best option with a 10 year old

[Theresab1103]

I am enjoying all the reviews and trying to at least narrow down my itinerary choice. All I know for sure is that we will be traveling next year on a river cruise in Europe. I expect we will be the youngest on the ship, especially if we travel in the fall vs Dummer. Travelers will be myself and my 10 year old daughter, Lucy. We are debating between Bordeaux and the Rhine. Lucy has requested castles as her #2 priority (#1 is Harry Potter Studio in London). I figure we will do a pre or post stay in London depending on what cruise we take. I have eliminated nothing and it's driving me nuts. I want to do it all, so I ask you veteran river cruisers, what will we enjoy best! Am a waterways has kids friendly cruises but it seems they just add a children's menu. My child rarely eats off the kids menu and has a great palate. I like the cruises with bikes but that is just a nice perk. Help!

 

Theresa

[joanne2]

I have not cruised either route yet. But my first thought after reading cc posts for some time is that Bordeaux trips are wine centered, lots of tastings, etc. Rhine has lots of history as well as the scenic beauty. I would pick Rhine for an under 18 year old.

[steamboats]

Theresa,

 

I second Joanne. The Rhine river offers more castles than the Bordeaux trip. Although the vineries are called "chateau" they are no castles.

 

The French castles are located along the Loire river.

 

steamboats

Edited May 17, 2014 by steamboats

[notamermaid]

Hello Theresab1103,

 

river cruising is not the ideal holiday for a 10-year-old which you have probably gathered from the cruise lines' information and the posts here on cruisecritic. But that does not mean your daughter will not enjoy it. As we all know every child is different. :)

 

Arosa has international sailings, i.e. you have usually a mix of German and English native speakers and a few others folks. They have child-friendly, i.e. an adapted itinerary, cruises. I think they do not market them outside of Germany, though.

 

As London's Harry Potter is requested, you could do a pre-cruise first and then take the Eurostar to the Continent, with connections to Amsterdam or Cologne for the start of your cruise. The lower Rhine, especially in the Netherlands is not ideal for castles, but Amsterdam is very much enjoyed by cruisers (I have not been there yet). A Rhine/Moselle cruise is a nice combination, some itineraries include Luxemburg city, which has a type of castle.

 

Bordeaux is great, as we have read, but I would say that your fellow cruisers on a Rhine cruise might be a better mix for your ages.

 

The Rhine itinerary usually includes the Rhine gorge with dozens of castles to look at from a distance and one - normally Marksburg - that is then actually visited on a trip.

 

Cruises are usually 7 days on that river but five-day-cruises (and shorter) are available.

 

Oh, when you are in London do not forget to go to the Tower of London. Highly recommended. That would be the first castle of your trip, then. ;)

 

You could have a look at youtube videos, there are private and official cruise line videos, perhaps together with your daughter. Something might strike you as a must-see...

 

notamermaid

[Theresab1103]

Thanks for the feedback. She's not the typical child traveler. She is happy to pass up the theme parks for a "real" vacation (her words, not mine). She has grown up in the parks and thinks of them like most families think of a city Park. I work for 2 of them so she is fortunate to go several times a month. She is determined to see a castle not made out of fiberglass.

 

I want to do Bordeaux for me and I can admit that. We watched a video of a Rhine cruise and she loves the idea. We are game for a 12 day. She's used to both megaship and small boat ocean cruising, so river cruise won't be a challenge for her.

[FuelScience]

I agree with the previous note suggesting the Middle Rhine and Moselle. On the Middle Rhine, you'll cruise down the Rhine Gorge and see castles at every turn.

 

Most cruises on these rivers include tours of the Reichsburg castle at Cochem and the Marksburg just south of Koblenz. I think that I've seen two itineraries that include both rivers. The ship piece tends to be from Luxembourg/Trier to Basel or Nuremberg.

 

Next year Viking will offer the Rhine Rhapsody (Paris to Basel) with pre- or post-cruise stay in Paris. AMA offers Vineyards of the Rhine and Mosel that goes from Paris to Amsterdam and includes the Middle Rhine. Whereas Viking gets you from Paris to Luxembourg via bus, AMA sends you on the high-speed TGV train.

 

Hope this is useful,

FuelScience

 

FuelScience

[cbb]

If you can go to Amsterdam, I'd think she'd enjoy that. Windmills, making of cheese, canal cruise, bikes everywhere so you could ride them there. Get the fixings for a picnic and go to one of the parks. Perhaps a day trip out of Amsterdam to see reclamation from the sea...all cool things for 10 year old.

 

Would Anne Frank interest her yet? You could get the tickets for the house online before you left. Is she into art...Van Gogh Museum for a couple of hours or less might be nice.

 

I also think she'd enjoy the Rhine, although the Danube has some pretty neat places as well, Vienna, Budapest, getting a tour of Sound of Music spots, riding some very awesome subways (Budapest's was great)

 

Show her Tripadvisor.com and let her do some research on some of the "things to do." Have fun planning.

[Ozjohnno]

Tauck have some great trips, yes on the river, for families. Here is but one example in France ....

 

http://www.tauck.com.au/tours/europe-tours/france-tour/france-river-cruising-zr-2015.aspx

 

There are a couple of others on the Rhine as well. As these are especially designed for the family may I suggest you give them a look as well.

 

Rod