Viking River Cruise Land Combo in Europe
By John and Sandra Nowlan
It wasn't your typical river cruise, and that's why we were curious to give this Viking river cruise land combo a try.
The Viking itinerary started in Paris and ended in Prague, but there was no sailing on France’s Seine River or the Czech Republic’s Moldau. Instead, guests were treated to two days in Paris (staying at the Hyatt Regency Etoile) and another two days in Prague at the Prague Hilton, both at fine hotels with complimentary city tours provided.
On route, there was a poignant short stop in Luxembourg to visit the American Cemetery with the graves of more than 5,000 U.S. war dead. It includes the grave of General George S. Patton.
We finally boarded the 190-passenger Viking Idi, docked along the Moselle River, in Germany’s oldest city, Trier. This was one of the most interesting communities for us, particularly the Porta Nigra City Gate dating from the 2nd century AD and the best-reserved Roman gate in the world.
The Viking Idi, one of 80 Longships in the company’s extensive river cruise fleet, is 10 years old but seemed to be very well maintained.
Its cordial crew of 53 were attentive and professional during all seven days as we sailed the Moselle, Rhine and Main Rivers.
Cozy Cabins (Read: Small)
Rooms seemed a bit small (ours, #221 on the second deck, was 205 square feet including a tiny, two chair balcony) but well planned and functional with floor to ceiling windows, both U.S. and European electric outlets, excellent lighting and air conditioning, even a heated bathroom floor and fog free mirrors.
Fresh fruit in our room was replenished whenever we liked. Deck 3 includes 275-square-foot junior suites and two Explorer suites, each 445 square feet. All rooms have a fridge, but only the pricier third deck has fridges stocked with soda and beer.
The lounge (forward on Deck 3) is used for all briefings and entertainment. In addition to a resident pianist, several local musical acts, even a glass blower, were brought aboard in the evening. With a full ship the lounge can get very crowded with poor sight lines for many guests.
The top deck was lined with chairs and plenty of room to watch the landscape float by, including vineyards and castles, and an opportunities to observe the process of passing through locks.
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Impressive Dining on Our Viking River Cruise Land Combo
The Viking Idi’s Restaurant (forward on Deck 2) can accommodate all guests with tables for six or eight.
The set up of the main restaurant encourages conversation with fellow guests, who are primarily American but with a sprinkling of Canadian and British.
A small, optional dining area called Aquavit, near the bow on Deck 3, does have tables for two or four but the menu is identical.
As on most cruise ships, an “always available” menu — salmon, chicken, steak — is popular but most guests chose the regional specialties like zwiebelrostbraten (braised beef) or wienerschnitzel, accompanied by complimentary Moselle or Rhine wines.
Regular or non-alcoholic beer is also available but Viking does not yet stock some of the better non-alcohol wines.
Overall, we were very impressed with the quality and variety of the cuisine and wine.
The Itinerary of Our Viking River Cruise Land Combo
Most guests chose this 11-night Viking itinerary because it included four countries — France, Luxembourg, Germany and the Czech Republic — and three European river systems (Rhine, Moselle and Main).
A few complained to us about the long bus rides from Paris and to Prague (mostly folks who were used to regular river cruising where you fly to the city of embarkation.), but on the plus side, it was convenient to fly into and out of these two major cities.
Similar to other Viking river cruises, the guests were generally well educated, usually retired with an average age of about 70.
On the Moselle
After leaving Trier we sailed downstream on the Moselle, enveloped by what appeared to be endless, steep riverbanks of vineyards. Every available acre on the south facing hills was covered by grape vines.
A stop at Cochem, Germany, gave guests a chance to view or visit the imposing Reichsburg Castle, the largest along the Moselle.
And on the Rhine River
The Moselle soon joined the even wider Rhine where we turned upriver for a glorious afternoon of top deck relaxing as about 20 ancient castles, some well preserved and some in ruins, crowned steep hills on both sides of the ship.
Comfortable Viking busses took guests on a full day tour of Heidelberg, home of Germany’s oldest university.
In addition to stunning views of the town from the 12th-century Heidelberg Castle, lunch for all was arranged in a large beer hall with university students anxious to improve their English. A unique opportunity for international friendship.
RELATED: An overview of the Rhine River, its history and path.
The Best Day of Our Viking River Cruise Land Combo
Our second last day on Viking Idi was among the most memorable. We took the optional, extra cost tour to Rothenburg, considered the best-preserved medieval town in Germany. The 1.5-mile wall connects five gates with 13th- to 16th-century guard towers. Our included lunch was traditional stuffed cabbage rolls.
Afterwards we stopped in Wurzburg for a tour of the opulent Bishops’ Residenz. In the 1700s, prince-bishops wielded enormous power and wealth so one of them decided a grand palace would be an appropriate recognition of his importance. It includes the largest ceiling fresco in the world and dazzling rooms that rival Versailles.
Main River
Overnight we left the mighty Rhine and joined the more tranquil Main River towards our final port, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Old Town of Bamberg.
Today the northern terminus of the Main-Danube Canal, Bamberg was the center of the Holy Roman Empire in the 11th century.
Now the charming town is best known for its Rathaus (Town Hall), built in the middle of a bridge in the 1400s (now a museum) and its unique (and very tasty) smoky beer.
Bus to Prague
In Bamberg all Viking guests disembarked the ship and boarded buses for the four-hour drive to Prague. Our one break enroute was in the Bavarian city of Nuremberg, site of the emotional Nuremberg Trials, where high profile Nazis leaned their fate at the end of World War II.
Nuremberg was chosen because it was the site of the most massive Nazi rallies where Hitler gave rousing speeches to adoring crowds. That huge field and stadium was our first stop where an excellent tour guide told us about the rallies and their impact.
Then we had lunch on our own and a final taste of excellent German bratwurst and beer.
Two days in Prague, including a walking tour of its Old Town and a chance to sample traditional stuffed dumplings smothered with onion and cabbage, proved to be a fitting end to an excellent twelve days with Viking.
Comparing Viking and Tauck River Cruises — The Main Differences
Both Viking and Tauck have enviable reputations for a quality and thorough river cruise experience. We’ve sailed on both lines recently (here's a link to our Tauck River cruise on the Seine River). Viking is by far the bigger company with many more choices on European rivers.
Tauck provides a more deluxe, all-inclusive experience and is more costly (with the exception of Viking’s two pricey ultra-large suites found on the the Longships).
Price-wise, fares for our 11-night City Lights Viking experience start at $2,999 USD per person, while Tauck's 10-night Three Rivers Europe cruise starts at $6,390 USD per person. Discounts are often available through wholesalers and airfare may be included.
Viking’s Longships and Tauck’s Inspiration-class vessels are the same length, but there are significant differences between what Viking and Tauck offer. From Viking's Longships carrying 190 passengers vs. Tauck's maximum of 130 passengers and Tauck's smaller more intimate tour group sizes, to Tauck river boats having more amenities, such as a pool, bicycles and a hair salon.
Read MORE about the differences between Viking and Tauck HERE.
In Conclusion
With the long bus rides at both ends of the tour is not for everyone but the chance to experience four countries, three major rivers, scores of castles and many UNESCO World Heritage sites, all under the care of Viking and its excellent guides, makes the adventure very worthwhile.
Interested in This Viking River Cruise Land Combo?
The 11-night City Lights Viking River Cruise land combo we experienced starts at $2,999 per person and includes complimentary wine and beer at lunch and dinner, and in port, guided tours.
Interested In This Cruise?
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HEIDI SARNA
Tauck may be more deluxe and have slightly smaller ship capacity etc.,but Viking has NO CHILDREN which is win n my book every time.
Thanks Adrien, that’s a good point. Viking doesn’t allow under 18s, which is a big plus for those who want to cruise adults-only.
Highly recommend Viking, River, ocean and expedition. They are all great in their own way. We are booked on this cruise in October. This cruise is not that unusual; they have several land and river combinations. One we highly recommend is Prague to Berlin. If you don’t mind the cost, book the extended stay in Berlin. And read up on the bus and train service. It was very cost effective method to get around town. Visit the stasi museum too.
Last note, exceptions pop up when traveling. It’s inevitable. Viking does an excellent job of trying to mitigate the issues, even when it’s not their fault (e.g., airline delays).
Thank you for your insights David, very useful!
In fact, we’d love if you’d write a little Reader Review for us — like Trip Advisor for small-ship cruising. Here’s the form — https://quirkycruise.com/submit-reader-review-form/ …
By unusual, I think John & Sandra meant, that a 7-night river cruise with built-in 2-night land stays before & after (with 4-hour bus rides to/fro ship) is more unusual than the standard weeklong river cruise; but you’re right, there are other combinations like this. They’re very convenient that’s for sure!
I was on Viking’s Cities of Light July 3-13 (2024) – around the same time as your writing. Claudia was also my Cruise manager, but i see other senior staff was different (chef was the same). I wonder how one pays $2,999 USD PP which you listed as starting fare. I was in a simple balcony which was FAR more than this rate. And I do not appreciate Viking’s policy to pay way too fare in advance. Other lines don’t sit on my money for so long.
I appreciated this article, which gave a very good overview of the cruise, though left off Reims and Bernkastel stops. My experience was a bit different. In Paris, we were at a distant hotel from the city center. Pullman Paris Montparnasse was quite nice, but I would have appreciated being closer to action. I felt the same way about the Hilton in Prague – nice hotel, but on the outskirts. The tour in Paris was most assuredly lacking. We saw very little – and it may have been a result of being just 2 weeks before the Olympics, but I suspect the tour isn’t much different. I loved the stop in Reims en route to Trier, however saying we visited 4 countries was a bit of a stretch. In luxembourg, we went only to the cemetery. Could we not have at least driven through the city? The first full day of the cruise was a disappointment. I would have preferred more time in Trier and in Bernkastel. Pulling into this adorable town as shops were closing was not ideal. Still happy I went.
Hi Christine, thank you for your interesting comments. Re pricing, the Viking website states $2,999 as the lowest fare for “City of Lights” in July & Aug 2025,, here: https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/cruise-destinations/europe/cities-light/2025-paris-prague/pricing.html … Did you travel in high season?
Hi Christine. We enjoyed your take on the almost identical Viking river cruise. A couple of different towns. The $2999 price was correct for our sailing. You did have a balcony but the lower price was for rooms on the bottom deck with just a window near the top of the wall. When we were in one we called it the “swan view room” because one morning we opened the window blind to see a gorgeous swan peeking down into our room!
In Paris we did have a more convenient hotel but we enjoyed our hotel in Prague. There was a great Czech restaurant nearby.
Our Paris tour was excellent and very thorough. We suspect the proximity to the start of the Olympics caused problems for the tour guides.
A nice synopsis to be sure, but it should also be noted that once the boat leaves Cochem, it doesnt really stop along the way until arriving in Bamberg. An overnight just south of Koblenz appeared to be sue to when the lock was open for service. The number of locks that need to be navigated (44) largely dictate the schedule, and during our recent cruise on Idi in August, we often resorted to “Plan C” for docking arrangements for the excursions. Additionally, while on the Main River, the top deck is closed in order to squeeze through the low bridges. And, yes, the “low” prices that are often shown are described as “starting at” the price for the “swan level”, and they change during the season.
One final note to mention, none of the staff in your photos did I recognize, and the staff are constantly changing during the season. Our cruise director was stepping off after we arrived in Prague to go to Seattle! And we often dropped or picked up staff along the way as they took time off, or returned from having time off.