Square 1 Travel and Cruise and Viking River Cruises

15-day Grand European River Tour
 

HAPPY 35^TH ANNIVERSARY LOUISE

Please join us as we celebrate Louise’s 35 years in the travel industry. Louise & Pam are escorting a 15-day Grand European River Tour aboard the Viking Prestige River Boat. The tour is a river-cruise FAVOURITE among clients, and we hope you’ll join us on this river cruise as we celebrate Louise’s travel achievements. Remember these ships only hold 188 guests in 97 staterooms, so availability is limited. If you are hoping to join us on this wonderful vacation, please contact us immediately to save you a cabin. If you prefer to drop by the office for more information and a DVD, please do so.

Budapest to Amsterdam.
August 26-September 9, 2012.

In September 1976 Louise took the Travel Agent course at Grant McEwan College in Edmonton.  Her first job in 1977 was at Humeniuk Travel in Ft McMurray.  On her first day of work, her boss said, “Everyone’s holiday is important, whether it’s a weekend in Edmonton or a Trip Around the World.    We treat everyone the same.”  Louise has used that motto for her entire travel life.   In 1984 she moved to Eaton’s Travel in Edmonton where she started at the Londonderry Mall office and was soon promoted to the Managers job at the main Eaton’s Travel office in downtown Edmonton.  She loved Edmonton – you can ask her to this day!  In April 1990 she decided if her sister Pam and family were going to relocate to Comox to be closer to their brother, Jon and family, in Campbell River, then she’d better follow or she would be left behind in Edmonton.  She started with Pathfinder Travel in the Comox Mall and then was asked to Manage the new Marlin Travel location and then moved on to Club Z Travel in the Driftwood Mall.    Finally in 1996, she thought it was time to own her own business.  Square 1 Travel just happened to be for sale so she and a business-partner bought Square 1 Travel in August.

Louise has witnessed many changes in the travel industry over these years, and to this day she is one of the few people I know that still “Loves her job”.  She always says, “I look forward to coming to work each day.  When the day comes, that I don’t look forward to work, I will know it’s time to retire”.

Louise has travelled the world, which has gotten smaller in the last 35 years.  Travel has taken her on a Trafalgar Tour of Europe, Cosmos Tour in Morocco, AATKing tours in Australia and New Zealand, World Figure Skating Championships in Copenhagen and Helsinki, cruises in the  Mediterranean, Caribbean, Hawaii and Mexico.  She has also visited Egypt, Israel, Greece, Australia, Italy and Ireland, Hong Kong, Bangkok, South Africa, several Caribbean Islands and many US states.  She is the office expert in “Downunder” travelling and is passionate for New Zealand where she lived for 18 months.   Next to her love for New York City, her most memorable holiday was renting a 45 ft. long canal boat in England and maneuvering up and down the Grand Union Canal.  She has always wanted to take the River cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest.

The tour is a river-cruise favourite among clients, and we hope you’ll join us on this river cruise as we celebrate Louise’s travel achievements. 

This is the 15-day sailing itinerary.  Flights and transfers are separate from this itinerary and will be decided separately upon booking. 

Day 1 – Budapest

Arrive in Budapest, capital of Hungary, and transfer to your ship.*  After boarding, the afternoon is yours to explore the city on your own—or join our “welcome walk” to stretch your legs and start getting oriented. (D)

Day 2 - Budapest

The Danube River divides this Hungarian capital city into “Buda” and “Pest.” Explore both parts,  starting with Pest’s National Opera House and historic Heroes’ Square. In Buda, stroll Fishermen’s Hill to Fishermen’s Bastion and Matthias Church. Enjoy lunch aboard with the rest of the day to explore on your own. Return to your ship for a traditional Hungarian dinner. (B, L, D)

Day 3 - Bratislava

After an afternoon arrival, you embark on a walking tour of Slovakia’s charming capital to see attractions like the medieval fortifications at Michael’s Tower, baroque Trinity Church and Gothic St. Martin’s Cathedral. You also pass by several baroque palaces from the Habsburg Dynasty before you return to your ship and depart late tonight. (B, L, D)

Day 4 - Vienna

Ride along Vienna’s Ringstrasse, which replaced the city walls in the mid-19th century. You will also see Vienna’s world-famous Opera House, St. Stephan’s Cathedral and Hofburg Palace. Return aboard for lunch. The rest of the day is yours to further explore—as always, your Program Director can help you plan your free time. After dinner, enjoy an optional classical concert. (B, L, D)

Day 5 - Melk

Today, visit the abbey at Melk, a 900-year-old Benedictine monastery featuring Austria’s finest Italian baroque architecture. See its wonderful frescoes and admire the comprehensive collection of medieval manuscripts in its library. Rejoin your ship and cruise through dinner. (B, L, D)

Day 6 - Passau

On this morning’s walking tour, see Passau’s narrow streets and Italianate architecture, and pass the Veste Oberhaus, a 13th-century fortress that served for centuries as a bishop’s stronghold. Then, listen to a concert on Europe’s largest pipe organ in St. Stephan’s Cathedral.† Enjoy free time and dinner aboard. (B,L,D)

† Passau organ concert not available after November 1.

Day 7 - Regensburg

Arrive in Regensburg after breakfast and tour this wonderfully preserved medieval city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site including structures dating back to Roman times. Discover many 13th- and 14th-century patrician houses and see the splendid St. Peter’s Cathedral. During free time, visit the Alte Wurstküche (Old Sausage Kitchen), Germany’s oldest restaurant. Cruise through dinner. (B, L, D)

Day 8 - Nuremberg

During morning cruising, you may choose to attend an interesting presentation about the European Union. Arrive late morning in Nuremberg; after lunch, disembark for a tour. Visit the ruins of Zeppelin Field, used in the 1930s as Nazi parade grounds, and see the Palace of Justice, site of the famous Nuremberg Trials. See the Old Town area as you walk down past the Albrecht Dürer House and Main Market Square. Spend more time exploring Nuremberg, or join an optional World War II history tour including the Documentation Center Museum. Enjoy free time throughout the evening; dinner is served aboard. Ship departs in the wee hours of the morning. (B, L, D)

Day 9 - Bamberg

Enjoy a tour of Bamberg, with its medieval city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your walking tour includes a visit to the magnificent 11th-century cathedral, reworked in late-Romanesque style in the 13th century, and the very picturesque city hall built on a tiny island in the middle of a river. Take some free time to enjoy Bamberg and sample some of the town’s distinctive smoke-flavored beer before returning aboard.
(B, L, D)

Day 10 - Würzburg

After breakfast, tour Würzburg’s Bishops’ Residenz, one of Germany’s largest and most ornate baroque palaces and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy lunch aboard—or, take an optional excursion along Germany’s “Romantic Road” to Rothenburg, which features a turreted city wall and lovely Gothic and baroque architecture. Rejoin your ship for dinner and an evening glassblowing demonstration. (B, L, D)

Day 11 - Wertheim

Wertheim is located at the confluence of the Main and Tauber Rivers. During your morning walking tour, experience life in a typical small German town. Stop in a bakery and a butcher shop, and learn about Wertheim’s glassblowing tradition. Enjoy free time to explore before returning to your ship for lunch.

(B, L, D)

Day 12 - Middle Rhine & Koblenz

Cruise past hilltop castles along the Rhine; this stunning stretch of the river is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You pass the Lorelei Rock, which marks the river’s narrowest point; the rock is named for a local legend about Rhine Maidens who lure sailors to their doom. This afternoon, stop to visit Marksburg, the only Rhine castle never destroyed. Rejoin your ship in Koblenz and dine aboard. (B, L, D)

Day 13 – Cologne

Arrive in Cologne during breakfast, then disembark for a tour of Germany's fourth largest city. Stroll through the Old Town past St. Martin’s Church and visit the Dom, Germany’s largest cathedral and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Use your free time to enjoy Cologne’s atmospheric waterfront before returning aboard for dinner and evening departure. (B, L, D)

Day 14 - Kinderdijk

Sail along the Rhine during the morning hours, enjoying scenic views. You can try your hand at sjoelen (Dutch table shuffleboard). Arrive around lunchtime at Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; tour this fascinating network of windmills and other ingenious flood management technologies. Return to your ship for a dinner of Dutch cuisine, and then sample Dutch cheeses and jenever, a juniper liqueur, as we sail toward Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands. (B, L, D)

Day 15 - Amsterdam

After breakfast, disembark and proceed to the airport for your return flight.* Or, extend your journey with 2 additional nights in Amsterdam; take time to explore the city’s neighborhoods, museums and exciting nightlife. (B)

The following meals are included:
B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner
*Airport meet & greet transfers included when air is purchased from Viking River Cruises.