Earlier this month I swapped the Family Truckster for a river boat, and my daughter and I headed to Adventures By Disney Danube River Cruise for a European Christmas Vacation. This was Adventures By Disney’s inaugural holiday Danube River cruise after a summer season of tours with AmaWaterways. Continue reading for tweets and Instagram photos along the way, and click here for a review of the cruise.
December 14 Travel Day – New York to Munich
A long day of travel flying from Rochester, New York to Munich, Germany.
Travel day for our European Christmas 🎄 Vacation. Next stop, Munich, Germany 🇩🇪 #AdventuresByDisney pic.twitter.com/qv6SA7ajGj
— Dad/Dave Parfitt (@AdventuresByDad) December 14, 2016
December 15 Embarkation – Vilshofen, Germany
We nearly landing in Munich before diverted to Frankfurt, Germany due to fog. In Frankfurt we sat on the tarmac for four hours while technicians repaired the autopilot before we could return to Munich. We arrived just in time to catch Adventures By Disney’s shuttle to the ship docked in Vilshofen, Germany. A two hour bus ride brought us to the AmaViola.
Our home for the week on our European #Christmas Vacation with #AdventuresByDisney‘s inaugural holiday #DanubeRiver cruise #familytravel pic.twitter.com/NdqWBarGcP
— Dad/Dave Parfitt (@AdventuresByDad) December 15, 2016
Where we were welcomed with our own private Oktoberfest in December.
December 16 Passau, Germany
Morning activity – a tour of the medieval village of Passau at the confluence of three rivers, the Danube, Inn, and Ilz. The native Pittsburgher in me loved being in a three rivers city again.
Afternoon activity – we climbed through the tree tops at Baumkronenweg in Kopfing, Austria.
December 17 Linz, Austria
Our closest stop to Salzburg included a day long excursion to the city of Mozart’s birthplace.
Morning activity – a tour beneath the Austrian Alps into one of the world’s oldest salt mines. We rode a train, zoomed down a mineshaft slide, and floated on a raft throughout the mine — all while learning the rich history of Austria’s “white gold.”
Lunch in one of the oldest restaurants in Europe, St. Peter’s Stiftskeller that included the region’s famous Sacher Torte.
Afternoon activity – on our own time to explore the Christmas Markets and shop in Salzburg. Christmas carolers 🎄 in the City of Mozart 🎶
Christmas carolers 🎄 in the City of Mozart 🎶 on our #AdventuresByDisney Danube River Cruise with @AmaWaterways at Salzburg Christkindlmarkt pic.twitter.com/AOVSRFPEBt
— Dad/Dave Parfitt (@AdventuresByDad) December 17, 2016
December 18 Melk, Austria
Morning activity – I toured the Melk Benedictine Abbey while my daughter caught up on sleep on the ship.
Following the Abbey tour, it was on to the Landhotel Wachau to learn the “Stories of the Danube” including fishing, apricot marmalade and wine tasting, and traditional Austrian dancing.
Learning the stories, food, and traditions of the Danube in the Wachau Valley on our #AdventuresByDisney #AmaWaterways Holiday River Cruise pic.twitter.com/bUaDOlKktf
— Dad/Dave Parfitt (@AdventuresByDad) December 18, 2016
Afternoon activity – we sailed through the Wachau Valley, a protetected UNESCO World Heritage Site, before docking at Krems where we were escorted to Dürnstein for a hike to the castle ruins that once held England’s King Richard the Lionhearted (in the 1100’s).
December 19 Vienna, Austria
Morning Activity – A tour Schönbrunn Palace including historic marionette show and strudel making demonstration.
Celebrating #Christmas 🎄like a Hapsburg at Schönbrunn Palace in #Vienna, #Austria 🇦🇹 #AdventuresByDisney #AmaWaterways #DanubeRiver Cruise pic.twitter.com/lQhNyJy0JZ
— Dad/Dave Parfitt (@AdventuresByDad) December 20, 2016
Learning how to make apple strudel in #Vienna, Austria’s 🇦🇹 Schoenbrunn Palace during #AdventuresByDisney/@AmaWaterways cruise #FamilyTravel pic.twitter.com/oxAqsPntGH
— Dad/Dave Parfitt (@AdventuresByDad) December 19, 2016
Lunch – we dined on goulash and dumplings in one of Vienna’s oldest restaurants, Griechenbeisl established in 1500.
Our 500+ year old restaurant for lunch in Vienna. Think who else has dined here, Mozart? Klimt? Freud? #AdventuresByDisney #AmaWaterways #TT pic.twitter.com/sgZEbUDF1V
— Dad/Dave Parfitt (@AdventuresByDad) December 20, 2016
Afternoon Activity – free time to explore Vienna’s world famous Christkindlmarkt.
Evening Activity – attended a private reception and performance at the Spanish Riding School, home of the world-famous Lipizzaner Stallions. Followed by a private backstage visit to the riding arena, stables, and tack room. Yes, the photo below is a riding arena not an opera hall.
December 20 Bratislava, Slovakia
Morning activity – I strolled through the historic center of Bratislava while my daughter recovered from the full day in Vienna.
Afternoon activity – we skipped over the border back into Austria to tour Schloss Hof, the “hunting lodge” of the Hapsbergs. During our visit we met rare animals such as 3 & 4 horned goats and white donkeys, learned a Viennese Waltz, and tasted chocolate and schnapps.
Schloss Hof Schnapps Tasting in Austria
December 21 Budapest, Hungary
From Slovakia we sailed on to our final destination – Budapest, Hungary.
On our way to #Budapest, Hungary 🇭🇺 passing through the largest lock on the Danube – not on the Erie Canal anymore #AdventuresByDisney #TT pic.twitter.com/NhcJshH8lI
— Dad/Dave Parfitt (@AdventuresByDad) December 20, 2016
Morning Activity – quick stop at the Budapest Central Market for some shopping before heading to the Lazar Equestrian Park to make our own goulash, visit the farm animal, watch spectacular horsemanship, and eat… so much to eat.
Horses, goulash, and a light Hungarian lunch at the Lazar Equestrian Park outside #Budapest. #AdventuresByDisney #AmaWaterways #FamilyTravel pic.twitter.com/ItJ9XVsbWY
— Dad/Dave Parfitt (@AdventuresByDad) December 21, 2016
Afternoon Activity – final visit to one last Christmas market to pick up remaining gifts and souvenirs.
Evening Activity – a spectacular Illuminations Cruise on the Danube with the buildings of Budapest lit before us.
Crown jewels of the Danube River, #Budapest‘s Parliament Building and Buda Castle with the Chain Bridge spanning between #AdventuresByDisney pic.twitter.com/E51pa96hLJ
— Dad/Dave Parfitt (@AdventuresByDad) December 21, 2016
And as quickly as it started, it was time to head for home.
Couldn’t leave Germany 🇩🇪 without one last pretzel before the flight. Looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight #FamilyTravel pic.twitter.com/3QR5PUX81I
— Dad/Dave Parfitt (@AdventuresByDad) December 22, 2016
DISCLOSURE: Dave Parfitt was hosted by Adventures by Disney for the purposes of experiencing this inaugural Adventures By Disney Danube River Cruise. However, all opinions expressed are those of the author. For more family travel news, reviews, and trip reports, be sure to follow Adventures by Daddy on twitter and “like” our facebook page too.
![When THE LITTLE MERMAID debuted in theaters in 1989, I was a college undergraduate taking a film studies class. The professor told us this was a new renaissance in Disney […]](https://www.adventuresbydaddy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Little_Mermaid_crop-36x36.jpg "THE LITTLE MERMAID Giveaway – 30th Anniversary Signature Edition"){kind=small}
![The END is coming for Disney movies in 2019. AVENGERS: ENDGAME and STAR WARS IX promise the end to long running stories that have taken up more than a decade […]](https://www.adventuresbydaddy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/TWDS-2019-Preview-Kit-Lo-1-1-36x36.jpg "Preview the Full Slate of Lucasfilm, Marvel, Pixar and Walt Disney Movies in 2019"){kind=small}
![Dawn of a new week at one of my favorite places, Give Kids The World Village, where I volunteered with 13 college students from upstate New York with children with life-threatening […]](https://www.adventuresbydaddy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/DSC_0338-36x36.jpg "The Cookie Man’s Coming for Give Kids The World Alternative Break 2018"){kind=small}
![When Aer Lingus announced a new Hartford to Europe route, AND a “Euro Free” sale, how could we pass it up? Fly Aer Lingus round-trip to Dublin from the U.S., and […]](https://www.adventuresbydaddy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Aerlingus.a320-214.ei-cva-36x36.png "Follow Along LIVE on our Daddy/Daughter Trip with Aer Lingus to Dublin and London"){kind=small}
![I recently returned from an RV National Park Grand Circle tour with my family (click here for the preview post). While I planned to post live during our trip, the […]](https://www.adventuresbydaddy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC_0977-X2-36x36.png "Recap RV National Park Grand Circle Tour – Zion, Cedar Breaks, Bryce, and Grand Canyons"){kind=small}
![We’re off on our Disney Cruise of Norway! Along the way we’ll be stopping at some of the spectacular scenery of Norway’s western fjords. Of course, since this is a […]](https://www.adventuresbydaddy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DSC_4377-36x36.jpg "LIVE Blog: FROZEN Disney Cruise of Norway"){kind=small}
A lot of sights in a short tour. What fun.
Thanks Jonathan, yes, you’re right it was a ton to squeeze in for a week-long cruise. I want to go back and explore deeper now.