European River Cruise itinerary

The Blue Danube River Cruise … a perfect way to sample cruising without the glitz of a large cruise ship.

Soak up all that Europe’s most cultured river has to offer, with its wealth of grand baroque architecture, medieval cities, picture perfect towns and the sights that inspired Strauss and Mozart. Stepping aboard you will appreciate the superb surroundings of your floating luxury hotel for the next seven nights with spacious and well-appointed cabins or suites, private bathrooms and meticulously prepared fine cuisine.

Day 1

You start your river cruising experience with a flight from Bristol Airport to Budapest.

Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your luxury river cruise ship. The dedicated crew will welcome you on board, ensuring you settle into your comfortable and extremely well-equipped cabin and familiarise yourself with the ship…your first-class floating hotel! After dinner, the time is your own to explore the ship and meet your fellow travellers.

Day 2

One of the great delights of cruising is to wake up in a different location. Overnight you have slipped upstream to Esztergom, Hungary’s capital during medieval times and today the seat of the Archbishop. After a morning of exploring this fascinating provincial Hungarian city enjoy your first lunch on board as you leave Esztergom in your wake.

Day 3

You have travelled overnight to Slovakia’s fast emerging capital city, Bratislava and this morning you have a guided tour. This city has shrugged off its greyness and rekindled the splendour of its imperial past, so evident in its beautifully restored baroque old town.

This afternoon you cruise into Lower Austria, a peaceful, bucolic region and home to some of the country’s best wines. Children play on the banks, young couples strolling arm in arm like generations before them, vignerons carefully prune their vines, cobbled quaysides lined with half-timbered buildings teeming emerge as you drift along. The captain will carefully navigate the ship with great ease along the serene river into the fascinating locks as you cruise towards Durnstein whilst enjoying another superb dinner.

Day 4

Picturesque Durnstein is famous for two things. Firstly, the amazing ice-blue baroque tower dominating the river and secondly Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned before being ransomed for huge sum by his brother, King John. After lunch on board you visit the remarkable monastery at Melk.

In the evening dinner is served during the last upstream cruise through the pretty Nibelungengau, now immortalised in the music of Wagner.

Day 5

Reaching Linz, you take the drive to Salzburg, once an independent state and is now one of the most sophisticated cities north of the Alps. The old town is delightful with a maze of tiny streets lined with exquisite shops to make window shopping so satisfying.

Day 6

Today is likely to be the highlight of your cruise - Vienna. The name provokes images of elegance, fine music, sumptuous baroque palaces, grand boulevards, noble architecture and a rich tapestry of peoples from all over the world. Home to the Vienna Boys Choir, the Spanish Riding School and the world’s fourth largest art collection.

Day 7

Dawn breaks and a glance along the shore as it slips gently by reveals Hungary’s peaceful landscape, as you majestically cruise to Budapest- the twin cities of Buda and Pest.

Day 8

Return home after an amazing trip of a lifetime. You will be taken to the airport in time for your flight home to Bristol.