Rhine
River Christmas Markets Cruise
Optional Extensions Pre and Post Cruise
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Click the map to have a larger version open in a new window |
You can add sightseeing in up to six different Swiss
towns and cities before your river cruise along the Rhine.
You can also choose to add sightseeing in two more Dutch
cities and two Belgium cities too after your river cruise. |
This page gives you information on our optional pre and post
cruise extensions. You have a great degree of
flexibility in terms of what options you can add - so much
so that we run the risk of making it confusing. So
this is our attempt to hopefully clarify things. And
if there are questions we've not clearly answered, please do
ask us.
Click here for the main
details of the Rhine River Christmas cruise and the booking form to confirm your
interest.
Click here for the
main day by day itinerary of the Rhine River Christmas cruise
itself.
And if you'd like more information on what you'll see and enjoy
on this cruise, here is a
day by day photo journal of a recent (Danube) Christmas cruise.
Optional Pre-Cruise Extension
We recommend you arrive into
Europe at least a day before the start of your cruise.
This gives you a day not only to unwind and adjust after your
flight, but also an 'emergency day' in case you have flight
delays, or lost baggage, or anything like that.
So if you're going to arrive
at least a day early anyway, why not enjoy it the best way
possible by seeing some more of Switzerland with your fellow
Travel Insiders.
And so, here is the ultimate
in flexible pre-cruise options. Choose to arrive 1, 2, 3
or 4 days early (indeed, come to Europe even earlier still if
you wish) and enjoy as much or as little of this pre-cruise
extra touring.
Read down this list of days
and events/activities/inclusions to see how many days you wish
to add to your Rhine River Christmas Cruise. And here's a
link to a Google map of the itinerary.
Here's a summary of what is
included :
Extra
Days |
Hotel |
Touring |
Other |
Price per
person |
1 |
1 nt Zurich |
Tour/transfer Zurich to Basel and ship, guided
walking tours of Lucerne and Basel |
Breakfast |
$275 |
2 |
2 nts Zurich |
As 1 above
plus tour of Zurich |
2 Breakfasts |
$475 |
3 |
2 nts Zurich
1 nt Geneva |
As above
plus touring from Geneva to Zurich via Lausanne
and Bern with walking tours in both Lausanne and
Bern |
3 Breakfasts |
$775 |
4 |
2 nts Zurich
2 nts Geneva |
As above
plus tour of Geneva |
4 Breakfasts |
$975 |
5+ |
Maybe
consider flying in to Paris for a night or two,
then taking a train to Geneva to join this
mini-tour |
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First Extra Day
Main Tour Day 2 (Friday 3 December) :
Zurich, Lucerne, Basel |
Lucerne is one of Switzerland's most popular tourist
destinations. We'll find out why.
The medieval town center of Lucerne
Basel as seen from the Rhine river. |
(Note -
due to the confusing way we are listing these days in
backwards order, each day we feature includes the previous
night's hotel accommodation.)
We'll check out of our hotel this
morning and make our way by coach the relatively short
distance to Lucerne, where we'll stop for a walking tour and
sightseeing.
With spectacular mountain views,
and set on a lovely lake, as well as a lot of history,
Lucerne is one of the tourist gems of Switzerland.
We then continue on to Basel,
where we arrive mid afternoon.
We will be taken on a walking tour
around the heart of Basel's historic center, and will have
time to enjoy the Christmas Market, and then can make our
way to where the ship is moored.
Our bags will have already been
transferred to the ship and our cabins. |
Second Extra Day
Main Tour Day 1 (Thursday 2 December) :
Zurich |
A view over Zurich and looking to Lake Zurich.
A scene in Zurich's old town. |
Enjoy a full day in Zurich today.
We'll start the day off, after
breakfast, with a half day tour around the heart of the city.
There's a lot to see and do in
Zurich - the largest city in Switzerland, and regularly
winning prizes for being the city with the best quality of
life in the world.
Maybe go open a Swiss bank
account. Or, if you'd prefer to spend rather than save
your money, the city also features Europe's biggest indoor
Christmas market. |
Third Extra Day
Main Tour Day 0 (Wednesday 1 December) :
Lausanne and Bern |
A classic view of Lausanne, with Lake Geneva in the
background, and France on the other side of the Lake.
The main street of the historic center of beautiful Bern
curves up from the bridge in the middle of the picture. |
This morning we'll leave our Geneva hotel after breakfast
and travel first to Lausanne, then to Bern, before arriving
in Zurich later in the afternoon.
Lausanne, like Geneva, is in
French speaking Switzerland (Bern and Zurich are in the
German speaking part of Switzerland). It is home of
the International Olympic Commission (but has never hosted
the Olympics).
Bern is the capital of Switzerland
and its historic center is listed as a World Heritage site.
It too (along with Zurich) is one of the world's top ten
cities as measured by quality of life. |
Fourth Extra Day
Main Tour Day -1 (Tuesday 30 November) :
Geneva |
The Palace of Nations. built in the 1920s as a home for the
League of Nations.
The fountain in Lake Geneva shoots 132 gallons of water
every second, at 124 mph, up 459' into the air |
After presumably arriving in Geneva yesterday (or earlier),
we'll start our Geneva experience after breakfast with a
half day tour around the heart of the city.
Geneva, situated where the Rhone
river exits Lake Geneva, is yet another Swiss city that
features near the top of the best places in the world to
live. Perhaps
that is why so many international institutions are
headquartered here, including much of the United Nations (a
carry-over from Geneva's role as headquarters for the UN's
predecessor, the League of Nations), and the Red Cross. |
More Extra Days |
Perhaps fly first to Paris then take a high speed train to
Geneva. |
You
can of course travel to Europe at any time prior to the
cruise, and visit any other parts of the continent you wish.
One popular option is to consider
flying to Paris (an easy city to fly in and out of) and then
after a day or more in Paris, take the high speed train from
there to Geneva on Monday 29 November. It is an easy
and scenic 3½hr nonstop journey. |
Optional Post Cruise Extension
If you've a bit of time
still available at the end of your cruise, why not see some more
of the 'Benelux' countries.
We've put together a
wonderful day of touring and sightseeing that takes you from
Amsterdam, via The Hague, Rotterdam and Antwerp and to Brussels,
with hotel accommodation included for the night and breakfast
the next morning.
If you'd like to see some of
Brussels and Belgium too, add a second or more days to this
mini-tour, and enjoy some more of Belgium - and often overlooked
and underappreciated country in Europe, but full of history and
beauty and interest.
You can choose from a one or
two night option, and after the first two nights, you can of
course extend your stay further as you wish before ultimately
returning home.
Read down this list of days
and events/activities/inclusions to see how many days you wish
to add to your Rhine River Christmas Cruise. And here's a
link to a Google map of the itinerary.
Here's a summary of what is
included :
Extra
Days |
Hotel |
Touring |
Other |
Price per
person |
1 |
1 nt
Brussels |
Tour/transfer Amsterdam to Brussels, guided
walking tours of The Hague, Rotterdam, and
Antwerp |
Breakfast |
$250 |
2 |
2 nts
Brussels |
As 1 above
plus tour of Brussels |
2 Breakfasts |
$385 |
3+ |
Maybe an
extra night in Brussels, maybe take a train on
to Paris or the Eurostar through the Chunnel to
London |
|
First Extra Day
Main Tour Day 9 (Friday 10 December) :
Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Brussels |
The Hague has many imposing buildings
The Old Port in Rotterdam
16th century Guild Houses in Antwerp's main square |
(Note -
this day of extra touring includes a night of hotel
accommodation this evening and breakfast the next morning
too.)
We leave the
Amalegro
this morning and travel first to The Hague, third largest
city in The Netherlands, seat of its national government and
home of its monarchy. It is also home of the
International Courts of Justice.
After a walking tour and
sightseeing, we travel on to Rotterdam, the second largest
city in The Netherlands and site of Europe's largest port.
We have another walking tour and time for lunch.
We then continue on to Antwerp,
diamond capital of the world, for - yes - a brief walking
tour and sightseeing.
We then conclude our day by
traveling the remaining distance to Brussels, Belgium's
capital, and checking in to our hotel for the evening. |
Second Extra Day
Main Tour Day 10 (Saturday 11 December) :
Brussels |
Atomium - a symbol of Brussels constructed for the 1958
International Exhibition.
The Grand Place in Brussels at night. |
After breakfast this morning we offer a half day tour around
the heart of Brussels, then allow you the afternoon to spend
as you wish.
One more night of hotel accommodation (and breakfast
tomorrow morning) is also included. |
More Extra Days
Main Tour Day 11+ (Sunday 12 December +) |
The train journey from Brussels to Paris is only 1 hr 20
mins by lovely high speed train. Or go via Eurostar to
London in only 2 hrs.
|
You could spend more time in Brussels - perhaps enjoying a
day tour to lovely Bruges.
You could then take a train to
Paris, or even direct to London via the Chunnel, to fly back
home from Paris or London.
Or, of course, you can do
anything/everything else you might wish, as it pleases you. |
Please note - pricing for these
options is currently estimated and may vary depending on the
number of participants.
Click here for the main
details of this cruise and the booking form to confirm your
interest.
Click here for the main
day by day itinerary of
the Rhine River Christmas cruise.
Click here for a
day by day photo
journal of what you'll see and enjoy on a (Danube) Christmas Markets
Cruise.
The Travel Insider is
licensed by the State of Washington as a seller of travel -
registration number 602 036 247.
Originally published
16 Apr 2010, last update
30 May 2021
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