Grand Circle 2018 Vienna-Amsterdam

This is my 1st ever post. I’ve been reading for the last several weeks & have been very apprehensive about upcoming Grand Circle trip from Vienna to Amsterdam on 10/1. We just heard that “at least 1/3 of our trip will be bus/hotel trip with some very long bus trips. I’m very disappointed and can now only hope that the rest of the trip can be salvaged. I will post from our trip

We took a month a few years ago and went to Europe. We spent a lot of time on trains since we saw like 8 countries in the month. It was glorious. A once in a lifetime trip that I wouldn't trade the memories for anything. You can see so much from the bus. Your trip will be what you make of it. Hope you have a great time!

This is my 1st ever post. I’ve been reading for the last several weeks & have been very apprehensive about upcoming Grand Circle trip from Vienna to Amsterdam on 10/1. We just heard that “at least 1/3 of our trip will be bus/hotel trip with some very long bus trips. I’m very disappointed and can now only hope that the rest of the trip can be salvaged. I will post from our trip

I hope you realize that this is not a Grand Circle issue but a low water in Europe issue. I agree with the previous poster...from a bus you’ll enjoy some beautiful scenery and can make lemonade out of lemons. I’ve taken a bunch of GCT cruises, including on the Rhine, and enjoyed them all. I hope you enjoy your trip!

Re water level issues and bus travel. Agree you can view from a bus, but some people find long periods on buses difficult and chose river cruising to travel comfortably.

We have also enjoyed train travel in Europe and find it preferable to bus travel, you can get up and move about, rather than confined to a seat.

We have experienced high/low water on river cruises and understand the issues. Sometimes the bus travel is on motor ways that are not especially scenic, and can involve long days, rather than relaxing on the ship.

DW can never see anything from a bus, no matter how nice the coach or how big the windows: because she immediately goes to sleep.

We took a month a few years ago and went to Europe. We spent a lot of time on trains since we saw like 8 countries in the month. It was glorious. A once in a lifetime trip that I wouldn't trade the memories for anything. You can see so much from the bus. Your trip will be what you make of it. Hope you have a great time!

You are quite right, but if I want a bus trip I will book one. Likewise a train trip.

If I book a river cruise, I expect to cruise, at least for the majority of the time. I have health issues which make sequential long bus trips very uncomfortable.

And most river cruises allow the day for sightseeing, and usually travel at night. Having to travel during the day will inevitably cut short the amount of time available for sight seeing. Plus all the packing and unpacking, time to load and unload the luggage from the bus etc.

We recently completed a Budapest to Amsterdam cruise which only involved one ship swap. The four hour bus trip was handled well, and included a half hour break.

I do understand that all river cruise lines retain the right to alter itineraries, but there should be some limit to the amount of days off-river before they have to offer the option to cancel for a full refund.

thank you for posting we will be boarding the river harmony on 10/29 in Vienna to go to Amsterdam

Which boat are you traveling?

Update on Grand Circle European River Cruise

After 3 flights & 2 layovers, we arrived in Vienna at 9am where Grand Circle rep meet us & arranged transport by car to hotel in Bratislava, Slovakia. We were told that lunch (dry sub sandwiches) would be available at noon in banquet room. The hotel was very pleasant (advertised as 5 star) but not located within walking distance of Old Town. GC did provide a shuttle to town & local guide did a 20 minute walking tour, then allowed free time. Dinner in hotel was very disorganized the 1st night but much better the next evening.

Day 2 - we were bussed back (1 hour) to Vienna for 1 hour walking tour, given $ for lunch on our own & free time before being bused back (1hr) to hotel for dinner. To this point we’ve really little or no interaction with our fellow travelers other than introductions when we join a table for 4 or 6 at dinner or breakfast. Also in hotel we don’t have any place to gather & visit. Immediately after dinner (sometimes alone at table for 2 in hotel dining room) everyone just goes back to their rooms.

Day 3 - we put our luggage out early this morning & are now headed by bus to Melk, Germany (2 hr) where we will have lunch & tour the Abbey. Scenery may be a lot different on a train but so far, we seen little from our bus windows on the roadway. After lunch & tour, we will have a longer bus ride (4 hours) to Regensburg & to our ship. I’m sorry we are missing this part of our river trip & looking forward to actually unpacking late tonight.

After this we really don’t know how long we will actually be on the rivers. One program

director was pessimistic about our being able actually cruise to Amsterdam. I guess we will have to wait & see. No indication of any compensation mentioned at this point. I will update later.

I think we will be bused backward to Passau tomorrow, then bused back to ship, next day, bused to Munich. No time on these bus trips yet. Hopefully not long.