Questions about the Avalon Tapestry?

[cal101]

Myself, DH and another couple will be on the Avalon Tapestry, Basel to Amsterdam (Romantic Rhine), May 6th sailing and I have a couple of questions. If I bring a dual voltage curling iron what else will I need to use it, adaptor or converter? We will also have a battery charger for the camera and my cell phone, am I correct in assuming that I can use the same thing for them? I also assume that I would use the same thing in the hotel in Zurich.

 

Can anyone tell me anything about the land tours? My DH has some mobility problems (mainly difficulty breathing when climbing more than one flight of stairs and hills). He knows that he will not be able to do all the tours and will bring a few good books, but can anyone tell me if all the tours will be too difficult? We will be stopping in Strasbourg, Heidelberg, Mainz, Rudesheim, Coblenz, Cologne and Amsterdam.

 

This will be our first river cruise and the excitement level is really starting to peak since there are only 24 days left until we leave for Zurich. Any information will be sincerely appreciated.

 

Carol

[Iceflower01]

If it is a dual voltage curling iron, you will only need a plug adaptor, for the battery charger the same. You will have dual voltage in the bathroom, as usual in any hotel. You can only charge batteries there, and use it for shaving. Zurich could be a bit different, as they have different plugs, not the usual European ones. If your plug adaptor is not working in Zurich, do not panic, it will work on the ship.

 

Make sure, that your cell phone is working in Europe as well, as we are using a different system for mobile phones. :-)

 

On the land tours you will use busses to get closer to "your" castles, museums, but in Europe usually you have to walk a bit. Take good walking shoes with you, as many streets are covered with cobblestones. Heidelberg will be the most difficult for your "better half", Cologne and Coblenz is walking only, (there is no way to use busses in the city center), the other city tours are partly walking.

 

You will see one of the most romantic part of the river, happy sailing!

[hobse]

cal101,

 

In our experience a great deal of walking is required for sightseeing. Additionally, on the Tapestry, you must go up/down stairs between your cabin, dining room, and lounge.

Specifically, the following were the tour descriptions provided on the Daily Handouts from our Basel-Amsterdam Tapestry trip (of course you can also venture out on your own and pace yourself as necessary):

Day 1

morning: Strasbourg City Tour & Canal Cruise (45-60 min. walking)

afternoon: Optional Alsace Wine tour or Black Forest with shopping

Day 2

morning: City Tour of Speyer (1.5 hours in total; 1 hour walking)

afternoon: Coach Tour to Heidelberg/Mainz (walking 45-90 min. or more) (it took us approx. 45 min. by bus to get to Heidelberg, then we had about 1 1/2 hr in town then 1 1/2 hr at the castle; then it was almost a 2 hr bus ride to Mainz)

Day 3

morning: Mainz City Tour (45-60 min. walk)

afternoon: Rudesheim with visit to Siegfried's Mechanical Music Museum (a mini train is provided to the musuem)

Day 4

morning: on board sailing past Rhine castles

afternoon: Coblenz sightseeing (walking tour 60-90 min.)

Day 5:

morning: Cologne City Tour, by little train (for the slow walkers) and on foot (60 min. walking)

afternoon: sailing to Amsterdam

Day 6:

morning: Amsterdam Canal Cruise (lasted approx. 1 1/2 hr)

afternoon: Optional Dutch Windmill Tour

evening: Optional Red Light District Tour or Optional Candlelight Cruise

 

Please ask if you have questions.

[cal101]

Iceflower01 and Hobse

 

Thank you so much for answering my questions, it was a big help!

 

Hopse, do you remember if there were a lot of hills on the walking tours?

[Iceflower01]

In Strassbourg you have to walk down to the canal boats, app. 100 m from the cathedral

In Heidelberg app. 100m walking up to the castle from the parking lot.

In Rudesheim if you decide to stroll around in the city, the famous Drosselgasse leads you down to the river.

Everything else is flat more or less. There is always a slow walking group, do not worry. Your DH is not the only one, who is concerned about hills and lot of walking. :-)

[hobse]

I don't really recall any big hills other than up to Heidelberg Castle, and it is not to be missed. But as IceFlower said, don't worry, there will be others in the same situation and you just take it slow.

[Iceflower01]

I agree with you hobse. :-) Which month have you been on the Tapestry?

[AWED23]

I don't really recall any big hills other than up to Heidelberg Castle, and it is not to be missed. But as IceFlower said, don't worry, there will be others in the same situation and you just take it slow.

Did you visit Trier? Any tours to Luxembourgh City ?

[hobse]

AWED23,

No, we were on the Romantic Rhine and we did not see Trier or Luxembourgh.

 

Iceflower, it was November.