Vacation Package

Castles Along the Rhine 2010

Castles Along the Rhine 2010 / 9 days / 8 nights

From $2050.00

Book this package now by calling 1-800-987-4628

Vacation Package Information

Day 1 - Depart Home Gateway City to Basel

Day 2 - Arrive Basel
Arrive at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg where you’ll be transferred to the ship. (Dinner)

Day 3 - Breisach (Colmar), Strasbourg
Starting from medieval Breisach, the gateway to the Black Forest, you’ll cross the Rhine and head for the Alsatian Wine Road, which hugs the foothills of the Vosges Mountains. Charming villages and lush vineyards, producing great white wines, line this winding scenic route. Experience the charm of medieval Colmar in its historic center and the picturesque timber-framed houses in the village of Riquewihr. You’ll also visit the Unterlinden Museum, a former convent, now displaying an icon of northern Renaissance art—the Isenheim altarpiece by Matthias Grunewald, as well as medieval and gothic pieces. (Breakfast / Lunch / Captain's Welcome Dinner)

Featured Excursion: Full-day tour along the Alsatian Wine Road and Unterlindenmuseum

Day 4 - Strasbourg
Situated halfway between Paris and Prague, the Alsatian town of Strasbourg is known as the Crossroads of Europe. It is home to a magnificent gothic cathedral and beautiful half-timbered houses. View Strasbourg in the way it has been seen through the centuries on a canal cruise. In addition to viewing the town’s covered bridges, medieval watchtowers, and the modern building that houses the European Parliament, you will see Petite France, the picturesque district that seems as if it has been lifted from the pages of a fairytale.(Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)

Featured Excursion: Strasbourg Canal Cruise

Day 5 - Speyer
Your guided walking tour through Speyer reveals a medieval town with a grand heritage and a compact historic center dominated by the largest Romanesque cathedral in Europe—a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With its basilica laid out in the form of a Latin cross, including four towers and two domes, this is a marvel to behold. (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)

Featured Excursion: Speyer Walking Tour

Day 6 - Rüdesheim
Rüdesheim has a long history dating back to Roman times and is considered one of the most charming of the Rhine Valley ports of call. The town is famous for, among other things, the Drosselgasse, a narrow alleyway lined with wine taverns and shops. Explore Rüdesheim at your leisure. Later in the day, enjoy a princely wine tasting at the prestigious Castle Vollrads, perfectly situated in the vineyard-covered hills and one of the world’s top wine estates for Rheingau Rieslings. (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)

Featured Excursion: Castle Vollrads Wine Tasting

Day 7 - Cruising the romantic Rhine, Koblenz
Cruise along the breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage-designated middle Rhine Valley with its more than 40 castles and the famous Lorelei rock. Arrive in Koblenz, situated at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle. Your guided walking tour will highlight the appeal of Koblenz—its romantic narrow streets and historical squares, the picturesque alleyways and fountains in the old quarter, and the 12th-century churches of St. Florin and Our Lady. (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)

Featured Excursion: Koblenz Walking Tour

Day 8 - Cologne
Stroll through the narrow streets of Old Town with your guide, passing by tiny squares and little churches as you make your way to Cologne Cathedral, the city’s most famous landmark and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. It took 632 years for Germany’s largest cathedral to be completed and is one of the most important gothic churches in Europe. A visit inside features the Shrine of the Three Magi and the beautiful stained glass windows that survived WWII. (Breakfast / Lunch / Captain’s Farewell Dinner)

Featured Excursion: Cologne Walking Tour and Cathedral Visit

Note: No inside tours of the Cathedral on Sundays or Catholic holidays.

Day 9 - Depart Amsterdam
Disembark the ship and transfer to the airport in Amsterdam for your flight home, or extend your stay in Amsterdam.

Cruise Ships operating this itinerary:
River Ambassador

Sightseeing Highlights

  • Breisach - Full day Alsation Wine Road
  • Strasbourg - See Strasbourg in the way it has been seen through the centuries - on a canal cruise
  • Speyer - Walking tour visiting the largest Romanesque cathedral in Europe
  • Rüdesheim - Join us for a unique wine tasting at the castle
  • Koblenz - Our guided walking tour will show you the old quarter and the 12th-century churches of St. Florin and Our Lady
  • Cologne - Walking tour and Cathedral visit
  • State-of-the-art Quietvox portable audio headset system on all shore excursions

Dining Highlights

  • Enriching onboard entertainment and insightful lectures
  • Captain’s Welcome & Farewell Dinners
  • All meals on board ship: breakfast, lunch and dinner
  • Classical European cuisine with a twist of contemporary elegance
  • Complimentary wine during dinner, and bottled water in your stateroom

First Class Travel Highlights

  • 7-night cruise in an outside stateroom on the elegantly appointed Grand River Ambassador or regal Grand River Queen
  • 6 shore excursions fully hosted by English-speaking guides
  • An experienced Cruise Manager and attentive all English-speaking crew
  • All transfers on arrival and departure day
  • Complimentary use of bicycles

Complimentary Transfers

  • Arrival Transfers: Flights must arrive between 0700 and 1400 on the day the cruise departs, or on the day any included land program begins in order to receive airport to ship transfers. These transfers are group transfers and passengers may experience a waiting period of up to 2 hours or more between transfers.
  • Passengers will need to make their way to the meet and greet area where they will be met by a representative holding a TRAFALGAR UNIWORLD sign. Passengers arriving outside the official dates of arrival will need to make their own arrangements or purchase a private transfer.
  • Departure Transfers: Flights must depart between 0700 and 1700 on the day that the cruise or the included land package ends in order to receive the ship to airport transfer. Passengers departing later than this must make their own arrangements or purchase private transfers.
  • Passenger flight details must be given to Trafalgar 45 days days prior to departure in order to qualify for these tranfers.

Important Note: Complimentary transfers will vary on certain tours especially if a Land portion is included on the tour. Please contact Trafalgar or your Travel Agent at time of booking to confirm the Complimentary transfer status on your selected tour.

Airport Transfers

  • Some restrictions apply

Departures from May to September 2010

Detailed Trip Schedule

Book this package now by calling 1-800-987-4628

Eastern Times
Weekdays:
9am-midnight
Friday: 9am-4pm
Sunday: 10am-4pm