Riviera Travel invites you aboard MS Geoffrey Chaucer for a 10-night sailing from Budapest through the beautiful waters of Europe and The Danube River. Ports of call include Esztergom, Dürnstein, and Salzburg, giving you the chance to explore some of Europe and The Danube River's most captivating destinations. The mix of port visits and leisurely sea days makes this 10-night itinerary ideal for both first-time and seasoned cruisers. Prices for this cruise start from £3,148 per person.
Riviera Travel
Riviera Travel is one of the oldest and most reliable river cruise operators in the world, with 40 years of experience running guided and escorted tours, a land and water all around the world, including river cruises.
Riviera Travel operates a unique cruising experience, partnering with local guides and experts to create a programme of guided tours and river cruises, bringing like-minded travellers together and offering a selection of authentic and bespoke travel experiences.
The operator runs river cruises on European waterways like the Danube, Rhine and Douro, but also the Nile, Mekong and Yangtze. Championing escorted tours and guided holidays, Riviera Travel line also specialises in solo travel, providing a safe, friendly and social environment for travellers going it alone.
Known as 'the little big city', Bratislava is smaller than most other European capitals, but still has plenty to do. From castles and clock towers to cocktail bars and 'the UFO Bridge', it's full of mysteries you'll want to unravel.
Day 4
Dürnstein
Dürnstein is a fairytale town on the banks of the Danube, offering a mix of Austrian hospitality and medieval history. You can visit the castle where Richard the Lionheart was held captive before heading deeper into the Wachau Valley to stroll the rolling vineyards and sip the crisp Riesling.
Day 5
Salzburg
For music lovers, Salzburg is a dream come true. Mozart was born here, and the city is full of nods to his legacy. His birthday is celebrated in style every January. Plus, the beloved musical The Sound of Music was shot here. You can even visit the iconic gazebo from the film.
Day 6
Vienna
The Austrian capital is full of old-world charm. Art lovers marvel at the works of the old masters while the musically inclined head to a gilded concert hall to listen to a world-class orchestra or a ballroom for a Viennese Waltz workshop. For foodies, there's plenty to surprise and delight, from the high-ceilinged coffeehouses to the traditional wine bars that embody gemütlichkeit (the Austrian answer to hygge).
Day 7
Budapest
Days 8-11
Vienna
The Austrian capital is full of old-world charm. Art lovers marvel at the works of the old masters while the musically inclined head to a gilded concert hall to listen to a world-class orchestra or a ballroom for a Viennese Waltz workshop. For foodies, there's plenty to surprise and delight, from the high-ceilinged coffeehouses to the traditional wine bars that embody gemütlichkeit (the Austrian answer to hygge).
Known as 'the little big city', Bratislava is smaller than most other European capitals, but still has plenty to do. From castles and clock towers to cocktail bars and 'the UFO Bridge', it's full of mysteries you'll want to unravel.
Dürnstein is a fairytale town on the banks of the Danube, offering a mix of Austrian hospitality and medieval history. You can visit the castle where Richard the Lionheart was held captive before heading deeper into the Wachau Valley to stroll the rolling vineyards and sip the crisp Riesling.
For music lovers, Salzburg is a dream come true. Mozart was born here, and the city is full of nods to his legacy. His birthday is celebrated in style every January. Plus, the beloved musical The Sound of Music was shot here. You can even visit the iconic gazebo from the film.
The Austrian capital is full of old-world charm. Art lovers marvel at the works of the old masters while the musically inclined head to a gilded concert hall to listen to a world-class orchestra or a ballroom for a Viennese Waltz workshop. For foodies, there's plenty to surprise and delight, from the high-ceilinged coffeehouses to the traditional wine bars that embody gemütlichkeit (the Austrian answer to hygge).
The Austrian capital is full of old-world charm. Art lovers marvel at the works of the old masters while the musically inclined head to a gilded concert hall to listen to a world-class orchestra or a ballroom for a Viennese Waltz workshop. For foodies, there's plenty to surprise and delight, from the high-ceilinged coffeehouses to the traditional wine bars that embody gemütlichkeit (the Austrian answer to hygge).
This was a first ever cruise for my wife and I (both recently retired), and it was an immense privilege and joy to experience the Blue Danube river cruise with Riviera Travel on one of their newest liners, the Riviera Radiance.
We were immensely impressed by the kindness and helpfulness of their Customer Service staff in making the cruise arrangements, and equally impressed by the amazing friendly, caring and efficient service of all the staff and crew throughout the 8 day cruise, which made the trip particularly enjoyable.
Throughout the voyage, the choice and quality of the food was outstanding (with several evening meals and 'tasters' themed around places we visited in Hungary, Slovakia and Austria), and the 'all inclusive drinks package' was exceptionally enjoyable! The evening entertainment on offer was varied and engaging, often reflecting local cultural expressions (e.g., the Viennese String Quartet, and Hungarian Folk Dancing), with informal quizzes and games on offer for late night fun with others.
Our middle (Ruby) deck cabin was well equipped and comfortable, with extremely dedicated and friendly service provided several times a day by staff who supplied a fresh supply of clean towels and kept everything pleasantly clean and tidy.
With interesting daily excursions (each led by a very knowledgeable local guide) and all of our flights and daily transfers included in the overall price, along with the joy of meeting many wonderful new friends from Britain and other countries along the way, Riviera provided us with an experience of a lifetime on this first ever cruise - we are happy to highly recommend them, and very much look forward to going on another cruising experience with them !
A very enjoyable 7 nights. The ship was very comfortable with excellent amenities. The staff were friendly and helpful. The tours were great with knowledgeable guides. The food was exceptional. Very impressed.
What's fantastic trip up the River Seine with Riviera last August.We went on the Gastronomy Seine tour which did not disappoint with food tastings of cheese, wines, ciders, cakes and meats from the Normandy region at our various stops. The variety of trips was excellent from Rouen and its majestic cathedral, the beauty of Monets Garden, the thought provoking DDay landings and WWII cemetery at Bayeux along with school history dream of seeing the Bayeux Tapestry.
The food was excellent, the staff helpful and cheerful and we enjoyed the inclusive drinks package and our spacious room with picture window to watch the world go past.
Not having river cruised for over ten years ,&with two other companies. This was a truly good holiday. Organisation, staff & ambience all excellent. Food was delicious with wide variety of choice too & service in dining room very good . Thank you to Riviera for this memorable trip.
A Rhine river cruise to the Christmas markets. Riviera take the strain out of travelling then you step aboard and drop all your cares. The ships are extremely comfortable and the service efficient but not intrusive. The cabins are basically hotel rooms that float! So nice to lie in bed and watch Germany pass by. The food was of a very high standard, well presented and the accompanying wines and drinks were fantastic.Riviera can always be trusted to organise excursions well and their tour managers are always prepared to go that extra mile to ensure your trip is perfect! Give them a try.
As above: excursions extremely interesting, with extremely knowledgeable guides,who made the history of their country come alive.
Food consistently excellent and housekeeping staff always smiling and polite. When things didn't go to plan there was always an alternative which was well thought out and put into action.
