Day Tour

You unpack once, sleep as you sail between cities, and when you get up in the morning you find that you are in or near the center of town. Because I think river cruises are among the best ways to travel, in 2013 I decided to take the 8-day “Parisian Winter Holiday” cruise-tour with Uniworld (Los Angeles, CA; 800/733-7820).

The cost was $2,843 (cruise, $2,424; taxes/surcharges, $140, and AAA Travel Protection, $279). There was no single-supplement charge, and I used my Delta Air Lines miles for the international airfare.

Visits to France’s scenic Alsace region should always include sightseeing in some of the enchanting, medieval villages along Alsace’s wine road. Located in the foothills of the Vosges Mountains, these atmospheric, small villages are filled with half-timbered structures with intriguing shops and restaurants. Wineries are common there and typically offer tastings, as my wife, Paula, and I discovered during our visit in late November 2013.

While sailing in French Polynesia on the Paul Gauguin (800/338-4962) in September ’13, I took advantage of one of the ship’s excursions in Bora Bora: the “Aquabike Adventure.” The excursion cost a total of $299 for two people.

A rep from Aquabike Adventure (Tiipoto, 98730, French Polynesia; phone 689 76 60 61) picked up my friend and me at the dock and took us on about a 15-minute boat ride to the floating dock where the Aquabikes were kept.

In the article “Things To Do Before You Cruise,” in his August ’13 “The Cruising World” column, Lew Toulmin recommended prebooking ships’ excursions before sailing. I completely agree.

As a partially mobility-impaired traveler who uses a Rollator-style walker, I always book my shore tours ahead. When I board the ship, my excursion tickets are either waiting in my cabin or arrive shortly. 

Seven months ahead of my March ’13 trip to England, I booked a full-day tour in the Cotswolds with Mad Max Tours (7 Gloucester Rd., Bath, England, BA1 7BH; phone 07990 505970) for $52. 

The morning of the tour, I caught a train at Paddington Station in London and rode to Bath. When I arrived at the Bath Spa Station, I was within walking distance of the center of town. 

My wife and I had a very enjoyable 12 days in Hungary in October ’12 arranged by Adam Molnar of Custom Travel Hungary (Marczi­bányi tér 9, Budapest, H-1022, Hungary; phone [36 1] 316 9947). 

We began corresponding nine months prior to the trip. Designing the itinerary and selecting and booking the hotels, Adam made all of our arrangements outside of Budapest. He would pick us up in Bratislava, Slovakia, and drop us off in Budapest. 

(Second of two parts)

In this 2-part series, I am adding to the suggestions made by ITN subscriber Cynthia Rignanese regarding what to do within the first few hours of boarding a cruise ship (Dec. ’12, pg. 12). In my view, many of these things are better done before embarking. This month I will cover shore excursions, special classes, phone/Internet access and ship’s library books. 

My husband, Loren, and I decided in August to fly into Barcelona a few days prior to a cruise starting Jan. 4, 2013. 

I would like to recommend Hotel Catalunya (Santa Anna 24, Barcelona, 08002, Spain; phone 93 3019150, fax 93 3189403). Its location is ideal, on a pedestrian street running into La Rambla half a block away. 

My husband, David, and I took a wonderful 16-day trip to India planned and coordinated for us by Indebo. We worked through their US agent, Carole Herdegen (888/546-3421, carole@indebo.com), and Poora in their main New Delhi office.

For our trip, Jan. 11-29, 2013, we paid $3,309 per person plus $275 each for two internal flights. Most of our hotels were superior or deluxe.