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RHINE RIVER CRUISE
SWITZERLAND & AMSTERDAM
September 30 – October 13, 2024
14 Days / 13 Nights
Always a fun, relaxing way to travel with friends; new ones, and old ones. We will spend 4 days/3 nights in Switzerland before we board our Viking Cruise ship to sail down the Rhine River. Every day is filled with amazement as we see the commercial activity that abounds on this river as it is the lifeline of Europe. But even more impressive are the fairytale castles nestled along the river’s edge, vineyards that stretch for miles along the river’s hillside, small quaint villages that dot the hillsides and magnificent cities that draw you into the experience of the river. Each day is a new town/village with an included tour at each port. Enjoy wonderful cuisine, wine & beer, and fellowship on this amazing cruise. After we disembark from the cruise, we still have 2 days to explore Amsterdam and the countryside. We’ll visit a small, coastal village with a real, working windmill, as well as a family-owned cheese factory and wooden shoe factory and might even take a walk through the famed red light district.ooe factory. We’ll probably take a walk through the famed red-light district.
Cruise cost: Viking cost, per their website, based on cabin selection plus current airfare; currently $799.00 See Below
With Switzerland land tour add $1670.00 per person
With Amsterdam land tour add $850.00 per person
For both Switzerland & Amsterdam land tour add $2170.00 per person (this reflects a $350 savings)
Viking requires a $500 deposit to lock in your price and full payment within 30 days following booking.
Per contract, If the Viking price decreases, your cost will decrease by the same amount
EXPLORER SUITE (ES) - $9,499
VERANDA SUITE (AA) - $7,499
VERANDA (A) - $5,699
VERANDA (B) - $5,499
FRENCH BALCONY (C) - $5,199
FRENCH BALCONY (D) - $4,999
STANDARD (E) - $3,599
STANDARD (F) - $3,499
Our river journey begins in Switzerland and passes through France, Germany and ends in the Netherlands. The Viking River Cruise is only part of this wonderful adventure, however. Our tour begins 3 days earlier when we arrive in Switzerland.
Day 1: Overnight flight from Charlotte to Munich
Day 2 - 4: Upon landing in Munich we will board a train that will take us to Switzerland, about a 3 ½ ride. We will spend the next 3 days and nights exploring the quintessential regions of the Swiss Alps. We will see beautiful vistas that can only be seen from certain vantage points, sweep across mountain valleys to mountain tops in a cable car, stare with amazement at the majesty of Mt. Eiger, walk through green valleys, cross streams on wooden foot bridges and wander through landscapes that will inspire you with breathtaking views.
Day 5: After lunch we will board the train for still another spectacular ride through the Alps to Basel, where we will board our Viking ship.
Days 5-11 Viking Rhine River Cruise
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6 Guided Tours
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Visit 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
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All onboard meals including regional specialties
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Culture Curriculum: Destination Performances & concerts
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Beer, wine & soft drinks with onboard lunch & dinner
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Free Wi-Fi (connection speed may vary)
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Port taxes & fees
Day 5 — Basel, Switzerland
Day 6 — Breisach, Germany
Day 7— Strasbourg, France
Day 8 — Speyer, Germany / Rüdesheim, Germany
Day 9 — Koblenz, Germany
Day 10—Cologne, Germany
Day 11 —Kinderdijk, The Netherlands
Day 12 —Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Day 12: On the morning of our last day aboard ship, we will disembark in Amsterdam where a new adventure awaits us. We will meet our guide and board our own private coach for a short ride to Volendam. We will see working windmills in the fields and tour the Simonehoeve Cheese Farm & Clog Factory. You can purchase cheese to take home and even buy a pair of wooden shoes. We will return to Amsterdam, check into our hotel and take a short walking tour of the city to include canals, the red-light district (they don’t take credit cards) and take a quick look at a coffee shop.
Day 13: We will board the train this morning at Amsterdam Central and ride 52 minutes to Rotterdam. We will spend the next 4 hours sightseeing in this historic city before taking the train back to Amsterdam and our hotel.
Day 14: Early morning flight back to Charlotte
So here it is; Switzerland, Amsterdam, and a river cruise, all in one neat package.
What’s Included
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Round trip flight originating from Charlotte International airport
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8 days/7 nights aboard the Viking Cruise ship including all meals with wine and beer at lunch and diner
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All ground transportation
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Private deluxe motor coach
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Private, guided tours
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5 nights in First Class Hotels on the land portion of the tour
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A full buffet breakfast every morning
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Entrance to major sites, museums, and attractions
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AND all tips on the land portion-no wondering if or how much to tip
What’s NOT Included
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Passport
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All lunches and Dinners on the land portion
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Travel Insurance – quote available upon request. To be covered by a pre-existing condition, the full premium payment must be received within 10 days of making your trip deposit payment.
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Tips and gratuities on board the Viking ship
Travel insurance will be available for purchase at any time up to 5 days prior to departure. To qualify for the pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver, the policy must be purchased within 3 days of making payment, including a refundable deposit. Insurance policies are non-refundable.