River Cruise Specialist

Exploring Budapest via Bicycle

In November 2017 my husband, Jim, and I sailed with AmaWaterways on the AmaCerto on the Danube from Budapest, Hungary to Vilshofen (Munich), Germany. The itinerary was the ‘Melodies of the Danube’ cruise with wine-themed tours. Three of the tours went to interesting vineyards in the area. I loved how in each city AmaWaterways offered multiple ways to explore the area. Guests could choose from a city walking tour, a hike or a bike ride. Each tour group was led by people familiar with the city and its history. Each bike ride had two guides, one led the group as the other stayed behind with the slower riders. I took several bike rides and enjoyed seeing large areas of the cities. We rode through new parts, old parts, parks and along the river.

One of my most memorable trips to Europe was in 2016, my husband and I had the opportunity to travel for 10 days on a river cruise. We began and ended the trip in Venice and via the Po River we visited several northern Italian cities: Ravenna, Verona and Bologna. It was a wonderful way to explore this area as the Po River is the largest in Italy. There were many private tours included: after hours tour of San Mark’s Basilica, a Venetian farmers market with our ship’s chef and a glass blowing demonstration. We also enjoyed a historical walking tour of Venice ending at the Doge’s Palace. We also had the time to get lost in Venice, a great way to get to know the City. In Verona, we got to see Juliet’s balcony, the fabled home of Romeo’s family, and a Roman amphitheater that is still used today for music concerts. In Bologna, we toured one of the original universities of Italy and learned how to make pasta. In Ravenna, the highlight was being inside a small prayer chapel that was covered in tiles depicting several Biblical stories. The intimacy of the tours made the depth of the Italian Culture come alive.