River Cruising

River Cruising has become one of the most popular ways to experience Europe in recent years. There are several cruise companies offering a variety of options to meet the needs of travellers. My friend and I wanted to see what river cruising was all about, but we did not have a lot of vacation time available to us. Avalon Waterways offered a short four-day “Taste of the Danube” cruise which fit our schedule perfectly, and we set off via Frankfurt to check it out.
We found Budapest very easy to get around in spite of the language barriers. The airport shuttle was quick and economical, dropping us at the Ibis Hotel. Ibis Hotels are all over Europe and they are usually a good budget-type accommodation option. Our hotel was midway between the airport and downtown and the underground metro was right outside our door. Feeling adventurous, we took the metro downtown for a look about. People seemed friendly enough although not a smile was to be found on the trains. They are a very serious bunch. We walked around the downtown area and felt safe. The bridges lit up at night were very pretty on a lovely autumn evening. We walked part way across the Chain Bridge and then enjoyed a tasty paprika chicken dinner. Jet lag was closing in on us so it was time to call it a night.

After our continental breakfast and check-out, we took the metro downtown the next morning, rolling our cases along the empty streets, as it was Sunday morning. We found the Inter-Continental Hotel without any problems. This hotel is right on the Danube River and the hotel Avalon uses for its cruise packages. We checked in with the Avalon desk for our cruise and then went around the corner for a coffee. As this was my second coffee of the day, it led me to conclude that Budapest does not have hot coffee. My coffee during breakfast had been lukewarm and this one was the same, which was very disappointing. We had a short city tour which took us to Heroes Square and the Castle area. Perched on a hilltop, we walked around the impressive Fisherman’s Bastion. The buildings in Budapest are beautiful and the view of the Danube from the Cathedral of Matthias was breathtaking. Budapest was two cities in ancient times, Buda on the right bank of the Danube and Pest on the left bank. Today it has eight bridges spanning the river and connecting this fascinating city.
We boarded the Tranquility in the early evening and began our short cruise down the Danube. The Danube is the only major European River to flow from West to East. We were cruising upriver as we said goodbye to Budapest and began our scenic journey. The weather was fantastic for November and we were all wishing we had left one turtleneck at home and brought a t-shirt or two. The Tranquility had a lovely open deck on the top level and we enjoyed just watching the scenery as we floated along. Hungary was on our left and Slovakia was on the right as we headed into nighttime.
Our first stop the next day was Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. We did a tour of the city with a walk through the old central part. It too had some beautiful architecture and interesting little shops. The streets were cobblestone in the Old Town adding to the charm. We visited St. Martin’s Cathedral which was a gothic structure and the site of a few coronations during its time. We only had about half an hour to poke about and then had to hurry back to our ship. By this time it was dark and the signs to help tourists find their way back to the vessel were small, causing me a little anxiety, but staying calm, we made our way in good time. As the river flows through the heart of most cities, the ship was always accessible.
The meals on the ship were always delightful. They were samples of the cuisine from the countries/regions we were travelling through. Wine was included with the evening meal. Breakfast and lunch were buffet-style and the selection was outstanding. Evening entertainment was usually a local feature and our first night was a lovely singing group.
Our third day we visited the Benedictine Abbey at Melk. It was absolutely grand and is one of the largest monasteries in Europe. We toured around it for about 45 minutes; the ancient library was quite fascinating and we had a short recital of Bach music from the huge pipe organ. This abbey was still operating with a school that educated some 800 children and was surrounded by vineyards. It was built on a hilltop and we had some time to take in the great views of the countryside from the terrace and snap a few photos. Then a quick dash to the gift store where I bought some samples of Apricot liqueurs before heading back to our ship.

The Wachau Valley in Austria was quite beautiful and we had a nice scenic ride along the river before evening came and brought us into Vienna. Tonight we had an early dinner and then were shuttled off to downtown Vienna and the Kursalon, where we listened to Strauss and Mozart music. It was awesome and I had to pinch myself several times to know that I wasn’t dreaming. I loved it as it brought back memories of music we listened to as children.
In the morning we had a short tour of Vienna. What a lovely city – so clean and organized with its stately buildings. The St. Stephen’s Cathedral was huge and very impressive. I do hope I can return to Vienna one day and spend some time there as it had so much to offer. We had about an hour to shop and look around which of course was not nearly enough time, but we tried our best. After a quick stroll along the pedestrian Karntnerstrasse, we had time to stop and enjoy a nice hot chocolate before heading back to the ship. We decided to be adventurous and take the metro, which seemed simple enough, but we were not paying attention and did not get off where we should have! This time I was having a true panic attack. It is well past 12 pm and our taxi driver is flying along for us as our ship was to sail at 12:30 pm. My prayers were answered though and we managed to board our ship without getting wet! We breathed a huge sigh of relief and meekly took our places in the dining room for lunch. The Americans at our table were quite concerned for those Canadians who likely missed the ship! We ate our lunch quietly and just said…”Oh, I think they did get back in time!”

Our cruise started and ended in Budapest, but the new itineraries with Avalon offers either a start in Budapest and ending in Vienna or you can do the reverse. They have added two nights in each city to make an eight day cruise tour. It is a nice option to sample a river cruise and spend a little time in two marvelous European cities.
The next morning we were back in Budapest. We decided to take the metro back to our hotel as we had it pretty well figured out by then, so rolled our cases through the streets again. The stairs out of the station were tough going for me though as my suitcase was much heavier with added purchases.
After freshening up, we headed off downtown for some last minute shopping. We went to The Great Market Hall which was a wonderful place to pick up all kinds of things. We got paprika, tablecloths, t-shirts and saw a few of our fellow cruisers there too. Lunch was a greasy pizza-like sandwich. It was very tasty, but stayed with us for a long time. We walked across the Chain bridge and toured the cave church, which was unique and interesting. We walked in the park for a bit and then came back across another bridge to the pedestrian market area. We had the best mushroom soup I have ever had at Paul’s Pub! By now we were tired, so took one last metro ride back to our hotel.

We thoroughly enjoyed our short river cruise and look forward to doing a longer one next time. It is an almost inclusive way to travel with meals, wine and an excursion included in every port. Avalon has a huge selection of river cruises to choose from as does Viking, Uniworld, AMA Waterways and many more. AMA Waterways often waives the single supplement for solo travellers making it more affordable when travelling on your own. All my clients who have been on a river cruise were very happy with their decision and you will be too, so be sure to add this experience to your travel must-do list. I will be happy to check one out for you!