Christmas Markets Along the Rhine - Southbound 2017

8 days
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4.2/5 Great
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USTOA

River Cruise
Exclusive Tauck extras, special holiday events aboard and ashore, much yuletide cheer... and of course, the Tauck Difference... set the tone for your cruise through Germany and France on Tauck's December, 2017 Rhine River cruise and Christmas market tour between Köln and Basel!

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Overview

Trip type
River Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

    • Guided visits to most Christmas markets
    • traditional European Christmas dinner & holiday events aboard the riverboat
    • walking tours with local guides

What's this trip about?

    Exclusive Tauck extras, special holiday events aboard and ashore, much yuletide cheer... and of course, the Tauck Difference... set the tone for your cruise through Germany and France on Tauck's December, 2017 Rhine River cruise and Christmas market tour between Köln and Basel!

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Details

Itinerary focusOperator does not provide
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportN/A
Start CityKöln (Cologne), Germany
End CityBasel, Switzerland

Travel Themes

  • Small Ship Cruise

Destinations

  • Europe
  • Switzerland
  • Germany
  • France

Attractions

  • Heidelberg
  • Heidelberg Castle
  • Koblenz
  • Strasbourg

Activities

  • Culture

Trip includes

    • Gratuities to ship staff, drivers, local guides, Tauck Directors & Tauck Cruise Director All private Tauck shore excursions Visits to Christmas Markets in Aachen, Rüdesheim, Heidelberg, Baden-Baden, Strasbourg, Colmar & Riquewihr Walking tours of market cities and towns with local guides Visits to Old Town Heidelberg and historic Heidelberger Schlöss (Heidelberg Castle) Storytelling lecture in Strasbourg Cookie baking demonstration & Siegfrieds Musikkabinett visit in Rüdesheim Special German lunch ashore in Heidelberg with award-winning local beer Traditional European Christmas dinner & holiday events aboard the riverboat Unlimited complimentary beverages aboard ship include regional wine, beer and premium spirits in addition to specialty coffee, water and soft drinks All meals included (7 breakfasts, 6 lunches & 7 dinners) Service charges, taxes, porterage, airport transfers and applicable fuel surcharges

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Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Köln
Your Christmas market tour begins 4:00 PM in Köln (Cologne). Transfers are included from the Köln / Bonn Airport to the riverboat, where embarkation begins at 4:00 PM. Guests enjoying a pre-stay in Köln will receive a transfer from the hotel to the riverboat. If you arri...
Day 2 Spend time in cosmopolitan Köln or Aachen
Aachen Smell that cinnamon... oh, and is that coriander? The exact ingredients are a well-kept secret of each local bakery that produces it, but Aacheners have been making Aachener Printen - their own engraved take on traditional lebkuchen - for 600 years! Its seductive ...
Day 3 Music, sweet treats & more in Rüdesheim
Rüdesheim - Holiday carols, children's laughter, carousels... the season's joyful noises reverberate across this little town on the Rhine as you browse the shops and stalls of its Weihnachtsmarkt, another Christmas Market tour standout, winding their way through its quai...
Day 4 Discover the spirit of the holiday season in Heidelberg
Heidelberg - With thousands of stars twinkling in the trees... hundreds of booths sprawling across five city squares... and an ice rink glistening in the shadow of Heidelberger Schlöss... you'll think you've stepped inside a snowglobe at this shining Weihnachtsmarkt! Fes...
Day 5 Travels through the Black Forest and Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden - The Black Forest's special magic casts its spell over the Christmas Market of this famous spa town, set adjacent to its sumptuous Belle Èpoque casino complex - the Kurhaus - which screen icon Marlene Dietrich called "the most beautiful casino in the world."...
Day 6 A walking tour of Strasbourg and its Christmas Markets
Strasbourg - Steaming mulled wine... gingerbread... Advent wreaths... a towering Christmas tree, dwarfed by soaring Strasbourg Cathedral... nearly every street and building aglow with lights and decorations... bredle, the tiny, traditional holiday cakes of Alsace... the ...
Day 7 A day of Christmas Market festivity in the Alsace
Riquewihr - Aside from the electricity that lights up its intimate Christmas Market every December, this Alsatian village hasn't changed much since its days as a Winzerdorf (wine village) in the 16th century. Fortified by glühwein, you'll stroll among stalls laden with c...
Day 8 Journey home
Your river cruise ends in Basel, Switzerland. Transfers are provided from the riverboat to EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg; guests enjoying a post-stay in Basel will receive a transfer from the hotel to the airport. Please allow three hours for airport check-in. MEALS : B PORTOFCALL : Basel, Switzerland

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Dates & Availability

Price From $2,690
Price per day$336
Last Updated: 2/23/2018

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Tauck.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Tauck Reviews & Ratings

4.2/5  Great
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Other Tauck Reviews

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Susan

Jun 2023

Written on

Nine Tours and Done

Sad to see a once good tour company stumble and fall into mediocrity. That’s Tauck post-Covid. My May 2023 tour of Normandy, Brittany and the Loire Valley was done o...

C

Cougess

Jan 2023

Written on

Skip this cruise - not worth it

My husband and I went on the Treasures of the Mediterranean Isles Trip jn October 2022. This was our third Tauck cruise with Ponnant but our first post covid and the...

H

Harry

Sep 2022

Written on

Tauck/Aon terrible travel insurance

Tauck partners with Aon for travel insurance. We bought this insurance through Tauck specifically to cover us in case of a positive for test for Covid and could not ...

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Tauck

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It's easy to see the world's sights. To stand in long lines, push through the crowds, and generally have the same standard-issue vacation as everyone else. But that's not good enough for us, and it's not good enough for you. We believe that travel should be easy. It should be fun. It should be worth your time and the price you paid. It should re-energize and transform. And above all else, it should be beyond the ordinary. Because how you see the world matters.

In 1882, Herman Tauck arrived in New York City from Germany in search of the American dream. His determination and values were passed on to his son, Arthur Tauck, who would realize that dream. With ingenuity and an innovative spirit, Arthur started Tauck Motor Tours, a travel company that would give birth to a new industry. The first tour, through the back roads of New England, was created by this 27-year-old in 1925. It embodied the same successful formula used by Tauck today: do the right thing. Craft a life-enriching travel experience; provide it at a single all-inclusive price; ensure there is great value for money; and rely on recommendations of satisfied customers to build a following and grow the business.

Two elements that did change over the next 90+ years – and three generations of Taucks – were the scope of destinations served and the variety of modes of travel used. Today Tauck delivers life-enriching travel experiences to every corner of the globe, incorporating small cruise ships, premium riverboats, trains, helicopters and more. What started as a New England motor coach tour company has truly evolved into an extraordinary global travel company. The fourth generation of Taucks is now involved in the company. While remarkable in any business, this seamless continuity across generations speaks to shared vision and values.

Throughout its history, the concept of “family” at Tauck has gone far beyond those sharing the surname to include hundreds of valued employees, and hundreds of thousands of loyal guests. The story of Tauck is the story of a unique American family company celebrating a passion for travel – a story that will continue to inspire generations to come.

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Fun group tours and cruises that are culturally-focused and great for families and seniors on vacation.

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Logistics

Ship & cabin information
MS GRACE, MS INSPIRE
MS GRACE Maintaining Tauck’s high standards for quality and comfort, ms Grace cruises exclusively for Tauck on the Rhine River as part of our Destination Fleet. With a maximum of 130 guests, the 443-foot riverboat and her sister ships continue our tradition of providing more space per guest on Europe’s inland waterways, transporting fewer passengers than most longships (135 meters). Her deck plan is innovative; with a total of 67 cabins, our most popular cabins tend to be our largest... so we have used the added ship length to offer twenty-two 300-square-foot Tauck Suites – the most of any river cruise ship on any European river. To increase the amount of natural sunlight on the lower deck, we’ve created 8 loft cabins that extend from the first to the second decks, providing guests with an additional view; all windows in these loft cabins open. MS INSPIRE Maintaining Tauck’s high standards for quality and comfort, ms Inspire cruises exclusively for Tauck on the Rhine and Moselle rivers as part of our Destination Fleet. With a maximum of 130 guests, the 443-foot riverboat and her sister ships continue our tradition of providing more space per guest on Europe’s inland waterways, transporting fewer passengers than most longships (135 meters). Her deck plan is innovative; with a total of 67 cabins, our most popular cabins tend to be our largest... so we have used the added ship length to offer twenty-two 300-square-foot Tauck Suites – the most of any river cruise ship on any European river. To increase the amount of natural sunlight on the lower deck, we’ve created 8 loft cabins that extend from the first to the second decks, providing guests with an additional view; all windows in these loft cabins open
MS GRACE MS INSPIRE
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Additional Information
Trip ID
tauck-RCY2017

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