Private Tours on River Cruises

[TMLAalum]

I've bookmarked a private tour company for the Alsace region thanks to @KarenRivera which got me wondering if there might be other recommenations for such guides, particularly for our upcoming Romantic Rhine cruise on Avalon.

 

Some of the included tours for stops on this cruise, such as Seigfried's Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum or a hike in vineyards ourt of Rudesheim, seem meh to me. 

 

Has any Cruise Critic member dissed the included tours for either a private tour or a DIY excursion?

[sharkster77]

Extremely tough to schedule private tours

---docking schedule is not known until last minute, can change any time due to river/lock conditions

---ship often moves while included excursions are going on

---you're essentially paying twice, as the higher-than-ocean-cruise rates include excursions.

[Gourmet Gal]

Agree about the offerings in Rudesheim and there’s not much else to do there.  If the schedule allows, perhaps consider renting a car for the day if your research reveals another interesting town, historical site or winery.  Honestly, most of the river cruise stops are fairly touristy so it does feel good to strike out on your own now and then.  I’ve walked away from many boring walking tours.  Tauck cruise directors usually offer a variety of tours in each town to suit fast walkers or people who would just like an orientation without a guided tour.  Does Avalon have a similar approach? 

Edited November 7, 2021 by Gourmet Gal

[Wings55]

We have had great luck with Tours by Locals but only before or after a river cruise. If you search the TbL site and find a tour that interests you, you can contact the guide to see what they have to say about the issues listed by sharkster77. They seem like valid concerns to me. Good luck.

Paul

[notamermaid]

I would not commit to booking a private tour for the reasons sharkster77 has given. But if you can find someone who is flexible you could have a splendid time with a private tour, for sure. I do not know any that you could book privately although I know a few through work. May I make a suggestion about Rüdesheim? The Mechanical Museum is supposed to be fun (have never been) and hiking through the vineyards is nice. But there are other options. Check if Avalon actually means going up to the Niederwald Denkmal above the vineyards. That is a splendid view. For other ideas, here is a screenshot:

Opposite Rüdesheim (the red outline) is Bingen which you can reach by ferry - has a museum on Hildegard of Bingen, i.e. the famous prioress. The river is the Nahe and you can take a train - or hired car - to Bad Kreuznach, where you can see this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Kreuznach#/media/File:Alte_Nahebrücke,_Bad_Kreuznach,_5_changed.jpg

 

On the map is also Ingelheim Kaiserpfalz, a very old fascinating place if you like German history and old stones. On the same side as Rüdesheim is Kloster Eberbach at Eltville which has a famous winery. Some river cruise companies offer tours there. Definitely preferable to Rüdesheim if you want to avoid herds of tourists. On the far right of the map is Wiesbaden Biebrich, a Baroque Palace, right on the Rhine.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited November 7, 2021 by notamermaid
grammar

[sbjornda]

The Mechanical Museum is fun to see once, unless you've already had your fill of mechanized musical instruments. It is astonishing to see how precisely the craft work was done, in the age before computers and computer controlled milling machines. The sheer variety, abundance, and opulence of the objects, large and small, is impressive.

 

That said, for us, once was enough. Our second time in Rüdesheim we decided to walk the trails up at the top of the hill, starting at the Niederwald Denkmal. As notamermaid wrote, there are some splendid views over the valley. There are also a number of old follies nestled in amongst the trees. If you enjoy a walk in the forest, this is worth it. We took the cable car up & back to maximize time in the forest at the top; climbing up the hill through vineyards, while good exercise, is not as picturesque. If I ever find myself in Rüdesheim for a third time, I will likely do this again. 

[Daisi]

I will second the recommendation to view the Mechanical Museum at least once.  It's quite the collection.  I'll also second the recommendation of taking the cable car up the hill for the views.  You can ask your CD to help arrange it for you, or to let you know where you can pick it up.  The town is also quite charming to wander through as well.  Depending on which way you sail, will depend on the length of time you are there, and it is usually visited either before or after the tour of the middle Rhine with all the castles, so you wouldn't want to arrange a day trip and miss that.

[TMLAalum]

@sbjornda & @Daisi

Thanks, Canadians! Are there wineries in Rudesheim we can visit? If you've taken the Avalon "walk thru the vineyards" tour, is a winery visit/tasting included?

 

Totally off topic, but we are firming up our travel plans to Canada for next September....3 nights at Patricia Lake Bungalows in Jasper and 4 nights in a VRBO in Canmore. Any suggestions on which Cruise Critic forum to ask advice about the Canadian Rockies? I don't like hijacking threads, but would love to know more.

[sbjornda]

4 hours ago, TMLAalum said:

@sbjornda & @Daisi

Totally off topic, but we are firming up our travel plans to Canada for next September....3 nights at Patricia Lake Bungalows in Jasper and 4 nights in a VRBO in Canmore. Any suggestions on which Cruise Critic forum to ask advice about the Canadian Rockies? 

I'm not sure there are any CC forums that would be relevant. You might get better results on a site such as Trip Advisor. I'm sure you've figured out that in September at that altitude you can get some cold evenings, even a chance of snow in the town sites already, depending on the year. On the other hand, you could just as easily get a lovely warm snap. So pack accordingly. 🙂

 

Best wishes,

Sterling

[Daisi]

4 hours ago, TMLAalum said:

@sbjornda & @Daisi

Thanks, Canadians! Are there wineries in Rudesheim we can visit? If you've taken the Avalon "walk thru the vineyards" tour, is a winery visit/tasting included?

 

Totally off topic, but we are firming up our travel plans to Canada for next September....3 nights at Patricia Lake Bungalows in Jasper and 4 nights in a VRBO in Canmore. Any suggestions on which Cruise Critic forum to ask advice about the Canadian Rockies? I don't like hijacking threads, but would love to know more.

 

We did the museum, it was about an hour or so going through,  and then wandered our way through  Rudesheim to meet up with the cruise for their coffee. After, we did more wandering then back to the boat.  I am not sure about the winery tasting.  We did take the included tours to the Alsace  region ( nice drive through very pretty scenery, small towns), weren't overly fussy on the winery they took us to, but Obernai was a highlight we were glad not to miss.  That's the one out of Strasbourg.  We also took the trip to Colmar, which we also enjoyed.

[notamermaid]

7 hours ago, sbjornda said:

There are also a number of old follies nestled in amongst the trees.

I remember this being mentioned in the photo quiz game a few months ago. I am taking the liberty of asking @acwmom for you about this - I hope I am not disturbing them too much. They did that walk if I remember correctly.

 

notamermaid

 

[travlr21]

5 hours ago, TMLAalum said:

Totally off topic, but we are firming up our travel plans to Canada for next September....3 nights at Patricia Lake Bungalows in Jasper and 4 nights in a VRBO in Canmore. Any suggestions on which Cruise Critic forum to ask advice about the Canadian Rockies? I don't like hijacking threads, but would love to know more.

You may have luck in TripAdvisor. It is my go-to site for travel planning.   https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ListForums-g153339-i49-Canada.html 

[acwmom]

10 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

I remember this being mentioned in the photo quiz game a few months ago. I am taking the liberty of asking @acwmom for you about this - I hope I am not disturbing them too much. They did that walk if I remember correctly.

 

notamermaid

 

Yes, we did! I stumped quite a few people with that picture. We were on Uniworld. We took the cable car to the top, then walked through the forest and descended in Assmannshausen. We were taken back to the ship by bus.

 

I'm not sure what Avalon offers on the Rhine. We had decent offerings with them on the Danube.

 

Uniworld's other option that day was a winery visit. @jpalbnydid that excursion and can comment.

[jpalbny]

46 minutes ago, acwmom said:

Uniworld's other option that day was a winery visit. @jpalbnydid that excursion and can comment.

 

Yes, to Schloss Vollrads. I remember enjoying the tour of the castle, and the Riesling was tasty too. A nice excursion.

 

The only downside was that the tour left by 10:00AM so we didn't have time to take the cable car up the hillside. We would have tried to do that on our own, if we had the time.

Edited November 8, 2021 by jpalbny