2023 Rhine River
France, Normandy, Switzerland Alps, Germany and Netherlands Includes Land Tours in France & Switzerland 17 day cruise/tour - September 30, 2023
Information
Tour Information
Countries Visited:
Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland.
Major Cities Visited:
Grindelwald, Zermatt, Basel in Switzerland. Heidelberg, Breisach, Rudesheim, Cologne in Germany. Mont Saint Michel, Normandy, Strasbourg, Riquwihr, Versailles, and Paris in France. Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
Tour Overview:
7 nights 5-star Luxury Rhine Cruise from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Includes all shore excursions designed by Fun For Less Tours.
Major Tour Highlights: Trummelbach Falls, train and cable car ride near Grindelwald, the old town of Strasbourg, Heidelberg Castle, The Rhine River Cruise Schloss Burg Castle. Cologne Cathedral, Zermatt and the Matterhorn, Normandy Beaches, Mont Saint Michel, Riquewihr, Versailles, the Louvre & the Eiffel Tower and the Chateaux in the Loire Valley.
Click below to see the Chateau’s of Loire Valley in Tours, France
Pricing
Package Price Includes:
OUR PACKAGE PRICE IS A COMBINATION OF TWO PACKAGES:
The Rhine River Cruise with AmaWaterways (with savings up to $1,800 per person) AND our special Land Tour and Hotel Packages in Switzerland & France.
AmaWaterways Rhine Cruise Package Includes:
- 7 nights sailing on a 5-star luxury river boat from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam, Netherlands with AmaWaterways.
- Cabin Category D: Two Large Port Hole Windows.
- Shore Excursions.
- Three quality meals onboard the ship every day.
- Free internet.
- Free movies.
- Bottled water, bathrobes, and slippers free in each cabin.
- All bicycles and helmets on board are free to use.
- OPTION to upgrade to French Balcony or the mini-suite double balcony.
Rhine Cruise Package Price Cat D: $4,198
Plus, Ship Port & Taxes: $200
Minus Fun For Less Discount: ($1,000)
TOTAL SHIP SPECIAL PRICE: $3,398
HERE IS WHAT IS INCLUDED IN OUR SPECIAL SWITZERLAND & PARIS LAND PACKAGE:
- Eight days of buses, tours, and entrance fees in Switzerland, Netherlands, and France.
- All transfers to and from airports, hotels, trains, and your river cruise ship.
- Grindelwald hotel at the base of the Eiger.
- Hotel near Normandy, France.
- Deluxe hotel in Paris, France.
- Deluxe hotel in Tours, France.
- Special Entertainer/Educator/Fun For Less Tour Manager: George Dyer
- High-speed train Paris to Switzerland.
- High-speed train from Grindelwald to Zermatt and back.
- Clog train ride in Grindelwald.
- Cable car.
- Entrance fees.
- Buses & guides in Switzerland and France.
Cruise Package: $3,398
Land Package: $2,995
Package Price: $6,393 - Total for both Packages*
*Does not include international air and tips.
Important Note: We have phenomenal pricing for the BEST river cruise line In Europe, AmaWaterways. Because we charter AmaWaterways’ ships, we are able to pass on those huge savings to you. The ship will often offer a $250 early bird discount. With our special savings, you save between $1,000 and $1,700 per person. Yes, that is per person!
See cabin upgrades and pricing below.
Category Package Upgrade Price SAVINGS off of Ship Pricing:
Category Package Upgrade Price Savings of the ship
Cat D Porthole Cabins. Included in Package. $1,000 per person
Cat C French Balcony $700 per person $1,100 per person
person Cat BB Double Balcony $1,100 per person $1,300 per person
person Cat BA Double Balcony $1,300 per person $1,300 per person
person Cat AB Double Balcony $1,500 per person $1,300 per person
person Cat AA Double Balcony $1,700 per person $1,300 per person
person Luxury Suite $2,600 per person. $1,700 per person
Itinerary
This is a partial list, and subject to change as needed to accomplish everything we can in each area we visit. We will have local guides who will make sure we see the very best in the time we have.
Day 1: September 30: Fly to Paris
Fly from the US to Paris.
Day 2: October 1: Paris
Early afternoon arrival into Paris. After clearing customs, we will do a short city tour of Paris before going to our hotel.
Day 3: October 2: Paris
Today we will tour Paris. We will visit the Louvre Museum, the home of the Mona Lisa. And later we will visit the Eiffel Tower.
Day 4: October 3: Normandy Beaches
This will be a highlight day. Today we will drive approximately 2 hours to Normandy. Our tour will include a visit to the Omaha Beach site where the American troops landed on D-day. We will also visit The American Cemetery, which is situated above Omaha Beach. Overnight near the Normandy area.
Day 5: October 4: Mont Saint Michel – Tours
This morning we will travel down the coast of France to the majestic island of Mont Saint Michel. This fortified monastery which looks like a castle, is located on an island just off the coast of France. It was built approximately 700 years ago and today, it looks and feels the same. Then we will continue to Tours, where we will overnight for the next two nights.
Day 6: October 5: Loire Valley – Tours
The Loire Valley and surrounding area is home to 1,000 chateaux and palaces. We will visit 3 of the top chateaux today. The 3 chateaux we plan to visit are; de Chambord, Chenonceau, Cheverny. Overnight in Tours.
Day 7: October 6: Paris
Today we will drive back to Paris. We will make a picture stop at the Paris Temple. Then we will continue to Versailles to visit this prestigious royal palace which was built by Louis XIV more than three centuries ago. Later we will continue to our hotel.
Day 8: October 7: Paris – Grindelwald
This morning we will take a high-speed train to Switzerland. On arrival, we will drive through the Alps to Grindelwald. We will spend two nights in this quaint village.
Day 9: October 8: Grindelwald– Zermatt– Grindelwald
We will depart our hotel early morning to the train station that will take us to Zermatt. The train will take us through Switzerland’s beautiful Alps. Upon arrival, we will have free time to enjoy this picturesque town and views of the Matterhorn. You will have the option to add a cog-wheel mountain ride up to the Gornergrat Ridge at over 10,000 feet, for an additional cost. From there, you have the opportunity to see the highest mountains of your trip, including a majestic view of the Matterhorn. After our visit to Zermatt, we will take the train back to Grindelwald to overnight.
Day 10: October 9: Grindelwald – Basel
Today is a big highlight day!! We will drive into a beautiful glacier-cut valley where you will see jaw-dropping rock formations and waterfalls. A little bit further, in this same valley, you visit the Trümmelbachfälle, a series of ten waterfalls “inside” the mountain!! It is truly one of the natural wonders of the world. Then we will drive to the Lauterbrunnen train station, where we take a cog-wheel train to Kleine Schediegg. You will enjoy the majestic panorama of the Jungfrau Group from the train. After our tour, we will drive approximately 2 hours to Basel, where we will board our AmaWaterways ship.
Important Note: Amawaterways includes premium shore excursions at no additional cost. In many of the ports of call, the ship may offer different shore excursions, often including a bicycle tour. Our owners have selected what they felt to be the best shore excursion for each port. After you arrive at the ship, if you decide that you would like to make a change to a different tour, you can make that change onboard. Please note that the shore excursions we recommend in the day-to-day itinerary below could be different from what the ship offers in 2022. This is the best of what they are currently offering.
Day 11: October 10: Basel
Shore excursion to Basel. Enjoy getting to know Basel, Switzerland’s third-largest city, an important university, banking, and trade center. Basel’s glorious past is still evident in its medieval town hall, richly decorated market square, and exquisite 18th-century patrician homes.
Day 12: October 11: Strasbourg, France – stunning beauty
Today we will do the AmaWaterways Strasbourg City Tour with free time in Strasbourg.
Day 13: October 12: Speyer
During the day, we take the Heidelberg Castle Tour, which includes free time in Heidelberg. In the evening, we will visit Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet – well worth the visit!
Day 14: October 13: Rudesheim – Along with Rhine Gorge sailing. World Heritage section of the Rhine.
There are approximately 40 castles and fortresses along the Rhine Gorge. This part of the Rhine is a major highlight. In Rudesheim, you will also enjoy a Gondola Ride with some free time in the Village.
Day 15: October 14: Cologne
With a 2,000-year history of continuous habitation, Cologne is known for its charming Old Town and its fabled 13th-century Gothic Cathedral. The guided tour will take you on a stroll through the Old Town where you will see such sites as the Cologne Rathaus, Germany’s oldest town hall; the Fishmarkt, which dates back to the 12th century and the Great St. Martin Church. With the tour ending at the Cathedral Square, you’ll have a chance to admire the cathedral, which was the tallest building in the world at the time of its completion. Spend your free time visiting some of the old-fashioned shops lining the streets, experiencing the Cologne way of life.
Day 16: October 15: Amsterdam
Today we will do an Amsterdam City Tour & Canal Cruise: A combination of bus, walking, canal cruise, plus a visit to see a windmill.
Day 17: October 16: Fly
Transfer to the airport for your flight back to the US and home.
