Cruising and Biking Along the Rhine River
(68 Reviews)
100% Recommended
Stacy Wangelin
Oconomowoc, WI
River Cruise, Escorted Tour & Europe Advisor
For over 30 years I have been in the travel industry as both a Travel Advisor and working at Funjet Vactaions. I have been fortunate to travel over the years with my family throughout Europe, Mexico and the Caribbean. I enjoy sharing what I've lea...
For over 30 years I have been in the travel industry as both a Travel Advisor and working at Funjet Vactaions. I have been fortunate to travel over the years with my family throughout Europe, Mexico and the Caribbean. I enjoy sharing what I've learned over the years to help other families plan the perfect family vacation
As busy as our lives have become family time is hard to come by. So, planning the perfect family vacation is important. Let me help you take the stress off of planning and get the most out of your time together.
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Headed Out Along the Rhine
In 2018 Stacy Wangelin sailed on an Active Discovery river cruise with Avalon Waterways. This was her third river cruise, second time on the Rhine but, her experience was very different. The Active Discovery itineraries visit different ports and offer a wider variety of activities in each destination. Discovery activities are focused on art, culinary, culture, etc. Active activities enable exploration of the destinations on foot (jogging or hiking), via bicycle or kayak. Stacy’s mode of choice was via bicycle, in advance of her trip she even bought a new bike and got some miles on before heading to Europe! Below she shares her experience.
The vibe on the ship was noticeably different from other river cruises that I have been on. First, the Active Discovery cruises are on the newer ships in the Avalon fleet. Second, the ports were different from the Romantic Rhine itinerary. Out of 13 ports on this Active Discovery cruise, only 4 of them were duplicates to the Romantic Rhine itinerary. Third, the types of travelers on-board were different as there was more variety in ages ranging from multi-gen groups with kids/teenagers to honeymooners to active older adults. Fourth, yoga was offered as an activity on the ship.
In each port there were always bikes waiting for us as we walked off of the ship. There was no cost to use the bikes. There was the option to do guided bike tours or break out on your own. My favorite biking experience was country side in the Netherlands. The difficulty level of the bike rides was moderate. You definitely had to be used to biking and physically able to keep up with the group. However, if you are a die-hard bicyclist you likely would have been bored.
My travel companion did the kayaking excursion in canals of Amsterdam and loved it! There was a small fee for the kayaks.
Based on my experience I feel the Active Discovery itineraries from Avalon are a good fit for multi-gen families who like to be more physically active, also active older adults such as people who are joggers, spin class fans, etc.