Drinking Our Way Down The Danube

Nicola Atkinson & Madeleine Mayes, who work at our Ipswich and Felixstowe travel agents respectively, sailed on part of Germany’s Danube with Tauck. Here’s a closer look at the ports that they visited and what they got up to in them.

Destination: Germany, Danube

Operator/Host: Tauck

Accommodation
(Hotel names/Ship name):Savor

Airline: Lufthansa

Duration: 4 nights

Flights

We flew with Lufthansa and it was only a two-hour flight into Munich. Flying out was really good as we had comfortable seats with plenty of room. A light breakfast and soft drinks were served.

Lufthansa even gave out complimentary earphones if you wanted to listen to the music on board.

Accommodation

Savor was amazing; a brand new Ship for June 2014. We stayed in a category 7 suite that had a sleeping area, sitting area, walk in wardrobe, huge bathroom, and French balcony. There was also a safe in the cabin.

Complimentary Wi-Fi was a bonus, as was the personal “Vox Box” with earphones that can be charged each night before going on the walking tours with the very experienced and knowledgeable local guides. The box allows you to be up to 15 metres away from the guide and still hear the commentary perfectly, meaning that everyone doesn’t have to crowd around the guide.

The ship had plenty of facilities on board; even a small gym and sauna. There were two restaurants; The Compass Rose and a speciality steakhouse restaurant named Arthurs after Arthur Tauck. Tea, coffee & cookies were always available in the smaller restaurant at the back of the ship. It is an all-inclusive ship, so all drinks were included. We even were even treated to Moët & Chandon Champagne and premium branded alcohol.

Excursions

We visited Regensburg, Nurnberg, Bamberg & Wurzburg and at each destination we had a local guide that took us on a walking tour around the town. They even took us to try local German food and beers.

In Bamberg we went to a pub to try the local smoky bacon flavoured beer; it was very different but definitely something that has to be tried. Tauck include these little surprises on all walking tours so customers get to experience more of the local culture in each destination.

Wurzburg is where Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was filmed. We had a walking tour followed by a local lunch and a look around the town’s Christmas museum. We could have spent hours there, looking at all the Christmas gifts and decorations.

Trip Highlights

Nicola – My favourite part of the trip was sailing down the Danube, sitting on the top deck of the Savor and sipping a cocktail. I also really enjoyed the walking tour in Nurnberg.

Madeleine – My favourite experience was the wine tasting in the former Prince Bishop’s Court Cellar whilst in Wurzburg.

The wine cellar was amazing; it takes two hours to light all the candles around the various barrels. We all sat at the most enormous banquet tables and then proceeded to try the different wines. The whole place was illuminated by hundreds of flickering lights which created a wonderful atmosphere. The wine was great too!

Recommendations

Yes, I would definitely recommend a river cruise to my customers, as it’s a great way to see smaller towns. The Danube was really pretty and it’s a very relaxing way to see many different places along one stretch of water. The food on board was fantastic and all excursions are included so you can really learn about where you are visiting.

Additional Comments

For anyone interested in architecture, history, medieval castles and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, a trip to all these beautiful places along the Danube is a must.

Must see? Bamberg (Emerged from WWII with hardly a scratch)

Must do? Wine Tasting in Wurzburg

Must try? Local Food & Beer

If you would like to book a similar river cruise to the one that Nicola and Madeleine enjoyed, we can find the perfect trip for you. Call into one of our East Anglia travel stores or submit your enquiry online.