Amsterdam to Budapest or vice versa?

[blnelson2]

Have heard different views on the direction this cruise - wondering if it really makes any difference?:confused:

[scluvsrain]

I've only been Budapest to Amsterdam. I'm not sure if going the other direction would be much different. Just be prepared for 68 locks during the voyage.

 

 

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[Host Jazzbeau]

Just a word of caution: if this is your first river cruise, the usual advice is to try a 7-day cruise first. While many people love river cruising, some hate-hate-hate it. It would be terrible to discover that you are in the latter group and have to face 13 more days onboard! Perhaps Vilshofen to Budapest would be a safer choice [also safer by avoiding the most frequent low-water area on the river].

[Ritabob]

Have heard different views on the direction this cruise - wondering if it really makes any difference?:confused:

Sailing down river is faster with the current, but waiting to get into locks can sometimes hold up the ship. My experience is no, not really much of a difference.

RB

[OneSixtyToOne]

I thought the arrival in Budapest was spectacular. They turn the ship 180 degrees to dock.

[suspaul]

Once we find a river cruise we look at flights and have done this cruise both ways. We look at flight times and prefer doing Budapest to Amsterdam - leaving the US for Budapest involves a connecting flight, for us, you leave late afternoon, arrive at connecting city and still get into Budapest early the next day. Amsterdam is a non-stop flight for us departing at 10 - 11:00am and we like not having to connect on the way home.

 

Last year we did Amsterdam to Budapest and coming back to the US from Budapest meant we had to leave the ship around 3:30am for a 6:30am flight to Paris to make the 10:30am flight home.

 

You need to decide which will work better for you, maybe flights aren't an issue but we've found some connecting flights a horror, i.e. Paris CdG.

 

 

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[blnelson2]

Thanks everyone!:)

[wheezedr]

Actually there can be some differences. When I was booking our cruise this past summer the east bound direction AMS to Bud allowed for a longer stay in Vienna. Instead of an evening and a day, we had 2 full days. That was one of the selling points to me. Also I felt starting in AMS with easier flight connections and beginning in a Euro zone country would be easier. The currency was not an issue but the single flight at the front end was better for us.

[KLRDUKS]

We have done it in both directions on AMA. The real difference was the time of year. We did the first (Amsterdam to Budapest) in May and the second (Budapest to Amsterdam) in December. While it was pretty in May, the December cruise allowed for better distance viewing because the trees had no leaves etc. As long as the stops are the same, I would say it is more about your preference and the ability to get flights etc. Have a great time!!

[Wings55]

We sailed from Budapest to Amsterdam in 2016 with Scenic. This summer we started in Amsterdam and sailed to Basel with Uniworld. My preference for your trip would be to start in Amsterdam. That section of the Rhine has lots of industrial developement. On your first day you'll be busy checking out the ship and getting settled so the scenery isn't as important. I'd much rather end the trip with beautiful countryside and the cities of Buda and Pest. Enjoy!

 

Paul

[jamesr3939]

I am going to hijack this a little. We are doing Octoberfest 2019 and then looking at doing a river cruise. If you had a choice between Rhine (Basel - Amsterdam) or Danube , which would you pick. We are thinking of Viking 8 nights.

Edited October 26, 2017 by jamesr3939