Optional excursions Cesky Krumlov or Salzburg

[JackieCZA]

We've booked our first river cruise on Emerald waterways, Budapest to Amsterdam 21 July. On the Passau stop there are optional tours to Cesky Krumlov or Salzburg. Any advice which tour to take, or should one just stick with the include walking tour of Passau.

[TrulyBlonde]

Cesky is adorable and well worth the visit. I just returned in May. We have been to Salzburg prior, therefore chose the medieval and historic town. Definitely do one or the other vs: a walking tour.

[Got2Cruise]

Salzburg is a fantastic place. Add extra stars if you are a Sound of Music fan. On our sailing some folks were disappointed by Cesky Krumlov because it seems many tourists from all over the globe have discovered it and it was packed. Not the quiet, magical place as advertised.

[Kenato]

If you are a Sound of Music fan, then Salzburg should be your destination as it was for our friends who really enjoyed it. We opted for Cesky Krumlov. We were not disappointed and found it a charming little town with plenty to see. We were there in early June and did not find it crowded. Some beautiful old buildings and good places to eat. Both are long drives but we found ours very interesting and our driver helped by diverting at times and showing us areas of interest. Good luck with your decision and I am sure you will enjoy either trip.

[lackcreativity]

We've booked our first river cruise on Emerald waterways, Budapest to Amsterdam 21 July. On the Passau stop there are optional tours to Cesky Krumlov or Salzburg. Any advice which tour to take, or should one just stick with the include walking tour of Passau.

 

Not to make your decision more complicated, but Passau was one of our favorite stops on our cruise on the Danube. It is a lovely little town, and we had an especially good guide. The damage is all repaired now, but the information about the flooding in 2013 was really dramatic. We ate lunch in town that day, and just happened to wander into a great place with a young English speaking German proprietor who loves baseball, and runs a local league. It was a fun day.

 

That being said, we have never been to Cesky Krumlov (would love to go) or Salzburg. My guess is you can't make a bad choice here!

[acwmom]

We visited all three last year, and it really is a tough choice.

 

We did Salzburg on our own, and will be returning next year, at the end of our Danube cruise. We spent two days there. We are not Sound of Music fanatics, so that didn't play into our decision. We found it to be incredibly charming, and the people very friendly.

 

 

 

We took Avalon's optional tour to Cesky Krumlov. There were two other Avalon ships there that day. It wasn't terribly crowded, but our guide, in town, was terrible, and focused more on where we should shop, than the history of the town. We eventually left the tour, and walked around on our own, going to the castle, and ascending to the top of the tower. I would call it a great photo stop, for a day trip, but I can't say that I found it to be too much more than that.

 

 

Passau is s fantastic riverside town! Honestly, I would choose that option, for a few reasons. The other two are decent length bus rides, which limits your time. Passau has a fortress you can visit, overlooking one side of the town, and a church on the opposite hillside. It has riverside biergartens. Where you can sit, relax, and live like a local. Excellent shopping. And a beautiful cathedral (St. Stephen's) with The largest cathedral organ in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

My other reason why you might want to stay in Passau is for the scenic cruising. I assume there will be a stop along the way to let guests off for the trips to the other two places. The cruising along the Danube and into Passau is one of my favorite stretches of scenic cruising.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums