Romantic Rhine with 2 Nights in Paris & 2 Nights in London with Jewish Heritage (Northbound)

12 Day River Cruise Basel to London

Cruise WZA4-T2

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Overview

Your Rhine River cruise sails across Germany—with touches of Switzerland, France, and Holland along the way as you experience important and meaningful Jewish Heritage historic and cultural sites. Joining us on board is renowned author and speaker Salo Muller joining us as a special guest on the Rhine portion of our cruise. Orphaned at five years old and forced into hiding after the Nazis seized his parents, Mr. Muller shares his moving story of loss and triumph. He recounts his mother’s last words to him, which became the title of his moving Holocaust memoir, “See You Tonight and Promise to be a Good Boy!” Just hours later, his parents would be arrested and put on a train from Westerbork to Auschwitz. Learn of his experiences during the war, his life after as a young orphan, and of how he overcame immeasurable tragedy to achieve much in life, including an esteemed career as physiotherapist for Amsterdam’s Ajax soccer team. Mr. Muller will accompany you on the Rhine River from Basel to Amsterdam to explore Jewish culture and heritage.

Your stunning river cruise on the Rhine will commence in Basel, for an amazing vacation, which begins in Switzerland and stops in France, Germany, and Holland. You’ll sail to Breisach, your starting point for an excursion to Black Forest. Then venture on to Strasbourg, France, to see its gothic cathedral with stunning murals and stained glass and the old streets of the Jewish quarter. Sail to Ludwigshafen for an excursion to Heidelberg Castle, or join your Avalon Adventure Host® for a hike up Philosophers’ Way. You can choose to visit the Synagogue and the Gutenberg museum in Mainz, one of the ShUM cities, for amazing history of early pioneers of print. You’ll visit Koblenz and Cologne, and arrive in Amsterdam for a private guided tour to Anne Frank House, followed by a canal cruise through the colorful city and the Jewish Quarter. While sailing, join onboard lectures to learn more about the European Jewish culture, history and traditions. Transfer by high-speed train to Paris to start your Monograms vacation package with 2 nights in “The City of Lights”. Your VIP sightseeing with an expert guide includes a drive past the Latin Quarter, Les Invalides, Place de la Concorde, Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe, followed by a Seine river cruise. You’ll enjoy a guided sightseeing in England’s most famous destination, as well as free time to really get to know the city. Sightseeing includes Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Your Monograms vacation package includes helpful onsite support from your expert Local Hosts® in both Paris & London. Your scenic river cruise on the Romantic Rhine River, and complete vacation package in Paris and London are the perfect combination to unlock a guided European vacation of a lifetime.
Your Rhine River cruise sails across Germany—with touches of Switzerland, France, and Holland along the way as you experience important and meaningful Jewish Heritage historic and cultural sites. Joining us on board is renowned author and speaker Salo Muller joining us as a special guest on the Rhine portion of our cruise. Orphaned at five years old and forced into hiding after the Nazis seized his parents, Mr. Muller shares his moving story of loss and triumph. He recounts his mother’s last words to him, which became the title of his moving Holocaust memoir, “See You Tonight and Promise to be a Good Boy!” Just hours later, his parents would be arrested and put on a train from Westerbork to Auschwitz. Learn of his experiences during the war, his life after as a young orphan, and of how he overcame immeasurable tragedy to achieve much in life, including an esteemed career as physiotherapist for Amsterdam’s Ajax soccer team. Mr. Muller will accompany you on the Rhine River from Basel to Amsterdam to explore Jewish culture and heritage.

Your stunning river cruise on the Rhine will commence in Basel, for an amazing vacation, which begins in Switzerland and stops in France, Germany, and Holland. You’ll sail to Breisach, your starting point for an excursion to Black Forest. Then venture on to Strasbourg, France, to see its gothic cathedral with stunning murals and stained glass and the old streets of the Jewish quarter. Sail to Ludwigshafen for an excursion to Heidelberg Castle, or join your Avalon Adventure Host® for a hike up Philosophers’ Way. You can choose to visit the Synagogue and the Gutenberg museum in Mainz, one of the ShUM cities, for amazing history of early pioneers of print. You’ll visit Koblenz and Cologne, and arrive in Amsterdam for a private guided tour to Anne Frank House, followed by a canal cruise through the colorful city and the Jewish Quarter. While sailing, join onboard lectures to learn more about the European Jewish culture, history and traditions. Transfer by high-speed train to Paris to start your Monograms vacation package with 2 nights in “The City of Lights”. Your VIP sightseeing with an expert guide includes a drive past the Latin Quarter, Les Invalides, Place de la Concorde, Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe, followed by a Seine river cruise. You’ll enjoy a guided sightseeing in England’s most famous destination, as well as free time to really get to know the city. Sightseeing includes Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Your Monograms vacation package includes helpful onsite support from your expert Local Hosts® in both Paris & London. Your scenic river cruise on the Romantic Rhine River, and complete vacation package in Paris and London are the perfect combination to unlock a guided European vacation of a lifetime.
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Book your cruise with or without flights

Cruise prices are shown without flights included in case you wish to book them separately, or aren't ready to return home when you disembark! Or we can book your flights for you from most UK airports, with overseas transfers and ATOL protection included. The choice is yours!

Book your cruise with or without flights

Itinerary

Avalon has designed included activities with a choice of experiences. We invite you to select the tours, activities, and events that interest you most, so you can experience your cruise your way. There are three types of included shore excursion on every Europe cruise:

Classic

Your local expert is ready to guide you through the history and heritage of local destinations. You’ll marvel at the legends, lore, and spectacular architecture of iconic and historic sites.

Active

Embark on energetic excursions to keep you in motion and on the go - from a guided jogging tour of Amsterdam, to biking, paddling, and hiking your way through scenic locales.

Discovery

We’ve found inspiring and interactive activities to speak to your interests - from cooking classes, to painting workshops - to immerse yourself in each culture you explore.

Classic
<p>Embark on energetic excursions to keep you in motion and on the go - from a guided jogging tour of Amsterdam, to biking, paddling, and hiking your way through scenic locales.</p>
Active

Embark on energetic excursions to keep you in motion and on the go - from a guided jogging tour of Amsterdam, to biking, paddling, and hiking your way through scenic locales.

Discovery

We’ve found inspiring and interactive activities to speak to your interests - from cooking classes, to painting workshops - to immerse yourself in each culture you explore.

Day 1 BASEL, SWITZERLAND (EMBARKATION)

  • Meals included:
  • Dinner

Welcome to Switzerland. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding.
Flights into Zürich must arrive by 3 pm.
Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.
Enjoy dinner and explore the ship on your first night on board.

EVENING CRUISE TO BREISACH


Day 2 BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST

  • Meals included:
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

History, Artistry, and the Beautiful Black Forest

Discovery

We’ve found inspiring and interactive activities to speak to your interests - from cooking classes, to painting workshops - to immerse yourself in each culture you explore.

Visit to Badische Winzerkeller, the largest German wine producer in Europe. Discover Germany’s southernmost wine country in Baden—ideally situated between the hills of the Black Forest and the Rhine River. Learn about the vintners’ process in the vineyards here, and enjoy a wine tasting, OR:


Discovery

We’ve found inspiring and interactive activities to speak to your interests - from cooking classes, to painting workshops - to immerse yourself in each culture you explore.

Join a full-day Guided Tour to the magical Black Forest to experience the Vogtsbauernhof open-air-museum, visit an authentic water mill, and see a traditional butter-making demonstration.Follow your visit to Badische Winzerkeller with a free afternoon in Breisach.


EVENING CRUISE TO STRASBOURG


Day 3 STRASBOURG, FRANCE

  • Meals included:
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Gothic Giants, Petite France, and Varietal Vintages

Discovery

We’ve found inspiring and interactive activities to speak to your interests - from cooking classes, to painting workshops - to immerse yourself in each culture you explore.

Join a City Sightseeing Tour, including Strasbourg’s s gothic, stained-glass cathedral with its celebrated ancient murals and astronomical clock or the new Synogogue, as well as the magical La Petite France District and the Jewish quarter with its streets which are among the oldest in France.


You may choose to join a Guided Optional Excursion to the splendid Alsace wine country, or a Guided Optional Excursion to visit the charming village of Colmar, with its half-timbered medieval and early renaissance buildings.
Alternatively, enjoy a free afternoon sampling the local cuisine in Place Kléber.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO LUDWIGSHAFEN


Day 4 LUDWIGSHAFEN, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO HEIDELBERG

  • Meals included:
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Castle Walls, and the World’s Biggest Barrel of Wine

Classic

Your local expert is ready to guide you through the history and heritage of local destinations. You’ll marvel at the legends, lore, and spectacular architecture of iconic and historic sites.

Enjoy a Guided Tour to Heidelberg Castle to see the ruins of the magnificent renaissance treasure towering above the city, and its famed Great Vat, the “World’s Largest Wine Barrel,” OR:


Active

Embark on energetic excursions to keep you in motion and on the go - from a guided jogging tour of Amsterdam, to biking, paddling, and hiking your way through scenic locales.

Join your Avalon Adventure Host for a Hike up Philosophers’ Way for an inspiring view of the city below.


Alternatively enjoy a brief cruise to Mainz this afternoon and join our included tour.

MAINZ


Turning the Pages of History

Classic

Your local expert is ready to guide you through the history and heritage of local destinations. You’ll marvel at the legends, lore, and spectacular architecture of iconic and historic sites.

Enjoy a Guided City Walk including a visit to the Gutenberg Museum to see the captivating history of printing.


Enjoy live entertainment on board your ship this evening.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN MAINZ


Day 5 RÜDESHEIM—RHINE GORGE

  • Meals included:
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine Country

Discovery

We’ve found inspiring and interactive activities to speak to your interests - from cooking classes, to painting workshops - to immerse yourself in each culture you explore.

Based on your departure, enjoy either a Coffee Tasting or a Wine Tasting.


Discovery

We’ve found inspiring and interactive activities to speak to your interests - from cooking classes, to painting workshops - to immerse yourself in each culture you explore.

Take a Guided Tour of the incredible Mechanical Music Museum for a one-of-a-kind instrumental experience, OR:


Active

Embark on energetic excursions to keep you in motion and on the go - from a guided jogging tour of Amsterdam, to biking, paddling, and hiking your way through scenic locales.

Take a Guided Hike through the vineyards with your Adventure Host, and enjoy the view with a cable car ride back down.


Relax on the Sky Deck for an afternoon cruise through the spectacular Rhine Gorge to Koblenz. Sail past the legendary rock of The Lorelei—where the siren of mythology sang songs to lure ill-fated sailors.

KOBLENZ


Travel Through 2000 Years Of Monumental History
Enjoy free time in Koblenz before a relaxing evening on board with dinner and live entertainment.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN KOBLENZ


Day 6 COLOGNE

  • Meals included:
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Prost! Celebrate in the Rhineland

Classic

Your local expert is ready to guide you through the history and heritage of local destinations. You’ll marvel at the legends, lore, and spectacular architecture of iconic and historic sites.

Take a Guided City Walk of Cologne—with its soaring twin-steepled gothic cathedral, OR:


Discovery

We’ve found inspiring and interactive activities to speak to your interests - from cooking classes, to painting workshops - to immerse yourself in each culture you explore.

Choose a Guided Walking Tour of Cologne’s important Jewish heritage sites.


Don’t miss the chance to enjoy free time over a glass of Kölsch pale lager—locally brewed for over 100 years!

AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO AMSTERDAM


Day 7 AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND

  • Meals included:
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Canals of Colorful Amsterdam

Discovery

We’ve found inspiring and interactive activities to speak to your interests - from cooking classes, to painting workshops - to immerse yourself in each culture you explore.

DISCOVER Join an exclusive private visit to the house where Anne Frank and her family lived for more than 2 years before being betrayed and turned in to the Nazis.


Classic

Your local expert is ready to guide you through the history and heritage of local destinations. You’ll marvel at the legends, lore, and spectacular architecture of iconic and historic sites.

Explore the iconic waterways of Amsterdam on a Guided Canal Cruise past stately homes of Amsterdam’s “Golden Age”. Learn more about the Jewish culture while exploring the Jewish quarter.


You may join a Guided Optional Excursion to Zaanse Schans to see historic windmills and charming Dutch houses or an Optional Biking Tour to discover the countryside.
Take some free time to explore Amsterdam’s colorful streets and canal houses, galleries, and shops.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM


Day 8 AMSTERDAM (DISEMBARKATION)—PARIS, FRANCE

  • Meals included:
  • Breakfast

Transfer from your Avalon ship to the train station, where you begin your Monograms package. Travel to Paris by high-speed train (first class).

Day 9 PARIS

  • Meals included:
  • Breakfast

Morning guided sightseeing includes a drive past the Latin Quarter, Les Invalides, Place de la Concorde, the Arc de Triomphe and a stop to take photos of the Eiffel Tower from one of the best panoramic viewing points. Also admire the heart of the city from a different perspective on a SEINE RIVER CRUISE. Embark your comfortable boat near the Eiffel Tower and spend a relaxing hour gliding by many of the city's important landmarks such as the L'Institut de France; magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral where Napoleon was crowned emperor in 1804; Hôtel de Ville, the city's municipal headquarters; the Conciergerie, formerly a notorious prison where Marie-Antoinette spent the last days of her life; famous Louvre Palace and museum; and much more.

Day 10 PARIS—LONDON, ENGLAND

  • Meals included:
  • Breakfast

Travel to London by high-speed Eurostar train (Standard class)

Day 11 LONDON

  • Meals included:
  • Breakfast

Morning guided sightseeing includes all of London’s landmarks. Drive past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben; Westminster Abbey, where Prince William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, were married; Whitehall’s mounted horseguards; the Prime Minister’s Downing Street; Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly Circus. Take photos of the London Eye, the giant Ferris wheel situated on the river bank, and the Shard, the tallest building in Western Europe. Then, visit St. Paul’s Cathedral (except on Sundays). Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece with its world-famous dome is an iconic feature of London’s skyline.

Day 12 LONDON

  • Meals included:
  • Breakfast

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

Questions? Our travel specialists can help with any queries, quotes or special requirements.  Request a callback or email us.

Notes

  • In the event of technical or water level issues, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or alter the program, including hotel overnight when necessary.
  • Guided Tours, Optional Excursions, activities, sailing and docking schedules may be contingent on weather conditions or other issues outside of our control and could therefore be subject to change at any time.
  • Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler.
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