Arranging your own excursions.

[coolerchick]

I have been reading more and more about how people have arranged their own tours when arriving at ports.

 

We are doing the Basel to Amsterdam AMA cruise in Sept and I wondered if those of you that have arranged your own excursions can recommend some that we may do as opposed to the ones offered on the cruise.

 

Thanks.

[ninaks]

I can't speak to doing that during the cruise, but we did our own pre-cruise in Lucern for the day and had a fantastic time. We were staying in Basel and we did the one day trip you can buy in the Train Station in Basel. It includes train to Lucern, boat accross the lake, cog train up the mountain, gondola down the mountain, bus to the train station and then train back to Basel. It was amazing. Lake Lucerne is not to be missed.

[cole]

I have been reading more and more about how people have arranged their own tours when arriving at ports.

 

We are doing the Basel to Amsterdam AMA cruise in Sept and I wondered if those of you that have arranged your own excursions can recommend some that we may do as opposed to the ones offered on the cruise.

 

Thanks.

 

I agree with the other OP - maybe arrange your own pre or post excursions, but have always been very satisfied with the ones provided by the cruise companies. Generally 20 or so on each bus and many experiences that would be hard to arrange on your own.

Cole

[CPT Trips]

Where do you stop?

[banditoo]

I have been reading more and more about how people have arranged their own tours when arriving at ports.

 

We are doing the Basel to Amsterdam AMA cruise in Sept and I wondered if those of you that have arranged your own excursions can recommend some that we may do as opposed to the ones offered on the cruise.

 

Thanks.

We'll be doing the reverse itinerary on Viking the following year. From the research that I have done, unlike ocean cruising where many of us do our own independent or small group excursions, it seems that most on river cruises take the short included tours provided by the river cruise lines as they cover most of the essential highlights and often the boats are only in the port for a few hours. As far as I can tell, for stops of longer duration, then people independently explore the towns or go back and forth between the boats and town when the boat is docked right alongside the town. If you don't already have your specific itinerary for what times you are docked and in town, get that before making any independent plans. Also the ports page has great info on most of the Rhine Ports and how accessible towns are from dock areas etc. http //www cruisecritic com/ports/area cfm area=48 (not the ports questions forum); link can be found in the new sticky thread created by jazzbeau.

Edited May 24, 2014 by banditoo

[coolerchick]

Thanks all.

 

We will actually be staying in Lucerne for 2 days and I have Mt Rigi for one day and still to decide for day 2 (we were supposed to do Pilatus but may take a day trip to Bern instead). Then we will take the train for Basel early the 3rd day (before we cruise) in time to get in a tour of Basel.

 

Then Amsterdam for 1.5 days after the cruise.

 

I think we will take the shorter tours on the cruise - I have read that although the Black Forest was nice, it was not worth the bus ride there and back.

 

Once I get the itinerary, I'll be able to pick.

[aussietraveller58]

I'm doing this trip in reverse Amsterdam to Basel with 2 days in Lucerne at the end, in August, finishing 14 th August, so I can let you know more about it after that.

 

On our previous AMA trip Amsterdam to Budapest, we just took all the arranged tours and loved them, as they covered everything we would have wanted to see. When we had longer in a port, we headed out on our own as well later in the day to wander and maybe grab a meal in local café, or I took a bike out and went exploring on my own. On one day ( Koblenz I think ) we skipped on the long bus ride to Salzburg as we had visited there already, and AMA had arranged a lovely leisurely stroll around Koblenz instead. We stayed on for an organ recital in the Cathedral and spent the afternoon in the local markets. It was a really pleasant day.

 

There really was not enough time to arrange your own tour or excursion. There were two or three "additional " excursions which we didn't know about before the trip, for a smaller number of passengers, ad we took one of them. I suggest you don't get too fixed on particular excursions just looking at the itinerary available now, as on the boat there will be a daily "program" of excursions with a great deal of detail for you ,and then you just choose that day which to join. It is nothing like all the planning and booking that you do on a cruise ship! Plus the Bursar printed me out a town map each day and marked out the bike paths so that I could go off on my own...... I think you will be pleased with the range of excursions that are available to you each day and the support you will get from the staff to make arrangements.

Edited May 24, 2014 by aussietraveller58

[CPT Trips]

We had a Black Forrest tour that involved 11/2 hours each way on a bus . . . Instead we stayed in Strassbourgh and explored more in depth. I'm glad I did that. I suggest that you search the tourism bureaus in the towns you visit, and think you might do on your own. Lots of info on line if you repetitive.

[coolerchick]

I'm doing this trip in reverse Amsterdam to Basel with 2 days in Lucerne at the end, in August, finishing 14 th August, so I can let you know more about it after that.

 

On our previous AMA trip Amsterdam to Budapest, we just took all the arranged tours and loved them, as they covered everything we would have wanted to see. When we had longer in a port, we headed out on our own as well later in the day to wander and maybe grab a meal in local café, or I took a bike out and went exploring on my own. On one day ( Koblenz I think ) we skipped on the long bus ride to Salzburg as we had visited there already, and AMA had arranged a lovely leisurely stroll around Koblenz instead. We stayed on for an organ recital in the Cathedral and spent the afternoon in the local markets. It was a really pleasant day.

 

There really was not enough time to arrange your own tour or excursion. There were two or three "additional " excursions which we didn't know about before the trip, for a smaller number of passengers, ad we took one of them. I suggest you don't get too fixed on particular excursions just looking at the itinerary available now, as on the boat there will be a daily "program" of excursions with a great deal of detail for you ,and then you just choose that day which to join. It is nothing like all the planning and booking that you do on a cruise ship! Plus the Bursar printed me out a town map each day and marked out the bike paths so that I could go off on my own...... I think you will be pleased with the range of excursions that are available to you each day and the support you will get from the staff to make arrangements.

 

 

Good tips - thanks. It's our first river cruise.

 

Enjoy yours - look forward to reading your review.