Just returned!
My husband and I just returned from our first river cruise (October 13 Westbound - Budapest to Prague) and it was absolutely fabulous. I was a little worried about going in October, but the weather held up pretty well--it was cloudy most days, but we only had to use our umbrellas twice very briefly. Daytime temps ranged from 45-55 depending on the day.
The MS Savor is truly a 5-star floating hotel, and I wasn't ready to leave it after 7 nights. The Tauck tour directors and crew were fantastic. The food was outstanding. We had 111 people on this sailing and we never felt like things were crowded at all, in fact we enjoyed meeting so many different people from all over the U.S. For on shore walking tours (there are a LOT of those), they usually divided us up into 3 groups, each with a local guide. And there were lots of choices, the big one being a day trip to Salzburg or Cesky Krumlov. We chose Cesky Krumlov and it turned out to be our favorite memory from this trip.
Tauck sprinkled in several of their trademark "surprises" along the way, which were highlights of the trip and totally delightful.
Having done a couple of Tauck land tours, I was a bit surprised how much more walking these river cruises have. They aren't kidding when they say you should be able to easily walk 2-3 miles with a lot of standing. There are lots of hills, stairs and cobblestone streets in all the small towns, as well as in Prague, so be sure to bring sturdy walking shoes if you go. This trip is not recommended for anyone with mobility issues.
The Danube is very scenic and all the small towns we visited were quite picturesque. It was fascinating to learn the history of all the countries, but especially the ones that have been free from communism for only about 23 years. They are thriving economically and it's good to see.
We went one night early to Budapest and took a 2.5-hour tuk tuk ride for an overview on our first day before the Tauck tour officially started. This was a lot of fun and I recommend it if you're going early. The guides speak English very well, and they are flexible if there is something specific you want to add in to their itinerary. We asked our guide to take us by "The Shoes on the Danube," which we knew wasn't in our Tauck itinerary. It's very sad, but worth seeing.
We didn't stay an extra night in Prague at the end, but there is so much to see there, I wish we had. Tauck really only covers 1 day there, which is not enough.
All in all, a fantastic trip. Let me know if I can answer any questions!
The MS Savor is truly a 5-star floating hotel, and I wasn't ready to leave it after 7 nights. The Tauck tour directors and crew were fantastic. The food was outstanding. We had 111 people on this sailing and we never felt like things were crowded at all, in fact we enjoyed meeting so many different people from all over the U.S. For on shore walking tours (there are a LOT of those), they usually divided us up into 3 groups, each with a local guide. And there were lots of choices, the big one being a day trip to Salzburg or Cesky Krumlov. We chose Cesky Krumlov and it turned out to be our favorite memory from this trip.
Tauck sprinkled in several of their trademark "surprises" along the way, which were highlights of the trip and totally delightful.
Having done a couple of Tauck land tours, I was a bit surprised how much more walking these river cruises have. They aren't kidding when they say you should be able to easily walk 2-3 miles with a lot of standing. There are lots of hills, stairs and cobblestone streets in all the small towns, as well as in Prague, so be sure to bring sturdy walking shoes if you go. This trip is not recommended for anyone with mobility issues.
The Danube is very scenic and all the small towns we visited were quite picturesque. It was fascinating to learn the history of all the countries, but especially the ones that have been free from communism for only about 23 years. They are thriving economically and it's good to see.
We went one night early to Budapest and took a 2.5-hour tuk tuk ride for an overview on our first day before the Tauck tour officially started. This was a lot of fun and I recommend it if you're going early. The guides speak English very well, and they are flexible if there is something specific you want to add in to their itinerary. We asked our guide to take us by "The Shoes on the Danube," which we knew wasn't in our Tauck itinerary. It's very sad, but worth seeing.
We didn't stay an extra night in Prague at the end, but there is so much to see there, I wish we had. Tauck really only covers 1 day there, which is not enough.
All in all, a fantastic trip. Let me know if I can answer any questions!
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My husband and I are taking the Blue Danube cruise from Prague to Budapest next September. Is it possible for you to tell me what sites are included in the following guided Tauck tours?:
Walk through centuries in Prague or Walk of Jewish heritage
Salzburg
Medieval Vienna
Budapest
I am an avid planner and want to plan our time that we have on our own to explore what is not seen on the guided tours.
Thank you in advance for your input. I can be emailed at bdobkin2@comcast.net
Salzburg - I don't know. We chose to go to Cesky Krumlov that day and it was fabulous.
Medieval Vienna - I'm not sure what that would be as it was not an option on our trip. We had a walk around Hofburg Imperial Palace area, Heldenplatz to Stephansplatz on the first morning; second morning choices were Hofburg Apartments/Sisi Museum, Schonbron Palace, or Lippizaner morning exercises. We chose the Spanish Riding School and loved it. Both afternoons are free, so to do on your own: Belvedere Palace (Klimt "The Kiss"), inside St. Stephen's Cathedral, Leopold Museum, Albertina, Imperial Treasury and much more.
Budapest - Tauck does a great job covering the major sights in both Buda and Pest. Not covered: The inside of Parliament or any museums, Shoes on the Danube.