La Valetta/ Malta, Valencia and Tunis

[ms silke]

I have been looking through lots of threads but cant seem to find anything on malta/ la valetta, valencia and tunis. It's my first time and i'll be on the msc sinfonia, dep. genova, calling at monte carlo, valencia, tunis, malta, rome. I enjoy reading the advice people give and think this is an amazing forum. I hope there's somebody who can give me some advice on doing tours on your own in valencia, la valetta and tunis.

i will leave in one week! so fast reaction would be appreciated. of course, i will tell about my expereinces when i am back. THANKS!

[Hank]

Ok, we are firing up the ole memory banks on these ports since its been a few years. Valetta is a very civilized port where you can easily do things on your own. Malta is a pretty compact island which makes it pretty easy for tourists. You will dock at the edge of the city just below the walls. If you are going on your own, you can walk from the pier into the center of town, but you must first climb a bunch of steps or walk up a pretty steep road. Some of the ships provide a shuttle up the hill into town, but if you like to walk (we surely do) its a fun stroll. You can easily explore Valetta on foot where there are plenty of stores, restaurants, etc. Most want to see the old town area called the Mdna, and this is a 10 min taxi ride or you can also use a local bus (just ask the information folks for directions). At the Mdna there are some cafes atop the old walls that give you a great view of the countryside while you sip some cafe or a beer. Its a friendly island and English is pretty widely spoken.
Tunis is not a place to go off on your own unless you have a lot of travel experience. English is not widely spoken, but most here do speak some French. I would suggest you take a morning tour of the city. In the afternoon (assuming you have time) it is possible to go to the local beach. When we went to the beach my wife (at the time she was blonde) had about 10,000 Tunisian eyes on her every move. The locals were not used to seeing Americans (we were there about 15 years ago) and the children were shocked when we said "Je suis American." Keep in mind that this is a very conservative Arab country.
As to Valencia, we have driven through the area when we were driving in Spain, and its a pretty large city. You could probably duplicate any tour at lower cost by using your feet, local transportation, or even renting a car if you want to explore the region (driving in Spain is not too difficult).

Hank

[ms silke]

Thanks Hank! That's very helpful. I am leaving tomorrow and am pretty excited.