Viking Danube -- July -- Need Excursion Advice

[BorisMD]

Hi all,

 

I've booked our first Euro river cruise (Viking, July 2024, Pre-cruise Prague extension, Regensburg to Budapest).

Travelers are my wife and me (both 61, she with limited mobility -- I push her lightweight manual wheelchair for extended distances; some walking and stairs are fine) and another couple.

Looking at the excursions list, I see that the included excursions are usually half day.

We are not power tourists (as in power through a heavy itinerary) but prefer a relaxing, yet educational, pace.

So, in reviewing the Viking optional excursions, I'm a bit taken aback by the cost for what appears to be a pretty minor tour.  I'm not opposed to doing some excursions outside of what the cruise line offers.

Any suggestions on how to go about finding guided tours in each stop? Also need some ideas for the Prague days.

 

Thanks!

 

Boris

 

 

 

[Rebel54]

Prague is very easy to get around on foot but there are a lot of cobblestones so not sure how they would be with a wheel chair.  There is public transportation ... not sure how well they handle wheelchairs.  I am pretty sure some of the underground metro's are not accessible.  Check out this link:

 

https://wheelchairtravel.org/prague/public-transportation/

 

There is Bolt (there's an app for that) which is similar to Uber which is very affordable and might be a good option for getting to places a bit farther way (the Castle complex, etc). 

 

More than likely the hotel that Viking provides will be near the Old Town Square so that will be nice for seeing the that, the Astronomical clock, some of the churches on the square.  There is a nice pathway along the Vltava which would be nice to stroll along for a great view.  The Charles bridge is a must see too.  My biggest recommendation would be to go out as early as possible to enjoy the sites without the crowds which would make navigating a wheelchair easier as well.

 

I don't know Viking but I know that Avalon includes a good tour at each stop which is included in the cost of the cruise.  As far as optional tours I look at Viator.  Viator is a little more expensive than direct with the vendor but it's just a nice easy way to schedule if budget isn't your main concern. You can schedule tours in advance and pay for them closer to arrival and cancel for free at a certain point.  You can probably also book while you are on the cruise...the day before or so which would be better in case you have a change in route or schedule due to water levels.

 

For example, I have booked a TukTuk tour in Budapest for when we arrive.  It will get us around to see some of the sights that I can't easily walk to and it will pick us up right at the ship and return us there as well.  I can cancel it up to a couple days before with no penalty. 

I hope you have an amazing trip.

Edited December 10, 2023 by Rebel54

[ljandgb]

We vastly prefer to find our own tours over those offered by the cruise lines.  The challenge with river cruises is that docking times and locations are frequently much more fluid than ocean cruises, making it hard to arrange a DIY tour.

 

If you do pick an outside tour, I actually do not recommend booking thru Viator.  If there is a problem, it can be difficult to speak to an actual human.  I do look on TripAdvisor, etc, to find potential tours, contact each company directly, and pick the one that has the best communication and willingness to provide what we are looking for.  Once in country, WhatsApp seems to be the communication option of choice.

 

Another option is WithLocals. They are pricier, but you can communicate directly with the guides to find something that works.  We've used them in several continents.

 

As for specifics for Prague, I don't have any experience that might help regarding the wheelchair.

[Mike R 2018]

My wife and I are on the Viking Var in July-  Possibly the same cruise.  We have booked our pre-cruise stay in Prague at the Augustine hotel which may be where you're staying.  

 

During our pre-cruise stay in Amsterdam a few years ago (on the Rhine Getaway), we had three Viking reps visit our hotel daily to offer advice on things to do and where to eat.  They were excellent on-site resources. They lived in Amsterdam...  Hopefully, you will have the same helpful on-site Viking staff at your Prague hotel.

 

We've used Tours by Locals in Sicily... It was a pricey, but excellent tour catering to our specific requirements.

 

...Hope this info is helpful/reassuring.

 

If you're arriving in Prague on 7/9/24 and staying at the Augustine, we may meet you there...

[AnhaltER1960]

On 12/9/2023 at 10:58 PM, BorisMD said:

Looking at the excursions list, I see that the included excursions are usually half day.

We are not power tourists (as in power through a heavy itinerary) but prefer a relaxing, yet educational, pace.

So, in reviewing the Viking optional excursions, I'm a bit taken aback by the cost for what appears to be a pretty minor tour.  I'm not opposed to doing some excursions outside of what the cruise line offers.

Any suggestions on how to go about finding guided tours in each stop? Also need some ideas for the Prague days.

 

Thanks!

Boris

Viking usually offer a "easy walking"/leisure group as part of the included tour programme. They may have different routes, more bussing etc., depending on destination, but will always care for guests with mobility issues. Optional excursions do not offer this alternative. So look carefully if the optional tours cover destinations you are really interested in and will otherwise miss.

Booking 3rd-party tours, please keep in mind that river cruise schedules can vary even on short notice, depending on water conditions/ locks/docking locations pp. Also the ship might move while guests are on tour and reboard at another place.  So this will require a detailed planning and flexibility you can only expect with a private tour just for you. And they will be pricey too.

[BorisMD]

13 hours ago, Mike R 2018 said:

My wife and I are on the Viking Var in July-  Possibly the same cruise.  We have booked our pre-cruise stay in Prague at the Augustine hotel which may be where you're staying.  

 

During our pre-cruise stay in Amsterdam a few years ago (on the Rhine Getaway), we had three Viking reps visit our hotel daily to offer advice on things to do and where to eat.  They were excellent on-site resources. They lived in Amsterdam...  Hopefully, you will have the same helpful on-site Viking staff at your Prague hotel.

 

We've used Tours by Locals in Sicily... It was a pricey, but excellent tour catering to our specific requirements.

 

...Hope this info is helpful/reassuring.

 

If you're arriving in Prague on 7/9/24 and staying at the Augustine, we may meet you there...

We'll miss each other -- we depart Minneapolis 7/1 and get to Prague on 7/2.  Thanks for the advice.

 

[Mike R 2018]

My wife and I are on the Viking Var in July-  Possibly the same cruise.  We have booked our pre-cruise stay in Prague at the Augustine hotel which may be where you're staying.  

 

During our pre-cruise stay in Amsterdam a few years ago (on the Rhine Getaway), we had three Viking reps visit our hotel daily to offer advice on things to do and where to eat.  They were excellent on-site resources. They lived in Amsterdam...  Hopefully, you will have the same helpful on-site Viking staff at your Prague hotel.

 

We've used Tours by Locals in Sicily... It was a pricey, but excellent tour catering to our specific requirements.

 

...Hope this info is helpful/reassuring.

 

If you're arriving in Prague on 7/9/24 and staying at the Augustine, we may meet you there...

 

Any questions?  I'll try to answer them for you. 

 

Here's a pic of the excellent Viking staff who visited us at our Amsterdam hotel...

[M.Travels]

The Viking home base in Prague is the Hilton Prague hotel, which is a large modern hotel and very wheelchair friendly. The Viking desk is on the first floor and they are happy to book you on Viking tours but they flat-out refused to help with any other city info, even recommendations between Uber and Bolt. This was our experience with the Viking desk in Berlin as well so I am under the impression it’s some sort of corporate change (sadly). If anyone else has a different experience from the past few weeks please post.

 

We found Prague beautiful but we were shocked at how difficult and dangerous the city was for anyone with mobility challenges, and that was true of most of the older cities in Germany as well. “Gorgeous but slippery” was the term often used by our market cruise friends. In our small group of 100 we had four serious falls that required hospitalization and/or immediate return to the US for surgery. Granted this was in December when it rained the whole time, but those old stone stairs and cobblestones are not to be underestimated.

 

The buses used by Viking in Europe are all very nice but they do have steep stairs to get on and off each time. 

[Mike R 2018]

Thanks for the updates.  Sorry things have changed.  We travelled pre-COVID, which may explain the changes...