Day 2 Shore Excursions
I am scheduled to take this tour later this year, and just received an email from Tauck asking me to select my preferred shore excursion for Day 2 of the trip.
Option 1 (the "Tauck Classic" excursion) involves driving form the riverboat to Kriens (1.5 hours by bus) to ride a gondola to the top of Mt. Pilatus for a view of Lake Lucerne. After descending from the mountain by cable car, we will make our way to Lucerne and receive an informational tour of the area. The return trip to the riverboat will take 2 hours by bus (since it will be docked in a different location than it was when we depart in the morning). They also mention that the views from the top of the mountain may be obstructed due to inclement weather. The total time allotted for this excursion is 9 hours (3.5 hours of which would be spent on a bus).
Option 2 includes a walking tour of Old Town Basel and time to peruse the Christmas Markets there. We would then return to the ship for lunch and spend the remainder of the afternoon sailing along the Rhine. The time allotted for this excursion is 3 hours.
Questions:
1) For those of you that have taken this tour and selected Option 1, would you please provide a little more detail on exactly what is involved and included? I would imagine there is more than simply what is stated in the description above, which was paraphrased from the Tauck website. Do we all have lunch together on this excursion, or is that on our own during some free time that we will be given? Overall, was the 3.5 hours on the bus justified by what you experienced at the various locations?
2) For those who selected Option 2, are the Basel Christmas Markets meaningfully distinct from some of the other markets that we will see on this trip? Was there anything of significance worth noting in Old Town Basel?
Thanks in advance.
Comments
My choice would be option #2. We found Basel very interesting.
Lucerne is lovely, but I think that it is quite common to have bad weather (clouds, at least) on Mt. Pilatus. Basel has a couple of Christmas Markets, and does have a museum that you can explore. I'd choose Basel. See Lucerne on another trip.
We flew in a couple days early and saw Basel on our own. The markets are fair in comparison to all the other markets in Europe. The best are in Germany & Austria as that's where they originated and are still the best as far as authentic items. Basel is still worth seeing if you are there, but I wouldn't make it a stop if we were planning a market trip on our own. We go over to the markets every other year - both with a cruise and on our own and have seen almost all of them in Hungary, Poland, Switzerland, France, Austria, & Germany.
Lucerne is one of our favorite towns in Switzerland and it is the MOST VISITED town in Switzerland. We've been 4 times and hope to return. Weather is always a gamble, esp in December. But we enjoy motor coach time and seeing the scenery - so we'd choose Lucerne. It is a long day - but it is beautiful. I'd rather go in the Fall - but I'd go anytime it is offered. The bridges and cathedral and town are gorgeous (you'll see lakes and the Alps -- hopefully), and if you're lucky enough to go to Mt. Pilatus - it is spectacular.
We thought Basel was nice, but it is underwhelming to us as far as the markets in Germany and Austria. It really comes down to how you want to spend the day. You can't go wrong with either choice. You can always sign up for Lucerne to reserve a bus seat and if the weather is bad, cancel and just stay in Basel as the boat is there anyway.
One of the main differences between the Rhine Xmas Markets trip and the Danube Xmas Market trip is that there is much more motor coach time on the Rhine trip. We've done both trips a few times each. Def try and do the Danube one year also.
I have been to Lucerne and Basel but not on this tour. They are very different cities. Lucerne and environs are quite beautiful and an all-day excursion will afford you scenic vistas, weather permitting. Basel is known for being the cultural center of Switzerland with its many world-class museums, theaters and orchestras.
If you are never planning a return visit, I would choose Lucerne. If you had more time in Basel to experience the cultural venues, I would definitely choose that. I would love to return to Basel and spend a week there.
Regarding the lunch question, when an excursion does not allow time to return to the boat for lunch, you will typically be given some cash—₣ (Swiss francs)—to spend as you wish. Many, but not all, establishments accept €s—if they do, your change will be given in ₣. That has been my experience.
Thanks, all, for your comments. After reading these and incorporating my own impression from the descriptions, I am inclined to go with Option 2 and stay in Basel. I would like to take the Switzerland Crown Jewel trip in the future, so will have an opportunity to see Lucerne at that time. Besides, it will be nice to have a more relaxing day of sailing after a brief morning tour. Thanks again!
Have a great time and please consider posting a review afterwards.
Like Terrilyn, the best option, is to go early, do Basel on your own, and then Mt. Pilatus & Lucerne with Tauck. You can see the Basel XMAS Mkts in one hour. Don't be expecting a lot from any of the XMAS Mkts- they are interesting, but these days are more focused on beer and brats (food & drink) and souvenirs, many of which were most likely made in China
True, quality, handmade stuff is very limited- go for the experience and ambiance, not the merchandise! The bus ride did not seem too long. Lunch in Lucerne was on our own. We went to an open air food court with stalls serving a variety of local and international food down by the lake.
You can easily walk through old town Basel in an afternoon, ride the Leu Fähre (lion cable ferry) across the Rhine, possibly with a colorful and jovial ferryman like we had at the helm. Visit the Müensterplatz and possibly climb the Basler Münster church. Visit the second of two (relatively small) main Xmas markets at the Barfüsserplatz during the day, then go back and visit them at night. The next day tour old town and see the old city walls and gate. Then, on tour take the Mt. Pilatus and Lucerne (stop at the fabulous chocolate shop for a sinful hot chocolate) option with Tauck.
Thanks, Alan. This is the second of two cruises that I am doing back to back on this trip, so unfortunately I do not have the option of getting into Basel 1-2 days early. That said, I should arrive fairly early on the day the tour begins so I may be able to see some things on my own during the day. I will stick with the Basel option for now, but it may end up being a game time decision.
It depends on how tired you are, but, without rushing, you should be able to do Basel adequately between when you arrive and the welcome dinner, possibly even see Basel's two tiny markets after the dinner? (look online to see when they close) I just wouldn't pass up seeing Mt Pilatus and Lucerne. Again, the Basel markets are the least inspiring of all you'll see, especially compared to Koln and Strasburg. By the end, you'll be marketed out! It is hard for my wife to pass up a XMAS store here in the US, but she was over XMAS Mkts by the end of the tour
Oh oh problems with posting!
I heard you the first time!
I will reiterate what Alan said, the markets on the Rhine are just not as original or good as the ones on the Danube.
The Xmas markets originated in Germany & are still best there.
Switzerland and France aren't known for Xmas Markets like Austria & Germany are. But the towns are great.
You will see LOTS of Chinese imported items on the Rhine trip - we found the most authentic items in Germany (Cologne, Heidelberg, Rudesheim).
Basel was our least favorite, but great food in the markets.
Strasbourg and Colmar France-- while stunning and like a fairy tale = lots of Chinese items.
The Danube Xmas Markets are a different story and, by far, our favorites - so def try and get there one day too.
Good to know, thanks! I am doing the Danube and Rhine back to back. Originally, I was hoping to do the Rhine first, but scheduling did not work out.
One of several forum problems seen over the past few days! I think I successfully deleted the dupes.