Viking Odin - Cities of Light

[dsfischer]

We are currently on the Viking Odin traveling from Paris to Prague. Except for a light rain today, our weather has been beautiful.

 

We rented a car and spent several days driving around Normandy seeing Mont St. Michel, visiting D Day sites, touring Versailles, and cider tasting before arriving in Paris and returning our car. No problem with the driving until we were a block from our hotel and caught in the worst traffic EVER! We took part in the morning tour of Paris the day after we arrived, then spent the afternoon exploring on our own. We had a wonderful dinner at Le Casse Noix, blocks from the Eiffel Tower, then walked over to see the Tower light up with twinkling lights at 9:55. The next morning we were off for a full day of riding on a bus to meet our boat.

 

The days have been busy with minimal free time. We opted to stay onboard today so we could experience leaving the Moselle and entering the Rhine River. Part of the passengers took the bus for a castle tour, but we did one yesterday and this was a more strenuous tour. Considering the description of the tour and the light rain today, we're happy with our choice. Steep steps with no handrails reminded me of a previous trip where I embarrassed my children by declaring I might bump down on my bottom rather than try to walk down slick, steep steps!

 

We'll stop briefly in Rudesheim and hop off the boat for a few hours at 5:00, then take a shuttle to catch up with the boat at its next stop. Figuring out the logistics of having some time to explore without being on an organized tour, yet finding the boat when it moves, has been a little challenging. We're usually a little more independent in our traveling, but we're adapting.

 

The food has been excellent, the staff is very friendly and helpful, and we have no complaints about our Viking experience. Our Aquarium class cabin is fine for our needs (I can see out the window and I'm only 5'4") and the public areas are bright and comfortable. I hope this info is helpful to anyone with an upcoming Viking trip. Internet is sporadic, so I may post an update toward the end of our journey!

[roberts2005]

Thank you for taking the time to post. Two questions:

 

Are you on a long ship?

 

 

Where did you dock in Paris

[Coral]

So glad your trip is going well! I have friends on your sailing. If you run into Geri and Pat from Lincoln, NE - tell them Theresa says hi. I work with Geri.

 

Thanks for posting!

[Coral]

Thank you for taking the time to post. Two questions:

 

Are you on a long ship?

 

 

It is a long ship.

[dsfischer]

Yes, the Odin is a longboat. Even though we "began" our cruise in Paris, that was a land portion of the trip. We actually took a bus to Luxembourg to visit the American cemetery, then on to Trier, Germany to board the boat. The same is true with the end of our trip. We leave the boat in Bamberg and take a bus to Prague.

[FuelScience]

Have a great cruise. The Cities of Light is my favorite itinerary to date!

 

FuelScience

[notamermaid]

Stop posting dsfischer and enjoy the castles! :D

 

It is brigthening up here, I hope you have sunshine, too. From what I have seen on marinetraffic.com you have just passed the Loreley and are in hot pursuit of the Viking Kvasir. The Viking Skadi is close behind.

 

I like the idea of stopping at Rüdesheim, and doing the wine-tasting then reboarding the ship at Wiesbaden. I like Wiesbaden, capital of Hesse and renowned spa town. I hope the ship picks you (or your fellow travellers) up at the KD Biebrich docking station. That way you might get to see Biebrich castle. It is more of a palace, actually. To give you an idea of the surroundings:

 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Biebrich,+Wiesbaden,+Deutschland/@50.0362846,8.2261569,1579m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x47bd9611ee04748b:0x2036aef574f57ea2!6m1!1e1?hl=de

 

So many numbers... I hope the link works.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

notamermaid

[dsfischer]

Thanks for the map, Notamermaid! We are currently stopped at Oberwesel to offload garbage and pick up some supplies. I have a perfect seat (and map!) to see and identify castles. The weather is sunny and gorgeous.

[notamermaid]

Thanks for the map, Notamermaid! We are currently stopped at Oberwesel to offload garbage and pick up some supplies. I have a perfect seat (and map!) to see and identify castles. The weather is sunny and gorgeous.

 

Oh, how I would love to sit up there on the ship and look at the fantastic old town wall of Oberwesel.

 

:):):)

 

notamermaid

[Coral]

Thanks for the map, Notamermaid! We are currently stopped at Oberwesel to offload garbage and pick up some supplies. I have a perfect seat (and map!) to see and identify castles. The weather is sunny and gorgeous.

 

Enjoy the rest of your trip!

[marchmom]

I AM ON THE ODIN RIGHT NOW, TOO! Do you know which passenger I am? I am traveling with my mom and two aunts. If you see this before we disembark, andcan figure out who I am, please come say hi! I have been on the D bus for tours. I have had a great time so far, even the rainy morning!

Edited June 4, 2015 by marchmom

[dachamps]

Thank you for sharing your experience on the Odin river cruise from Paris to Prague. We are planning the same trip next year May 2016. Any thoughts, experience you care to share regarding the cities, tours, etc. will be greatly appreciated.

[Rebel54]

I can't wait for an update. I'm taking the same journey with Avalon, in reverse. I was starting to worry I chose a bad trip because no one every posts about this itinerary. I want to show my husband Prague and he wants to see Paris so this was the perfect route for us.

 

Updates...pretty please.

[dsfischer]

I've hesitated to post updates because I don't want to discourage anyone, so let me start by saying that I'm not sure that river cruising is right for me. The ship was lovely and the food was wonderful. I asked my friends before we booked if they realized how much time we would be spending on buses traveling to the various cities, so if you're aware that in most instances you aren't going to walk off the boat and do your own thing you might be fine. We thought we might be able to do some independent exploring, but since the boat moves while you're on a bus or walking tour, you don't have many options. We never actually knew what was going to happen (schedule-wise) until the daily briefing the afternoon before each stop so it was impossible to plan ahead. It's probably a perfect trip for someone who doesn't have the time or inclination to plan day trips, and who has serious interest in the detailed history of each stop.

 

Our guide in Luxembourg was interesting and the American Cemetery was peaceful and beautiful. We had a great guide in Cochem for our tour of Reichsburg Castle, and I believe that she was the difference in making the history come alive or feeling like it was just another castle tour. One of our favorite stops was the all day optional tour to Rothenburg with a walking tour, lunch, and free time. Nuremberg was a disappointment because it was a drive-by of the better known places and many people on the bus complained because they thought we would be stopping and touring some of the sites. I'm not sure what Viking could do differently on this itinerary, but I would've appreciated having a tentative schedule for the week when we got on the boat.

 

Our favorite days were the ones we planned on our own driving through Normandy before going to Paris and our extra day in Prague. We left our Prague walking tour before it was over to have lunch and explore on our own, and it was a great choice for us. We stayed an extra day and did an "Eating Prague" tour, which we thought was a unique and fun afternoon.

 

I hope everyone doing this itinerary has a wonderful time! The weather was beautiful and much warmer than we expected. I was very interested in visiting Germany, so I'm glad that I was able to spend a little time there. It was a great way to get a glimpse of what Germany has to offer, and a way to tempt people to come back on their own for another look. :-)

[dachamps]

DSFischer

 

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences on the Odin. Sounds like there wasn't much time to be on your own at some of the stops. We tend to want to do our own thing at times but we may not have much of an option on a river cruise.

 

Did you do take advantage of getting off the ship in Bernkastel after dinner or go on the wine tasting excursion?

 

Same question for Koblenz, did you get off the ship to walk around after dinner?

 

When you were docked in Rudersheim, did you go out in the late afternoon? It was suggested on the Viking itinerary to enjoy a bar and shop or join the concierge for the optional wine-tasting?

 

Sounds like Heidelberg is pretty much planned out with no free time.

 

I appreciated your suggestion of taking the Rothenburge optional tour.

 

Bamberg schedule appears to have a brief amount of time to explore on your own after the afternoon walking tour. Do you remember how far it is to where the ship is docked? Can we walk there or do we need to take a taxi or catch a bus provided by Viking?

 

We too are planning extra time in Paris and Prague. Did you rent a car and drive to Normandy? I believe there is a train or bus that one can take. We were thinking about going to Normandy, tour around and return to Paris in the same day. I do not know how long it will take to drive there. Maybe doing it all in one day is a bit ambitious. Let me know what you think. We can be early risers and come in late. I don't think we want to be on the road if it is too dark outside.

 

Thank you for all your help.

 

Safe travels.

[marchmom]

It was so nice meeting you onboard! What a coincidence that we would be at the same table the last day.

 

I agree that more free time would be nice. I made that same comment in my review post and on the questionnaire at the end of the cruise. I would have preferred less "tour". The guides were very informative but I tend to tune out when the a.d.d kicks in.

 

We were supposed to have a bit of free time in Nuremberg but because of the delay we were unable to.

Edited June 18, 2015 by marchmom

[davidrw]

DSFischer

 

 

 

 

 

We too are planning extra time in Paris and Prague. Did you rent a car and drive to Normandy? I believe there is a train or bus that one can take. We were thinking about going to Normandy, tour around and return to Paris in the same day. I do not know how long it will take to drive there. Maybe doing it all in one day is a bit ambitious. Let me know what you think. We can be early risers and come in late. I don't think we want to be on the road if it is too dark outside.

 

Thank you for all your help.

 

Safe travels.

 

Hi, you would need to have a car in Normandy and you would need at least 2 nights there to get a good feel for the place, possibly staying in Bayeaux and Honfleur, You could get a train to Caen and rent from there or maybe pick up a car in the Paris Suburbs by a train station ( maybe St Germain en Laye), It is about a 3 hour drive from Paris to the landing beaches once you are out of Central Paris. There is a lot to do in Normandy.

[davidrw]

Attached is a link to a tourism website for Calvados (the best bit of Normandy)

 

It gives a very good oversight of all of the different types of places to go depending on your interests.

 

 

http://www.calvados-tourisme.co.uk/essential/debarquement-normandie/index.php

[dsfischer]

I've tried to answer your questions as best I can from my notes and memory! After awhile the castles and little towns seem similar when you're doing the same thing every day with a walking tour giving way too many names and dates to remember! Our guide in Cochem stands out in our minds because she was more of a storyteller, rather than just repeating facts.

 

We got to Bernkastel about 5:30. Our friends did the optional wine tasting and enjoyed it while we walked with Chef Andreas to a local spot for sausage tasting before dinner. Dinner was at 7:30 and we departed for Cochem shortly after we finished eating.

 

As far as Koblenz, we were actually docked in Winningen right before dinner. The excursion to Koblenz (Marksburg Castle) was the next morning and it was recommended that "for safety and enjoyment" you be in "very good physical condition" to participate. Our husbands have back problems, so we decided to stay on the boat to experience traveling through the locks and leaving the Moselle River and entering the Rhine (if you didn't see it, you would never know anything happened!). We considered this our day to pretend we were experiencing a Viking River cruise TV ad....

 

We got to Rudesheim about 5:30 (along with several other boats) and dashed into town for quick shopping for nutcrackers and snow globes before taking the shuttle bus at 7:00 to meet the boat in Wiesbaden. In Rudesheim, our boat was docked in the berth furthest from town and we practically ran to have any time there. Our friends decided against doing the wine tasting excursion, thinking it would be similar wines to the ones they had earlier.

 

We skipped the student lunch in Heidelberg, and wandered around town and had lunch on our own. We told the program director a day earlier so they knew not to count us in the number having lunch and asked when and where to meet the group later.

 

We traveled by bus from Eltmann to Bamberg, leaving the boat at 1:45. By this day, the Odin was having engine trouble and was moving slowly. We had a walking tour of Bamberg, then had a meeting place at a market square to walk as a group back to the buses. There was at least one other Viking ship in Bamberg, and we noted that people began gathering long before the meeting time. We managed to find a place to sit and have a drink while we waited, but most people weren't as lucky. Once we got back to the bus, we drove through town to an industrial looking area where we were supposed to meet the boat. We sat on the bus or stood outside for almost 2 hours waiting for the boat to arrive (between the engine and the locks, they were very late). The program director managed to bring fresh strawberries, water, and ice cream to everyone while we waited, and most people took the delay in stride. However, this experience underlined why it would be difficult to try to do anything on our own on a river cruise - the schedule just wasn't always predictable.

 

About Paris - we rented a car from Hertz at CDG and drove to Giverny for the night. We walked to Monet's Garden when it opened the next morning, then drove on to Bayeux. That was our base for seeing some of the D Day sites (Omaha Beach, the American Cemetery and Arromanches), Mont St. Michel, Honfleur, etc. (3 nights). We drove to Versailles on our way back to Paris. If you rent a car, I would suggest that you have someone program your GPS in English before you start and have a chip and PIN credit card (we came across unmanned toll booths and needed to use ours). The only problem we had while driving was coming back into Paris to return the car 2 blocks from the hotel. Having done it, I'd suggest returning the car before you get to Paris and take the train the rest of the way...unless you have nerves of steel and fast reflexes. Versailles was only about 20-30 minutes from Paris and we could've returned the car there. I'm not sure how long it takes to get up to the D Day beach area by train, but you might be able to catch a very early train, rent a car to see your places of interest, then return the car and catch a late train back. If you're looking for a restaurant suggestion in Paris, we ate at Le Casse Noix near the Eiffel Tower, then walked over to watch the Tower lights "twinkle" at 9:55. It was a great tiny restaurant that filled up quickly (we had 7:00 reservations so we would be out in time to see the lights).

 

I hope this information is helpful with your planning!

 

Debbie

[Pennypop]

Thanks for the review to date. We are booked on this trip in September. This will be our first river cruise. Curious to know if Euros are required for anything or if US$ is accepted.

[dsfischer]

We used Euros everywhere except Prague and took Czech korunas for Prague. We never tried to use U.S. dollars, but heard people being directed to ATMs to withdraw local currency. I would guess that U.S. dollars are not widely accepted. The only time we had a problem using our non-chip and pin credit card was at unmanned toll booths while driving in France.

[JVilleGal]

Thanks for the review to date. We are booked on this trip in September. This will be our first river cruise. Curious to know if Euros are required for anything or if US$ is accepted.

 

 

You need Euros!!! I get $300 for each of us before I leave home. Go to my local bank and they usually have them in one or two

days. I also take an ATM card for an account I have filled with emergency money for just in case!

Edited June 18, 2015 by JVilleGal

[Mark_T]

I would guess that U.S. dollars are not widely accepted.

 

About as well accepted as Euros would be in your local stores at home :)

[micruiser12]

Thank you for your review! We will be going on this same river cruise next year. We are interested in adding a few days to Paris and Prague. Did you book your extended stay separate from the cruise? if so, where did you stay?

[dsfischer]

We had been to Paris before, so our pre-cruise stay was one night in Giverny and three nights in Bayeux at the Noble Tardiff Guesthouse (wonderful place!) before the two nights in Paris. For our extra night in Prague, we just booked the Marriott Courtyard at the airport so it would be convenient for our flight home.

 

Either way, when we saw the price Viking was charging for the extra days we knew we could book our own rooms for a much more reasonable price. It's a disadvantage not to know the exact hotels Viking is using until 10 days before the trip, but I would suggest staying wherever was convenient and within your price range and move to Viking's hotel for the land/cruise nights. Their hotel in Paris (for our trip) was Le Meridien Etoile and in Prague it was the Hilton Probrezni, but I don't think they always use those two.