DESTINATIONS DANUBE | CRUISE


ASK THE agents Jenny Davis, Travel Counsellors


“My highlight was sitting on the sky deck seeing all the beautiful riverside villages,


wineries and stunning autumnal scenery as we cruised along the Danube. If your clients are light sleepers, book a cabin in the middle of the ship to avoid the engine noise.”


fast act ast fact


Avalon Waterways has 12 new itineraries for


2025, including the 13- day Christmastime from Frankfurt to Budapest and the 22-day European Masterpiece: Rhine, Seine and Rhone Revealed


Lisa Sanderson, Travel Counsellors


“The quality and choice of the food surprised me, and it was made extra special by ingredients sourced from within a few miles of the ship. My advice would be don’t


over-pack: the atmosphere on board is relaxed, and you won’t need formal wear.”


CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Panorama Suite and Observation Lounge, both on Avalon Impression; the Travel Counsellors fam trip group PICTURES: Lighthouse Productions/Dirk Verwoerd; Avalon Waterways


30% bigger than the industry average, with beds facing fully openable windows. Being able to enjoy the changing scenery and breeze in your hair from the comfort of your bed is heavenly – especially when that scenery is the dramatic Schlögen Oxbow horseshoe bend or the soaring vine-terraced slopes of the Danube’s Wachau Valley, overlooked by fairytale castles. Such idyllic landscapes, plus the mighty locks


Charley Robinson, Travel Counsellors


“The beautiful Panorama


Suites really impressed me. Relaxing on my bed with the doors open on to the river was a highlight. I wasn’t expecting the variety of included


excursions. I particularly liked the more active options of hiking up to viewpoints and cycling along the riverfront.”


we sail through and the bridges under which we duck our heads, make time spent on the boat just as enjoyable as time spent off it. This river cruise surprises me with its pace, space and tranquillity; with menus dominated by local produce or in-room dining at no extra charge; with the variety of entertaining shows, demonstrations and films on offer; and most of all with the crew’s unfailing enthusiasm.


HIDDEN HOTSPOTS But best of all were the discoveries made in port. In Linz, I admired paintings by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and Oscar Kokoschka in the Lentos Art Museum, but also the modern stained glass of the town’s stunning cathedral. A charming Pöstlingbergbahn tram up Linz’s local mountain offered fabulous views over the town, and an after-dinner outing to the Hauptplatz (Austria’s largest medieval square) took us to an old-school student bar.


travelweekly.co.uk This cruise surprises me with


its pace, space and tranquillity – and crew’s unfailing enthusiasm


In Melk, I eschewed the excursion to the town’s


renowned Benedictine abbey for a visit to a farm, where ice cream made with pumpkin seed oil and caramelised pumpkin seeds was a revelation. It was all so unexpected, and even more rewarding as a result. Arriving in Vienna brought us to the end of our four-day taster. As we made our way past the groups gathering on the quay to explore the Austrian capital’s most popular attractions, we all vowed to return to the Danube to discover even more of the highlights to be found along this endlessly surprising river.


TW BOOK IT


Avalon Waterways’ eight-day Danube Dreams (westbound) cruise starts at £2,199 per person, based on double occupancy in a Deluxe stateroom. Price includes flights, full- board dining and selected drinks, excursions and gratuities. avalonwaterways.co.uk


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