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And best of all, Avalon Waterways took care of every detail so all we had to do was relax and enjoy the Christmas markets while sailing in style. Plus, the ship will be decorated to put you in the holiday spirit as you sail. Each day brings you to a new port, often dropping you just steps away from the markets. Also, at night is when you’ll see the brilliance of the lights and decorations. The markets have an even warmer and more festive feel after the sun sets. We usually stopped over in late afternoon to get that last bit of daylight and then also could enjoy sunsets and the vibrant night scenes.
best US river cruises
Back in the Big Apple on day seven, you'll have time to explore before saying farewell to your ship. In The Dalles, you can enjoy a sommelier-led tasting of Columbia Valley wines, visit Multnomah Falls or get adventurous on a river kayak tour. During a call on Richland, Washington, you can admire the scenic beauty around the confluence of the Columbia and Snake rivers at Sacajawea State Park. More wine tasting or outdoor adventure awaits on the way to Clarkstown. In Tennessee's two famous music cities, you'll have a chance to visit Elvis Presley's Graceland, stroll blues club-lined Beale Street and check out the Grand Ole Opry. You'll also visit Paducah, Kentucky, and Dover and Clarksville in Tennessee, where experiences include whiskey and bourbon tasting, tours of landmark art murals and, of course, Civil War history.
How cold is Europe in winter?
If you’re travelling on a tight budget, opting for a cabin with a window instead of a balcony is an easy way to save money. While the panoramic views from the floor-to-ceiling windows in a river ship balcony cabin are lovely, you’ll probably spend most of your time out and about in port or chatting with other travellers. No matter how carefully you choose your itinerary, there will almost certainly be a few things on it that don’t particularly interest you. As someone who’s never been interested in war history, the prospect of touring Normandy’s World War II sites didn’t thrill me. However, learning about what happened at Omaha Beach and walking through the thousands of crosses at the Normandy American Cemetery was one of the most poignant and memorable moments of my trip.
Why Visit The Christmas Markets?
During the day we'd get lost amidst alluring market stalls and when night fell, explore twinkling streetscapes enveloped with seasonal music concerts. Plus, there was plenty of culinary delights to sample throughout our travels—from regional fare to delectable mulled wine. A Christmas market river cruise is a great way to experience the holiday spirit of Europe. Whether you’re wandering through the stalls of Vienna or sipping mulled wine in front of Cologne Cathedral, there’s something for everyone on these cruises.
Viking Christmas market cruise on the Rhine
But in terms of Christmas Market hours, since they don't open early in the morning anyway, this worked for us. If there's an old town in any given city, 10 out of 10 times, there are Christmas Markets there. Often, there is demand for more locations and more vendors in a city, like in big cities, including Vienna, Budapest, Frankfurt, or Munich. If this is the case, there are typically additional vendors and stalls lined up along pedestrian streets near the old city center. You can expect most Christmas market itineraries to depart and return from a major central European city.
The 8 best Christmas market river cruises for 2024 - The Points Guy
The 8 best Christmas market river cruises for 2024.
Posted: Mon, 04 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Then in Vienna, the City Hall Christmas market had an ice skating rink that was popular with families and couples. Depending on the river cruise line you book, the onboard attire may range from casual to a little more fancy. During the day on Viking, many people wore jeans or sweatpants and a casual shirt. Evenings brought out the more elevated fashion; women donned cute sweaters and dresses, while men dressed in jeans and nicer tops or sweaters.
My Book: Two O’Clock on a Tuesday at Trevi Fountain
Starting in late November through Christmas every year, the cities and towns along the Danube, Rhine, Seine and other rivers set up markets that display each region's holiday traditions. Many of the most popular river cruise lines with ships based in Europe schedule festive cruises to take travelers to shop and dine at these seasonal markets. Admire the beautiful holiday window displays in famous-name stores such as Galeries Lafayette and visit some of the city's many markets.
Numerous destinations on river cruises across Europe could hold the title of best European Christmas market, from Germany to Hungary and beyond. These markets typically run from mid-November right up until Christmas, and Europe's river cruises allow you to visit several holiday markets in Europe often in the space of a week or less. The inclusions on most of the river cruises are similar but can vary in scope, such as which drinks are included or cost extra, and how many complimentary shore excursions you can choose from. River cruises include a lot of perks, including docking right at the edge of most of the towns you visit. This means that in many destinations, you can walk from the ship to the middle of town in mere minutes.
The meter-long sausages, pretzels, pastries and spiked punch you will find in every market are undeniably delicious. The moment you fall in love is when you should buy (unless you feel like you're being ripped off). Otherwise, you will end up kicking yourself back on the ship, empty-handed and dreaming of that one little angel ornament you fell in love with three ports ago. Another highlight of the cruise is Krems, where the group will visit Göttweig Abbey and get exclusive access to the chapel in the inner courtyard to see the nativity scene. It's also a good idea to know the currency of each destination you're going to.
Think of Viking river cruises' Christmas markets' itineraries and is likely that Germany and Austria will spring to mind. Yet France has an equally long and historic tradition of "marche de noel". Viking's new itinerary, Christmas on the Seine starts and finishes in Paris, where the ship moors overnight, providing plenty of time to see all the sights. If you want to visit the tiny Slovakian first city of Bratislava you can opt for the Danube Christmas Delights cruise between Budapest and Passau. No visit to Austria -- birthplace of composers including Mozart and Strass -- would be complete without music and both itineraries include a classical concert.
On my Viking river cruise, each day's included tour was a walking tour of the city to point out historic landmarks and show people how to get to the Christmas markets. Starting in Basel, Switzerland we took a journey through some of the best cities and Christmas markets in Europe! Next we took a tour of the castle in Heidelberg and drank Glühwein while shopping at the markets, culminating in the perfect night at the Mainz Christmas Market. We spent time in quaint Rüdesheim and then on to the twinkling lights of Koblenz. We visited the incredible markets of Cologne as well as the twin-spired cathedral. We ended our festive trip in Amsterdam, explored the canals, sampled cheese and stepped inside windmills.
Additionally, Lindblad Expeditions has introduced a food-and-wine-centric river cruise on the Columbia and Snake rivers. Whether you're fascinated by American history, culture and cuisine, or you've enjoyed river cruising in Europe but are now looking to explore closer to home, U.S. river cruises are an easy and enjoyable vacation option. As river cruise itineraries can involve long days of touring, pack comfortable clothes you can layer, a pair of worn-in walking shoes that can handle cobblestones, and wet weather gear.
If your sailing starts in Budapest, you'll need to arrive a day early if you plan to explore the city; the cruise does not offer excursions here. Your first stop will be Mohacs, where you can enjoy the nearby Christmas Markets in Pecs or venture to Szekszárd for a wine tasting. Day three is split between Vukovar and Novi Sad, where you can explore the historic towns and enjoy the holiday cheer with live music, artisan crafts and delightful bites of food. Because the timeframe is limited, holiday river cruises are in high demand.
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