A Day On The River Part 2

If your sailing in Germany in the morning, a Bratwurst and beer brunch is often on the cards, I know when I was there the selection of food was amazing. There will be commentary as you sail through the Rhine Gorge, maybe some wine-tasteing and talks about the places you will be visiting. The wine groves alone the Rhine are amazing, how people tend to the grapes when they are on such steep mountains is beyond me. Popular talks on the Lower Danube include a lecture about what life was like in Bulgaria, Serbia and Romania under the Communist rule, or a short history of the wars that followed the break-up of Yugoslavia.

You can not fail to be impressed by the Vineyards along the Rhine.

Typical  Itinerary including the Rhine

• Day 1 UK – Andernach/Koblenz
• Day 2 Andernach/Koblenz – Rüdesheim
• Day 3 Rüdesheim – Speyer – Iffezheim
• Day 4 Iffezheim – Strasbourg
• Day 5 Strasbourg – Breisach
• Day 6 Breisach – Basel
• Day 7 Basel – Lucerne – Schönau – Iffezheim
• Day 8 Iffezheim – Mannheim – Mainz
• Day 9 Mainz – Koblenz

Transport Suggestions.

• Eurostar.
• Coach operting from various local pick ups.
• Sometimes with overnight ferry included especially Newcastle or Hull.
• Sometimes with pre and post hotel stay.
• Flights.

Then after you have had a whole day of walking and touring &  shattered you can board your ship again,Between 3.30pm-5.00pm, it is tea time, you can enjoy sandwiches, scones and music in the lounge, thats one of my favourite times its good to get back on board and also good to hear how everyones day has been, what they’ve brought etc. Then its back to your cabin for a short snooze ( if your lucky). Shower, get changed before returning to the lounge again for pre-dinner drinks and the tour directors presentation about the next days tours and activities.

Dinner is served from 7.00pm normally and most ships will be open seating, so you can get to sit with who you want, I prefer this to 2 seperate sitting times as on the large ocean going ships then after dinner its either back to the lounge for the evenings entertainment (usually a local group/singer/dance troupe) or perhaps a talk or film show/quizz, or if none of those take your fancy  go on top deck. I like to go up top deck, either to the bar up there  or if there isnt a bar on the top deck. You can  take a drinks up there and enjoy a nice evening just watching the world go by, If you have any energy , the resident pianist will keep the music going until the small hours – although when I went he wasnt very good and never smiled once I dont think.

Then its over till the next day and you do it all again………………..