Pre and post cruise add ons for Viking's Elegant Elbe river cruise

[Belle Star]

On this trip we will be starting in Prague and ending in Berlin. These are 2 cities we have not visited before so we were interested in the offer to extend our stay in both places through Viking. When we inquired what the cost would include ($2,200 for 2 day stays in both cities for 2 people), we were told that this only covers the hotel rooms with breakfasts and the availability of a Viking rep on site to assist with "concierge" type support. There are no guided tours or other activities included. This seemed a bit steep to us and wondered if we would be better off making our own arrangements in both cities. Are there any advantages to booking the extra days through Viking that are not apparent to us? Thank you.

[SOShrink]

The only advantage is having their airport transfers and to not have to pack and schlep your luggage to a different hotel from the one they use. If you think it’s worth the money to have a stress-free vacation and you don’t mind the expense, then go for it. However, many travelers like the fun and challenge of finding their own hotels and making their own arrangements. There are plenty of incredible places to stay in both cities!

 

 

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[TravelerThom]

On this trip we will be starting in Prague and ending in Berlin. These are 2 cities we have not visited before so we were interested in the offer to extend our stay in both places through Viking. When we inquired what the cost would include ($2,200 for 2 day stays in both cities for 2 people), we were told that this only covers the hotel rooms with breakfasts and the availability of a Viking rep on site to assist with "concierge" type support. There are no guided tours or other activities included. This seemed a bit steep to us and wondered if we would be better off making our own arrangements in both cities....

Simple answer unless money means nothing - YES you would be better off doing it yourself.

 

Prague and Berlin both definitely deserve an extension but I find it hard to believe that Viking’s hotel is worth $550 a night. We did the Elbe on Viking some years ago starting in Berlin; arrived several days early and stayed in a quaint place that had been on East Berlin that had a fantastic breakfast spread. 2 bedrooms, kitchenette 1.5 baths for 49 Euros a night (of course I think we lucked out; we had just booked a regular room). IMO much nicer overall than the Berlin Hilton we stayed after joining Viking. And the desk was quite helpful with bus schedules, walking suggestions etc.

[wheezedr]

Generally there is no advantage but they cater to travelers who are not independent and want all there travel arranged. We always book independently. It is cheaper and you have more control over where you stay. Getting to and from the ship as well as airports is not hard in most European cities.

[krillsister]

We did Viking Elbe in Sept 2016. We started in Prague and went 3days earlier. We rented a vbro apartment. We usually ate breakfast in but chose to eat all our meals out. We did the same for Berlin. Most of the attractions in Berlin are free. Save at least 1 day for the museums.

Doing it on your own is way cheaper.

[steverhodes]

On this trip we will be starting in Prague and ending in Berlin. These are 2 cities we have not visited before so we were interested in the offer to extend our stay in both places through Viking. When we inquired what the cost would include ($2,200 for 2 day stays in both cities for 2 people), we were told that this only covers the hotel rooms with breakfasts and the availability of a Viking rep on site to assist with "concierge" type support. There are no guided tours or other activities included. This seemed a bit steep to us and wondered if we would be better off making our own arrangements in both cities. Are there any advantages to booking the extra days through Viking that are not apparent to us? Thank you.

 

 

 

We are on the Elbe next year and booked both Berlin pre and Poland post. If you go on extensions you’ll have lots of optional but paid excursions available to you plus a nice hotel and the transfers.

 

 

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[TravelerThom]

Quick DIY tour suggestions.

 

Prague take the tram to the Petrin Hill funicular (free transfer from tram to funicular), ride to top, enjoy the park, walk downhill to the Castle complex and then on down the hill to Charles Bridge. A lovely half day hitting many highlights for practically no cost. Maybe a mile of walking but all downhill with lots of places to stop along the way.

 

Berlin City busses 100 and 200 are a cheap version of HOHO just without the commentary, but I’d rather use a guide book than have some machine yap at me. You probably want a day pass that covers almost all transport in Berlin (and the ABC zone includes Potsdam).

 

Note that much public transport in Europe operates on an enforced honor system. You buy a ticket, VALIDATE IT (in a time stamp machine) and just walk in. Once a day or week pass is validated no further validation is needed the next time. No turnstiles, no conductors BUT there are random inspections by plainclothes officials (with credentials) and the fines are substantial. Some variations between cities but those are to general rules. And almost all ticket machines are multi-lingual and offer English.