3 cruises with European experiences you’ll never find on your own
Discover exclusive experiences with Tauck Europe cruises.
| THIS ARTICLE WAS CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Tauck |
Exclusive insider access to destinations visited – and the belief that travel should be worth your time and money – form the foundations of Tauck, the gold standard of escorted cruising.
As the winter chill creeps in, it’s time to consider a European summer: think sun-dappled vineyards, historic castles and palaces, and cobblestone villages dotted with gourmet experiences. If river cruising is on your mind, Tauck Europe cruises stands above and beyond when it comes to providing your perfect river cruising holiday.
Cruise the rivers of Austria.
What makes Tauck different
If you’re asking, ‘yes, but why Tauck, and who are they exactly?’, you’re far from alone.
Tauck continues to fly under the radar in Australia with good reason: the family-owned company (now in its fourth generation since offering its first guided tour in 1925) rarely advertises, preferring to leave things up to word-of-mouth recommendations from its significant clientele of returning customers. It’s telling that more than half of their clients are repeat guests.
Feast while watching Viennese performances during a private Imperial evening at Palais Pallavicini.
Long considered the gold standard of escorted tours, Tauck offers high-end guided experiences across all seven continents, with a presence in over 100 destinations and more than 70 countries.
Featuring some 170 tours globally, their enviable portfolio of itineraries covers river cruising (side note: Tauck pioneered river cruising back in 1993, long before it became the popular travel option it is today), small ship cruises, escorted land tours and small group journeys averaging just 24 guests.
Stop for a walking tour of Guimaraes churches.
Close to a century of providing a blue chip experience for travellers aside, perhaps what’s most impressive about Tauck is the company-wide belief that travel should be worth your time and the price you paid.
Not only is a holiday with Tauck truly all-inclusive with no hidden charges or nasty surprises, but what truly sets the company apart is its investment in doing the right thing – both by its clients and the planet itself.
Cruise from Prague to Budapest with Tauck’s Blue Danube cruise.
As a result, those who book with Tauck can expect a wealth of tours and exclusive inclusions available nowhere else, whether it be a private Imperial evening at Vienna’s Palais Pallavicini or an evening in Tuscany with Under the Tuscan Sun author, Frances Mayes.
Sustainability and responsible tourism are also important to the company; to that end, Tauck is selective about which partners they work with. This can be seen, for example, in the choice of small ships that use hydro vessels, and in investments in environmental projects in tour destinations (such as the grants made each year to the preservation of USA national parks).
Treat yourself to a tour through the Alsace wine region.
“We come back to the word ‘purpose’ over and over again,” explained Tauck vice president of global sales and partner relations, Steve Spivak, at a Sydney event last year.
“We’re about inclusiveness, care and doing the right thing. We have to treat people’s travel visions with great care.”
Now you’ve got the background, the next question to ask is: which European cruise is best for you?
Discover new pockets of Budapest.
Cruise from Prague to Budapest
Charming riverside villages, medieval castles and cathedrals, and picturesque Wachau Valley vineyards; on paper, Tauck’s 12-day, Prague to Budapest The Blue Danube journey sounds magnificent, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg for this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Taking the waterways through Vienna, Bratislava, Regensburg and Salzburg (nine of the 12 days are the river cruising component), guests can expect to be wowed by a host of Tauck exclusives along the way.
Marvel at the huge library in Strahov Monastery.
Enjoy a feast at the aforementioned private Imperial evening at Palais Pallavicini (an experience which includes a gala dinner and Viennese performances), unwind with an aperitif and dinner in Prague Castle’s 16th-century Lobkowicz Palace, and immerse yourself in an intimate tour of Prague’s baroque libraries at Strahov Monastery.
It doesn’t end there, of course; guests can choose between a full day in Salzburg or Český Krumlov, and have the option of exploring the Imperial apartments at the Hofburg or Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.
Spend a full day exploring Český Krumlov.
Cruise along the Douro River
Immerse yourself in the 2,000-year legacy of Portuguese wine-making with an eight-day Porto-return cruise aboard the all-new MS Andorinha, tracing local wine to its source along the quintas (wine estates) and villages of the Douro River Valley region, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
A world of historic terraced vineyards and idyllic riverside villages awaits as you cruise through Pinhão, Peso da Régua, Guimarães and Côa Valley.
Cruise through the Douro River Valley region.
Tauck guests can also expect a private dinner at the Douro Valley wine estate Quinta do Poral, plus a port wine cocktail-making workshop (both Tauck Exclusives).
Other Villages and Vintages experiences include a guided walking tour of Porto, visits to the wine caves (with wine tastings) in Vila Nova de Gaia, a guided tour of Mateus Palace in Vila Real and a bicycle tour through Vinho Verde country.
Stop at incredible vineyards along the way.
There’s also a choice between a stop at the hilltop medieval village of Castelo Rodrigo, or a visit to the Museu do Côa in the Vale do Côa Archaeological Park.
Cruise along the Rhine
Highlights of the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland are all covered in the eight-day The Romantic Rhine cruise along the historic towns and cities linked by the Rhine.
Weave around the canals of Amsterdam.
Kicking off in Amsterdam and weaving its way around the castles, vineyards, cathedrals and lush countryside of Baden-Baden, Lucerne and Köln before winding up in Basel, this river cruise allows you to set your own pace.
Spot the elegant swans of Lucerne.
This cruise features a long list of experiences that reads like a novella (everything from scenic sailing through the castles and vineyards of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley and forest cycling tours, to a world-class spa visit in the Black Forest spa town of Baden-Baden, and a private farm-to-table dinner in the country at the EcoLut-Center.
Gaze upon the famous Cologne Cathedral.
But the Tauck exclusive is the jewel in the crown: who can go past an evening of fine dining and classical entertainment at Schloss Ehreshoven, a magnificent 15th-century castle?
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