Beautiful Budapest
I woke refreshed from my first night aboard the Viking Egil. We hadn’t set sail yet and a day of exploring Budapest awaited. The fun thing about river cruising is that you can depart on a tour and then meet the ship down the river, many kilometres away. The beauty of this that there isn’t any wasted time. Very cool
In everyone’s cabin is a ‘quietvox’ headset and receiver. The night before, if you’ve booked a any shore excursion, a ticket is left in your stateroom with all the details, including which group you’re in. e.g a, b, c d etc. This denotes which bus tour you will join. You bus is clearly marked, eg 46b and your tour guide has a little paddle with the same alpha-numeric details.
It is very easy and extremely well organised. Extra touches such as a free water bottles as you step off the ship elevate the experience.
Panoramic Budapest – a 6-hour tour was the included or ‘free’ tours that Viking offers all guests. There is a free one at every port. You would easily pay hundreds of dollars to have this level of transportation and in-depth tour guide knowledge.
The tour took us around the many incredible sights of this stunning city, and then our first stop at the Budapest Inner-City Mother Church of Our Lady of the Assumption – the oldest church in the city and built on Roman ruins! After some free time, next stop was the Champs Elysee of Budapest, Andrassy Avenue – Watch here
A lovely drive to our next stop, St Stephen’s Basilica in Estergom watch here saw us drive through beautiful countryside. The Basilica is breathtaking! Fun fact, Estergom used to be the capital of Hungary and, from the Basilica, Slovakia is just across the river!
Here’s a tip about tipping. It is NOT a requirement to tip your tour guide and bus driver, however I would say most people did tip a small amount to show their appreciation. I was more than happy to give our guides 10 Euro and they deserved much more. However there is no obligation and it’s is completely up to you.
By bus and foot
In everyone’s cabin is a ‘quietvox’ headset and receiver. The night before, if you’ve booked a any shore excursion, a ticket is left in your stateroom with all the details, including which group you’re in. e.g a, b, c d etc. This denotes which bus tour you will join. You bus is clearly marked, eg 46b and your tour guide has a little paddle with the same alpha-numeric details.
It is very easy and extremely well organised. Extra touches such as a free water bottles as you step off the ship elevate the experience.
Panoramic Budapest – a 6-hour tour was the included or ‘free’ tours that Viking offers all guests. There is a free one at every port. You would easily pay hundreds of dollars to have this level of transportation and in-depth tour guide knowledge.
The tour took us around the many incredible sights of this stunning city, and then our first stop at the Budapest Inner-City Mother Church of Our Lady of the Assumption – the oldest church in the city and built on Roman ruins! After some free time, next stop was the Champs Elysee of Budapest, Andrassy Avenue – Watch here
A lovely drive to our next stop, St Stephen’s Basilica in Estergom watch here saw us drive through beautiful countryside. The Basilica is breathtaking! Fun fact, Estergom used to be the capital of Hungary and, from the Basilica, Slovakia is just across the river!
To tip or not to tip
Here’s a tip about tipping. It is NOT a requirement to tip your tour guide and bus driver, however I would say most people did tip a small amount to show their appreciation. I was more than happy to give our guides 10 Euro and they deserved much more. However there is no obligation and it’s is completely up to you.
Stepping aboard
The ease of embarking really is a huge bonus. You literally step on board through a sliding door and scan your cruise card. A little novelty, sometimes, is that ships are docked two or three deep. They are all identical except for the name so make sure you check! It’s quite fun walking between the ships through sliding doors.
Muster and Coffee
Dining Deliciousness
I will elaborate more about the dining venues, but to give you an idea, the dinner tonight needs a special mention. It was recommended to try the chateaubriand steak. It was the most succulent steak I have ever eaten. The food and service is all superb and complimentary beer and wine is served at lunch and dinner – no drinks package needed!
Lock-tastic
I might have gotten a little excited as we approached our first lock. For those of you who don’t know (and I didn’t) a river lock is a device used for raising and lowering vessels between stretches of water of different levels.
I wasn’t the only one excited as all the passengers headed outside to witness this feat. We entered the lock – a structure with high concrete walls and a huge gate-type barrier closed behind. Then, slowly the water level started to rise. It was so suspenseful, and you can’t quite comprehend how 23m (the height of this lock, they vary) of water lift our massive ship. Despite the drizzle and the darkness, a loud cheer erupted once we reached the top. Truly marvellous!
Tomorrow we will be in a new county, Austria and all the magic that awaits. I was a little sad to leave Budapest with its pretty buildings and beautiful people (they are all BEAUTIFUL), but I hope to return one day, and see the sparkling lights once more.
Good bye Budapest
Tomorrow we will be in a new county, Austria and all the magic that awaits. I was a little sad to leave Budapest with its pretty buildings and beautiful people (they are all BEAUTIFUL), but I hope to return one day, and see the sparkling lights once more.
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