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The cruise is a closed loop, starting and ending in Brussels. On day one, take time to explore the city on your own after dropping your luggage off at the ship. Then on day two in the city, enjoy all the chocolate you can with a tour and chocolate tasting, plus a visit to the Christmas market. On day three, you'll need to decide whether to visit Ghent or Bruges, both of which have beautiful architecture and a Christmas market and offer opportunities to try local food.
Day 12
And since Christmas market cruises can only take place from November to the end of December, they tend to sell out quickly. Think of Viking river cruises' Christmas markets' itineraries and is likely that Germany and Austria will spring to mind. Yet France has an equally long and historic tradition of "marche de noel". Viking's new itinerary, Christmas on the Seine starts and finishes in Paris, where the ship moors overnight, providing plenty of time to see all the sights. And since you're on a river cruise, you can experience multiple cities and countries while someone else does the navigation for you, and you only have to unpack once. River cruises include a lot of perks, including docking right at the edge of most of the towns you visit.
Day 1
As a result, your vacation package will likely include most of your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. If you're looking to save a bit of money, take advantage of mealtimes onboard. Breakfasts and lunches are plentiful and usually buffet-style, while dinners include a more formal sit-down service. River cruises have close access to the regions they sail to, so menus typically reflect foods and ingredients and often showcase local specialties. The Christmas markets are the main event for these cruises, and there is a good chance you'll be charmed by all the sweet holiday items on sale. It's a tremendous opportunity to explore handmade, artisanal items and find gifts for loved ones you won't see anywhere else.
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Rivers like the Danube and the Rhine do not have strong currents compared to the high seas. Sailing is relatively smooth, and there aren't any waves to worry about either. The routes these vessels take are often shared with other boats, meaning boat captains must maintain a safe, reasonable distance and drive slowly to ensure no accidents occur. AmaWaterways' Gems of Southeast Europe departs on multiple dates between late November and late December in 2024 (2025 dates run mid-November to mid-December).
Day six brings the cruise to Strasbourg, France, where you can tour the La Petite France District and wander through the warm glow of the Christmas market. The cruise then heads back to Germany to visit the Black Forest, where you can learn about local traditions and German winemaking. Uniworld offers its Belgian Holiday Markets cruise on four departure dates from late November through mid-December 2024 (and three December dates in 2025). Fares start from $3,799 per person, based on double occupancy. In Budapest, you'll spend two days exploring the city at places like Castle Hill and the Grand Market Hall before shopping and dining at the Christmas market in front of St. Stephen's Basilica. Then in Bratislava, Slovakia, the group will attend an organ concert and shopping at the Old Town Christmas market.
Save money by eating onboard
Bogdan even made arrangements for us to visit a couple of castles that were not originally on our tour. I have spoke highly of Gate 1 to many others, and will continue to do so. Our tour guide Derek went above and beyond, his attitude was so good! He had us singing on the bus, laughing and always answered us with kindness and patience.
Instead, tours depart from the nearest port on the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal nearby. So where are the best Christmas markets in Europe and how can you get to them on a river cruise? Encompassing the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland, this fantastic Rhine River cruise offers fairytale castles and historic vineyards in addition to Christmas markets. Starting in canal-laden Amsterdam, this cruise winds its way through the German city of Cologne, where you can browse the city’s most impressive Christmas markets.
Night Cruise With 3 Nights Prague Pre-Cruise
Spend Christmas Day in Honfleur, one of the cutest cities on the voyage. Be sure to get the town's specialty, a steaming bowl of moules frites (mussels with fries), for Christmas lunch. After three days of touring smaller towns, you'll return to Paris, where the Eiffel Tower is visible from the banks of the Seine. Day two will bring you to Rouen, where you are invited to join Christmas Eve dinner and midnight mass. You'll also get to see more of Rouen on day four and take a guided tour. If you have free time, be sure to stop in at La Couronne, the oldest operating restaurant in France and the place that inspired Julia Child to start cooking.
No Tours Match Your Room Configuration
If you want to visit the tiny Slovakian first city of Bratislava you can opt for the Danube Christmas Delights cruise between Budapest and Passau. No visit to Austria -- birthplace of composers including Mozart and Strass -- would be complete without music and both itineraries include a classical concert. Christmas markets are the highlight of Europe's winter calendar. Join both locals and visitors as they prepare for the holidays during this late-season cruise along the Danube.
Our driver, Palvo from Warsaw, Poland, was extremely polite greeting us warmly with a big smile every time we boarded his bus. He was always thereto assist us boarding or unloading his bus. He was a very careful driver and was always dressed with a crisp white shirt and tie! He kept his busimmaculately clean and always provided fresh bottles of water for us. Due to physical constraints and space limitations, wheelchairs and walkers are not allowed on motor coaches and/or river cruises.
The itinerary will include as many of the originally scheduled sightseeing features as possible, considering the travel time and distances required, as well as meals. While it is not possible to recreate the more leisurely comforts of sailings, we will endeavor to provide a comparable itinerary. These alternative services will be provided at no additional charge. This 7-night cruise from Nuremberg to Amsterdam sets sail starting as early as September. Stop in Bamberg to taste the city’s famous smoked beer and visit its charming Christmas markets. A stop in Würzburg includes a walking tour of festive Christmas markets.
If your cruise starts in Amsterdam, you don't have to be on the ship until 4 p.m. So use the morning to walk around town or get tickets to tour the Anne Frank House. On your second day in Amsterdam, visit the Rijksmuseum and take an evening canal cruise with the group. Foodies will love it when the cruise heads to Gouda to explore the history of the city plus get a tasting of stroopwafels, which are cookie sandwiches invented in the city. Fares include shore excursions in every port; free Wi-Fi; all meals; beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner; port taxes and fees; and visits to UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In select ports, passengers can sign up for optional excursions that are an added cost.
These could be worth the upcharge, depending on the type of experience you want to have. Imagine sailing down one of Europe's iconic rivers as picturesque villages, castles and landscapes pass you by, all while twinkling lights from nearby Christmas markets dance on the water. While this might sound like a fairytale, it can be a reality on a Christmas market river cruise. If you've had visiting the Christmas markets of Europe on your bucket list, a river cruise is a great way to explore multiple markets in one trip. One of the biggest perks of a river cruise versus a land-based trip is that you unpack once, and your accommodations and dining options float with you down the river from town to town. Sailing down one of Europe's stunning rivers is a dream trip no matter the time of year, but at Christmas time it's even more special.
The Christmas on the Danube sailing runs between Budapest and Regensburg, with the chance to see the Hungarian and Austrian capitals. If you've ever wanted to explore European Christmas markets, a river cruise is an easy way to do it. Many of the best river cruise brands and guided group tour companies offer Christmas markets river cruises throughout Europe. Even if your Christmas market river cruise does have an overnight stay in the embarkation city with tours the next day, it's still best to arrive a day early.
While the panoramic views from the floor-to-ceiling windows in a river ship balcony cabin are lovely, you’ll probably spend most of your time out and about in port or chatting with other travellers. If you’re thinking of going on a European river cruise, here’s everything you need to know about your first river sailing, writes Tiana Templeman. Had missed seeing the Rezidence in Wurzburg last time we were there, so really wanted to see the inside and was not disappointed. Could not believe Frankfurt's Christmas Market went on forever and we thought it was larger than Nuremburg's (which we had been to several times before). Overall, it definitely was a great vacation and service aboard the Monarch Governess was excellent. Other than losing a gold earring trying on hats, it was a wonderful vacation.
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