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We passed through our first of many river locks on this night, which is one of the most noteworthy aspects of a Rhine River cruise. What I really liked was that there’s no pressure to stay with the tour. You’re free to start with the tour and slip away if you find a restaurant you like or somewhere you want to linger (although it’s nice to let the guide know so they don’t wait for you). If you want more relaxed, casual food with perhaps a table for just 2, the Aquavit upstairs is a great alternative. We had lunch a couple times there and it’s quite nice to see the river views and sit outside.
The Viking Cruise Ship
We even learned how to toast like a local during this fun pub crawl. As we learned over dinner at a brauhaus that dates back to 1858, Cologne locals never eat while drinking. The range of breakfast foods ran the gamut from healthy fruit and yogurt to more decadent options. Passing on the menu items, we stuck to the breakfast buffet where we enjoyed cheeses, meats and other regional delicacies. We consider ourselves to be low maintenance travelers who don’t need a lot of assistance, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t appreciate excellent service. And that’s exactly what we got from the international crew while cruising the Rhine with Viking.
How River Cruises Differ vs. Ocean Cruises
When we had our fill of Cologne, we enjoyed strolling across the Love Locks Bridge to get back to the ship. The afternoon was spent on board taking in the scenery as we cruised along the Rhine. After breakfast, we only had to take a short walk to our destination (led by our guide of course). Some updates are major while others are minor link changes and spelling corrections. Let us know if you see anything that needs to be updated in this article.SponsorshipWe thank Viking River Cruises for hosting us on the Rhineland Discovery cruise to facilitate this article. For us, it was the picnic-style lunch at Oenosphère where we sampled excellent local wines from nearby vineyards along with an assortment of amazing French cheeses and charcuterie.
One Day In Strasbourg, France: My Favorite Rhine River Cruise Stop
Viking Longships have prime mooring spots in the center of town providing the option for easy independent exploration in between guided included and optional shore excursions. For something very different, Viking has a unique 15-day itinerary combining a Rhine River cruise with a Scandinavian sailing into the Norwegian fjords on one of its stylish ocean ships. More days means more to discover, with extension packages you can add before or after your Viking cruise or cruisetour.
Treviso, Italy: A Visitor’s Guide For Mindful Travelers
To avoid unnecessary stress from flight delays or cancellations plan to arrive at least one day before your cruise departs. You should also allow plenty of time for airport transfers at the end of your voyage, especially if you're going to be traveling during the morning rush hour. Christmas markets are the highlight of Europe's winter calendar and Germany forms the heartland of the festive market scene. A Viking river cruise provides the perfect way to soak up history and culture combined with a wonderful yuletide atmosphere.
Local Cuisine
What's it Like Taking a Winter River Cruise in Europe? - Cruise Critic
What's it Like Taking a Winter River Cruise in Europe?.
Posted: Tue, 27 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
We walked through here on our guided tour, and I came back afterwards to enjoy the views for a bit longer. All the local guides were quite knowledgeable and Viking provides headsets so you can clearly hear. There’s even a designated group for those who wish to tour at a slower pace.
After much deliberation, my husband and I selected the Rhine Getaway, an eight-day cruise on the Rhine River. Review my round-up of all the Viking River Rhine Cruise destinations below. Take a stroll along the pathway by Main River or explore the historic old town. See the Palace of Justice, old town and Market Square in this history-filled city. Join us on a richly rewarding 8-day journey to some of Scandinavia’s most scenic and historic ports. Air fare offer applies to select gateways; air fare offer may vary across gateways and itineraries; call for details.
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Stroll through Old Town past St. Martin’s Church, and spend some time inside Cologne’s Dom, a remarkable Gothic cathedral whose construction began in 1248 and was only completed in 1880. As always, your Program Director can help you plan your free time. Dinner is served aboard and we remain docked until late evening.
As such, the Hermod was already passing through Utrecht by bedtime. We docked at Amsterdam very early in the morning on our final day. The landscape here is so pretty, and one of the highlights of this visit was being able to see the inside of a mill. All in all, a short visit to Kinderdijk was a great way to wrap up our final full day on the Viking Hermod. This was my least favorite day of the cruise, mainly because we only had a few hours in both Speyer and Rüdesheim. I feel like we did get to see slightly more of the former than the latter, but both stops were rushed.
If you've never been on a river cruise before -- or have previously been on ocean cruises -- it's hard to know exactly what to expect. Take a look at our list of mistakes to avoid and enjoy your best-ever experience on a Viking Rhine River cruise. Marksburg Castle was the most fascinating castle I have ever visited, and I’ve visited quite a few. Our Viking River Rhine Cruise tour guide gave an intriguing glimpse into what life was like during the time of castles, kings, knights and princesses.
Likewise, the optional tours -- with a clue in the name -- are there for anyone who has a special interest, such as wine tasting, or is looking for an extra level of immersion. If you decide to stay onboard you will have a full-service experience in terms of food and drink and the chance to relax with a book or take a nap. Also, don’t forget to enjoy scenic sailing moments along the iconic Middle Rhine to enjoy the historic castles and hillside vineyards. Tour highlights of the legendary Rhine River, then discover Nordic wonders by sea. Experience cultured Basel before setting sail for Germany’s storied Black Forest and France’s multicultural Strasbourg. Discover the turreted fortresses, grand cathedrals, historic cities, medieval towns and spectacular scenery of the Middle Rhine—a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Smaller markets along the way include Rudesheim, where you can stroll down the colorful Drosselgasse street and try the town's warming coffee laced with local brandy. You can choose to start or end the 12-day Paris to the Swiss Alps itinerary with two days in the French capital or the largest Swiss city of Zurich, nestling on a shimmering lake. A comfortable motor coach transfer will take you to and from your Viking ship. Experience the highlights of the legendary Rhine in just 8 days. In Germany, sail past castles commanding the riverbanks, and tour both Marksburg Castle and the ruins of Heidelberg Castle.
Saveur Magazine’s BEST TRAVEL BLOG award winners Daryl and Mindi Hirsch share their culinary travel experiences and recipes on the 2foodtrippers website. Since launching the site in 2012, they’ve traveled to over 40 countries in their quest to bring readers a unique taste of the world. As full-time travelers and influencers, we usually travel slowly with a week or even a month in each location. Though it was great to hit five countries in twelve days, it wasn’t so great to have to leave each one so quickly. We were pleased to get our first taste of Strasbourg during this full-day excursion which served as an introduction for our future stay in the fairytale Alsatian city in France.
The only problem was, not many restaurants were open so we spent our time wandering around this charming little town of vine covered, story book buildings. It’s all about the food and the breakfasts on the ship were fabulous! Breakfasts were casual buffets while lunches and dinners were more formal sit down meals. I loved the casual dress code because after a long day of exploring, it was nice not to have to worry about getting all dolled up for meals. We love pizza, coffee, fine dining, wine, street food and cocktails.
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