rcaruso

Oh das ist schade. But Christmas Market will be open in Vienna. We will be picking up folks soon in Straubing.

Ok just got notice that we will stop in Regensburg at 12 and then leave at 2pm to traverse the piece of the Danube between Regensburg and Passau. The lowest is at 282 cm and the ship will sail through. Most people will be off ship due to tours and meet ship at Straubing. So we will sail through for now.

Thanks, we love Passau , have been many times. Was there last year after our cruise in November when they had to remove the Christmas market due to Bavarian regulations for Covid, so sad.

We are on our way to Regensburg from Nuremberg. We will dock in Kelheim in am to let people off for Munich tour. Will be in Regensburg after lunch. Expecting rain, and Viking is expecting we sail on Thursday to Passau, keep your fingers crossed!

We board today in Amsterdam. Looks like ok for Rhine and Main, worst would be 1 ship swap. Thanks for all your posts!

Thanks! Will try and report on the Grand European 2022 Roll Call.

No am not going to Rothenburg, been there, done that. We are taking this cruise purely for relaxation as been to all these places before, and do not want to be on a lot of buses with sick folks. I have just recovered from a walking pneumonia, I got late September after a visit to Disneyworld. I do like Rotenburg, we did stay 2 nights several years ago and a great place after the tourists are gone, the nightwatchman tour is great. I don't recommend the Schneeballen as if you don't eat while fresh, they taste pretty stale, like eating strips of old pie dough. But for first timers, they should get one.

Well, I thought this time might sail through the whole 14 days, I'm keeping fingers crossed. Our ship leaves Amsterdam on the 8th, so hopefully around the 15th things change for better, if not ship swap! On Viking.

Sometimes they check and sometimes not. We mostly see no checking on the s8/s9 to Frankfurt to airport etc, however in Munich we took train from airport to Hauptbahnhof and they checked, we were fine, but a tourist from asia wasn't so lucky ( the guys looked like bums, I guess undercover, but it was legit). Enjoy your trip, you will be a master at the train system for your next visit!

In the app you will be offered the regional Bayern, Land Quer Durch etc tickets and can get day of. I just book one way, and then book another one way when leaving. Depending where you are the single fare to Mainz may need to be bought at the automatic ticket dispenser. It is so much easier having the qr code for the trip easily accessed on your phone from the app, the train personnel will just scan the code.

Download the DB App and you can buy your train ticket on that. Generally I bought the ticket right before take off, but now if using 2nd class regional I will buy it when I get there, as no price difference. With the savings rate on First Class you need to buy it in advance as it goes up the closer to departure.

I have just been informed the Regional Farmer's Market in Wertheim on Wednesdays is in jeopardy of closing completely. I wonder how many of us like to go to the Farmer's Markets and see the regional products. I myself like the apples! And any jarred dryed products to bring home with me. This regional farmers market is on Wednesday and Saturday's in Wertheim and Thursday in Karlstadt (don't have the other infos). I'm just wondering if anyone has any interest in touring and tasting Franconia farmer's markets? I am partial to Franconia (part of Bavaria, on the Main River), a part of Germany that also has the history and half timbered houses and castles. Admistrator: If this should go to the Main River topic, please move. Thanks,

Lindau a quick bus/taxi ride from town.

Been to Lindau, got off ship in Lindau last year on Danube Waltz. There is a german bus that stops there and a grocery store. Was a little disappointed as we expected to walk to the train station from the dock right in Passau. Ended up having a taxi called--not very expensive.

That's too funny. That's the hotel we stay at when in Wurzburg. Quite a hike from the train station, but best view of the river and fortress. Love it!

Lovely blog, we were on the Rinda in November of 2021. I believe the Restaurant Manager Alex is the same, and Super Mario is serving in the restaurant. Bogdan is wonderful, we had also Dani in the bar and he was fantastic. Good Ship, we so enjoyed our time on the Rinda, although we did miss all of Austria due to Covid retrictions.

My favorite is Silvaner, dry white wine in the rounded bottle. Julius Spittal has a tasting room--also you can find the Wurzburg app and add it to your phone will give you additional places. The hills on the Main are covered in vines. Enjoy.

Yes, the bus trips leave much to be desired. We do land trips as well, and much enjoy staying along the Main several days in many towns. Since we have done many cruises it is not so important for us to get off in Miltenburg etc, yet a place like Vienna we can always find something new to do; Sorry to misread the issue.

Not so on the Main. Miltenburg, Wertheim, Karlstadt, Wurzburg on river or within a short walk. Bamberg not, and Nurnberg doesn't count as off the Main Rhine Danube Canal, Unfortunately Viking doesn't look at Aschaffenburg, Lohr (Snow White House) etc, all on river---not big tourist draws, but very charming.

Right now there is a special for regional trains second class, 9 euro per month. That started in June and continues July and August. The trains are pretty full right now due to the promotion, just FYI.

Thanks, I have attended a few of the glassblowers events, his shop is in Wertheim. Thanks for reporting.

Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbf--it is in the Terminal 1 (Lufthansa Terminal). If coming into Terminal 2 take the sky link to Terminal one and look for the signs for Fernbahnhof. Fern mean distance and the ICE trains are at that area. Also gleis means the track, so gleis 12 is track 12--all are numbered. In that general area will be the regional (red) trains that stop at most towns along the way making the travel longer, also the s8 and s9 that take you to Frankfurt city (Hauptbahnhof--Main train station). Also in the area of the train station in the airport will be DB Bahn ticket office, but if you buy your tickets on the app, you can get spar preis (savings price) by booking ahead as well as old age discount too--however on the ICE trains the spar peis is non refundable so if your plane comes in late, you need another ticket. Also spar preis means you can't change your ticket to another train. We used the old age price for a ICE train from Frankfurt airport to Wurzburg on June 1 this year and got a pretty good deal first class with seats, and our airplane actually came in early so we had a 3 hour wait, but not bad. You might consider taking the train half way to strasbourg spend a night and then next day take the train the rest of the way.

Download the DB Bahn App and you can play with it and pick from Frankfurt Flughafen (airport) not sure in Strasbourg where you want to end up, but most likey will want to take an ICE train (less stops). Not sure how much luggage your are taking, but be prepared to handle it during train changes. It is certainly do able. Also decide if you want to go 2nd class or first class, and definetly pay to get seats.

If you stop in Karlstadt, take a quick walk around the walled town, very quaint. Then the Bishop's Residenz is beautiful, but you can duck in the Chapel (no charge) to get a good feel for what the inside is like, especially if you do not want to go in to it. B. Neumann is a nice restaurant and you can sit outside sipping a Silvaner (lovely white wine from region) while enjoying the gardens of the Residenz (free also). The Alte Brucke is very similar to the Charles Bridge in Prague, but an aperol spritz, white wine etc and walk over the bridge and watch the water traffic (there is a lock there) and then return your glass for the refund of the pfand-deposit. Kupsch is a nice grocery store if you want to buy some wine, they have plenty. Wohrl has a nice rooftop outside coffee, pretty much on water, beautiful views of the Marian Fortress. Nice walking city. Keep us all posted, enjoy!

I just checked and the Mimir is sitting in the Vienna shipyard with the Prestige. We were on the Eistla from Amsterdam to Mainz in 2015 when we ship swapped twice to three different ships due to low water. Enjoy your cruise and I'll be watching your reports. Glad you made it!!