Europe River Trip - Budapest to Amsterdam - Optional Tours
Sep 10th, 2010, 09:44 PM
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Europe River Trip - Budapest to Amsterdam - Optional Tours
We have booked our first river cruise trip and we just discovered that there are optional tours at some of the ports. Have any of you done these tours and are they worth the price? I will have to do the research to see if these are places we can navigate on our own. Thanks for your advice.
Optional Tours:
Vienna - Schonbrunn Palace - EUR 44.00
Linz - Salzburg EUR 64.00
Regensburg - Excursion to Weltenburg Abbey and Danube Gorge EUR 39.00
Wurzburg - Excursion to Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber EUR 39.00
Optional Tours:
Vienna - Schonbrunn Palace - EUR 44.00
Linz - Salzburg EUR 64.00
Regensburg - Excursion to Weltenburg Abbey and Danube Gorge EUR 39.00
Wurzburg - Excursion to Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber EUR 39.00
Sep 11th, 2010, 05:53 AM
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You can definitely get to the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna on your own. No need to spend 44 Euros a piece (wow!).
See: http://www.schoenbrunn.at/en/plan-yo...irections.html
See: http://www.schoenbrunn.at/en/plan-yo...irections.html
Sep 11th, 2010, 07:10 AM
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A ticket for the Grand Tour ( the longer tour with more rooms to be seen) of Schonbrunn costs 12,90 euro . This includes an audio guide.
The Palace is very easy to reach using public transport from most anywhere i the city. A one way ticket costs less than 2 euro. A 24hour ticket for all public transport in the entire city is less than 6 euro.
Thus this particular tour can done very easily on your own and most importantly at your own pace. Of course the price is much less too.
You may wish to spend extra time in the Gardens , nearby zoo and carriage museum too.
Your cruise boat most probably docks by the Reichsbrucke on the Danube.
You walk a short distance to the UBahn ( subway) line U-1 in the direction of Reumannplatz - transfer to the U-4 at Schwedenplatz direction Hutteldorf to the stop Schonbrunn.
Then a nice walk through the Palace gardens to the Palace.
for transport info - tickets etc.
www.wienerlinien.at
For Salzburg - perhaps best to take the tour as this is a good bus ride to the city with return- possible to do it using train and other transport but more involved . The tour allows more relaxation. But check to see just how much time is actually spent in Salzburg, what is seen and if you have some free time too.
The Palace is very easy to reach using public transport from most anywhere i the city. A one way ticket costs less than 2 euro. A 24hour ticket for all public transport in the entire city is less than 6 euro.
Thus this particular tour can done very easily on your own and most importantly at your own pace. Of course the price is much less too.
You may wish to spend extra time in the Gardens , nearby zoo and carriage museum too.
Your cruise boat most probably docks by the Reichsbrucke on the Danube.
You walk a short distance to the UBahn ( subway) line U-1 in the direction of Reumannplatz - transfer to the U-4 at Schwedenplatz direction Hutteldorf to the stop Schonbrunn.
Then a nice walk through the Palace gardens to the Palace.
for transport info - tickets etc.
www.wienerlinien.at
For Salzburg - perhaps best to take the tour as this is a good bus ride to the city with return- possible to do it using train and other transport but more involved . The tour allows more relaxation. But check to see just how much time is actually spent in Salzburg, what is seen and if you have some free time too.
Sep 11th, 2010, 07:35 AM
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I would suggest you head over to cruisecritic.com for a very active river cruising forum. Go to "Special Interest Cruising" then choose "River and Canal Cruises".
There is a wealth of info there.
As far as Linz to Salzburg, many of the optional tours do not really focus on Salzburg at all but are the Sound of Music tour format. Unless you need to be escorted, it is easy to take the train from Linz to Salzburg, spend the better part of the day then meet up with the boat in Passau which is generally where the river boats head after they drop off people for the tour.
There is a wealth of info there.
As far as Linz to Salzburg, many of the optional tours do not really focus on Salzburg at all but are the Sound of Music tour format. Unless you need to be escorted, it is easy to take the train from Linz to Salzburg, spend the better part of the day then meet up with the boat in Passau which is generally where the river boats head after they drop off people for the tour.
Sep 11th, 2010, 12:40 PM
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I would not agree with the above recommendation-
Train Linz - Salzburg costs 22 euro and takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Train Salzburg to Passau takes about 2 1/2 hours depending on departure time - cost is 25,60 euro - both the above cost based on a 2nd class ticket -
add taxi or other transport ship to train and in salzburg - the price is very close to the cost of the tour.
Tour means no need to find your way to/from train-
Also note that Salzburg train station is now being renovated with a little turmoil.
Salzburg Train station a long walk - or bus transfer or taxi to " Old City " area.
Save the stress and take the tour bus. Good way to be more acquainted with your fellow passengers too.
Train Linz - Salzburg costs 22 euro and takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Train Salzburg to Passau takes about 2 1/2 hours depending on departure time - cost is 25,60 euro - both the above cost based on a 2nd class ticket -
add taxi or other transport ship to train and in salzburg - the price is very close to the cost of the tour.
Tour means no need to find your way to/from train-
Also note that Salzburg train station is now being renovated with a little turmoil.
Salzburg Train station a long walk - or bus transfer or taxi to " Old City " area.
Save the stress and take the tour bus. Good way to be more acquainted with your fellow passengers too.
Sep 11th, 2010, 03:32 PM
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Usually, I stay clear of boat-affiliated sightseeing tours. In this case, however, I agree with molker, at least as far as getting from Linz to Salzburg and back to the boat goes. Too many things can go wrong, and the boat won't wait for you. Once in Salzburg, you may want to do your own thing, as long as you get back to the bus in time. I abhor the tours where the guide has to tell you every little detail that you will forget anyhow, while you stand around listening to him/her.
The old part of Salzburg is very compact and easy to cover on foot. Read up on the town in a tour book, decide where you want to go and do it. The green Michelin Guide for Austria has a good write-up on Salzburg (and obviously also Vienna). Perhaps you can find one in your local library. While you are at it, look up also the Green Guide for Germany to decide in which of the towns and cities where the boat stops you are better off doing your own thing. (That includes Wuerzburg, see below)
Re Wuerzburg: This happens to be the place where I was born, so I'm partial to it. I would skip the Rothenburg o.T. trip. The drive is not very interesting. Although the brochure will probably tell you that you will travel on the Romantic Highway, there's really nothing romantic about the road itself. It's a regular highway that connects some pretty towns, but you will probably see only one, namely Rothenburg. It, during the day, is a madhouse with tourists. Instead, in Wuerzburg, take cab from the boat landing to the castle overlooking the city, poke around the castle, perhaps visit the Mainfraenkische Museum, and walk back into the city. The 17th century fortifications are quite inetersting, and it is kind of fun to walk through vinyards. Bakc in the city, walk to the Residenz -- a beautiful and huge baroque palace. Either visit the inside of the palace (you don't need to attach yourself to a tour), or just enjoy the extensive gardens. Finally, walk back to the boat, and en route stop in one of the local wine restaurants neat yje market square or in the Ratskeller in the old city hall for a meal. There is also a nice restaurant with a waterwheel overlooking the river, thge castle and the the old bridge with the statues of several local saints
Again, Weurzburg is a very compact and walking-friendly city. It's alos, an old university town.
The old part of Salzburg is very compact and easy to cover on foot. Read up on the town in a tour book, decide where you want to go and do it. The green Michelin Guide for Austria has a good write-up on Salzburg (and obviously also Vienna). Perhaps you can find one in your local library. While you are at it, look up also the Green Guide for Germany to decide in which of the towns and cities where the boat stops you are better off doing your own thing. (That includes Wuerzburg, see below)
Re Wuerzburg: This happens to be the place where I was born, so I'm partial to it. I would skip the Rothenburg o.T. trip. The drive is not very interesting. Although the brochure will probably tell you that you will travel on the Romantic Highway, there's really nothing romantic about the road itself. It's a regular highway that connects some pretty towns, but you will probably see only one, namely Rothenburg. It, during the day, is a madhouse with tourists. Instead, in Wuerzburg, take cab from the boat landing to the castle overlooking the city, poke around the castle, perhaps visit the Mainfraenkische Museum, and walk back into the city. The 17th century fortifications are quite inetersting, and it is kind of fun to walk through vinyards. Bakc in the city, walk to the Residenz -- a beautiful and huge baroque palace. Either visit the inside of the palace (you don't need to attach yourself to a tour), or just enjoy the extensive gardens. Finally, walk back to the boat, and en route stop in one of the local wine restaurants neat yje market square or in the Ratskeller in the old city hall for a meal. There is also a nice restaurant with a waterwheel overlooking the river, thge castle and the the old bridge with the statues of several local saints
Again, Weurzburg is a very compact and walking-friendly city. It's alos, an old university town.
Sep 11th, 2010, 08:06 PM
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Thanks for all the info, especially the suggestion to go to cruisecritic.com. I wished I would have found this web site along time ago!! On their home page find the top banner and select "Boards" then select "Special Interest Cruising" then choose "River and Canal Cruises". We researched several cruise lines and narrowed down to Avalon and Viking. We selected Avalon due to the time of year & deals offered at the time we booked. Head over to curisecritic.com if you are looking for river cruise information.
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