Page 16 - AAA Northway – AAA Now! – January/February 2017

TRAVE
L
Into EuropE
See Europe’s Grandest Sites on a River Cruise.
By Lynn and Cele Seldon
Historic and culturally-rich Europe remains one of the world’s most popular destinations – for good reason – and the strong dollar has provided yet another incentive to visit right now.
One of the best ways to take in Europe is by visiting several ports of call on a European river cruise, with more destinations, itineraries and river ships than ever to choose from.
For instance, cruisers aboard Viking River cruises have many options – with ships and itineraries throughout Europe – thanks to the line’s phenomenal growth.
River cruising provides a great way to explore Europe because cruisers only have to unpack
once for the cruise and the ships typically dock
in the heart of some of the world’s greatest cities and charming towns. Most lines and ships also include many extras in their pricing, like most shore excursions (some may cost extra), varied dining, wine, beer and other beverages, Wi-Fi and more. Many ships offer an array of balcony staterooms to take in all the great European sites. Here is just a sampling of the possibilities throughout Europe.
Amsterdam
Many river cruises start or end in Amsterdam and can range from short trips of less than a week to multi-week and river journeys. As with several embarkation cities for European
Germany
Heading down
the Rhine River to Germany, many other stops await. The possibilities along the castle-lined river include: Cologne
and its Gothic cathedral; the pretty towns of Koblenz and Rüdesheim
river cruises (including Paris, Budapest, Berlin, Lisbon and more), Amsterdam is very popular for a pre- or -post cruise
stay as well.
Along with visiting Amsterdam’s many museums, canals and more, Holland’s extensive waterways are a great way to see the country, as well as neighboring Belgium. From windmills to gardens and much more, popular stops on or near various rivers include Hoorn, historic Arnhem, colorful Kinderdijk and the famed windmills, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges. Holland’s capital city, The Hague, is another popular place for a pre- or post-cruise stay.
am Rhein; ancient Heidelberg, Speyer; France’s Strasbourg; Breisach, back in Germany’s Black Forest and Switzerland’s Basel. Rüdesheim am Rhein is near Koblenz, where the Rhine meets the fabled Moselle River – which features the wine-focused towns of Winningen, Bernkastel, Cochem, and Trier.
The Main River in Germany leads to other popular destinations as well. Nuremberg is another great place to start or end a river cruise, with the Main- Danube Canal taking river cruisers down to the Danube River and more ports – including medieval Regensburg, Passau and Linz in Germany, and Melk, Dürnstein, Krems and Vienna in Austria.
16 january/february 2017
Now!