Passage to Eastern Europe - We arrived!

[Cruzin Terri]

Thanks so much for taking the time to post daily and to post the final summary. You have been very helpful.

Terri

[RachelG]

Thank you for your very thorough review.

 

We are doing Budapest to Vilshofen on AMA in November. I have been to Budapest and to the underground hospital before. I had no idea they give discounts to medical personnel. I am a doctor and had my medical license with me. Should have shown it I guess.

 

Thanks for the tip on the Spy Museum as well. My oldest son was a radio cryptologist in the Marine Corps and that sounds like something he would love. He isn't going on the trip with us, but I will have to go see it so I can tell him about it. It sounds like one of those places where I will be saying "He would just love this. I wish he were here" at every turn.

[Familygoboston]

Hi Fran,

Finally had time to read all your details! (busy here with parents in town and a HS graduate)

 

I do have a question: you did a very nice write up about the strengths of Viking, but it would be helpful to know what other lines you have traveled in the past. In all my reading, I'm not finding much negative about any of them..it seems it's just a matter of what kinds of things one puts a priority on.

 

Second question: having done other river cruises did you find that these ports were "rougher" so to speak for walking just because of the infrastructure in these particular countries is a little less maintained than say, Austria or Germany? I haven't done any of these rivers so I don't know how they compare. It is also not an issue for us, as we are fit folks who can hike comfortably in any kind of terrain, but I wonder if this type of itinerary would appeal less to those with mobility issues?

 

I am really looking forward to our trip, and your review has been very helpful!!! Thank you!:D

[franski]

Hi Fran,

I do have a question: you did a very nice write up about the strengths of Viking, but it would be helpful to know what other lines you have traveled in the past. In all my reading, I'm not finding much negative about any of them..it seems it's just a matter of what kinds of things one puts a priority on.

 

We have travelled with Uniworld (x3), AMA and Scenic in the past. We have booked with Avalon next year. We have not had a "bad" experience on any of our cruises - although each one has had at least one "hiccough" somewhere, and at least one thing that has been really memorable. I have always felt that one of the biggest impacts on any cruise in the cruise manager... and you have no control over that. Next is the chef and his crew.... but food is (and always will be) very subjective.

 

I think that you do need to know what details are important for you, and go looking for those things as you do your research. Some people want every detail arranged and managed - while others are more "diy" travellers. For example - hotel style beds were a priority for me, so that ruled out many of Viking's boats until they introduced the Longships. Of course, we could always get a hotel style bed in the upgraded cabins, but we can travel more often if we travel Aquarium Class.

 

Second question: having done other river cruises did you find that these ports were "rougher" so to speak for walking just because of the infrastructure in these particular countries is a little less maintained than say, Austria or Germany? I haven't done any of these rivers so I don't know how they compare. It is also not an issue for us, as we are fit folks who can hike comfortably in any kind of terrain, but I wonder if this type of itinerary would appeal less to those with mobility issues?

I was just talking about the walking "environment" this evening with someone at Viking. We found - starting in Bucharest - that the countries at the beginning of the cruise are still really struggling to emerge from the communist and/or dictatorship presence. You would be walking along - and notice a piece of pavement up ahead is gone. When you get to the spot - you may see that there is a hole in the pavement so deep that you can't see the bottom. Hate to think what would happen if that hole widens.... Or - you will see that the edges of some of the stone steps are worn away - making the climb a bit of a challenge (and no railing to hand on to...) Or - that there are cobble stone missing - leaving a very uneven pathway to walk. I do think that this itinerary would be a huge challenge to anyone with mobility issues. We usually had a guide that would identify when there would be steps, or a steep grade - but apparently not all guides offered this information. I walked "head down" more often on this trip than I ever have in the past (at least until we hit Hungary....)

 

I am really looking forward to our trip, and your review has been very helpful!!! Thank you!:D

 

I am glad that you have found this helpful... always willing to post our experiences if they are of use. When do you leave on your trip?

 

Fran

[lilybob]

Thank you for taking the time to post your experience. We are considering our first RC so all information is most welcome. And everyone on the RC forums seem so nice:D

[tassietravellers]

Hi Fran

 

thanks for taking the time to post such a detailed report and with so much useful and interesting information.

So looking forward to our next cruise in 2014 :)

[captainmcd]

Thanks for taking the time to report, and to answer everyone's questions. We sailed in 2009 on the Yangtse River with Viking, but I think the new Longships are a big improvement, and based partly on your reporting we have booked the same voyage, but downriver from Budapest to Bucharest. I believe that our travel philosophy is similar to yours, and we will be in cabin 111 on the Viking Embla on October 4 next year. It was really wonderful that you took the time and effort to report your experience.

[John99]

Hi Fran,

 

Thank you for your informative report. From reading your review -- sounds like you had a great time as always.

 

We are looking at our first cruise for 2014. I'm pretty much sold on a pre-cruise (or post cruise) but looking at two cities -- Budapest and Prague. From reading other CC reviews both cities come highly recommended.

 

 

A few questions:

• Ease of walking around to see the sites in Budapest. It seemed like you could walk for ever and ever and there was always something to see. Any comments please.
  
• You mentioned that ATM's are everywhere. How about at your hotel?
  
• Did you venture out at night time in Budapest?
  
• Use of public transportation both above ground and below. Any problems?
  
• Did you feel safe in Budapest? I assume from reading your detailed review "moving about" was not a problem.
  
• Did your package included a breakfast?
  
• Any problems with the use of a credit or debit card?
  
• How would you compare Budapest to Prague? I know both are great cities but what if anything made the difference? You mention "pesky" people in Buda what about Prague?
  

John

[franski]

Hi Fran,

 

Thank you for your informative report. From reading your review -- sounds like you had a great time as always.

 

We are looking at our first cruise for 2014. I'm pretty much sold on a pre-cruise (or post cruise) but looking at two cities -- Budapest and Prague. From reading other CC reviews both cities come highly recommended.

 

 

A few questions:

• Ease of walking around to see the sites in Budapest. It seemed like you could walk for ever and ever and there was always something to see. Any comments please.
  
• You mentioned that ATM's are everywhere. How about at your hotel?
  
• Did you venture out at night time in Budapest?
  
• Use of public transportation both above ground and below. Any problems?
  
• Did you feel safe in Budapest? I assume from reading your detailed review "moving about" was not a problem.
  
• Did your package included a breakfast?
  
• Any problems with the use of a credit or debit card?
  
• How would you compare Budapest to Prague? I know both are great cities but what if anything made the difference? You mention "pesky" people in Buda what about Prague?
  

John

 

Hi John - We were in Prague 4 1/2 years ago, and things may have changed there.... they certainly had changed in Budapest.

 

We didn't use public transport except when we went with our guide. We just didn't need to - as the places we wanted to see were quite walkable from our hotel.

 

We felt safe out at night - but tried to keep to the main pedestrian areas. There was a heightened police presence there as the World Jewish Congress was in town, so expect that this had an impact on safety...Walking across the Chain Bridge at night was magical.

 

The package with Viking included breakfast.... The buffet at Le Meridien was VERY robust. Our extra night (booked on points....) did not include breakfast, but we ate at the airport after we checked in.

 

We had no problem using debit and credit cards. ATMs were easy to find in Budapest - we just made sure that we were either in the lobby of a bank. or somewhere in a fairly visible area. Not sure if the hotel had an ATM - as it was easy to find one outside the building.

 

We love Budapest - and are going back again for an extra couple of days in September. We turned down the chance to go over to Prague at the end of our next cruise... as we are planning to spend an extra couple of days in Nuremberg when we get off the boat.

 

If I missed a question - or you think of others... please post.

 

Fran

[id est]

Fran, thanks for a very interesting report.

It looks like the Orsova and an optional tour to St Ana Monastery were excluded from the itinerary this year.

[Rxgrad98]

Hi Fran,

 

Just had a chance to get caught up on your posts. I'm glad to hear that other than the a/c hiccup, you had a great trip. Thank you for all the valuable information! I did have a question about Bucharest. On the city tour, did the tour make any stops that allowed you to get off the bus to take pictures (i.e. at the triumphal arch) or was the only stop made at the Palace of the Parliament? We're planning on staying a few days post cruise in Romania and I was wondering if I needed to allow and extra day in Bucharest before heading up to the Transylvania region. I'm getting ready to book air and need to nail down a return date. Thanks again for all your informative posts!!!

 

Tim

[franski]

Hi Fran,

 

Just had a chance to get caught up on your posts. I'm glad to hear that other than the a/c hiccup, you had a great trip. Thank you for all the valuable information! I did have a question about Bucharest. On the city tour, did the tour make any stops that allowed you to get off the bus to take pictures (i.e. at the triumphal arch) or was the only stop made at the Palace of the Parliament? We're planning on staying a few days post cruise in Romania and I was wondering if I needed to allow and extra day in Bucharest before heading up to the Transylvania region. I'm getting ready to book air and need to nail down a return date. Thanks again for all your informative posts!!!

 

Tim

 

Hi Tim -

 

We had a few stops in Bucharest. We left the hotel by 8:30 am - and didn't get to the boat until after 3 pm... and it is only about an hour away.

 

We spent time at a village museum. Our guide explained the different types of buildings, and what was unique about about them. We did stop at the House of the People - and had a tour inside. We also went to one of the oldest churches in Bucharest, as well as stopping for lunch in a restaurant that had local dancers and musicians.

 

The "old town" was about apparently about a 25 minute walk from the hotel (we didn't walk down there, but spoke with people who did). You might want to add an extra day in Bucharest if there are other things you want to see.

 

Have you booked all of your transportation for your trip to Transylvania? Or, are you doing your post-cruise excursions with Viking?

 

Fran

[Rxgrad98]

Thanks for the info Fran. I haven't booked anything for the Transylvania portion yet. We're going to do it on our on. We're staying at least 2 extra days, maybe 3. We're at least wanting to see Bran Castle and Peles Castle. Thinking we might leave Bucharest the day the tour ends, drive up and hit one of the castles that day, spend the night in Brasov, then hit the other castle the following day on the way back to Bucharest, then spend the night near the airport. I'd love to go all the way up to Sighişoara, but that's getting a little bit more off the beaten path. Not sure how much English is spoken once you get out of Bucharest, so probably going to end up sticking to the main tourist areas. I have been looking at Tours By Locals and considering hiring a guide. I need to get it all figured out though; I'm using miles for our airfare and need to hurry up before all the half-way decent flights are booked up. Thanks again for the info!! It was tremendous help!!

 

Tim

[rjscott]

Fran, such great detail. Thanks again. Will be so helpful for my cruise next year.

 

Becki

[Jimmyfan]

Can you provide me with the name of the escort service you used? We are flying into Budapest a day early so we will not be able to use Viking's transport. I would like to have someting setup to take us to the hotel from the airport and maybe to the ship the next day - or a taxi might be cheaper/better for the second day?

[pacmom]

Fran, fantastic review--thanks so much for a clear unbiased look at the trip. Welcome home. Pat

[Toots]

Thanks so much for your fascinating report. We're looking at the same trip in 2014. Did anyone on your ship talk about their experience with the Transylvania pre-cruise tour? It's only 3 nights and quite expensive, so I wondered if it's worth it.

Thanks so much!

[beechfor]

Great review, Fran. We will be doing our first river cruise this summer, although not with Viking, and are really looking forward to it. We will be ending in Budapest and are not using the cruise line's transfers. Could you supply the name of the company you used for your transfers there? Thanks.

[franski]

Can you provide me with the name of the escort service you used? We are flying into Budapest a day early so we will not be able to use Viking's transport. I would like to have someting setup to take us to the hotel from the airport and maybe to the ship the next day - or a taxi might be cheaper/better for the second day?

 

Great review, Fran. We will be doing our first river cruise this summer, although not with Viking, and are really looking forward to it. We will be ending in Budapest and are not using the cruise line's transfers. Could you supply the name of the company you used for your transfers there? Thanks.

 

 

Hi -

 

We used Alajos Pulai --> found through a recommendation by someone here on Cruise Critic.

 

Website = http://budapestairporttaxi.com/Welcome.html

 

I e-mailed him - and he responded quite quickly. It was actually his wife that picked us up at the hotel and took us to the airport.

 

The rates on his website were 24 euros - but when we e-mailed him, he quoted us 22 euros.

 

Jimmyfan - it might be cheaper to go with a local taxi to go from your hotel to the ship --> but check with him. Depending on the location of your hotel, it might be a very quick trip to the boat --> and his posted rates of 20 euros seems a bit high.

 

We are going back to Budapest in September, and will be booking our transfer with him at that time.

 

Fran

[franski]

Thanks so much for your fascinating report. We're looking at the same trip in 2014. Did anyone on your ship talk about their experience with the Transylvania pre-cruise tour? It's only 3 nights and quite expensive, so I wondered if it's worth it.

Thanks so much!

 

Hi -

 

I didn't talk with anyone specifically, but there were lots of raised hands when George (our cruise manager) asked who had taken - and enjoyed - the pre-tour to Transylvania.

 

I can't remember what the costs were for the pre-tour (we didn't have that much time....) but the company that we booked for our transfer from the airport to the hotel in Bucharest also does tours to the Bran Castle (among others....)

 

The website is: http://www.bucharestairporttransfer.com/index.html

 

You could always take a look and see if you could build your own extension.... just a thought.

 

Fran

[franski]

Fran, fantastic review--thanks so much for a clear unbiased look at the trip. Welcome home. Pat

 

Thanks, Pat.

 

I try really hard to be subjective in my posts....

 

Fran

[1stcruise_Alaska]

Regarding Budapest and Prague... I've been to both numerous times, though not cruising. I love Budapest, but I'd pick Prague hands down. I consider it one of the most beautiful cities in all of Europe, if not the most beautiful.

[PinkMEB]

Our group of 8 ladies just booked this cruise in May 2014. We also cruised with Viking on the Rhine and in Provence. Your comments have been very helpful. I would like to know how you arranged your transportation from and to the airports. We start in Bucharest. We usually make our own airline and transportation plans. Do I understand correctly that we will need Euros prior to arriving? Since the other trips have been in Europe, we used the airport ATMs. Thanks.

[franski]

Our group of 8 ladies just booked this cruise in May 2014. We also cruised with Viking on the Rhine and in Provence. Your comments have been very helpful. I would like to know how you arranged your transportation from and to the airports. We start in Bucharest. We usually make our own airline and transportation plans. Do I understand correctly that we will need Euros prior to arriving? Since the other trips have been in Europe, we used the airport ATMs. Thanks.

 

Hi -

 

I e-mailed both companies - and had a response quite quickly.

 

I took Euros with me. NONE of the countries we visited on this tour use Euros - so thinking you will pick up Euros in the airport when you arrive isn't reasonable.

 

If you have time in the airport where you transfer (assuming you won't have a direct flight) you could try to use the ATM there.

 

We took Euros with us - as we knew we would need them for airport transfers in both Bucharest and Budapest --> as well as for the local guides. We have a currency exchange in our local mall - so try to pick up money before we leave --> although that was a problem on this trip. Only Forints (Hungary) and Euros of course.... were available before we left.

 

Fran

[bobalink]

Just want to share some info for Bank of America customers regarding currency.

 

I used to go to the American Express Travel office nearby and get enough currency for our first day of travel.

 

Now I simply order whatever currencies I need ONLINE at Bank of America. It is so much easier! They are able to get all foreign currencies and have it delivered to the local branch near us.

 

We just get enough of each currency to get us through our first day of travel, then we use ATM's for the remainder of our trip.

 

It works well for us.

 

Here is a link:

https://www4.bankofamerica.com/foreigncurrency/index.action

 

Enjoy your travels!