The Rhine and Moselle

Southbound Itinerary • = cruise day • 1. Arrive Amsterdam Tour begins: 2:00 PM, Amsterdam. A transfer is included from Schiphol International Airport to your riverboat for the start of your cruise; check-in for all guests aboard the riverboat is 2:00 PM. Settle in to your cabin – you’ll dine aboard the riverboat tonight. Meals D • 2. Museums and Canals of Amsterdam What better way to begin your cruise along the inland waterways of Europe than in a city that rivals Venice for the number of canals that are found here. Join us this morning for an informative cruise along Amsterdam’s tree-lined 17th-century canals – there are 160 of them in this capital city, spanned by more than 1,200 bridges. Glide by gabled Golden Age merchants’ houses that speak volumes about Amsterdam’s storied past to the gardens, walkways and museums of Museumplein. Enjoy a guided visit to one of the city’s famed museums. Return to your riverboat for lunch or spend free time exploring the sights on your own. Have fun at the Captain’s welcome dinner tonight as your cruise gets underway for the journey to Nijmegen. Meals BLD • 3. Nijmegen / Kröller-Müller Museum Venture into the countryside today for a visit to De Hoge Veluwe National Park. The largest nature reserve in the Netherlands entices with wildlife-rich forests, grasslands and sand dunes – and world-renowned art at the Kröller-Müller Museum, set within the park. See the sculpture garden featuring works by Rodin and others, and go inside to view an impressive collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh. Meet your riverboat in Rees. Spend the remainder of the day enjoying the picturesque landscapes that enrich your riverboat journey along the River Rhine. Meals BLD • 4. Cultural Gems of Bonn Cruise to Bonn this morning, boasting a 2,000-year history dating back to Roman times. Renowned for its rich political, intellectual and musical heritage, this lovely city lays claim to being the birthplace of legendary composer Ludwig von Beethoven and home to musicians Robert and Clara Schumann. Sightseeing here includes a walk through Bonn’s Old Town, followed by a special luncheon experience in a grand hotel overlooking the River Rhine. Back aboard ship, your Tauck Directors share insights about life along Germany’s longest river and busiest waterway. Meals BLD • 5. Fairy-Tale Landscapes of Cochem Romantic legends and folk tales come to life as you cruise through the fairy-tale landscapes of the Moselle Valley to Cochem. Exploring Cochem, famous since the Romans first became enthralled with its scenic beauty, is like stepping into a history book. Tauck makes the past come alive during a walking tour and a visit to Reichsburg Castle; evoking images of Walt Disney’s Cinderella, the 1,000-year-old Gothic castle was destroyed by Louis XIV’s troops in 1689, but rebuilt in the 19th century. As a special treat, Tauck takes you to a family-owned winery in Cochem’s vineyard-covered hills for a tasting of some of the best locally harvested wines in the region. Meals BLD • 6. Luxembourg  Dock in Bernkastel for an excursion to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. En route, stop at the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial, final resting place of over 5,000 U.S. troops from World War II. Drive through Luxembourg’s banking district before exploring its well-preserved old town on a walking tour that includes the Cathedral, the Palace of the Grand Duke, the Parliament and its centuries-old fortifications, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Local performers entertain aboard ship tonight sharing time-honored traditions. Meals BLD • 7. Trier / Bernkastel Through the Ages A morning visit takes you to Trier, Germany’s oldest town, nestled in a basin in the Moselle Valley. Its importance in ancient times is showcased by its impressive Roman ruins, found nowhere else north of the Alps. View the treasures of Bernkastel this afternoon on a walking tour through 700 years of history. See its famous half-timbered houses, its Renaissance-era city hall, its fortress-like 14th-century church, and the castle ruins that stand guard over the town. Cruise to historic Boppard. Meals BLD • 8. Treasures of Boppard Discover the charms of Boppard today, enticing with castles and Romanesque churches, and enjoy lunch in the Old Monastery Cellar. Learn about the legend of the Lorelei as you cruise through the historic Middle Rhine Valley, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its powerful influence on writers, artists and composers. Meals BLD • 9. Historic Heidelberg Go ashore in Worms for an excursion to Heidelberg. A guided walking tour of the Old Town fascinates with insights about its medieval Gothic walls and gates, Renaissance buildings and 17th-century Baroque homes, and a ride on a funicular up to Heidelberger Schloss (Heidelberg Castle) rewards with panoramic views of the river and town. Meet your ship in Speyer after lunch at a local restaurant. Meals BLD • 10. Elegant Baden-Baden Disembark in Plittersdorf for a morning trip to the spa town of Baden-Baden. See the castle ruins, the Roman baths, and its richly decorated Belle Èpoque Casino. Meals BLD • 11. Strasbourg, Crossroads of Europe Your riverboat docks in Strasbourg, France, today. View the European Parliament buildings en route to La Petite France, surrounded by historic canals, medieval watchtowers and half-timbered houses. Visit the 11th-century cathedral and enjoy time to explore on your own. Meals BLD • 12. Old Town Basel A morning arrival in Basel is followed by a guided tour of  this quintessentially Swiss town, including the red-painted Rathaus (city hall) in Old Town. Please join us for the Captain’s farewell reception and dinner tonight. Meals BLD 13. Disembark Ship / Journey Home Tour ends: Basel. Transfers to Basel-Mulhouse International Airport are included upon disembarking your riverboat this morning. Please allow a minimum of 2½ hours for flight

 

•   Gratuities to ship staff, drivers, local guides, Tauck Directors and Tauck Cruise Director

Day 1: • Welcome to the Netherlands
A transfer is included from Amsterdam’s Schiphol International Airport to the ms Swiss Jewel or the ms Swiss Emerald. Your cruise on the Moselle and Rhine rivers begins when all guests check in at 2:00 PM. Welkom aan boord!
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: • Amazing Amsterdam
As this most exciting of Moselle and Rhine river cruises begins, indulge yourself in all the many charms of this city of canals today. Discover Amsterdam's historic architecture on a sightseeing cruise of its 17th-century canals, and visit one of the city's engaging museums on the Museumplein. Enjoy some leisure time to explore the Netherlands' capital on your own, and join us this evening for the Captain’s welcome reception and dinner.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 3: • Works of art by Mother Nature and Vincent van Gogh
Set off for Arnhem and the 5,500-hectare De Hoge Veluwe National Park, home to many endangered plant and animal species in a unique and varied landscape. In the midst of this natural glory, you’ll find the inspiring Kröller Müller Museum, featuring works of such luminaries as Pablo Picasso, Georges Seurat and Vincent van Gogh – plus Europe’s largest sculpture garden, showcasing the creations of such noted sculptors as Auguste Rodin and Henry Moore. Rejoin the riverboat in Rees for lunch, followed by a delightful afternoon and evening of river cruising.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 4: • The many faces of Bonn
Beethoven’s birthplace, the home of musicians Robert and Clara Schumann, and the capital of Germany from 1949 to 1991, Bonn is still a center of German administration and politics. Tracing its roots back to the Romans, the city engages with history spanning ancient times to the present day. Discover it all during a sightseeing tour and a walk through Old Town; enjoy a memorable lunch in a grand hotel used to host visiting dignitaries, set in an ideal location overlooking Bonn and the Rhine.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 5: • In the shadow of Reichsburg Castle
This most engaging of Moselle and Rhine River cruises takes you to Cochem today, where stepping ashore is like stepping into the pages of a medieval fairy tale. Tour picture-perfect 1,000-year-old Reichsburg Castle, which looks down on the quaint market square. Explore this jewel of a town – complete with Baroque town hall and ancient town gates – breathing in its historic charm and ambiance. Honor the area’s centuries-old winemaking with a tasting of the excellent locally produced wines at a family-owned winery before returning to the riverboat.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6: • Luxembourg bound
Dock in Bernkastel this morning for a journey to the tiny Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Pay a poignant visit to the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial; over 5,000 American casualties of the Battle of the Bulge lie buried here, as does General George S. Patton. A walking tour of Luxembourg's well-preserved old town reveals the Cathedral, Parliament, the Palace of the Grand Duke, and centuries-old battlements that are today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy some special on-board entertainment by local performers this evening.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 7: • Trier and Bernkastel, a Moselle masterpiece
On an excursion to Trier, discover this ancient city during a walking tour that includes a visit to Dom St. Peter, a historic cathedral whose site dates back to Roman times. Return to charming Bernkastel, known as both the “Pearl of the Moselle” and the “international town of vines and wine.” The town is celebrated not only for its wines, but also for its medieval market square surrounded by half-timbered houses, which you'll see on a walking tour, along with its castle ruins, fortress-like 14th-century church and Renaissance-era town hall. Set off to Boppard this afternoon.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 8: • To Boppard in the Middle Rhine Valley
As this most delightful of Rhine River cruises continues, explore the Middle Rhine Valley and the land of the Lorelei. During its 2,000-year history, Celts, Romans and Franconians have all called Boppard home; discover this marvelous medieval town and enjoy lunch at the Old Monastery Cellar. While your riverboat glides along the Rhine toward Worms this afternoon, you’ll hear about the legend of the Lorelei, and see for yourself why this beautiful part of the river has inspired composers, writers and artists for centuries.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 9: • Heidelberg, realm of The Student Prince
A full day in the historic college town of Heidelberg, home to one of the oldest universities in Europe and the setting for the famous operetta, The Student Prince, awaits you today. Take a walking tour of Heidelberg for a close-up look at the Old Town, and ride a funicular up to imposing Heidelberger Schloss, perched 300 feet above the city; view its examples of medieval, Renaissance and Baroque architecture, and enjoy lunch at a Heidelberg restaurant. Perhaps you’ll be as captivated by this lovely old city as America’s first travel writer, Mark Twain, was when he spent three months here with his family.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 10: • Lifestyles of the rich and healthy in Baden-Baden
Arrive in Plittersdorf for an excursion to the beautiful Black Forest spa town of Baden-Baden – and proof that the elegant Belle Èpoque period is still alive and well. For many generations, wealthy folks have flocked here to see and be seen, and to take the healing thermal waters for which the town is famous ("baden," in fact, translates to "bath" or "bathe"). Join us for a walking tour among some of the town's treasures, ranging from the ruins of Roman baths to the ornate 250-year-old Casino, which movie star Marlene Dietrich once described as “the most beautiful casino in the world.”
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 11: • A taste of France, past and present
Your exploration of the Rhine River cruises to stunning Strasbourg, France, seat of the European Council, the European Parliament and the European Court of Human Rights. You’ll see the Parliament buildings before stepping back in time to discover La Petite France, noted for its medieval half-timbered houses set beside lovely canals. While visiting the famous Gothic Cathédrale de Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, you’ll be inspired by the graceful, expressive statuary of the Pilier des Anges [Pillar of Angels], and the magnificent stained glass windows. Spend free time this afternoon exploring the "crossroads of Europe" as you wish.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 12: • Beguiling Basel
This lovely Swiss city on the banks of the Rhine River will engage you today during a walking tour of the Old Town, where you’ll see the bright-red Rathaus, Basel’s Town Hall. You can then explore more of one of Europe’s most attractive and best-preserved old towns on your own, or perhaps visit one of the city’s 40 museums. This evening, join the Captain for a farewell reception and dinner as this most impressive of Moselle and Rhine River cruises draws to a close.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 13: Homeward bound
Tour ends: Basel. A transfer is included from ms Swiss Emerald or ms Swiss Jewel to Basel-Mulhouse International Airport; please allow 2 ½ hours for flight check-in. We wish you a safe and pleasant journey home.
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast

Don't miss our current specials: Special Air Savings - Learn More Hurry! Air Savings End March 26! Special International Air Savings – Europe Book and deposit summertime departures of the following Tauck journeys to Europe by March 26, 2010 and save $2,000 per couple off Business Class Air ($1,000 off per person) from select U.S. cities. Savings are valid for travel between June 29 and September 5, 2010, subject to availability: •Treasures of the Aegean – 14 days with a 7-night cruise aboard Wind Star / Wind Spirit •Sicily, the Amalfi Coast & Rome – 11 days with a 7-night cruise aboard Le Ponant •Switzerland – 11 days featuring travel along Tauck’s scenic Yellow Roads •Italian Lakes, Venice, Florence & Rome – 10 days in Italy with all multiple-night stays •Paradors of Northern Spain – 14 days exploring culturally rich Iberia •The Best of Ireland – 13 days featuring iconic cultural treasures of the Emerald Isle •A Week In… Ireland – 8 days with a 2-night stay at Dromoland Castle •A Week In… Spain – 8 days from Barcelona to Andalucía, Seville and Madrid •A Week In… Scotland – 8 days with 2- and 3-night stays in Loch Lomond, Inverness & Edinburgh •Spain and Portugal – 14 days of Iberian pleasures and culinary treasures •Normandy, Brittany, Paris & the Loire Valley – 13 days showcasing joie de vivre •A Week In… London & Paris – 4 nights at a grand hotel in London and 3 nights in Paree •Castles & Kings: London to Paris – An 8-day family vacation alive with royal traditions Deposit must be paid at time of booking and certain restrictions apply. Valid on new bookings only and not combinable with other promotions; ask for details. Tauck Tour Deals Traveling with a group of friends or family can add to the joy of any journey. Book a group of 10 on any Tauck land journey or cruise and the 11th guest travels FREE. Book a group of 8 on any Tauck Bridges family adventure and the 9th guest travels FREE Tauck Single Specials For those seeking singles tours, we are pleased to offer special values on select departures to our guests who choose to travel solo. You can travel with peace of mind, knowing that you are among like-minded travelers and will have all the day-to-day details handled for you! While everyone is welcome, on these select dates we offer special arrangements to those traveling solo at a reduced cost. Tauck Single Specials in North America Best of the Canadian Rockies Michigan's Lakes & Mackinac Island Charleston/Savannah Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia San Fransisco, Sonoma & Napa Valleys Tauck Single Specials in Europe A Week in Ireland A Week in Spain Mediterranean Discovery Istanbul and the Black Sea Treasure of the Mediterranean Cruising Mediterranean Shores The Blue Danube Holland Belgium in Spring Strasbourg to Prague Serenade The Rhine and Moselle Budapest to Amsterdam by Riverboat Budapest to the Black Sea Classic Italy Bellissima Northern Italy Italian Lakes, Venice, Florence and Rome A Week in Paris and Provence Tauck Singles Specials in Latin America Panama Canal & Costa Rica
Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
4/26/2010 - 5/9/2010	$4,290
8/22/2010 - 9/4/2010	$4,590
8/30/2010 - 9/12/2010	$4,590
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

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