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Europe: Cruise Paris to Istanbul
A grand European cruise visiting 11 countries and including a fascinating 21 night cruise from Trier, Germany to Romania and Bulgaria, and ending with a 3-night sty at the luxurious Ritz Carlton Hotel in magical Istanbul
A grand journey starting at an elegant five star room in the heart of Paris and extending to the edge of Asia, this European river cruise takes you past the castle strewn Rhine Valley of Germany, along the back of the mighty Danube in Austria, through the Iron Gates of Serbia where the Carpathians meet the Alps and onto Istanbul. From the galleries of Paris, to the street side kofte grills of old Constantinople, this trip offers the sights, sounds and flavours of a continent without having to repack your bag every night and with the luxury of travelling in your own floating hotel.
Days 1 to 4 -
PARIS
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Paris is the epicentre of style and romance in Europe. Spend your time here gazing out at the city from the window of your five star hotel or enjoy a morning on the roof top of Notre Dame Cathedral and see the city from above. If you have a head for heights then the viewing platform of the Eiffel Tower is a must visit destination, but don’t forget that beneath Paris lays one of the most elaborate sewer systems in the world, which has been cleaned and opened to the public as the Musée des égouts de Paris which makes an enchanting addition to Paris’s alternative attractions. Four days in Paris is enough to start to know this remarkable, ever changing city.
Meals included:
Breakfast
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Days 5 to 13 -
GERMANY
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From the pink façade of the Palace of Trier, through to the Cathedral of St. Stephen at Passau, it is possible to travel through the south of Germany on a majestic river system that connects the North Sea in the west to the Black Sea in the east. Some of Germany’s best sights lay along the banks of her rivers. In the Mosel region alone you can sip eiswein (ice wine) on the sunny slopes of the valley and gaze up river at fairy tale castles like Burg Eltz and Cochem Castle, or take a day to cycle along the shore and sample some of the legendary German weissbier.
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Days 14 to 16 -
AUSTRIA
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Austria is famous for the Alps, Strauss, Mozart, Freud, ball gowns and schnitzel. Over half of Austria is mountainous and with views this good you will be tempted to leave the comfort of the boat and walk or cycle through the magnificent countryside. Despite the beauty of the country the jewel in Austria’s crown is Vienna. In the summer the parks of the city are alive with the sounds of Strauss and in the winter there is the magical Christkindlmarkt (Christmas market). Vienna is full of must see sights and our optional morning tour will show you a handful of the best of them.
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Days 17 to 18 -
HUNGARY
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The scenic cruise through the plains of Hungary is an ideal way to get a feel for this historic land. The people are hospitable, the food is simple but bursting with flavour from a range of fresh vegetables and spices, and the cities are breathtaking. Budapest is host to the Spring Arts Festival which heralds in a season of artistic plenty as musicians, dancers, artists and actors descend on the city and make it hum to the sounds of performance. Throughout the year a life size bronze statue of a child sits on the railings of a bridge overlooking Budapest’s UNESCO World Heritage Site and reflects the cities passion for culture.
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Days 19 to 22 -
SERBIA and CROATIA.
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The Danube marks out a natural boundary between Croatia and Serbia and as we wind along the river we will take time to stop at both banks, picking the finest sights from each country. The highlight of this section of the tour is Belgrade. Belgrade straddles the confluence of the Danube and the Sava, and is home to a range of historical and cultural sights including the vintage street Skadarlija, the Kalemegdan Fortress, and Tito’s Mausoleum.
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Days 23 to 25 -
ROMANIA and BULGARIA
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After passing through the meeting point of the Carpathians and the Alps, an area of outstanding natural beauty and the verge of two national parks, the cruise follows the border of Romania and Bulgaria. On the Romanian side we offer excursions to see the largest palace in the world, the Parliament Palace in Bucharest, and on the Bulgarian side our journey will take us through the ancient city of Veliko Tarnovo before continuing overland towards our final destination; Istanbul.
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Days 26 to 29 -
ISTANBUL
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The only city to sit on two continents Istanbul is the edge of Europe and the beginning of Asia. It has always been a great city and a place where cultures meet. Napoleon Bonaparte went as far as to say “If the Earth were a single state Istanbul would be its capital.” The historic areas of Istanbul are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the city as a whole was nominated as the 2010 European Capital of Culture.
Meals included:
Breakfast
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This tour also departs in reverse order, depending on departure dates
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