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Christmastime in Alsace & Germany (Northbound) 2024

From Basel, Switzerland to Frankfurt, Germany
Length: 5 Days - Departs: Mon, Dec 02, 2024
Operator
Departure
Dec 02, 2024
Arrival
Dec 06, 2024

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Special Offers

LOW UNPUBLISHED PRICES ON AVALON WATERWAYS (GLOBUS) CRUISES
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Save $300 per couple on select 2024 Europe river cruises

Mention Promo Code: PT2890
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Save $300 per couple on select 2024 Europe river cruises

Save $300 per couple on select 2024 Europe river cruises

Promotion Details
Book a select 2024 Avalon Waterways Europe river cruise to receive $300 off per couple ($150 off per person) on the cruise/land or cruise only price. Plus, receive our AffordableTours.com everyday savings.
Must Book By Tue, Apr 30, 2024
View Promotion Terms & Conditions ›

*Book a select 2024 Avalon Waterways Europe river cruise to receive $150 off per person on the cruise/land or cruise only price. Booking must be made, under deposit and discount applied between October 1, 2022 and April 30, 2024 for travel in 2024. Promotional discount will apply to Groups of 8 or more who provide their Group Block Deposit within the promotion's booking dates and will apply to all individual members of the Group until the due date of the passenger names/non-refundable individual deposits. Some restrictions apply to select departures. Offer reliant on space availability at time of booking and may be withdrawn at any time. Offer combinable with Welcome Back Credit. Applies to new 2024 bookings only and offer will not be applied to pre-existing bookings. Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply; see Travel Terms & Conditions for details. May be withdrawn at any time. Offer applies to participating GFOB offices only. PRMW0893 PRMW0893

Up to $500 Welcome Back Credit for Repeat Travelers

Mention Promo Code: PT2504
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Up to $500 Welcome Back Credit for Repeat Travelers

Up to $500 Welcome Back Credit for Repeat Travelers

Promotion Details
With the Welcome Back Credit, the more you travel, the more credit you earn toward future vacations. You can easily redeem your Welcome Back Credit towards a future Globus or Cosmos tour, or use your credit to experience a Monograms package or Avalon Waterways river cruise. In addition to the Welcome Back Credit program, if your plans changed, you could also be holding onto additional travel credits through a Letter of Credit and Peace of Mind Bonus Credit. The credit amount is based on the overall value of your vacation, from a $100 - $250 credit per person.
Must Book By Tue, Dec 31, 2024
View Promotion Terms & Conditions ›

The Welcome Back Credit is awarded upon completion of Globus family of brands vacations. Credit amount can only be applied to the land/cruise or cruise only portion of a new Globus family of brands vacation (excluding 2022 Oberammergau, Monograms City Getaways, and Custom/Charter vacations). Credit amount is per person and must be redeemed for a future vacation with a deposit within 2 years from date of credit issue. Bookings can be made by calling the Globus family of brands, online, or by contacting your preferred travel advisor. Passenger must activate redemption credit prior to redemption. Combinable with all applicable consumer promotions except those with any Globus family of brands special discount programs. Credit must be applied before final payment on a future booking. Credit is not redeemable for cash, non-refundable deposit, airfare, transfers, travel insurance, prepaid gratuities, pre/post nights, or optional excursions and is non-transferrable. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. Valid for all participating Globus family of brands offices. Additional restrictions may apply.


River Cruise Itinerary

This Christmas river cruise begins in Switzerland and takes you down the Rhine River to France and Germany, with beautiful passing views and quaint villages festively lit and decorated—a unique and unforgettable way to celebrate the season! Board your ship in Basel, Switzerland, then stop in Breisach, considered the gateway to Germany’s Black Forest. An area of unrivaled natural beauty, best known for Black Forest ham, cherry cake, and the cuckoo clock. There is no better setting than at this time of year when smoke curls from the chimneys of the traditional Black Forest houses. Strasbourg, France, located on the border with Germany, perfectly blends the cultures of both countries. The city is home to one of the oldest and finest Christmas markets in Europe—dating back to the 16th century. Take in the aromas of mulled wine, spice cakes, and biscuits. Bask in the holiday atmosphere as you visit Strasbourg Cathedral, a gothic masterpiece made of red sandstone, and containing ancient murals and fascinating astronomical clock. You’ll go on an excursion to Heidelberg, Germany, to visit the fascinating ruins of Heidelberg Castle, towering magnificently over the city. This time of year, an ice rink can be found at the foot of the castle and the Christmas market is spread over five town squares. Delight in the holiday cheer with Glühwein (hot mulled wine), bratwursts, and other regional delicacies. There’s plenty of time to find just the right Christmas present amongst the array of crafts, Christmas decorations, and gifts before this magical European river cruise ends in Frankfurt, Germany.

  1. Day 1
    BASEL, SWITZERLAND (EMBARKATION)
    Mon, Dec 02, 2024
    Welcome to Switzerland. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding. Flights into Zürich or Basel must arrive by 3 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm. Stroll through the city center, enjoy the festive illumination and savor Christmas delicacies like waffles, gingerbread, sweets and Swiss raclette.EVENING CRUISE TO BREISACH (D)BASEL-FESTIVE-MARKET.jpg
  2. Day 2
    BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST
    Tue, Dec 03, 2024
    German Winemaking and the Beautiful Black ForestDISCOVERY Visit to Badischer Winzerkeller, the largest German wine producer in Europe. Discover Germany’s southernmost wine country in Baden—between the Black Forest and the Rhine River. Learn about the vintners’ process in the vineyards here, and enjoy a wine tasting, OR:DISCOVERY Join a Guided Tour to the magical Black Forest to experience local traditions and the vibrant Christmas mood.You may choose to join a Guided Optional Excursion to visit the charming village of Colmar, with its half-timbered medieval and early renaissance buildings. Alternatively, spend your afternoon leisurely browsing Breisach’s lovely Christmas market to sample pretzels, mulled wine, and Black Forest cake.Later, enjoy live entertainment onboard.OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO STRASBOURG (B,L,D)BLACK-FOREST-CLOCK.jpg
  3. Day 3
    STRASBOURG, FRANCE
    Wed, Dec 04, 2024
    Joyeux Noël in Strasbourg CLASSIC Come along for City Sightseeing, including the city’s gothic, stained-glass cathedral with its celebrated ancient murals and astronomical clock, as well as the magical La Petite France District.You may choose to join a Guided Optional Excursion in a wine country village in beautiful Alsace. Spend free time this afternoon strolling through the glowing winter markets of Strasbourg.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO SPEYER(B,L,D)STRASBOURG-FESTIVE-CHRISTMAS-MARKET.jpg
  4. Day 4
    SPEYER, GERMANY. HEIDELBERG EXCURSION
    Thu, Dec 05, 2024
    Winter Wonders Fit for a King DISCOVERY Take a Guided Tour that includes the magnificent Heidelberg Castle and the Great Vat—the world’s largest wine barrel After the tour, visit the local German Christmas Markets in Heidelberg.Alternatively, enjoy a relaxing sailing morning and explore the sights and sounds, tantalizing treats, and seasonal handiwork of Speyer Christmas markets.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO FRANKFURT(B,L,D)HEIDELBERG-FESTIVE-CHRISTMAS-MARKET.jpg
  5. Day 5
    FRANKFURT (DISEMBARKATION)
    Fri, Dec 06, 2024
    Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning.Flights should not leave Frankfurt airport before 10 am.(B)FRANKFURT-FESTIVE-CHRISTMAS-MARKET.jpg

Countries Visited

France, Germany, Switzerland

Rivers Visited

Rhine

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Inclusions

  • In the event of technical or water level issues, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or alter the program, including hotel overnight when necessary.
  • Guided Tours, Optional Excursions, activities, sailing and docking schedules may be contingent on weather conditions or other issues outside of our control and could therefore be subject to change at any time.
  • Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler.
  • Christmas markets generally operate from late November until the third week of December.


Accommodation Information

Gateway city for arrivals is Zürich

Port charges:
$120

Avalon offers the opportunity for solo travelers to sail with no single supplement (subject to availability).

Please call for single accommodation price. Triples not available.

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Ship Information

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Cabins

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Life on Board

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Questions & Answers

Question: Will the day-by-day itinerary change?

Yes, the river cruise itineraries may change due to reasons such as inclement weather or unforeseen events. Your safety is the number one concern aboard and all precautions necessary will be taken in order to ensure passenger safety, including changing itineraries. Please note that when itineraries do change, the ship staff will do their best to substitute any missed port with an alternative destination.

Question: In what language is the river cruise conducted?

The river cruise will be conducted in English only.

Customer Reviews

Overall Rating
4.2
Accommodations
4.3
Itinerary
4.2
Professional Staff
4.5
Repeat with Operator
4
Value for Money
4.1

Ratings based off 78 reviews - currently showing 23 reviews with comments only

It was difficult to break larger bills on the trip, so I would recommend brings small bills for tips for excursions or staff members who are exceptional.

The entire Avalon staff were outstanding, especially our cruise director. I was very pleased to be able to book this trip with the single supplement waived.

Very enjoyable, relaxing experience. The accommodations, excursions, and service were exceptionally good.

I had a nice surprise of an upgraded cabin on the Avalon Tranquility II, done by the cruise lines. Very enjoyable to have a cabin with full window wall.

Despite the problem of the low water level of the Rhine in parts, Avalon went out of its way to provide us with wonderful shore accommodations and all the excursions we were looking forward to enjoying. They couldn't have been more solicitous of our situation. They are to be highly commended for the way the company handled the situation, and I would recommend this company to anyone looking to book a river cruise. They go above and beyond in caring for their passengers!

Was a great trip. Enjoyed every minute. We saw a lot of beautiful sites and cities.

Alex was very competent and professional. Whenever we had a question she would answer right away . We would definitely recommend her!

Wonderful trip, enjoyed every moment.

Excellent service. Once of a life time experience but wish that there extra days in smaller towns like Miltenberg etc to enjoy the culture of the place.

The entire cruise was wonderful. It was our first experience and it couldn't have been better. The staff was professional, courteous, fun and helpful. All the tours were well organized and very informative.

Avalon Waterways is a great company to travel with. They are efficient and have a variety of tours that you take. Very friendly people. Would highly recommend them.

We had a bad experience in that our room was flooded on the second day, thus we could not stay on the boat. However Avalon put us up in hotels and bussed us each day to the ship. They paid all of the expenses including a refund of our our cruise costs. We were able to do almost all of the same things that the other people on the cruise did. They were very upfront and tried to make the trip acceptable.It was unfortunate but it worked out pretty well for us.

There could have been more flexibility in the off-boat included tours. The trip felt very regimented. Up by 6:30/7:00 for breakfast, off the boat by 8:30 for the morning tour, back to boat for lunch, off the boat by 1:00/1:30 for afternoon tour, back to boat for some minor down time before dinner, then basically off to your stateroom for sleep. If you wanted some time for relaxation you felt like you were going to be missing out on something.

I would book another trip with Avalon but would want a different experience. We are in our mid 50's and the schedule was too early and too scheduled. Would like to have some meals off the boat.

Avalon portion was wonderful! Monogram portion was less than satisfactory!

We were very impressed with Avalon Waterways. It was top-notch, and we plan to travel with them again in the future.

The Avalon Rhine River cruise was phenomenal - first class in all ways. The Tranquility II ship was new and immaculate, and the cruise director and crew were first rate, taking care of our every need! The excursions along the cruise were outstanding with the local guides all very pleasant and knowledgeable. Avalon, as a cruise provider, was on par with the Insight land tour provider, and I expect my wife and I will return to Avalon in the future for another cruise or two in coming years!

Everything about this trip was top notch and definitely met and exceeded our expectations.

It was interesting to visit with the families in Croatia & the extra income helped them,I suspect,as well as helping us learn about the true reality of their lives.

The Avalon Panorama was a beautiful new ship. The captain, crew, restaurant and bar personnel were extremely friendly and made you feel welcome.

I would highly recommend Affordable Tours to anyone and everyone! We had the trip of a lifetime! The local guides at each destination were extremely knowledgeable! Our tour guide was great! He made sure everything went perfectly and everyone's needs were met. The staff on the ship were so friendly and personable. We felt like we were one big family by the end of the trip.

we all had a wonderful time. Our trip went smoothly 

Our Avalon River Cruise was superior . From the cruise director to the wait staff, all was excellent. The staff had fun so the passengers did as well. We can\'t say enough about our cruise director and our Maitre\' D. These individuals went above and beyond to make our vacation very special!

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  • Ship Image
    Cruise Line
    Avalon Waterways
    Ship
    Tranquility II
    Starts
    Basel
    Ends
    Frankfurt
    Days
    5
    From
    $2,199

AffordableTours.com is a travel agent for Avalon Waterways. Brochure Price is based on the itinerary's highest brochure price. Our price reflects our base price for the same departure as Brochure Price. All prices, itineraries, accommodations and dates are subject to change without notice and at any time. All prices are USD per person and based on double occupancy. Availability is limited and must be reconfirmed at time of booking. All prices change frequently and our website prices are not guaranteed until a deposit has been received by us. The prices on our website are intended to serve as a guide only and may not accurately reflect current prices. We are not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes in these prices until a booking has been confirmed by one of our agents. Please call us toll free at 1-800-342-0019 to confirm current prices and availability. Prices listed are per person, cruise only, and based on double occupancy.

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