Rhine Cruise: Sightseeing on Your Own?

[FlipperGal]

My husband and I are booked on an Avalon Rhine cruise in mid-June to celebrate his 80th birthday. We have taken more than 20 ocean cruises (the last pre-pandemic in late 2019  from Amsterdam around Gibraltar to the Mediterranean). We have always done our own sightseeing excursions, pre-planned or winging it.

With this river cruise, our excursions are included, most of them departing the ship at 8:30 AM. Our problem is that my husband may need extra "intestinal time" after breakfast.

So we're wondering: if we leave the ship later, can we get ourselves by foot or cab to Cologne cathedral, the Gutenberg museum, Strasbourg, etc. and back on our own?

Very grateful for any experience, ideas or advice. 🙂

 

[AnhaltER1960]

57 minutes ago, FlipperGal said:

So we're wondering: if we leave the ship later, can we get ourselves by foot or cab to Cologne cathedral, the Gutenberg museum, Strasbourg, etc. and back on our own?

 

Yes, you can. Just make sure you have the time, when you have to be back to the ship before it continues (although unlike ocean cruises missing a river boat is usually not much of an affair - no more than an one hour trainride.

 

In Cologne (cathedral) and Mainz (Gutenberg-Museum) the ship will usually dock right in the city center and it will only be a  short walk to your destinations. Strasburg is not located on the Rhine and the ship will berth in a suburb, Kehl, which is on the German side of the river. But there is a tramway, which brings you directly into downtown Strasburg.

Ask if the company are offering shuttle-buses back to the ship and where and when in town they leave. Make sure you have got an "address" of the ship location to show a cab driver, just in case. Have Euros in cash, German cab drivers are usually not accepting plastic money.

[FlipperGal]

Thank you so much for the detailed information and suggestions. This has made us feel much more comfortable and confident about being able to manage this cruise and see the sites we want to see.

Thanks again from two cool old cruisers!

[Gourmet Gal]

I’m not sure about your particular cruise but be aware that sometimes the ship moves on to the next town while pax are ashore.

 

It’s too bad to miss out on some of the guided walks that you’ve paid for.   Consider that you’ll be in a very different time zone and will probably be waking up extra early which may give your husband time for a pre-breakfast coffee…

[sharkster77]

1 hour ago, Gourmet Gal said:

I’m not sure about your particular cruise but be aware that sometimes the ship moves on to the next town while pax are ashore.

 

It’s too bad to miss out on some of the guided walks that you’ve paid for.   Consider that you’ll be in a very different time zone and will probably be waking up extra early which may give your husband time for a pre-breakfast coffee…

Exactly--one difference pointed out, ocean vs. river cruise, is that river cruises are more expensive than on the ocean.  Though part of that increased cost is due to way fewer passengers, another is that, as you point out, there is an excursion in every port that you have paid for.  

[FlipperGal]

Thanks for the encouragement about trying to do the included morning tours. We're hoping it will work, but husband had surgery five years ago which can make early mornings tricky. Keep your fingers crossed for us. We're glad to know we can tour on our own if we have to.

[Techno123]

We are leaving next Tuesday and had planned to do the Philosophers Way in Heidelberg until Coyboy who has been posting his Avalon Rhine experience said the people who did it had to go with the Black Forest trip at 8:30am then spend 4 hours on their own waiting to be collected to go back to the ship for 4pm 😱. So we intend to do the Mainz walking tour instead and that definitely leaves after lunch 😁

[notamermaid]

Will you be in Mainz on 20, 21 or 22 May? Then you will find it very busy. The almost once in a lifetime chance to see the "we celebrate the Land" in the capital Mainz.

 

I will write about it in the Rhine thread.

 

notamermaid

 

[Techno123]

Hi notamermaid - yes we are there on the 20th. I will pop over to the Rhine thread to see what you have to say. We have booked a walking tour so hopefully the guide will be knowledgeable (unless you fancy the job 😜) Should I be excited 😁?

[notamermaid]

Thank you, I am sure your guide will be very good. But I would enjoy taking some cruisers to some hidden places away from the standard towns.

 

To be honest, I have not been to Mainz city centre for quite a few years. I am busy at work but hopefully I can get to the festival next weekend.

 

Excited? Hmm, not sure. It can be great, seeing that you will see the whole width and breadth, for want of a better expression, of what my state is about.

 

notamermaid

 

[Techno123]

47 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

Thank you, I am sure your guide will be very good. But I would enjoy taking some cruisers to some hidden places away from the standard towns.

 

To be honest, I have not been to Mainz city centre for quite a few years. I am busy at work but hopefully I can get to the festival next weekend.

 

Excited? Hmm, not sure. It can be great, seeing that you will see the whole width and breadth, for want of a better expression, of what my state is about.

 

notamermaid

 

Then I look forward to enjoying our day in Mainz even more than I was anticipating - danke 😁