Europe River Cruises - Christmas Markets?

Haven't seen many posts (recent or otherwise) about river cruises in
Europe.


My parents are thinking about doing a trip over to see some of the
traditional Christmas markets - probably mostly Germany, but they're
open to other places - and they're thinking about the river cruise as a
vehicle to minimize their transportation mode changes and general
walking around, as they're no longer spring chickens.

General question is: is the river cruise format generally good for,
call it, "reduced" mobility folks?

Second, any specific companies to recommend (good/bad) and specific
seasonal itineraries?



TIA,

-hh

There are several River Cruise Companies that do some sort of Christmas Market
sort of package. The one that comes immediately to mind is Viking River Cruises.
There are European operators as well but your parents may not be comfortable
with the language being mostly non English. For that reason they should choose a
company like Viking River Cruises that is totally English and is setup for the
Retired American traveler.

You are correct that it is good for those with limited mobility. Either the
ships dock a few blocks from the action or there are bus excursions set up. Plus
there is no hassle with moving baggage from hotel to hotel.

We did a land package last year to test the feasibility of operating a tour and
it worked well for us. It was quite an experience. What really stands out in my
memory is not the Markets themselves but the way the villages and buildings were
decorated for the Season. A lot of work and creativity went into most of the
displays. We haven't decided if we want to try a repeat this year butb if we do
it will be a few days in Paris and then a few days in the Alsace region, where
this whole Christmas Market thing seems to have originated some 500-600 years
ago.

It will be cold so tell them to prepare accordingly. Keep in mind the 50 pound
luggage limit now imposed by most if not all carriers. Another reason to take a
River Cruise cause they will most likely have a lot of luggage. Lastly, tell
them to leave room for all the stuff they will buy over there.

Anyway, find a local agent who has actually done some of this stuff and explain
what your parents want and need. They will have a great time I am sure.

Cal Ford
Lido Deck Cruises


In article .com, -hh says...

Haven't seen many posts (recent or otherwise) about river cruises in
Europe.


My parents are thinking about doing a trip over to see some of the
traditional Christmas markets - probably mostly Germany, but they're
open to other places - and they're thinking about the river cruise as a
vehicle to minimize their transportation mode changes and general
walking around, as they're no longer spring chickens.

General question is: is the river cruise format generally good for,
call it, "reduced" mobility folks?

Second, any specific companies to recommend (good/bad) and specific
seasonal itineraries?



TIA,

-hh

(-hh) wrote in
oups.com:

General question is: is the river cruise format generally good
for, call it, "reduced" mobility folks?

We took a Uniglobe Vienna-Amsterdam cruise last year, so we've been
receiving brochures for their "Christmas Market" cruies for a while
now, but we've never actually taken one.

The boat itself was well configured for folks who have trouble doing
stairs with an elevator for travel between decks and a ramp for
getting on and off the boat, but I don't know how well someone who
was wheelchair-bound would fare.

Off the boat is a different story though; the arranged tours involved
quite a bit of walking and you're faced with whatever the cityscape
presents you in terms of sidewalk and street conditions and the like.

If these market cruises simply bus you to a marketplace where you
wander in a small area packed with shops, the amount of walking might
be little enough to not matter.

--
Bert Hyman | St. Paul, MN |

I have not taken a river cruise for 10 years (took 3 of them) so I am not
able to provide any current info. I can tell you the type of difficulties
that I experienced (as a mobility limited person). You could rate how they
might effect you and if the vessel that you chose has suitable solutions.

1. No elevators were on any of the 3. Current boats may have them and if so
do they service all decks.
2. In some instances the city/town docks had steps or steep ramps from the
docking level up to the street level
3. In some destinations, with limited dock space, boats had to tie up to
boats that had arrived earlier. To reach the shore, and back, passengers
had to transit one or more previously docked boats. In many instances there
were temporary steps between boats due to different main deck levels.
4. In some of the smaller towns the streets and walkways in the docking
locations were difficult for walkers (high curbs and rough surfaces)

Hope that this helps.


"-hh" wrote in message
oups.com...
Haven't seen many posts (recent or otherwise) about river cruises in
Europe.


My parents are thinking about doing a trip over to see some of the
traditional Christmas markets - probably mostly Germany, but they're
open to other places - and they're thinking about the river cruise as a
vehicle to minimize their transportation mode changes and general
walking around, as they're no longer spring chickens.

General question is: is the river cruise format generally good for,
call it, "reduced" mobility folks?

Second, any specific companies to recommend (good/bad) and specific
seasonal itineraries?



TIA,

-hh

One thing I would mention is that even aside from the boat/bus/train,
the roads themselves in a lot of the towns are cobblestone and uneven.

It's been a few years for me but I took an inland BUS tour with DER
tours about 5-6 years ago. It was a ~10 day trip from Berlin ending in
Munich. It stopped everyday in a different town. We loved it. and most
(80-90% ) of the folks on the trip were 65+ years old - several with ltd
mobility but they were accommodated ok. At the time my sister owned a
travel agency so she set it up for us. You can check
http://www.christmasmarkets.co.uk/index.php or talk to a nearby travel
agent about your options - boat vs bus etc.
Here's a favorite I had under Germany - christmas tours
http://www.christmasmarkettours.com/
with an 800 number.



"-hh" wrote in message
oups.com...
Haven't seen many posts (recent or otherwise) about river cruises in
Europe.


My parents are thinking about doing a trip over to see some of the
traditional Christmas markets - probably mostly Germany, but they're
open to other places - and they're thinking about the river cruise as
a
vehicle to minimize their transportation mode changes and general
walking around, as they're no longer spring chickens.

General question is: is the river cruise format generally good for,
call it, "reduced" mobility folks?

Second, any specific companies to recommend (good/bad) and specific
seasonal itineraries?



TIA,

-hh

My thanks to all responders for your comments & URL's.


Bert Hyman wrote:

General question is: is the river cruise format generally good
for, call it, "reduced" mobility folks?
...
The boat itself was well configured for folks who have trouble doing
stairs with an elevator for travel between decks and a ramp for
getting on and off the boat, but I don't know how well someone who
was wheelchair-bound would fare.

Fortunately, no wheelchair. The main reason for mentioning this is
that they're easily fatigued, so they're trying to limit the walking.
I think that their interest here was that having meals (predominantly
dinner) onboard saves them the walk from going out to a restaurant in
town, etc. Additionally, the cruise format also sidesteps all of the
effort of having to pack and move between hotels to see multiple
cities' Christmas Markets.


If these market cruises simply bus you to a marketplace where you
wander in a small area packed with shops, the amount of walking might
be little enough to not matter.

Agreed, but for this, their general assumption seems to be that the
ship will always be moored close nearby to the market and that they can
disembark & return on their own schedule, instead of the bus schedule.
This is not a good assumption, and I know that I'll want to cross-check
each company's proposed itinerary to see what the specifics are.

We had taken them on a "Drive It Ourselves" Christmas Market tour in
2003 ([Bacharach], Trier, Bamburg, Rothenburg, Wursburg) and overall,
they enjoyed it. I think they're interested in doing something fairly
similar again, but want it to be made physically "easier" on them by
utilizing the river cruise format. Question is if it fits their
(above) assumptions well.


-hh

If they are even moderately mobile there should be no problem. Caution them to
take it slow and rest often and they should be just fine in the Markets.

The huge advantages of doing the River Cruise are the luggage handling and the
onboard dining. That is definately the way to go if they are not being escorted
by someone such as yourself.

Cal Ford
Lido Deck Cruises



In article . com, -hh says...

My thanks to all responders for your comments & URL's.


Bert Hyman wrote:

General question is: is the river cruise format generally good
for, call it, "reduced" mobility folks?
...
The boat itself was well configured for folks who have trouble doing
stairs with an elevator for travel between decks and a ramp for
getting on and off the boat, but I don't know how well someone who
was wheelchair-bound would fare.

Fortunately, no wheelchair. The main reason for mentioning this is
that they're easily fatigued, so they're trying to limit the walking.
I think that their interest here was that having meals (predominantly
dinner) onboard saves them the walk from going out to a restaurant in
town, etc. Additionally, the cruise format also sidesteps all of the
effort of having to pack and move between hotels to see multiple
cities' Christmas Markets.


If these market cruises simply bus you to a marketplace where you
wander in a small area packed with shops, the amount of walking might
be little enough to not matter.

Agreed, but for this, their general assumption seems to be that the
ship will always be moored close nearby to the market and that they can
disembark & return on their own schedule, instead of the bus schedule.
This is not a good assumption, and I know that I'll want to cross-check
each company's proposed itinerary to see what the specifics are.

We had taken them on a "Drive It Ourselves" Christmas Market tour in
2003 ([Bacharach], Trier, Bamburg, Rothenburg, Wursburg) and overall,
they enjoyed it. I think they're interested in doing something fairly
similar again, but want it to be made physically "easier" on them by
utilizing the river cruise format. Question is if it fits their
(above) assumptions well.


-hh