Page 36 - Explore Magazine Autumn 2017

A VERY HAPPY
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CHANGE OF PLANS

Unfazed by an unexpected mid-cruise switch from river to land,
European touring company Travelmarvel fully lived up to its name, says
Sarah Bartlett, Senior Travel Consultant at helloworld Mt Maunganui.
In June 2016 I set off with a group on a Travelmarvel
European Gems journey from Paris to Prague. We flew
into Paris early in the morning to be met by our guide for
the next three nights. One of the upsides to our morning
arrival was that by the time we got into the city through
the morning traffic we were ready for brunch and could
also go straight to our rooms. We stayed at the elegant
4-star Les Jardins du Marais Hotel in the famous Marais
district which is full of charming restaurants, chic shops
and fascinating galleries and museums.
Our first afternoon was ours to enjoy at leisure with the
options of getting out and exploring or relaxing at the
hotel – in this location, Paris was really at our fingertips.
The following two days also gave us plenty of free time
along with our various guided tours so we got a great
overview of the City of Light. Our tours included lunch
on the first level of the Eiffel Tower with great city views,
and the optional extra of a visit to the famous Moulin
Rouge cabaret show in the evening.
From Paris we travelled by coach to Amsterdam and
went directly to our Travelmarvel River Ship. The
staterooms on board are spacious and include a
wardrobe, which is such a bonus as you really can just
unpack once! We had opted for a 172-square-foot French
Balcony Stateroom which was well worth it for its
floor-to-ceiling views, especially when the sun deck was
closed for safety as the ship passed through river locks.
Gliding down the great

rivers of Europe like

the Rhine, the Main
and Danube is an

incredible experience

There was so much to take in, from the array of quaint
villages, the sights of locals holidaying by the river,
the vast amount of history and of course the stunning
scenery that passes by. We didn’t, unfortunately, get
to cruise into Budapest, one of my favourite European
cities, because high water levels forced us off the river
at Regensburg in Eastern Bavaria. Our Travelmarvel
cruise director was absolutely amazing, co-ordinating
a full cruise ship of passengers from river to land
arrangements seemingly without turning a hair.
The change in our itinerary led to a slightly extended
stay in Regensburg which allowed us to explore parts
of this charming region of southeast Germany. Among
the gems we saw was historic Weltenburg Abbey, a

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