Your Accommodation
MV Serenade I
Spacious cabinsThe cabins are amongst the largest of any river cruiser, at 16m². We want you to feel at home so we’ve included plenty of storage space and individually controlled air-conditioning to keep the temperature just how you like it. The twin beds are hotel standard and there is a pretty seating area for relaxation. All cabins have flat-screen satellite TV, phone, fridge, tea and coffee making facilities, safe and a hairdrier. The en suite bathrooms have a separate shower, bath and WC. Cabins are non-smoking but you can smoke on deck. There is a gym and sauna on board for you to enjoy at your leisure.
On the upper two decks all cabins have floor-to-ceiling sliding French windows for a great view or cooling breeze. On the lower deck there’s a smaller fixed window.
Especially reservedSome cabins are especially reserved for sole occupancy, while others have been adapted for wheelchair access. To make life easy, all but the bottom deck are accessible by lift or stair-lift and just a few steps lead you to the large partially covered sun deck.
Your Itinerary
DAY 1 UK – Cologne
Fly from a choice of airports to Dusseldorf and transfer to Serenade I, moored in Cologne.
DAY 2 Koblenz
We depart Cologne in the early hours sailing towards Koblenz which we reach in the early afternoon. It is one of Germany’s oldest and most beautifully restored cities and is renowned for its quaint winding streets, romantic little squares, noble mansions and ancient churches. Above the city is the fascinating Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, first built around AD900. There is an optional afternoon walking tour of this intriguing city.
DAY 3 Bernkastel
Leaving Koblenz behind us, we head down the Moselle valley towards one of the most beautiful wine towns in the region, Bernkastel. At the heart of the town is the pretty market square, filled with quaint half–timbered, colour washed houses with steeped gabled roofs. You will have plenty of free time to explore this exquisite old town.
DAY 4 Bernkastel & Cochem
The ship cruises towards Cochem, but before departing Bernkastel in the morning, you have the chance of taking an optional coach excursion to the ancient Roman town of Trier (please note the coach will rejoin the ship at Cochem). Once the region's Roman capital and founded around 15BC, there are many fascinating monuments remaining here, including the ampitheatre, baths and the famous fortified gates of Porta Nigra. Trier’s cathedral also dates from roman times and houses a garment believed to have belonged to Jesus Christ.
We arrive in Cochem mid afternoon, and have another chance for an optional excursion with an afternoon wine tasting at a local cellar or visit the mighty Reichsburg Castle that towers above this picturesque town and affords magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. This is one of the most famous castles on the Moselle. We leave Cochem for a short cruise to the pretty wine village of Alken where we spend the night.
DAY 5 Rudesheim
We leave Alken before breakfast and cruise towards the Rhine. Experience one of the scenic highlights of this cruise, as we pass through the magnificent Rhine Gorge, past vine-clad slopes and the striking castles of the former mediaeval robber barons, before arriving in the pretty wine town of Rudesheim. There is an optional trip to the charming Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Museum, where you can step back to the early days of recorded sound.
DAY 6 Mannheim & Speyer
Today we set sail from Rudesheim before breakfast and arrive later this morning in the once small fishing village and now delightful city of Mannheim. There’s a marvellous optional trip to the beautiful city of Heidelberg, set majestically on the banks of the Neckar and surrounded by lush hillsides.
The ship continues on to Speyer arriving mid-afternoon. Founded over 2,000 years ago as a roman infantry camp, the city now boasts colourful baroque and rococo buildings along the Maximilianstrasse, the Main Street. The magnificent romanesque cathedral contains tombs of the holy roman emperors. We moor here overnight.
DAY 7 Strasbourg
We leave Speyer in the early hours to arrive in Strasbourg after lunch. There is a free transfer into the centre or join our optional tour of this historic city, where you will discover the city's canals, rivers and elegant buildings. Try a refreshing drink in one of the café bars or perhaps visit the Gothic Cathedral of Notre-Dame with its soaring spires.
DAY 8 Basel
We set sail from Strasbroug in the early hours and arrive early afternoon at Basel, one of Switzerland’s wealthiest cities. There’s a fascinating optional trip to the capital of the Black Forest, Freiburg, an historic university town with its mediaeval architecture, merchants’ houses and impressive sandstone church.
DAY 9 Basel
Today there is an opportunity to join a spectacular full-day excursion to the stunning Bernese Oberland. Travelling through spectacular Alpine regions, the area is best known for the three peaks – The Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. Take in views of sparkling waterfalls, small traditional villages and lush valleys before rejoining the ship in Basel.
DAY 10 Basel – UK
We disembark in Basel after breakfast for the transfer to Zurich airport for the return flight home.
Travel Extras
We know that picking your dream destination is the biggest part of making your perfect holiday come true. But there are a number of other decisions that have to be made such as where to park at the airport and who to change your money with, to name but a few. So to really get every aspect of your holiday sorted we have set up a one stop travel shop and useful links section for you to organise all your travel needs, leaving you to concentrate on having a memorable and relaxing holiday with Page & Moy.
Holiday Extras - save up to 60%
You can benefit from access to Holiday Extras, a separate company that can organize a whole range of services from airport hotels and secure airport parking to VIP liunges in airports, and more, at 23 airports across the UK.
To book go to http://www.holidayextras.co.uk/pageandmoy.html.
If you find the same parking facility or hotel for less within seven days of booking, tell Holiday Extras and they will match the price or refund the difference. Conditions apply.
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Airport Lounges from Lounge Pass
Start your holiday off refreshed and relaxed by taking advantage of our VIP airport lounge offer, available at a number of airports, both here and abroad. From as little as £15 each, you’ll enjoy a peaceful and tranquil environment, where you can enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks, read the papers, check your email or simply relax and watch TV until your flight is called.
For details, please click here.
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Casual Clothing from Lands’ End
Lands' End offer an extensive range of high quality casual and tailored clothes for men and women. Choose from their selection of jackets, knitted tops, trousers, dresses, skirts and more.
For details, please visit www.landsend.co.uk
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Photography from Jessops
Jessops is the UK's leading specialist photographic retailer. With great on-line savings on hundreds of products, including digital cameras, camcorders, lenses, batteries and much more, plus free delivery on mainland UK orders over £75, Jessops has all your photographic needs covered.
For details, please visit www.jessops.com
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Travel Accessories from Travel with Care
Travel With Care offers a comprehensive range of travel accessories, with everything you need for your holiday. From First Aid, DVT Prevention and Healthcare to money belts, wallets, waterproofs, toiletries, alarm clocks, and much, much more.
For details, please visit www.travelwithcare.com
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Getting you there - European Holidays
Fly direct from your local airport Giving you choice is one of our main priorities, so when it comes to flights, instead of offering just Heathrow or Gatwick as departure airports, whenever possible we offer to fly you direct from your nearest airport to your holiday destination either free or for a supplement of just £29 per person.
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Choice of 20 airports
You have the choice to fly direct to your holiday destination from up to 20 regional airports throughout the UK for a supplement of no more than £29 per person return.
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Regional connecting flights to London from only £69
If you can’t fly direct to your destination from your local airport (see individual holiday details), usually you will have the choice of taking a regional connecting flight to Heathrow or Gatwick from as little as £69 per person return. If your connecting flight and your flight from Gatwick or Heathrow is with British Airways or British Midland, your luggage will automatically be checked through to your final destination, so there’s no need to collect or check your luggage in twice.
Fly from:
Aberdeen, Belfast, Durham Tees Valley, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Jersey, Leeds/Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle, Newquay
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Make your own way and save up to £150 per person
You may want more flexibility to make your own travel arrangements to combine your trip with visits to friends and relatives or travel from an airport which we do not offer. If so, why not take advantage of our make your own way option. We offer a reduction of £150 off many of our holidays to allow you to make your own arrangements, if that is what you want. Details of where this option is available are shown on each holiday.
Please remember that these arrangements do not include flights or transfers and you will need to make your own travel arrangements at the beginning and end of your holiday.
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Getting you there - Worldwide Holidays
If you are going on one of our Worldwide* holidays, we offer a range of transfer options with our compliments.
Choose from the following options:
1. Experience door-to-door travel with Page & Moy
If you have booked a Worldwide holiday and live within a 250-mile drive of your departure airport, we will arrange for a taxi to pick you up from your door and take you to the airport, then drop you home on your return, with our compliments.
2. FREE Connecting flights
If you live further than 250 miles from the airport, or if you prefer, you can opt to transfer to the main departure airport by a connecting flight from an airport closer to home (subject to availability).
3. FREE National Express coach travel
Alternatively, why not choose coach travel on the extensive national express network, with over 1,200 collection points nationwide. What’s more, we’ll pay for your ticket!
4. FREE airport car parking
If you would prefer the flexibility of travelling independently to the airport, we are pleased to offer
the option of free parking at your departure airport.
*Worldwide holidays include Asia, Australasia, North and South America, South Africa and Namibia, but exclude Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and motor racing holidays.
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