CYCLE AND CRUISE EUROPE’S MOST ROMANTIC TOWNS
River cruises are a great way to explore Europe. You unpack once, settle in, and let your ship take you down some of the continent’s most famous rivers, like the Danube, the Rhine and the Main.
Of course, not everyone wants to enjoy the sedentary life while they explore Europe, which is why most river cruise lines offer a combination of walking excursions and bus tours ashore.
All-inclusive luxury river cruise line Scenic (cruise.center/ scenic/) is taking things one step further next year as it offers special Bike and River Cruise departures in conjunction with cycling vacation partner Trek Travel.
Scenic has long offered complimentary bicycles on board its luxury river cruise vessels for guests to use, but these special Bike and River Cruise sailings will make use of Trek Domaine 5.9 carbon road bikes that will take guests on explorations ashore that will range from 24 to 96 kilometres.
Nine departures will be offered this season, split between Scenic’s Gems of the Danube itinerary that sails from Budapest to Nuremberg and the Rhine Highlights itinerary that operates between Amsterdam and Basel.
On six Gems of the Danube departures (May 10, 22, 31, June 26, July 26 and Aug. 30), guests will have the chance to cycle through some of Europe’s most spectacular scenery.
On this itinerary, guests participating in the cycling program will be able to visit the wine-producing Wachau Valley and explore the winding streets of the small hamlets of Furth and Erlangen, Germany, both of which are nestled in the heart of Bavaria.
They’ll also get to explore Budapest’s historic Buda Hill district on two wheels, and discover the beautiful city of Vienna and its most loved cycling routes.
Of course, non-cycling excursions are also included, like a visit to the fairy tale town of Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic, or the city of Salzburg, Austria, popularized by The Sound of Music. These six cycling departures set sail aboard the new Scenic Amber.
Over on the Rhine, guests can take in three special departure dates (June 12, Aug. 16 and Sept. 13) aboard the Scenic Jewel as they sail — and cycle — through four amazing countries.
This is a great run for first-time river cruisers particularly, as it calls on Basel, Switzerland; Strasbourg, France; Cologne, Germany, and Amsterdam, Netherlands — not to mention other scenic locales like Germany’s classically-styled town of Cochem, with its abundant timber-framed houses.
Highlights for cyclists on the Rhine include cycling the Alsace wine route, tasting Rieslings and Pinot Gris along the way, pedalling the beautiful Rhine Gorge with its castle and vineyard dotted landscape, discovering the bike trails of Cologne and a cheese tasting tour through Amsterdam’s countryside.
Non-cycling tours include cheese-tastings in Amsterdam and a Scenic-exclusive private tour and classical concert at Mannheim Palace and a Sweet Tastes tour of Heidelberg.
These cycling tours are just the latest innovations for Scenic. Since the popular Australianbased touring company began offering river cruises, it has steadily come up with little luxuries and innovations that have won over legions of cruisers.
While you’ll find an all-inclusive atmosphere aboard Scenic’s luxurious Space Ship river cruise vessels with complimentary beverages, gratuities and butler service, one of my favourite innovations developed by the line actually has its main purpose off the ship.
Scenic Tailormade is a customdesigned GPS program developed by Scenic that is pre-programmed with dozens of walking tours in popular cities throughout Europe.
Based on your physical location, it delivers accurate commentary that allows you to conduct your very own walking tour without the need to be herded around with a larger group.
This is perfect for independent explorers who want to discover major cities like Vienna and Amsterdam on their own, without missing any of the important (and historic) commentary that comes with more traditional walking tours.
There’s more good news for river cruisers travelling with Scenic this coming season: The line is in the process of rebuilding three of its ships in France with new suites and a reduced guest capacity of 155; and has added new theme cruises and itineraries that can be booked back-toback to create an even grander experience in Europe.
Happy cruising.
Visit portsandbows.com, sponsored by Expedia CruiseShipCenters, 1-800-707-7327, cruiseshipcenters. com, for daily updates on the latest cruise news, best deals and behindthe-scenes stories from the industry. You can also sign up for an email newsletter on the site for even more cruise information. Aaron Saunders may be contacted directly at portsandbowsaaron@gmail.com