Southampton, Cherbourg, Hamburg, Rotterdam

Southampton is the largest city of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Southampton is a major port.  It was the point of departure for the RMS Titanic in 1912.

Cherbourg-Octeville is a city and former commune situated at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French department of Manche. It is the most populated city in its department with 37,121 inhabitants.

Cherbourg-en-Cotentin is protected by Cherbourg Harbour, between La Hague and Val de Saire, and the city has been a strategic position over the centuries, disputed between the English and French. Cited as one of the "keys to the kingdom" by Vauban, it became, by colossal maritime development work, a first-rate military port under the leadership of Louis XVI and Napoleon, and holds an arsenal of the French Navy. A stopping point for prestigious transatlantic liners in the first half of the 20th century, Cherbourg was the primary goal of US troops during the invasion of Normandy in 1944.

Along with its use as a military, fishing and yachting port, it is also a cross-Channel ferry port, with routes to the English ports of Poole and Portsmouth, the Irish port of Rosslare Harbour and St Helier on Jersey. Limited by its geographical isolation from being a great commercial port, it is nonetheless an important shipbuilding centre, and a working-class city with a rural hinterland. On Wednesday, 10 April 1912 the RMS Titanic crossed the English Channel and docked here at 7:00pm local time before raising anchor at 9:10pm local time and sailing to her final stop Queenstown, Ireland.

At the port of Hamburg, in the heart of the city, ships from around the world are bound. The city with the numerous bridges is a city full of contrasts that provides visitors with art and culture, theater and entertainment of high quality, unique shopping opportunities, lively nightlife and countless historical sites.

Often called the gateway to Europe, the port city of Rotterdam is full of old-world charm, offering amazing views and a maze of wharves and canals, along with towering spires make for a beautiful sight. The Nazi bombardment of 1940 gutted most of the old city, so, you will notice that Rotterdam's architecture is an intriguing mix of old and new: modern glass skyscrapers often stand adjacent to 19th- and 18th-century buildings. During your walk, you will see three pre World War II buildings in the city center, the city hall, St. Laurence church and the White House. Explore the Museum Boymans van Beuningen, which houses a unique collection dating from the 14th century, or the Museum Voor Volkenkunde, home to ethnological exhibits, the Delfshaven quarter with the 18th century houses and the futuristic Kijk-Kubus, an upside-down housing complex.