Romantic Danube Cruise – Passau, Vienna, Bratislava & Budapest
12 days from £1,419 pp.
Visit: Sunset over Budapest, Hungary, Hungary
About the Tour
Love is in the air, because it’s hard to not fall head over heels for this romantic Danube River cruise. Sailing on the MV Esmeralda, you’ll meander your way through central Europe on the charming ‘blue’ river. Taking in picturesque scenery and visiting famous destinations such as Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava, you really are in in for a true romantic treat on board this special Leger river cruise.
Tour Includes
- 7 nights cruising with full board
- 4 nights hotel with continental breakfast
- 1 evening meal
- Convenient local joining points
- Travel by Silver Service coach
We offer flexible payment options
Once you have booked your tour either online, or by telephone ( 01709 787 463 ), you have the flexibility of how you pay off the remainder of your balance. You can:
- Use our balance payment facility online to make and track your card payments. You can pay as much as you want up until your final due date or pay it all, the choice is yours.
- Send payments via online banking.
- Send payments via cheque.
- Call us and make a card payment, either a small amount or as lump sum until your final due date.
Our contact and online banking payment details will be on your confirmation invoice to remind you of your choices.
Your Itinerary
Day 1
Local departure by coach or Door-to-Door service, then to Belgium for an overnight stay.
Day 2
Continue through Germany to the Regensburg area for an overnight stay.
- Included meals: Breakfast
Day 3
Passau
Passau
To Passau, picturesquely set where the Danube is joined by the Inn and Ilz rivers. Passau is known as the Three River city and is overlooked by the Veste Oberhaus which is an 13th century hilltop fortress. The Veste Oberhaus is home to the city museum and observation tower. The area offers many attractions for you to explore in your free time before arrive in Linz and board our cruise ship, the MV Esmeralda and begin our seven-night cruise.
- Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4
Danube Cruise to Vienna
Cruise the Danube eastwards passing through the wine producing area of the Wachau. Wachau is classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000, in recognition of its architectural and agricultural history. From the river you see Greinburg Castle and the ruins of Kuenringer Castle. Early evening arrival in Vienna.
- Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5
Vienna
Vienna
Spend the whole day in Vienna. Vienna has so much to offer from historical buildings and monuments to fine shops. Vienna is Austria's capital and has been shaped by many famous residents including Mozart, Beethoven and Sigmund Freud. Vienna is known for its Imperial buildings like the Schönbrunn and Habsburgs summer home so why not explore independently or join our optional sightseeing tour where a local guide shows you the city and sights. We then return to the ship and set sail early evening and cruise overnight to Budapest.
- Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6
Budapest with Sightseeing
Budapest
We arrive in Budapest and we will meet our guide for an included sightseeing tour of the city, by coach and on foot. Our guide will explain the history of the city with its two independent communities of Buda and Pest as well as pointing out the attractions of this beautiful city. Once you have finished the guided sightseeing tour and have an idea of what else you would like to see and do you can then spend the rest of the day enjoying the delights of the city. We leave early evening to cruise towards Bratislava.
- Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7
Bratislava
Bratislava
Morning cruising, then early afternoon arrival in the Slovakian capital. It is here that the Carpathian Mountains which begin at the Iron Gate of Romania, finally come to an end. This beautiful city has many monuments and attractions to see that can be found all over the city however don't miss the Old Town which was once under Hungarian rule and still has examples to show you from its interesting past. You can explore the city independently or join our optional, guided sightseeing tour by coach and on foot. Our guide will point out some main attractions and places of interest which you may not know about before hand.
- Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8
Dürnstein
Dürnstein
We have a full day relaxing on the river as we set form Bratislava in the early hours of the morning and travel to Dürnstein. It was here that Richard the Lionheart was kept captive, imprisoned in Castle Dürnstein by Leopold V Duke of Austria. We are expected to arrive in Durnstein mid-afternoon.
- Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9
Melk
Melk
Morning arrival in the picturesque town of Melk, where you can visit the 11th century abbey in your free time this morning. Melk Abbey is considered to be the finest Baroque church north of the Alps and is famous for its twin towers surmounted by helm roofs. There are many other attractions to visit in Melk including the Old Town with its squares and museums .We then travel on to Linz, arriving late this evening.
- Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10
Linz
Linz
Disembark in Linz, then travel by coach to our overnight stay in the Mainz/Frankfurt area.
- Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 11
Rhine & Moselle Valleys
Moselle
Today’s included excursion takes us through the Rhine Valley where you can marvel at the beautiful scenery including medieval castles, picturesque villages and vine-clad slopes. During the day why not enjoy an optional cruise along Germany’s largest river. We also see the town of Boppard, with its beautiful Rhine promenade. This afternoon, we continue along the Moselle River, the longest tributary river of the Rhine. Here you can join an optional wine-tasting at the House of Anton Hammes in Alken, one of the famous vintners of the area. The Hammes family have been vintners here for some 300 years, and you will be given a tour through the old cellars, where you will see some fine vintages. Enjoy tasting some of the different varieties of wines offered, before having the chance to purchase your favourites to bring home with you! Later this afternoon we continue north to Belgium for an overnight stay.
- Included meals: Breakfast
Day 12
Return home.
- Included meals: Breakfast
Your Excursions
Included Excursions and/or Ports of Call
- Visit to Passau - Pretty Old Town area
- Visit to Vienna - Classical imperial city
- Budapest with Sightseeing Tour - Grand capital of Hungary
- Visit to Bratislava - Historic old town and waterfront
- Visit to Dürnstein - Famous for its Castles
- Visit to Melk - Famous for its Abbey
- Visit to Rhine & Moselle Valleys - Picturesque vineyards and villages
Optional Excursions & Visits
- Vienna guided sightseeing tour - See the main sights
- Bratislava - Guided Sightseeing Tour
- Rhine cruise - See legendary castles
- Moselle Wine Tasting - Sample the wines of the area
Notes
| Cabin Upgrades (per person) | Twin |
| Promenade Deck Cabin | £80 |
No single rooms/cabins available.
Travel Insurance from £38.00 (12 days).
Frequently asked questions about our tours
Accommodation
You will spend seven nights cruising on the 3-star MV Esmeralda. Cabin accommodation is on two decks: main and promenade. There is a lounge with bar, restaurant and sun deck, and all of the cosy, functional twin-bedded cabins have picture windows, shower and toilet, colour T.V. and safety deposit box. The Esmeralda has a lift between the main deck and the promenade deck, and a stair lift between the promenade deck and the sun deck.
Cabins - Accommodation is on two decks – main and promenade – and all of the functional, cosy cabins have picture windows, shower and toilet, T.V., safety deposit box and twin beds.
Lounge/Bar - The Esmeralda has an inviting lounge where morning coffee and afternoon tea is offered each day.
Restaurant - Enjoy the Esmeralda’s tasty cuisine in the ship’s comfortable restaurant.
Overnight stays in Belgium and Germany will be in city-style hotels.
Mv Esmeralda
MV Esmeralda offers a high level of comfort and a family atmosphere. MV Esmeralda can accommodate 126 passengers on two decks and is air conditioned throughout. There is a lounge bar, restaurant and sun deck which is partially covered to allow you to enjoy the passing scenery whatever the weather.
- English Speaking Staff
- Guest Lounge
- Bar
- Restaurant
- Lift
- TV
- Bath and/or Shower
- Telephone
Atrium Im Park Hotel
The Atrium im Park hotel is set in tranquil surroundings close to local attractions such as Gewerbepark, Westbad, Walhalla and is a short drive to Nurnberg. The hotel facilities include a sauna, fitness room, lounge, a bar, a restaurant and Wi-Fi/Internet access. All bedrooms feature hairdryer, telephone, T.V and en-suite bathroom.
- English Speaking Staff
- Guest Lounge
- Bar
- Restaurant
- Lift
- WiFi Available
- TV
- Hairdryer
- Bath and/or Shower
- Telephone
Frequently asked questions about accommodation
If you prefer, then you can join the tour at the hotel. To do this, we will require a copy of your passport for identification purposes and you must advise us at the time of booking.
No reduction will be given if you should choose to do this.
We are unable to guarantee that the hotel will be able to meet your dietary requirements. We find that the majority of European countries do not generally cater for vegetarians and that the meal supplied may well be what everyone else is having minus the meat.
We will of course endeavour to arrange for a vegetarian meal at the hotel. We do however suggest that you advise us of your dietary requests at the time of booking and recommend that you speak to the receptionist on arrival with regard to your request.
Travel Information
- Travel Options
- Extra Services
Silver Service coach
Find out moreSilver Service
On most of our holidays you can upgrade to Silver Service, luxury coach travel, for comfort and style across Europe.
Relax and have a chat in the spacious rear lounge.
Servery on board offering a range of refreshments.
Enjoy the perfect temperature onboard with climate control.
Stay overnight near Dover
Find out moreWhy not go the night before your holiday for a relaxing start? You can park for FREE for up to nine days at the Holiday Inn Ashford North and enjoy an overnight stay with English breakfast from just £38 per person. This offer is subject to availability and based on two sharing a twin/double room on a B&B basis. We’ll then collect you from the hotel on the day of departure and return you there at the end of your holiday.
To book this package, please call the hotel on 01233 713333, quoting ‘Leger Holidays’ and your booking reference. If your holiday is longer than nine days you can pay for additional days’ parking. Ask one of our friendly reservations team for more details when you book your holiday.
Single supplements and terms and conditions apply.
Our Door-to-Door service
Find out moreOn Single Traveller holidays and coach holidays of 7 days’ duration or more, you don’t even have to think about getting to your local joining point. If you live within 20 miles of one of our free joining points we’ll pick you up from your home and take you to meet your transfer vehicle, then return you back home at the end of your holiday. The cost is from £35 per booking each way for up to four people per booking.
If you live a little further afield, you can also take advantage of this convenient option for an additional charge – please enquire at the time of booking.
Join coach at Interchange
Find out moreOn most holidays if you’d prefer to join your tour coach at Stop 24 services, you can park your car in the car park which is accredited by the Park Mark safer parking scheme and is monitored 24 hours a day by CCTV. Payment for the parking is made on arrival using the self-service machines.
Excludes holidays to Ireland and the U.K. and tours travelling via Brittany Ferries.
Looking for your local joining point? Enter your post code below
*Please note pickups are subject to availability.
Frequently asked questions about travel options
Front row seats can be reserved for £14pp (up to 6 days' duration), £22pp (7 & 8 days' duration) and £25pp (9 days' duration and over) on all European tours. This offer is only available for bookings of two or four persons on the front row and is subject to availability. In addition to this, seats on the second row can be reserved for £7pp (up to 6 days duration), £14pp (7 & 8 days duration) and £17pp (9 days duration and over). Guaranteed front/second row seats cannot be reserved on transfer journeys to/from the interchange. Children under 15 years cannot occupy a front row seat due to French Law. Central view seats are free.
Please note: On some coaches the legroom on front seats may be slightly less than that available on other seats due to the presence of a modesty board in front.
If your tour is cancelled for any reason and front/second row seats are not available on your new tour, you will be refunded the supplement. No other compensation will be payable.
Alternatively, we can take seating requests on your booking. However, requests are not guaranteed. All seat numbers are confirmed on travel documents approximately 7-10 days prior to departure.
Transfer coaches are routed approximately 2-3 weeks before departure. The route taken depends on where paassengers are booked to travel from on any particular date as to which route is taken. If you require further detailed information regarding the route to the port you can contact our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333 two weeks before you are due to travel.
With regard to the route taken by the main tour coach, this is determined by the driver.
OR
Call our reservations team on:
01709 787 463
To book this tour, just give our friendly team a call on 01709 787 463 or book online at www.leger.co.uk