cobh. The ship will be berthed right in the centre of this historic, interesting and very pretty and friendly town. If you feel the need to travel to Cork city the railway station is right next to the ship dock and trains will operate every 30 minutes to Cork, with a journey time of just 24 minutes. Check out this link for more information http://visitcobh.com/index.php/2011/05/18/cruise-passengers-your-window-on-cobh/

Hi Hulalady,

I suspect that your cruise ship will offer a tour to local gardens which are lovely that time of year; if not, you might consider finding a local car hire company to take you. Both Trebah and Glendurgan are very close to Falmouth - about a 15 minute drive each way.

another option would be to do a boat trip down the Helford, across to St. Mawes, or up Carrick Roads [which is the name of the stretch of water that runs up to Truro] to Trelissick gardens - though you might have had enough of water by then..

in Falmouth itself you have the possibility of walking round the coast path towards the tiny beaches of Maenporth and Swanpool, both of which have both cafes and excellent restaurants overlooking them, or of visiting the National Maritime Museum and/or the Falmouth Art Gallery. There are also several historic pubs to visit down by the waterfront and paths to explore that go up into the town and then above it.

hope that helps!

Hi again,

after a bit of searching i found the page for the excursions offered by the cruise company. to me they seem a little pricey for what is offered, and interestingly they go to a lot of places that I hadn't immediately thought of as being obvious places to go from Falmouth.

http://www.princess.com/find/excursion/exlistfordestination.page?portid=FA1&t=R&exType=S

destinations they off that seem to me to be worthwhile in that they offer a decent sightseeing experience with not too much road travel were st. Michael's Mount, and the Lizard. you could of course do each of these privately.

the one that you might be interested in doing as they offer it is the trip to Lanhydrock and Fowey - a superb house and garden, followed by a most beautifully situated coastal town - a trip which would not be easy to organise privately.

Thank you for your helpful input.

The Cruiseline Tour offers are marketed to all sound good and usually are more pricey than other options... so, tips and details from those of you who know the area are appreciated! Targeting the worthwhile places and things to do will make our short visit so much more memorable.

glad to have been of help, hulalady.

when you've put some ideas together, why not come back here and ask us what we think of them?

While in Cobh, there is a suburban train to Cork City, but it also goes to Midleton (approx. 39 minutes, depending on time of day) where you can tour Jameson's Distillery
http://www.tours.jamesonwhiskey.com/age_verification.aspx?ReturnURL=/Home/The-Jameson-Experience-Midleton.aspx
Between what Cobh has to offer and the Distillery, that's pretty much a full day.

The cruise offered mini-tours cover a LOT of ground (mostly spent on a big bus, whizzing through the countryside). Their only advantage, in my opinion, is that they will hold the ship, if the bus runs a little late ...

Something they will NOT do for you, if you are self-touring ...

If I were you, I wouldn't stray too far from Cobh on my own. Cork Kent Station is a bit out of town, for a visit to the city attractions. You would also need to factor in a taxi to-and-fro. Some terrific sites there, though -- the English Market, Butter Museum, St. Finbar's, etcetera

Train info: http://www.irishrail.ie/timetables
Cork City info: http://www.corkcity.ie/traveltourism/

Bob

Ooops! Meant to add a link to Cobh Tourism info, too.

Cobh: http://visitcobh.com/

Bob

Gratzie!
The Suggestions and Links shared above are helpful & appreciated.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EACH OF YOU!
Hulalady

and to you too, Hulalady.

We too will be on the Princess arriving in Cobh on May 6, and will be looking for independent touring. You may wish to contact us either on the ship or in advance by e-mail.

name: abe irwin
e-mail: abeirwin@yahoo.com