New Year in Vienna Danube River Cruise

Day by Day Itinerary
 

Some of the most beautiful scenes in central Europe will scroll by your picture windows while you enjoy the New Year's Cruise this December/January.

You'll travel through beautiful scenery and visit lovely towns in Hungary, Austria and Germany, with an optional excursion to the Czech Republic or to the Netherlands at the end of the cruise.

Day 1 (Saturday 29 December - or sooner) :  Leave the US

You can either make your own arrangements to travel to Budapest, or have Amadeus do this for you.

You should leave the US today or earlier, so as to arrive in Budapest on Sunday (or sooner) in time for the start of the New Year in Vienna Danube River Cruise.

Note :  So as to give us more time in Vienna on 31 Dec and 1 Jan, Amadeus do not include any touring in Budapest, and so we recommend you arrive into Budapest at least one day early so you can participate in our optional Budapest and Szentendre day tour on Sunday before joining the cruise.

Day 2 (Sunday 30 December)  :  Board our cruise boat, the Amadagio in Budapest

Today is the start of your cruise.

The crew will be preparing the cabins for arriving passengers, and you are given access to your cabin as soon as it becomes available, generally by 4pm.

If you arrive earlier today, you can spend your time relaxing in the ship’s lounge or doing some exploring on your own in Hungary’s beautiful capital.

If you arrived into Budapest a day or more early, you might choose our Travel Insider special tour today - guided sightseeing around Budapest and down to the artist colony and lovely little town of Szentendre.  You'll be collected from our hotel and then at the end of the tour, you and your luggage will be taken to join the Amadagio.

There will be a Cocktail Reception on board this evening followed by the Captain's Welcome Dinner.

After dinner we have a Hungarian Folk Music show on board.

We set sail and start our journey towards Vienna this evening.

Included meals - Dinner

Day 3 (Monday 31 December) :  Vienna
New Year's Eve

After a day cruising along the beautiful Danube, we'll arrive in Vienna late afternoon in time to ring in the New Year!

There will be an elegant Gala Dinner on board, and you can choose from a variety of entertainments for this special evening.  We are offering you your choice of the following events (subject to available tickets) either this evening or tomorrow :

• A free ticket to the Vienna Symphony Orchestra concert performance of Beethoven's Ninth (Choral) Symphony; or

• A free ticket to the Vienna Hofburg Orchestra concert of popular Strauss and Mozart pieces; or

• A free ticket to a performance of Die Fledermaus (by either the Vienna Volksoper or Staatsoper); or

• A free ticket to the Vienna Heurigen (Folk) Show; or

• Half the cost of a €130 ($180) ticket to the Grand Ball at the Hofburg Palace

There is also live music and dancing on board, and you might want to, at some time in the evening, join the locals in town as they celebrate New Year’s Eve and visit to the St. Stephen’s Cathedral Square where fireworks will be displayed and the bell ringing will occur.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4 (Tuesday 1 January 2008) :  Vienna
New Year's Day

Sleep in late if you wish - especially if you stayed at the Grand Ball until its official closing at 3.30am.  Maybe attend another of the optional New Year celebration activities today, or sightsee around glorious Vienna as you wish.

The ship stays in Vienna all day today, and leaves late evening, allowing you time to attend a concert in the evening, too.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5 (Wednesday 2 January) :  Melk, Linz

We cruise through a beautiful untouched stretch of the Danube called the Strudengau, arriving in Melk.

Disembark for an excursion to the dramatic 900-year-old baroque Melk Abbey, perched on sheer cliffs high above the Danube. Its cherub-filled library boasts 365 windows—one for every day of the year. The interior of the abbey’s church is a kaleidoscope of red, orange and gold—with a magnificent carved pulpit and shimmering ceiling frescoes.

The ship continues cruising through the evening, and docks in Linz later in the day.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6 (Thursday 3 January) :  Linz (Salzburg) Passau

Travel Insider Bonus :  Free Tour to Salzburg -  After breakfast, disembark for a coach excursion through stunning beautiful 'picture postcard' winter scenery and on to Salzburg, birthplace of the great composer Mozart and one of Europe’s major music centers.

See the stunning exterior of Schloss Mirabell, featured in the classic film, The Sound of Music. You’ll enjoy a walking tour featuring Salzburg Old Town, a gem of baroque architecture that is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the courtyard of baroque St. Peter’s Church, the former home of Mozart, and charming Getreidegasse.

 Getreidegasse is Salzburg’s most famous shopping lane surrounded by high, narrow houses and lined with enticing shops with wrought iron guild signs and secluded courtyards.

Have lunch as it suits you at a local restaurant and then enjoy some free time to explore on your own. You’ll find Christmas Market stalls and decorations in various places around the city, especially in Mirabell Square.

In the late afternoon, we'll drive to Passau, where the ship has sailed to meet us. The ship remains docked here overnight, so you can disembark for an evening stroll after dinner if you like.

This evening we are entertained on board by the 'Sound of Music' group of singers.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 7 (Friday 4 January) :  Regensburg

The ship docks in Regensburg after lunch.

We'll enjoy a walking tour of the town, one of Germany’s largest and (it suffered virtually no damage in World War II) best-preserved medieval cities.

See the gleaming spires of Gothic St. Peter’s church (Regensburg is the present Pope's home town) with its stained glass, the Old Town Hall and the 12th century Stone Bridge, which is Germany’s oldest bridge.

This evening we have the Spitzweg Quartet play a selection of light classical and popular music on board.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8 (Saturday 5 January) :  Nuremberg

During the morning, enjoy your passage through the amazing engineering marvel, the Main-Danube Canal, as it passes through the Franconian Alps.

After lunch, we'll tour around Nuremberg for a panoramic tour of this medieval city surrounded by 13th-century walls.  Today Nuremberg evokes the notorious post-World War II war crimes trials, but throughout its history, the city was known for its handcrafts, particularly toys and fancy metalwork. You’ll see where the trials were held and the grounds where Nazi rallies were held, as well as the imposing Imperial Castle.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9 (Sunday 6 January) :  Cruise ends in Nuremburg, optional touring on to Prague or extend your cruise on to Amsterdam.

After breakfast, disembark and make your way to the airport for your flight home, or extend your vacation any which way you choose.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Note - you can also choose to extend your cruise for another week, traveling on to Amsterdam via the Main and Rhine rivers (click for an itinerary of this extension), or you can add a two night side trip by coach on to Prague.