Table Of Content
After two long years of pandemic restrictions, Europe is fully open again! I’m lucky to have an extended family of fellow travel enthusiasts, and we’ve all been looking forward to a reunion vacation in Western Europe for a while now! A Viking River cruise seemed like the perfect offering for a group of eight people spanning three generations. This post is a review of my time on the Viking Hermod as it sailed down the Rhine. If you are going to pass on some of the shore tours and spend more time on the ship then a veranda cabin is a good choice.
Day by Day
Plus there are only 90 staterooms which means it’s easy to get to know the crew and passengers. I love that you only have to unpack once instead of changing hotels every couple of days. River cruises are highly dependent on local water levels, and abnormally low water can negatively impact your trip by forcing the boat to re-route. Viking offers both pre and post extensions, which are a fun way to see more of Europe and combine the best of both worlds (guided group tours with individual trips). The number one reason why I like river cruises so much is because you get to see many small towns and sights in a leisurely fashion. From Speyer to Cologne (Day 4 to Day 6), the Rhine River is incredibly scenic.
Review Of Great Ocean Road Day Tour From Melbourne By Go West Tours
See the charming canals of Strasbourg’s Petite France, admire Cologne’s famous cathedral and explore Holland’s iconic windmills. Sail the North Sea, visit Denmark and witness Norway’s dramatic fjord landscapes and scenic cities. We chose to tour Marksburg Castle (there are many tour options to choose from every day) which is one of the few remaining castles on the Rhine that has remained intact.
Post: Alpine Backdrops of Lake Lucerne
Viking Eir Itineraries: 2024 & 2025 Schedule (with Prices) on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic
Viking Eir Itineraries: 2024 & 2025 Schedule (with Prices) on Cruise Critic.
Posted: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 03:24:37 GMT [source]
Dinner is served aboard and we remain docked until late evening. To learn more about each port of call and our included as well as optional excursions, click on the individual days below. We love pizza, coffee, fine dining, wine, street food and cocktails. In other words, we eat and drink everything at all price points. Check out our comprehensive food travel guides loaded with real-life photos and insightful pro tips. While you're here, why not try one of our easy recipes filled with eclectic ingredients?
One thing I liked about sailing with Viking is how leisurely the day to day pace is. The interiors were really unique and the guided tour was excellent. The castle was once home to the prince-archbishops of Cologne and is decked out in gold, marble and all-around extravagance.
A Viking Rhine River Cruise in Winter - Cruise Critic
A Viking Rhine River Cruise in Winter.
Posted: Thu, 01 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
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. 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. Admire Cologne’s famous cathedral, and tour Ehrenbreitstein Fortress.
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. 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).
Visiting the fortress was interesting, but there didn’t seem to be much signage in English, so I don’t feel like I learned a lot about its history while I was there. Since we spent the first half of Day 5 cruising, the city of Koblenz was another half-day stop. However, our time here didn’t feel as rushed as the whirlwind tours on Day 4. Koblenz is a tourist hub that’s noticeably bigger than Speyer and Rüdesheim. I walked all over the Altstadt (Old Town), which is right next to the Viking River Cruises Dock.
Cologne is known for its gothic cathedral and its unique Kölsch beer. It’s also the birthplace of the world’s first eau de cologne and home to some of the best shopping in the country. Rich with history, Heidelberg is home to Germany’s oldest university, the ruins of a romantic Renaissance castle, and the world’s largest wine barrel. Learn about these sites and more things to do in Heidelberg, Germany today. After much deliberation, my husband and I selected the Rhine Getaway, an eight-day cruise on the Rhine River.
I enjoy drinking to be sure, but I would typically have wine with my meals and limit myself to one cocktail per day. My total bar tab came out to be about 90 euro for the entire trip. Cologne is the largest city this cruise stops in, so there wasn’t enough time to explore all that I wanted to. The included Viking tour served as a brief introduction to the riverfront and Kölner Dom, the city’s massive iconic cathedral. 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.
Viking did a great job of scheduling so that passengers could enjoy the view from the boat during the day on this portion of the trip. The vineyards, villages, and castles of the Middle Rhine are undoubtedly the river’s most unique offerings. The Hermod pulled into its first port of call very early in the morning, which meant we had a full day to explore Breisach, a small village in Germany. I actually decided to skip the included tour (a bus trip to the Black Forest) in the morning and walk across the French border to the village of Neuf-Brisach.
We also enjoyed visiting a modern German farm complete with its on-site schnapps distillery not to mention adorable goats and cows. 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. True confession – we didn’t use the balcony much once we discovered that the best view in our room was from the bed.
Return to Breisach or choose an optional excursion to the quaint Alsatian town of Colmar. Continue along the Rhine this morning; arrive in Cologne and disembark for a walking tour. 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment