we walked off the ship and there were travel companies offering tours for $20US each. We decided to do it and were very glad we did. It was a small mini bus and we were able to get out at each stop for as long as we wanted to take pictures. It included a 30 minute stop at an indoor market and ended with the Montevideo sign.

We booked a private vehicle online and were met at the pier by Wayne's tours. It was a Land rover that was shared with another couple who we had never met. They were Americans who had never heard of the Falklands War. It made for an uncomfortable journey as we were tightly squeezed into the back. The roads are so bad that it would be worth paying extra to be in a vehicle for 2.

We were driven 1.5 hours to Bertha's Beach to see the colonies of Gentoo penguins and a pair of Kings that were on the beach moulting. It was incredible. We then went back to Stanley and Gypsy Cove for the Magellanic penguins that nest in burrows. Our driver was a native Falklander and was very entertaining. She was a 30 year old mum when the Argentinian's invaded and was able to give us a first hand account.

We were dropped off in town and did a bit of shopping. The town is tiny and the cruise ships triple the population. Everything was crowded and the queue to get back to the tenders was quite long. Celebrity kept it moving though and we were soon back on the ship.

The ship docked at 8am but nothing in town opens before 10am. We walked around a bit and then took a 20 minute taxi ride to the Train to the end of the World. We booked the VIP seats on the train in advance through Trip Advisor. It was totally worth the extra expense. We got a choice of hot meal, I had lamb stew and hubby had a chicken wrap, both were great. There was also a choice of three drinks, alcoholic, hot, pop or water. We also got 5 gifts including a calendar, key rings, cakes, our photo and magnets. The rail car was just for us and we felt very spoiled!

The ride is 1 hour out and back. It has beautiful scenery in the Tiera del Fuego National Park and travels slowly enough to see everything. There was a short stop at a waterfall and commentary in Spanish and English. We did get off at the turnaround and walked down a steep hill to the water. This is where you can mail cards or get your passport stamped from the end of the world. It's a tiny converted container and the passport stamp is $3US. We got ours from guest services before leaving the ship.

The walk down the hill was dusty and hot and we were glad to get a cab to take us back to the top for $5. It was easy to find a taxi after the train got back to the main station. There is a good souvenir store at the station.

We spent 4 days pre cruise in BA. It is very walkable but we also did the hop on hop off bus. It's a great way to get your bearings. Another day we took a boat up to the Delta to see Tigre. It is like cottage country and only accessible by water, but was a nice day out. It was booked through the hotel and was $20 cheaper than someone who had booked through Viatour! It included lunch and some time in the market before being driven back in a minivan. We stopped at San Isidro and then back to our hotel.