Rhine and Moselle River Cruise
Book this over-50s cultural and scenic river cruise of the Rhine and Moselle rivers and enjoy the best of the Middle Rhine. Immerse yourself in culture and wonderful scenery as you embark Rex Rheni in Cologne and set off to visit Beethoven’s birthplace, Bonn and Koblenz, where you can take a cable car up to the Festung Ehrenbreitstein citadel.
Cruise the Middle Rhine past impressive castles and Lorelei Rock, to Rüdesheim, famous for the tavern-lined Drosselgasse and Siegfried’s Museum of Mechanical Music. Sail upstream to Speyer for an excursion into the Black Forest. Next stop is Strasbourg, capital of the Alsace. Visit the Gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame on an included excursion with a canal cruise. Cruise to the wine town of Cochem while pretty Boppard and Winningen also await you on this cruise, which concludes with time to explore stately Cologne.
Your Tour Includes
TRAVEL
VIP door-to-door travel service from anywhere on the UK mainland
Included travel insurance
Return coach travel via Eurotunnel or ferry
ACCOMMODATION
Complimentary Wi-Fi on board
EXPERIENCES
Cruise Host
Entertainment and activities on the ship
The Black Forest
Tour of Strasbourg
FOOD & DRINK
38 meals 13 breakfasts, 12 lunches and 13 dinners
Free bar on board open 12 hours a day
Wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner
Drinks reception and Captain's dinner
Day 1 UK - Cologne
Travel by coach from Folkestone to Cologne - a journey from Calais of approximately five hours - via Eurotunnel or ferry and embark Rex Rheni. Enjoy a welcome drink and dinner on board as you remain moored here overnight.
Meals Included: Dinner
Day 2 Cologne - Bonn
Set sail early this morning and cruise to arrive in Bonn after breakfast.
Spend the day in the former capital city and perhaps join an optional excursion exploring the highlights of the ‘Federal City.’ This evening is at leisure as you remain moored here overnight.
Day 3 Bonn - Koblenz
Sail through the morning to reach Koblenz early afternoon, with its glorious location on the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers.
An optional tour visits the Festung Ehrenbreitstein, a citadel built by the Prussians.
Enjoy the evening at leisure in Koblenz.
Day 4 Koblenz - Rüdesheim
Set sail early this morning and cruise the famous Middle Rhine which has steep banks overlooked by many historic castles, and past Lorelei Rock.
This afternoon your ship moors in the old wine town of Rüdesheim which is famed for the wine taverns lining its charming Drosselgasse. Whilst here, perhaps join an optional visit to Siegfried’s Museum of Mechanical Music.
Enjoy an evening at leisure as you remain moored here overnight.
Day 5 Rüdesheim - Speyer
Sail upstream to historic Speyer, where you will have the opportunity to join an optional walking tour. The town boasts one of Europe’s great Romanesque churches and has retained a reminder of its glorious past in buildings such as the 12th-century Jewish baths and the city gate.
Remain moored here overnight.
Day 6 Speyer - Rastatt - Strasbourg
Set sail at breakfast and during the journey to Strasbourg, pause in Rastatt where you can disembark for an included afternoon excursion to the beautiful Black Forest. Your scenic drive visits Freudenstadt, home to Germany’s largest market square, and then calls at the 12th-century town of Oppenau for tea and a slice of the famous gateau.
Moor overnight in Strasbourg.
Day 7 Strasbourg
A French city with distinctive German influences, Strasbourg is the capital of Alsace and the largest river port in France.
Its crowning glory is the ornate Gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame. See the highlights on an included morning excursion, including a cruise along the canals. The whole day is yours in the city as you remain moored here for a second night.
Day 8 Strasbourg - Mannheim
Enjoy a morning at leisure in Strasbourg.
Set sail at lunchtime and spend the afternoon and evening sailing along the Rhine to Mannheim, where you moor late tonight.
Day 9 Mannheim - Mainz
Enjoy breakfast in Mannheim, from where you can join an optional excursion to the university town of Heidelberg.
Alternatively, stay on board and cruise to historic Mainz at the confluence of the Rhine and Main rivers. Behind the large Romanesque cathedral, in Gutenbergplatz Square, is a statue of Johannes Gutenberg, the ‘father of modern printing’ who was born in Mainz.
There are plenty of Roman ruins to discover, including a huge theatre, an aqueduct and more. An optional walking tour is available here.
Remain moored overnight in Mainz.
Day 10 Mainz - Boppard - Alken
Depart Mainz this morning along the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Rhine Gorge, to the small riverside town of Boppard in a magical setting in the valley of the mythical Lorelei.
Explore the town’s Rheinallee waterfront promenade, and the Gothic Carmelite Church, famous for its 15th-century choir stalls or perhaps join an optional wine tasting.
Your cruise continues to Alken late this afternoon, arriving late tonight.
Day 11 Alken - Cochem - Winningen
Today you cruise the Moselle to Cochem, one of the most visited places on the Moselle River.
Perched high above the river on a hill cloaked in vines stands the neo-Gothic Reichsburg Castle. The town’s other historic architectural gems include a baroque Town Hall backed by a maze of pretty streets and a quaint market square.
You can visit the castle and sample the wines of a local cellar on an optional excursion before sailing to Winningen, arriving late this evening.
Day 12 Winningen - Königswinter
Enjoy the morning wandering the narrow streets of half-timbered houses in the pretty wine village of Winningen, set among steep slopes of vines.
At lunchtime, set sail for Königswinter.
Day 13 Königswinter to Cologne
An optional excursion allows you to take Germany's oldest rack and pinion train to the ruins of Drachenfels Castle.
Later this morning, you cruise back to Cologne where you may like to explore during an optional afternoon tour. Founded by the Romans, this city has long been an important trading centre. It is dominated by its vast Gothic cathedral, started in 1248 as a pilgrimage church to house the relics of the three Magi. The two spires are 157 metres high, and were not completed until 1880.
Your ship remains moored here overnight.
Day 14 Cologne to UK
Disembark your ship after breakfast for your return journey to the UK.
