Pacing
You’ll visit 21 ports of call in 27 days, spending 24 nights aboard a Vantage Deluxe River Cruise Ship, with an overnight in Bucharest, Romania at the beginning or end of your trip. This fantastic exploration of Europe’s grand trans-continental waterways takes you from the Rhine Delta to the shores of the Black Sea. There will be plenty of time to enjoy the wonders of the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers, with their castle-crowned vistas, medieval townships, and great cultural capitals of Vienna and Budapest. And you’ll explore the emerging Eastern European nations beyond Hungary: Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, and Serbia. This itinerary features several late evening departures and overnight stays.

Physical Activity
This itinerary is a very active one and there are many walking tours. You can also expect drives of one and a half hours as you approach the lower Danube region. Many of the sites visited in the Eastern Europe nations are located some distance from the ports. The Rhine and Danube valleys are steep and the nature of the places you visit is that the cities rise along the banks. Much of the walking on tours is over uneven terrain, cobblestone walkways, and flagstone paths. Expect short uphill walks from the ship as you set out to visit town centers. Coaches are used whenever possible to bring you as close to pedestrian centers as the historic preservation of these older towns and cities can allow. You will be visiting several sites that feature multiple flights of stairs. Panoramic tours use air-conditioned coaches.
Please note: Vantage river cruise ships are not wheelchair accessible and there are steps on board.

Cultural Focus
The scenic wonders of the Rhine and Danube valleys are legendary and have been lauded in music and writing throughout the ages. The fairy-tale nature of the region cannot be denied, and the places you visit will highlight the importance of the rivers to the heritage of Germany, Austria, Hungary and the emerging nations of Eastern Europe. Add to that - the vital waterway that links Eastern & Western Europe - the Main-Danube Canal. From the imperial capital of Budapest, through the Danube’s Iron Gates, this journey embraces the proud heritage of Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria and Croatia - then and now. Whether you begin or end in Amsterdam, there is no better way to experience the history, culture, food, and wine of the heart of Europe than from the comfort of your river ship.