Cruise the Heart of Europe - MS Swiss Corona

Thirteen nights from only £2,529 per person

Departing 10 September 2012

This fourteen-day tour takes you on an amazing journey from Cologne in the heart of the Rhine valley to Vienna and finally Budapest on the banks of the Danube. Your floating accommodation is the MS Swiss Corona, one of the most luxurious vessels cruising the inland waterways of Europe. You will be suitably impressed with the high quality, sumptuous accommodation and simply delicious cuisine in such stylish and relaxing surroundings.

Our journey south takes in so many incredible visits and sites starting in Koblenz and then onto the picturesque town of Boppard, continuing through the stunning Rhine Gorge and onto beautiful Rudesheim, one of the most famous wine towns on the Rhine. Next, we cruise to Mainz and then along the river Main to Miltenberg, one of Germany’s best-preserved medieval villages.

The cruise continues towards Wurzburg situated at the head of Germany’s ‘Romantic Road’ where we have a walking tour and time to visit the amazing baroque palace. Next day it’s onto Bamberg, quite simply one of the most beautiful small towns in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Having seen so much we are still only at our halfway point on our cruise. Next we berth in Nuremberg for a guided tour of this historic city, probably most remembered as the location of the trials at the end of WWII. From here we pass through the Main-Danube canal to the picturesque river Danube, one of the most romantic and beautiful rivers in the world, and our first stop, Regensburg.

Over the next five days we take in so much that Bavaria, Austria and Hungary can offer. We stop in Passau and then onto Melk and culminate our time in Austria in classical Vienna, home of Strauss and many great composers. This city offers up so much wonderful architecture as well as a host of other things to see including the Spanish riding school.

Cruising into Hungary, we soon arrive in imperial Budapest, straddling the picturesque Danube. After a guided tour of this palatial city we spend the evening on board, where the Captain hosts another spectacular dinner, an excellent finale to this most comprehensive and yet relaxing cruise.

Fully Escorted Price Includes:

• Standard class reserved seat on Eurostar from London St. Pancras or flight from Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham or Edinburgh (at a supplement)
• Admire the stunning scenery of the Rhine Gorge, Main and Danube
• Guided tour of 2000 year old Koblenz
• Stop in picturesque Boppard
• Rudesheim - a true Rhineland wine town
• Visit to Mainz - once home to Gutenberg - father of modern printing
• See Miltenberg - one of Germany’s best preserved medieval towns
• Guided tour of baroque Wurzburg
• Walking tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bamberg
• Tour of Nuremberg - steeped in ancient and modern history
• Including visit of the site of the infamous Nuremberg Trials and Nazi rally grounds
• Visit to the amazingly preserved medieval city of Regensburg
• Stop in Passau - the confluence of the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers
• Visit Melk Abbey - the majestic Benedictine monastery
• Guided tour of Vienna - city of the Hapsburgs
• Day in Budapest with guided tour - absorb the unique atmosphere
• Price includes full-board from dinner on your first day of arrival until breakfast on your final day
• No single supplements for cabins on the Emerald Deck
• The services of our experienced tour manager

Prices are per person, based on two people sharing a twin cabin. The price includes full board from dinner on your day of arrival until breakfast on your final day; morning/afternoon tea and coffee; all visits and excursions as mentioned, airport/station transfers, coach travel as mentioned, travel to and from port of embarkation and services of a Riviera Travel Tour Manager. Please note flights are at a supplement.

Terms and conditions:

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Prices are per person, based on two sharing and subject to availability. Operated by Riviera Travel Atol 3430 protected, Abta V4744, a company independent of Independent Print Ltd. Single rooms are subject to availability and at a supplement. Optional insurance available at a supplement. When you respond to offers we may use your information to contact you with offers/services that we believe will be of interest. Please give your mobile or email details if you wish to receive offers by sms or email. We will not give your data to other companies without your permission; please let us know if you are happy for us to to so. Prices are correct at the time of publishing. Please call or email for details. 0844 calls charged at 5ppm from BT landlines

Supplier info: Riviera Travel

Since their inception 25 years ago, Riviera Travel have endeavoured to exceed the expectations of the discerning traveller, on their fascinating and innovative European and Worldwide escorted tours.

They have passion for quality and looking after all their guests in the most personal manner possible and really ‘go the extra mile'. Over the years they have received many commendations from many household names in the publishing industry. They have recently been voted by the members of one of the country's most respected consumer organisations in their biannual survey of travel companies, as one of the UK's top two Tour Operators and the most outstanding of all in terms of value for money - by some considerable margin.

Riviera Travel offers European and Worldwide Escorted Tours by Eurostar and by Air.

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Call: 0844 571 1980

Offer Code: The Independent website

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