10 Best Amsterdam to Basel River Cruises
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More days means more to discover, with extension packages you can add before or after your Viking cruise or cruisetour. Discover the turreted fortresses, grand cathedrals, historic cities, medieval towns and stunning scenery of the Middle Rhine—a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Taste the region’s renowned white wines, the roots of its terraced vineyards reaching back to Roman times. With calls in Amsterdam, Cologne and Basel, this journey reveals a rich landscape of beauty and culture. Not sure if you were doing a pre-cruise or post-cruise but I'd base my decision somewhat on that.
Remarkable Rhine & Historic Holland ( (Amsterdam to Basel,
Viking doesn’t offer an included tour here, so I explored on my own. However, since we docked in the late afternoon, time felt even more limited here than in Speyer. Discover the enchanting landscapes and rich cultures of the Middle Rhine, a UNESCO Site boasting turreted fortresses, grand cathedrals, medieval towns and stunning scenery. Admire terraced vineyards dating back to the Romans and taste the region’s renowned red and white wines. Savor the culinary traditions of Alsace and explore Amsterdam, Basel and Cologne.
Christmas on the Rhine
Viking Christens 8 New Ships To Kick Off River Sailing Season - Forbes
Viking Christens 8 New Ships To Kick Off River Sailing Season.
Posted: Fri, 18 Mar 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]
I never did any of the Optional Excursions, so I can’t say if they were better or worse than the included tours. You’ll have to make this decision for yourself, but beer and wine are included with each meal even if you don’t purchase the unlimited drink package. I did the math, and you’d basically have to drink two additional cocktails each day (outside of lunch and dinner) to make the package worthwhile.
Day 3: Strasbourg 🇫🇷
Here you’ll find Festung Ehrenbreitstein, a sprawling nineteenth century fortress that overlooks the town. 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. 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.
Rhine Getaway
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? 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.
Viking Opens European River Cruises Early Due to Strong Demand - Cruise Hive
Viking Opens European River Cruises Early Due to Strong Demand.
Posted: Tue, 12 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The winter season is an ideal time to visit, with fewer travelers and easier access to landmarks. At every port of call, Viking offered one included (free) tour. These tended to be walking tours that lasted about two hours and introduced guests to the various cities. However, if you’d rather explore one of the stops on your own (or even stay on the ship), you are more than welcome to skip any of the tours. We chose the Riquewihr option (it was combined with Colmar at the time) and loved the cute little town. There is one main street and it is lined with wine shops that offer free tastings.
Impressions of the Rhine River
After visiting the cathedral, I walked across the Hohenzollernbrücke, which is one of the most notable “love lock” bridges in Europe. Yes, I know this is a trend that’s swept almost the entire world, but the number of locks on the Hohenzollern Bridge is still a sight to behold. The other main activity in Koblenz is taking the cable car to the other side of the river.
Rhine Castles & Moselle Vineyards (Start Amsterdam, End Basel)
Some people like this quicker style of travel, but it’s not our preferred approach. We mainly chose the Rhineland Discovery cruise for the opportunity to cruise the Rhine and see Rhine River castles sprinkled along its verdant shore. Despite some cloudy and rainy weather, the view did not disappoint.
Needless to say, it was an offer that we couldn’t refuse. This was our chance to try a certain ease of travel and to see what it’s like to experience a trip with guides and planned meals. A city of charming canals, elegant gabled houses, splendid museums and abundant bicycles, the Dutch capital of Amsterdam is a delight to explore. Its patchwork of waterways forms about 90 islands connected by 1,500 bridges. Discovering Amsterdam is a pleasure best pursued on foot; visitors line the tranquil canals and linger over Dutch pancakes, or take a stroopwafel to go. JP and Host Jazzbeau - I followed both of your Rhine trip reports when we were still just considering the cruise.
The Rijksmuseum has recently been renovated and has a great collection of Dutch old masters [but no smoking -- sorry for the pun! The Van Gogh museum is fantastic -- a great collection of his paintings plus an entire floor devoted to restoration techniques. Check which tours will be included in your cruise, and make sure you do a Canal Boat cruise. It was the best of 9 river cruises we have taken so far.
Discover river cruises that depart from Amsterdam and end in Basel. Cruises from Amsterdam to Basel are most popular in May, with the most cruises doing this route then. I really would’ve preferred a little more time in fewer stops. If I could offer one suggestion to Viking, I’d say either choose Speyer or Rüdesheim am Rhein, and spend the entire day there. However, cruising through the Rhine Gorge the next day made up for it.
You won't find departure times listed by the hour, but e.g. on AMA's website there is a tab "Detailed Itinerary" that lists departures as "afternoon," "late tonight," etc. BTW on our AMA Amsterdam to Basel cruise we did the Rhine Gorge in the morning, same as FotoPeg's experience going the other way. Of course, you could always eat at local restaurants while you’re exploring the cities along the Rhine.
Any other "must sees" or "don't bother'? I know everyone enjoys different things, but I'm always interested the others' experiences. Don't forgot to pre book tickets for Ann Frank house if you are going. Despite this, the Viking Hermod had a beautifully designed interior. The atrium and dining room were both warm and inviting spaces.
Sailing past all those castles was the highlight of this cruise. One thing I really loved about this cruise was that there were lots of fun optional activities onboard the ship in the afternoons and evenings. You can also pre-book one of many “Optional Excursions,” which are tours that you’ll have to pay extra for.
Does this mean that we’ve crossed over to being cruise people? Well, we wouldn’t go that far, but we’re very open to taking another cruise to help us with that transition. We toasted and drank hearty, dark Kostrizer beers as we sailed along the Middle Rhine River streaming by the famous Lorelei rock and oh-so-many castles. We were so inspired by the fabulous views and tasty beers that we plan to return and spend one week in the Rhine Valley so that we can explore the area more fully.
Buy us a coffee if you want to support our ongoing efforts. Plus, you probably already noticed that we love coffee. Some updates are major while others are minor link changes and spelling corrections. Clearly, we loved a lot more about the Rhine cruise than we didn’t love.
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