CRUISE THE MIGHTY RHINE

WHAT’S INCLUDED

Selected departure dates throughout 2008 & 2009
From 5 day durations
Return executive coach
Return Eurotunnel or Ferry
From 4 nights full board on a Rhine cruise vessel with ensuite facilities
FREE INSURANCE on selected dates

PROVISIONAL ITINERARY

Day 1 - We will depart from your selected pick up point and travel to take the short channel crossing to Calais and then onto Germany where you will board your boat at Cologne later today. Having freshened up dinner will be served onboard.

Day 2 Your boat sets sail for Koblenz this morning. Morning coffee & lunch will be served onboard before you arrive in the historic city of Kobenz later n the day where we have arranged a guided walking tour on arrival. Koblenz is situated in the middle of Europe and is a city with a true Roman history. Over the centuries, it has been captured by the Franks, chosen as a residence by German prince electors, conquered by the French and fortified by the Prussians and is truly a European place. Known as Germany’s "most beautiful corner" and over 2000 years old, the city is situated at the confluence of the picturesque Rhine and Moselle rivers and is surrounded by four low mountains. There will be some free time afterwards for you to explore at your leisure before dinner onboard the Cruziana this evening.

Day 4  Your cruise today takes you from Koblenz to Cochem, a village in the Moselle valley. The main attraction is the hilltop castle, which dates from the year 1000. In 1689 the town of Cochem was almost completely destroyed and it remained a ruin until 1868, when Berlin businessman Louis Ravené bought the land and rebuilt the castle. Today the castle is still well-equipped with Renaissance and Baroque furniture, which was carefully collected by the Ravené family. This afternoon there will be a short coach tour of this area of the Moselle or you may choose to remain in Cochem for free time before dinner.

Day 5 Having had a leisurely breakfast onboard today, sit back and relax as you re-join the Rhine and travel to Boppard where you will be met by your guide for your included guided walking tour of this old Roman settlement. Boppard is situated where the Rhine gorge starts to level out and the valley landscape becomes more gentle with rounded, vine-covered sun blessed slopes. The town benefits enormously from an unspoiled and relatively quiet Rhine promenade running along its entire length. At the northern end of the town a chairlift (payable locally) ascends to the belvedere known as Vierseenblick (Four Lakes View), so named because the only parts of the Rhine which are visible are four seemingly separate stretches of water. After your guided tour, you will have free time to explore the town further . Dinner is served on board this evening.

Day 6 Today is just a short cruise to Rudesheim as you pass the famous "Loreley" Cliff which towers above one of the narrowest parts of the Rhine. This famous town on the Rhine with its monuments, romantic winding alleyways and the rolling hillside vineyards are a delight to the senses. You may choose to take a trip on the cable car (payable locally) to the Niederwald Monument. Don’t forget to try "Rudesheimer Kaffee" - coffee flambé with Asbach Uralt brandy and whipped cream, served in original Biedermeier cups. This afternoon your excursion is to Schloss Johannisberg where they have been producing wines for over 900 years. The vineyards of the castle embrace an area of 86 acres and are planted exclusively with Riesling vines. The wines have a reputation as belonging to the finest produced in Germany. Their elegance, fruit and flavour delight the connoisseur and consumer alike, whilst wines of older vintages are even prized for their medicinal qualities. This optional excursion includes a guided tour of the Johannisberg estate and the historical wine cellar to see casks which were built in the 18th century and you will be able to taste three different Riesling wines . After the guided tour, we recommend that you partake in coffee and the speciality German cake which is just scrumptious and will cost you about 5 euros pp. We then return to Rudesheim to re-board the vessel to freshen up for dinner.

Day 7 - Sadly after breakfast today we must depart the Rhine region and travel back to the UK. We will stop en route for lunch (payable locally) in the pretty Dutch border town of Valkenburg in Holland. Here there are plenty of shops to please all tastes with many selling local delicacies, and also tearooms where you can relax with coffee and a delicious real Limburg flan. Later this afternoon we continue on to Calais for your scheduled ferry crossing back to the UK and then onwards to your original departure point(s), arriving home later this evening.

You will have breakfast, morning and afternoon tea / coffee, lunch and dinner included on a daily basis onboard the cruise.

All cabins are twin berth (not bunk beds) and have private en suite facilities.

PRICE & SUPPLEMENTS

Price on application
Single room supplements & minimum numbers apply

HOW TO BOOK

Choose a departure date
Call Simply Groups

WE WILL DO THE REST