The shore Excursions in Santiago-De-Compostela that are offered by the cruise lines are usually of high quality but they also have a high price tag.Here are some tips that you can use to save money on shore excursions for your next cruise.

What caused us to personally examine alternatives to the cruise ship sponsored shore excursions?

A stop in Alexandria Egypt a few years ago.

When you go to Alexandria, you want to see the Pyramids, that Sphinx, and the Cairo Museum which contains the King Tut treasures.

The ship that we were on offered an air-conditioned bus tour from the dock to all of the above attractions... the price was $450 per person.

That was way too expensive for our blood.

Another couple and ourselves got off the ship in Alexandria, on the dock, and were bombarded by private taxi drivers.

We ended up negotiating to see all of the above, Excursions in Santiago-De-Compostela in a Mercedes taxi, for $100 and we tipped an additional $20... we paid our own admission to the Pyramids, Sphinx area and the Cairo Museum...another $10 a person.

Compare $40 per person to $450 a person and I think you can get a good idea of how much money you can save by making short version reservations yourself.

You should start by doing research online before you leave for each port that you are going to visit... search for maps that show where the cruise ship dock is in relationship to the attractions that you want to see... search for tour companies that offer guided tours for groups of 4 to 10... search for ( the name of the port) on your own.

This process is made easier if you are going with another couple or in a group... then you know in advance exactly how you can negotiate with the tour companies.

This is not necessary however, if you are traveling with only your spouse you can plan on meeting other economy minded passengers on the ship... if you meet two other couples that want a private tour of the French countryside when you visit Marseilles... then you can e-mail from the boat to the various private tour companies and ask for a quote for example...a price for a six-hour tour for six people.

You should expect a savings compared to the cruise ships shore excursions of about 50% or more... Traveling with a small group also gives you the advantage of being able to ask questions that would not be possible if you are in a tour bus containing 50 people... it is much more personal to do it yourself and arrange your own tour.