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The inclusions on most of the river cruises are similar but can vary in scope, such as which drinks are included or cost extra, and how many complimentary shore excursions you can choose from. Solo travelers should know that these cabins don't have a balcony and are the smallest on the riverboat at 150 square feet, but you likely won't be spending much time in your room on this sailing. The cruise fare includes all gratuities, private shore excursions, meals, unlimited drinks including premium spirits, and basic Wi-Fi, plus airport and train transfers. The Elbe is a fascinating Viking river cruise Christmas market destination and ideal for anyone who has already traveled on the Rhine.
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Canada's Capital Cities plus Niagara Falls
Generally, the Christmas markets open in midmorning, anywhere from 9 to 10 a.m., and close between 8 p.m. Here are my favorite sweet and savory treats from each Christmas market I visited on my Viking cruise. Every Christmas market is different in the overall vibe and what it has to offer for visitors. Do some research before you leave home to see what the highlight of each Christmas market is.
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The city hosts seven Christmas markets with different themes such as the charming Little Angel's children's market (Engelchen-Markt) and a market dedicated to handicrafts. If you're after festivities beyond traditional holiday merriment, Dusseldorf is also the home of the pioneering electronic music band Kraftwerk and you can still find traces of the city's techno legacy in its nightlife. Book a late fall cruise along the Danube if you'd like to visit Vienna's Christmas markets. Nearly every major river cruise line in Europe makes stops here.
Viking Inclusive Value
In Wertheim, choose between taking a guided tour of the historic city center and local Christmas markets or learning the art of pretzel-making at a local bakery. When considering a Christmas market river cruise, look at the itinerary closely, as not all cruises are created equal. Look for one that spends two nights in places like Vienna, Budapest, and Nuremberg so you can fully explore these larger cities at a leisurely pace.
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The weather is, of course, determined by when and where you're going. Middle and Eastern Europe is often colder than Western Europe, the latter of which has a milder winter season. The later in the Christmas market season you travel, the more likely you are to get rain or snow since winter is setting in across the continent.
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5 Unforgettable Seasonal and Themed European River Cruises.
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Rising in the Czech Republic and flowing through Germany, the cruise is book-ended by overnight moorings in the respective capital cities of Prague and Berlin. Prague Castle is the world's largest ancient castle and the narrow streets leading down from the stronghold are lined with small shops, which are particularly colorful at Christmas. Medieval Wenceslas Square and Old Town Square, with its ornate 600-year-old astronomical clock, provide wonderful backdrops to seasonal markets. Look out for cut glass ornaments, delicate decorations made from straw and try the special Christmas fish soup.
Treasures Of The Main & Rhine
Most of the larger markets, like the ones in Bratislava and Budapest, have live music playing from a bandstand that you can enjoy. In Budapest, the market near St. Stephen's Basilica had a projection show on the exterior of the church, too. Eating and drinking is a key component of the Christmas market experience. Each market sells an abundance of food, and the food options change from town to town. If you can, I suggest bringing at least two pairs of outdoor shoes in case your waterproof shoes can't handle the snow or a few days of rain in a row.
He joined us on tours, taking charge of a group and always making sure nobody got lost. Daniele and Adrien were a perfect match and it was obvious that they enjoyed working together.The Monarch Queen was clean and the accommodations were wonderful. The meals were delicious, beautifully presented and choices were great. The Maitre'd, Marius Miren, could always be found checking to make sure each of us enjoyed our meals. The breakfast buffet provided a variety of delicious choices to start our day.
Booking excursions
Adrien went above and beyond to help us with the challenges of navigating in foreign places. In addition to being exceptionally competent at her job, she was pleasant, approachable and it was just a delight to be in her company. We felt extremely fortunate to have been entrusted to her care.We throughly enjoyed, Daniele, our activity director. His planned activities were fun and just enough after a long day of touring.
Several of these Christmas market river cruises start in November, so you can still be home in plenty of time for the holidays. With the Christmas markets running on selected dates, and festive sailings even more so, it's best to book as soon as possible to ensure you secure your place on-board. Christmas markets river cruises always sell out fast so ensure you have booked your sailings as soon as you know where you would want to visit.
This means that in many destinations, you can walk from the ship to the middle of town in mere minutes. Before or after visiting the Christmas market, you can spend your time exploring the city, dining in a local restaurant, sipping hot coffee in a cafe or popping into shops. Avalon Waterways offers a more affordable way to see the Christmas markets, with cruises starting at $2,167 for six days of traveling from Budapest to Vienna. But be warned, some cruises do sell out almost a year in advance.
I had the pleasure of traveling alongside my mother and sister and we selected the "10-Day Affordable Germany, France, Switzerland, & Austria" tour. This was our first Gate1Travel tour, and Julian made sure to provide us with the best experience. I still have the travel bug and am looking into another trip with Gate1 already!
Some companies will offer a discounted deposit for those who book early, and others will offer monetary savings for booking well in advance. Look for wave season (January through March) or Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Travel Tuesday deals for river cruise discounts or other promotional offers. I just completed the Jewels of the Alpine trip and it was wonderful. What made the trip so wonderful was our tour guide Nadine.She is excellent.
River cruises provide fun activities like game nights, dance parties, and fascinating cultural lectures for guests to keep them entertained during their trip. Most of these will take place while the boat travels between ports, so you won't have to choose between sightseeing offshore and boat-bound activities. It's also a great way to meet and interact with other travelers. River cruises, like ocean cruises, are sometimes all-inclusive.
More days means more to discover, with extension packages you can add before or after your Viking cruise or cruisetour. Enjoy additional days to explore your embarkation or disembarkation city, or see a new destination altogether with a choice of exciting cities.Pre & Post Cruise Extensions vary by itinerary and are subject to change. This website will provide you with information on the financial protection that applies in the case of each holiday and travel service offered before you make your booking. At the time of booking, our Cruise Concierge will also confirm the financial protection applicable to your specific holiday. The flight inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website.
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