Europe River Cruise. New 2 For 1 Offer
APT AMAWATERWAYS
15 night Magnificent Europe River Cruise - Budapest to Amsterdam and vice versa
A truly grand cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam or vice versa on APT AMAWATERWAYS through the heart of Europe and across the Continental Divide. Experience five countries and three rivers during your 15 days of cruising onboard your luxury river ship. Visit some of Europe’s finest cultural cities including Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna and Passau, watching colourful landscapes unfold before your eyes. Explore 18 different cities on this 15 day river cruise.
Cruise highlights
- Cruise through the lush wine-producing region of the Wachau Valley
- Absorb the gorgeous riverside scenery along the majestic Danube River, finishing in Budapest, Hungary
- Cross Europe’s Continental Divide
- Traverse the engineering marvel that is the Main-Danube Canal, with its fascinating stair-step locks
- Glide through the picturesque valleys of the meandering Main River
- See legendary Lorelei Rock
- Cruise through Rhine Gorge, known to many as the Rhine’s most beautiful stretch
- Cruise past castles, quaint villages and fertile fields along the River Rhine
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Discover regional folklore and traditions through a range of entertaining evening performances on board
Prices per person
- 19 and 27 September 2009 - was £5,180 - now £2,590
- 3 and 11 October 2009 - was £4,780 - now £2,390
- 8 November 2009 - was £3,980 - now £1,990
- 22 November 2009 - was £3,990 - now £1,995
Fares include
- The services of a dedicated APT Cruise Director throughout the entire cruise
- Cruise staff gratuities included - saving you up to £270 per couple
- Free airport transfers on first and last day - saving you up to £135 per couple
- Freedom of Choice Touring in Vienna, Linz, Nuremberg & Amsterdam
- Exclusive to APT. Enjoy a complimentary glass of champagne and private music recital at Hungary’s State Opera House
- 14 nights cruising aboard one of APT’s luxury European river ships
- Enjoy 14 Breakfasts (B), 13 Lunches (L) and 14 Dinners (D)
- All meals as well as sumptuous local wines with dinner are included when on board
- Captain’s Gala Welcome Dinner
- Gala Farewell Dinner
- Also includes wine tastings and traditional theme dinners
APT exclusive sailings - full itinerary
ARRIVE AND EMBARK CRUISE IN BUDAPEST (operates in reverse for Amsterdam departures)
Day 1. Arrive Budapest, Embark Ship. Be met at the airport and transferred to your luxury river ship, conveniently moored in Budapest’s city centre. This evening get to know your fellow travellers in a relaxed, informal setting as you enjoy an on board Welcome Cocktail Reception. After dinner, settle into your spacious Suite, relax in one of the on-board lounges or take a walk in the romantic Hungarian capital. D
Day 2. APT EXCLUSIVE! Budapest, State Opera House Performance. With its intriguing history, incredible architecture and rich cultural heritage, Hungary’s capital deserves its reputation as the Paris of Central Europe. Following breakfast, disembark for a sightseeing tour that includes such places as 500 year-old Matthias Church, St Stephen’s Basilica, the distinctive Fisherman’s Bastion, the marvellous Royal Palace and historic Buda Castle, where you have views of Buda and Pest over both banks of the river. In the afternoon, exclusive to APT, you are presented the opportunity to see a private music performance over a glass of champagne at the Hungarian State Opera House. BLD
THE BLUE DANUBE
Day 3. Bratislava. This morning depart Hungary and enjoy a morning of scenic cruising as you cross the border into Slovakia. Upon arrival in the country’s charming capital, Bratislava, disembark the ship for a guided tour which reveals to you the city’s major sights, including the Old Town Hall, Mirbach Palace and Gothic St Martin’s Cathedral. The remainder of the day is yours to spend at leisure in Bratislava, before you’ll re-board the ship for dinner and an evening music performance. BLD
Day 4. Vienna, Freedom of Choice Touring. Cross over into Austria for a full day to savour the elegance of its capital, Vienna. This morning, select from our Freedom of Choice Touring options. The first, a guided sightseeing tour, takes you to see Hofburg Imperial Palace, the Vienna Opera House, St Stephen’s Cathedral and Ringstrasse as well as visiting the National Library. Your second option is to take a walking tour of Schönbrunn Palace, the summer palace of the Hapsburgs and former home to Empress Maria Theresa. Tour 20 rooms of this magnificent residence, with ample time to explore the beautiful gardens at your own leisure. Both groups then return to the ship, docked close to the centre of town, and enjoy lunch on board. This afternoon is free for your leisure to perhaps stroll along the main shopping street, Kärntnerstrasse, and sample some of Vienna’s famous pastries. You might also like to ask your Cruise Director for advice on a range of other independent excursions that are available in the Austrian capital. Later tonight, following dinner on board, you might like to enjoy a quiet drink in the ship’s lounge, explore the vibrant Vienna nightlife or perhaps join us for an optional Mozart and Strauss concert (own expense). BLD
Day 5. Dürnstein - Melk. Today reach the Wachau Valley and stop in Dürnstein for a walking tour through medieval cobblestone streets that reveal 16th century town houses and wine taverns. Here, above town, lie the ruins of the castle where Richard the Lionheart, the King of England, was -imprisoned in 1192. When it’s time to depart Dürnstein, perhaps borrow one of the bicycles stored on board and take a leisurely ride on a path along the banks of the Danube from Dürnstein to Melk. Otherwise, rejoin your ship and continue to Melk for a guided tour of the Benedictine Abbey, one of the world’s most famous monastic sites. Located above the town of Melk on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Danube, it has the rare distinction of surviving as an active Benedictine monastery continuously since its foundation. Cruise through the pretty Wachau Valley and scenic Strudengau region. BLD
Day 6. Linz - Passau, Freedom of Choice Touring. Enjoy a scenic cruise to Linz then onto Passau, where the rivers Inn and Ilz join the Danube. Here, you have three touring options. Perhaps join a day tour to Salzburg and its ’Sound of Music’ sights including the Wedding Church, Mirabell Gardens and Great Salzburg Festival Hall, before travelling by land to rejoin the ship in Linz (lunch at own expense). You may like to take a day tour to the World Heritage-listed town of Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic (lunch at own expense). Or perhaps tour Passau, including a trip to St Stephen’s Cathedral, a fine example of Italian Baroque architecture. BLD
Day 7. Regensburg. Arrive in Regensburg today, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers and one of Germany’s best preserved medieval cities. Here you’ll have the opportunity to see one of the oldest bridges crossing the Danube and take a guided tour of the city’s architectural highlights including the Old Town Hall, the World Heritage-listed city centre and the Porta Pretoria - gates to an ancient Roman fort built in 179 AD. Tonight, enjoy a music performance on board. BLD
MAIN-DANUBE CANAL & MAIN RIVER
Day 8. Continental Divide, Nuremberg, Freedom of Choice Touring. This morning we enter the fascinating Main-Danube Canal. Having taken 32 years to construct, the canal was completed in 1992 and is truly a feat of modern engineering. It links the North Sea to the Black Sea, therefore enabling ships to cruise all the way across the continent. Here we arrive at the highest point of your cruise, 435 metres above sea level, where you will cross Europe’s Continental Divide to Nuremberg. Nuremberg played a pivotal role for the Nazi Party and was thus systematically bombed by the British and US air forces during World War II. It went on to act as the symbolic host of the infamous Nuremberg Trials. Here today, you’ll select from two different touring options. Perhaps take a World War II tour and see the site of the Nuremberg Trials and the Justice Palace, where the War Crimes Tribunal sat in 1946, among other places. Alternatively, take a medieval tour of the city and see the 900 year-old ramparts that surround Nuremberg, the Imperial Castle and the Kaiserburg Fortress. BLD
Day 9. Bamberg. Today after breakfast you’ll arrive in the city of Bamberg, a World Heritage-listed site located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the Main River. Disembark the ship and join a fascinating sightseeing tour to discover the rich history of this city - one of the few in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings. Marvel at sites including the breathtaking cathedral and the Old Town Hall as you stroll along the city’s serpentine streets. BLD
Day 10. Würzburg. Surrounded by green hills covered with vineyards, Würzburg is the capital of Lower Franconia and a crucial centre for wine and trade. During a tour here today, see such sights as the impressive Residential Palace and get a glimpse of churches ranging in styles from Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque to Modern. Later, enjoy time at leisure in Würzburg or take an optional tour to medieval Rothenburg, a beautiful walled town on the Romantic Road that overlooks the Tauber River (own expense). BLD
Day 11. Wertheim - Miltenberg. Disembark in Wertheim, a town known for its glassworks, Franconian wine and friendly people,strategically located where the Main and Tauber rivers meet. The time you’ll spend here is an ideal introduction to a typical medieval village. Watch a local glass-blowing performance and enjoy some free time, then cruise to Miltenberg for a guided walking tour, revealing narrow cobblestone streets and gabled, half-timbered houses. Tonight as the ship cruises, leave Bavaria, Franconia and the Main River behind. BLD
CRUISING THE LEGENDARY RHINE
Day 12. Mainz - Rhine Castles - Koblenz. Cruising the Main River we arrive in Mainz for a walking tour, including a visit to the Gutenberg Museum. Founded in 1900, it is one of the oldest museums of printing in the world. Afterwards, there is free time to further explore this town, before the ship sails at lunch along a particularly beautiful stretch of the Rhine River to Rüdesheim, a Rhine Valley wine town, where a mini-train will take you to Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum for a tour. Pass Lorelei Rock, rising almost vertically to over 130 metres above the water. Legend has it that a siren named ’Lorelei’ sat upon the rock, and bewitched the hearts of sailors with sweet songs that lured them to their doom. Arrive in Koblenz late this afternoon. BLD
Day 13. Koblenz - Cologne. Today take a tour of the 2,000 year-old Koblenz, located at the confluence of the Rhine and the Moselle rivers. Set in one of Germany’s most important wine-producing regions, Koblenz boasts an abundance of cultural monuments, historic buildings, cosy lanes and narrow alleyways to discover as well as a relaxed atmosphere in its squares and river promenades. This afternoon we continue to Cologne and enjoy a walking tour through the old part of Germany’s fourth largest city, including a visit to World Heritage-listed Gothic Cologne Cathedral. Returning to your ship this afternoon, cruise past the fashionable city of Düsseldorf. BLD
Day 14. Cologne - Amsterdam, Freedom of Choice Touring. After breakfast, choose your touring activity from our unique Freedom of Choice Touring options in Amsterdam. Perhaps take a guided canal boat cruise and admire the stunning architecture of the city as you sail in a thoughtfully designed glass-top boat past 17th century homes, charming churches and 16th century merchant houses. Alternatively, visit the famous Van Gogh Museum, containing the world’s largest collection of Van Gogh paintings for a first-hand appreciation of the Dutchman’s artistic genius. Tonight enjoy the Captain’s Gala Farewell Dinner. BLD
Day 15. Disembark Ship, Depart Amsterdam. Your wonderful cruise comes to an end after breakfast. Transfer to the airport for your onward flight. B
APT’s EXCLUSIVE DIFERENCE
- APT GUARANTEED INCLUSIONS
- Explore 18 different cities, towns and villages with a guide during our included tours, shore excursions and Freedom of Choice Touring activities
- Discover the sights of Budapest, including Buda Castle and the Royal Palace, on a guided city tour
- Take a city tour of Bratislava, Slovakia’s capital, including Mirbach Palace, the Old Town Hall and much more
- In Austria’s capital, Vienna, visit the majestic Schönbrunn Palace or take guided sightseeing tour of the city
- Sample delicious Wachau Valley wines during a wine tasting in Weissenkirchen
- Enjoy a guided walking tour of Dürnstein
- Explore Melk’s magnificent Benedictine Abbey on a guided tour
- Enjoy a guided evening stroll through the town of Linz after dinner
- From Passau, take a city tour and scenic cruise, visit Salzburg and see its ’Sound of Music’ sights or take a full day tour to Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic
- Take a tour of Regensburg, including the Old Town Hall and the Porta Pretoria
- In Nuremberg, choose between a medieval tour of the city or take a close look at a range of World War II sites
- Walk the streets of World Heritage-listed Bamberg on a guided city tour
- Absorb the sights of Würzburg on a guided city tour
- Watch a glass-blowing demonstration in Wertheim, on the Main River
- Take a walking tour of Miltenberg
- In Rüdesheim, take a mini-train ride to visit Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum for an intriguing tour
- Enjoy a guided evening stroll through the lovely city of Koblenz
- Take a guided walking tour of Cologne
- Cruise past the city of Düsseldorf
- In Amsterdam, choose from a guided canal boat cruise through the city or visit the fascinating Van Gogh Museum
* Port charges of £130 per person are additional. Contact us for chauffeur services, meet and assist at the airport, porters, flights and pre/post cruise hotel stays.
Pricing on this offer is no longer valid. For the latest prices call one of our tailor-made travel experts now on 0845 643 6563.
To book, call 0845 643 6563
To book this travel offer, call one of our tailor-made travel experts now, quoting reference WEX544.
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