Skip the expensive private tours and snag the public ferry from Vieux-Port for a cheap, salt-sprayed ride. You come here for the claustrophobic stone cells and literary drama, not views. Budget 90 minutes to crawl through the limestone ramparts. Definitely download the $8 smartphone audioguide to map out the fictional escape routes. Bring double the water you think you need—the Mediterranean sun is relentless on the exposed fortress walls. Sunscreen is not optional.
