Best Of

My first Tauck tour was a tour of the Alps in 2011. It began in Zurich, traveled through Switzerland, with a couple of stops in
Germany and Austria, spent a day in the Dolomites and wound up in Vienna. I've also done the current "Switzerland: Europe's Crown Jewel." Both were great, but I think that if I were to take one now, it would be the one that went to the Dolomites. Those mountains are so different than the rest of the Alps. I've also done several river tours. I think that you see more on land tours than river tours, though the convenience of unpacking and repacking once on a river tour is a plus. Personally, I prefer "seeing more" to the minor problem of packing and repacking -- but I'm a firm believer in "each to his or her own."

We've done both the Swiss Alps River Cruise Bern to Amsterdam and the land tour Ultimate Alp & Dolomites -- while they were both amazing - I'd have to say the Ultimate Alps and Dolomites was better for seeing the Alps - plus the tours and food along the way were amazing.

We've taken 10 Tauck trips, all land tours. If I had not been to most of these places already, I would take this one:
https://www.tauck.com/tours/swiss-alps-tour?tcd=da2024&filters=q:alps
Besides the Alps, the Dolomites are also spectacular.
Once we get through all the other places we've never been, I'd like to go back and do it, and at least one river cruise.

Not at all. The excursions usually start at 0900 after breakfast. Most times, you will return to the ship for lunch then you will be off again for another excursion. You will return again in the late afternoon and will typically have time to rest a bit and/or freshen up if you so desire before dinner. The lounge area is quite nice and you can make it more intimate by sitting at a smaller table. We like being close to the pianist.

There was almost one full day in which the ship floated along the middle Rhine section to view the castles. This is when you want to be on the top deck for viewing as the tour director provides a narrative.

So, to answer your question more succinctly, there is not an exorbitant amount of time spent on the boat—unless you want there to be.

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask more questions. I have more to offer but don't want to bore you!

The Alps certainly do have rivers; The Rhône and Rhine being two of many with origins in the Alps.

rbtex,

The Rhine, Swiss Alps and Amsterdam cruise was our first river cruise in 2017 after taking many land tours through the years. We loved it and have taken several other cruises since. I was skeptical at first but quickly overcame any preconceived notion I might have had once I stepped into the beautifully appointed ship and cabin. The food was exceptional and the service impeccable.

Since you have experienced a Tauck land tour, why not take your first river cruise so you can compare them based on your likes and dislikes? Should you have any specific questions, I would be happy to attempt to answer them. Warm regards.

Thank you for your help.