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Rhine Enchantment, Amsterdam to Milan August 24, 2022
There are six of us on this adventure. Anyone here going along or up for sharing memories?
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There are six of us on this adventure. Anyone here going along or up for sharing memories?
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We are on this cruise but on the last one of the year on Oct. 26. We will keep a close eye on any reviews you might post.
Took the tour before Covid. If you are going a day early, recommend buying tickets in advance on line for the Duomo including the roof tour, plus get the ticket that includes skipping the stairs, could be a good idea for your knees SeaLord. If you get tickets, message me and I’ll explain where you need to go to collect your trickets and meet your guide as it is not obvious
I agree with British. You need to get tickets for the Duomo roof. It is a great experience.
Sorry. I’ve done a few searches and the Duomo in Amsterdam is not leaping off the page. Precisely what is the Duomo? Is it a shortened description of a larger entitiy? I’ve been to Amsterdam many times and have somehow never heard of it.
Duomo is in Milan
Sealord - Duomo translates to cathedral and they are found throughout Italy...Florence, Venice, Milan, Pisa, Assisi, to name just a few. There will be a quiz tomorrow!
The Milan Duomo. Check out the Opera house too, nearby. We did Milan to Amsterdam ,. Adding days both ends.
Sorry British. You said ‘if going in early’ … our trip is Amsterdam to Milan, so I assumed you meant Amsterdam. Yes I found ‘Duomo’ in Amsterdam as well, but it did not sound like what you were talking about.
Sealord, there will be two of us on your sailing. Female friends - who met in Italy several years ago. My third river cruise with Tauck, her first. Looking forward to it!!
Sealord, if you don't want to do the usual Amsterdam museums, you might want to visit their National Maritime Museum. It's really well done and not crowded. Had the coolest high tech locker room downstairs where they prefer you to lock up big bags, etc. The ticket price included the locker and audio guide. Their restaurant was excellent as well.
We are on the Milan to Amsterdam trip leaving Oct. 22. Arriving Milan a day prior — any hints/suggestions greatly appreciated. Especially interested in comments about the train trip — as have seen some “not so flattering” posts.
I had forgotten I started this thread. We are arriving on the 23rd, and we just got tickets for the Anne Frank house for the 24th before boarding the boat. There are still some tickets available for that day. I don’t know anything about the train ride and have read nothing about it, positive or negative. I do know it goes through the longest tunnel in the world … I think 35 miles.
Things to do in Milan include visiting the Duomo and surrounding square, The Last Supper mural and the Library of Milan. There are also several synagogues worth visiting if so inclined.
Sealord - Sorry to digress, but the longest tunnel in the world is in Norway and is the Laerdal Tunnel between Laerdal and Aurland. It is 24.5 kilometers (15+ miles) and is quite impressive with different colored interior lights so drivers do not become fatigued. I've been through it twice with family and it's the only tunnel I'm not terrified of.
Enjoy your tour!
By rail through the Alps to Milan
After breakfast onboard, bid your crew farewell and disembark your riverboat in Basel for a high-speed train journey to Lugano. Have you ever ridden through a mountain? "Great things are done when men and mountain meet," wrote the poet William Blake, and he could have been talking about the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which you'll go through today, zipping through the base of the Alps. At 35 miles long, it's the longest railway tunnel in the world, a major feat of engineering that took 17 years to complete. Enjoy some free time in Lugano to explore; later in the afternoon, drive across the border into Italy for arrival in Milan, a city that reigns as a world capital of fashion and design. Check into the Hotel Principe di Savoia, a splendid 1920s landmark decorated in classic Italian and Art Deco style that is centrally located on the Piazza della Repubblica. Home to the national stock exchange, Milan has been Italy's financial engine since the Industrial Revolution, and is known for its upscale culinary scene and shops, which you'll discover as you explore the city on your own this evening.
Yes, Sealord. Railway tunnel versus motor tunnel.
The Gothard Base Tunnel is the longest tunnel in the world. The Laerdal doesn’t even make the top twelve.
Sealord was talking about the longest “train” tunnel which is also the Gothard Base Tunnel at 57.1 km (35.5 mi.). It runs through the Alps in Switzerland and connects Erstfeld and Bodio.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_longest_railway_tunnels
The Laerdal Tunnel is indeed the longest “road” tunnel.
Sealord if you have time go to the Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam, well worth seeing, also La Scala in Milan
Yes, as I said. Either way, they are both impressive.
Be sure and do the tour of the Rooftops of the Duomo…amazing views but such gorgeous architecture on the roof itself. You need to book a tour in advance…we love Milan!
The Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam is closed until December to set up a new exhibit. We went several years ago for for a quick visit and really wanted to return in October but that obviously isnt meant to be.
In Milan we did Tour With Locals. The Duomo roof, inside and then the opera house. Posted on the forum and we got a wonderful couple from San Francisco to join us. In Amsterdam the day after the tour ended we took a windmill tour about half an our out of the city.
You can book directly on line for tours of the Duomo and the Opera house which is probably a cheaper option
We just took this trip this June. It was our first river cruise after 30 Ocean cruises. Absolutely loved it. WE did Anne Frank house .
Since we got there 2 days early, we did a food tour. If you want to have dinner at a dutch restaurant, make sure you have a reservation or you may not get in.
When on the Rhine, every port day Tauck arranged lunch at a local locale. One day it was sausage and sauerkraut AND beer in Germany, a winery in France ,etc
In Milan, the tour inside the Duomo is taken care of by Tauck. The roof is on your own
The Opera House, La Scala, is the beginning and end point of the daily tour. Tauck gave us two times for return to hotel so iplenty of time to see it.
Any questions you may have I will try to answer
Joe
We would really like to have the names of some restaurants that you hold in high esteem.
went to trip advisor and entered dutch food. Decided on "the Pantry" because of excellent ratings and the food was great. We had a reservation so no problem, but got turned away second night second ight from a different one because no reservation
Thanks joel. One of our partners did the same thing. We have reservations at “The Pantry”.
There is a delightful restaurant in Amsterdam called 't Zwaantje (that's not a typographical error...'t Zwaantje) that we frequent whenever in Amsterdam. It is quaint and rustic and offers some traditional Dutch food. It is in an equally quaint area referred to by locals as "the little street district." It is also close to the Houseboat Museum, which is a fun place to visit.
I highly recommend the restaurant and area. You can stroll aimlessly, have lunch and stroll again for hours in this neighborhood.
Thanks. I think we have a couple dine on our own nights in Milan if anyone has recommendations there?
We did her tour in reverse. I wish I could remember the name of the hotel that Tauck stayed in. We ate there and it was excellent. We also ate at a recommended local's restaurant, again I forget the name. If I come a photo of the restaurant I will post it and also check my blog