Basel Archives - Caffeinated Excursions https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/tag/basel/ Blog of a Traveling Coffee Addict Fri, 06 Mar 2026 22:13:36 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.3 https://i0.wp.com/caffeinatedexcursions.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/wp-1555570621336.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Basel Archives - Caffeinated Excursions https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/tag/basel/ 32 32 141833777 A Viking Rhine River Cruise Review: Basel To Amsterdam https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/a-viking-rhine-river-cruise-review-basel-to-amsterdam/ https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/a-viking-rhine-river-cruise-review-basel-to-amsterdam/#comments Sat, 23 Jul 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/?p=22603 After two long years of pandemic restrictions, Europe is fully open again! I’m lucky to have an extended family of fellow travel enthusiasts, and we’ve all been looking forward to a reunion vacation in Western Europe for a while now! A Viking River cruise seemed like the perfect offering for a group of eight people...

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A Viking Rhine River Cruise Review: Basel To Amsterdam

A Viking Rhine River Cruise Review: Basel To Amsterdam

Published July 23, 2022

This blog post was proudly created without the use of generative AI. It was 100% written and edited by a human, for humans. Enjoy, and thanks for your support!

After two long years of pandemic restrictions, Europe is fully open again! I’m lucky to have an extended family of fellow travel enthusiasts, and we’ve all been looking forward to a reunion vacation in Western Europe for a while now! A Viking River cruise seemed like the perfect offering for a group of eight people spanning three generations. This post is a review of my time on the Viking Hermod as it sailed down the Rhine.

Viking offers various Rhine River cruise itineraries, and the one we booked was called the “Rhine Getaway.” As of summer 2022, this cruise is eight days long and spans four countries: Switzerland, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. We traveled from Basel to Amsterdam, but it can be booked in the opposite direction as well.

This post is a review of this particular Rhine River cruise. But on a side note, this was also my first time cruising! If you’re interested in learning about what it was like to experience Viking River Cruises as a first-time cruise passenger, check out my separate post [coming soon]!

Day Trip Itinerary

The first half of this post is a review of the Rhine Getaway ports of call. I liked all of the cities we stopped in, but some were more impressive than others. To learn more, read on! To skip down to the second half of this post (a review of the ship and its amenities), click here.

Day 1: Boarding in Basel 🇨🇭

This cruise began in Basel, a quaint little town in Switzerland right on the border of both Germany and France. If you can spend a day or two in Basel before your cruise, I highly recommend it. We booked a walking tour with a local guide (independent of Viking), and I’m really glad we did.

Viking allowed us to board the Hermod in the early afternoon, which gave us plenty of time to get acquainted with the layout of the ship. Our first dinner was served, and finally we were off in the early evening. We passed through our first of many river locks on this night, which is one of the most noteworthy aspects of a Rhine River cruise.

Inside a lock on the Rhine River

If you’re wondering how we made it to Basel, we flew from Chicago into Zürich and then booked a private car transfer. Zürich Airport is the nearest major international airport to Basel, and the drive is about an hour. There are also frequent trains that run between Switzerland’s largest city and its gateway to the Rhine.

Zürich, Switzerland

Day 2: Breisach 🇩🇪

The Hermod pulled into its first port of call very early in the morning, which meant we had a full day to explore Breisach, a small village in Germany. I actually decided to skip the included tour (a bus trip to the Black Forest) in the morning and walk across the French border to the village of Neuf-Brisach. I did this completely on my own; it wasn’t a part of the Viking itinerary at all.

Breisach, Germany

Neuf-Brisach is a sleepy little French town that is surrounded on all sides by a visually stunning series of fortified walls. These walls were designed by French architect Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban to help protect border outposts from invasion. You can’t make out the geometry of the walled city from the ground level, but you can explore the city streets and get some sense of their architecture.

In the afternoon, I went back to Breisach and explored its most famous landmark: the Breisacher Münster St. Stephan, a beautiful brown church that towers over the rest of the town.

The interior of the Breisacher Münster is interesting, but my favorite part of this cathedral is its view from the top of the hill overlooking the village.

Apart from the church, Breisach feels pretty touristy. If you have extra time and want to walk around the town, feel free to. But if you don’t have time or want to rest on the ship instead, you probably won’t miss out on too much.

Day 3: Strasbourg 🇫🇷

Strasbourg is a fascinating city that’s much larger than Breisach. Due to its location on the Rhine, Strasbourg has a unique mix of French and German cultural elements. It’s also home to a number of European Union institutions, although the Viking itinerary doesn’t include any tours to these government offices. They are clustered in an outlying district of the city.

Instead, we explored Strasbourg’s historic center, based mostly on Grande Île. Here you’ll find the famous Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, a staggering gothic cathedral that was actually the tallest building in the world from 1647 to 1874!

The other area I really liked in Strasbourg was Petite-France. This tiny neighborhood is split up by canals that are lined with gorgeous half-timbered homes (the iconic style of German architecture with wood beams on the exterior). We walked through here on our guided tour, and I came back afterwards to enjoy the views for a bit longer.

Strasbourg was probably my favorite day trip on our cruise, so I’ve written a separate blog post about the city. Check it out using the image link below!

Day 4: Speyer and Rüdesheim am Rhein 🇩🇪

This was my least favorite day of the cruise, mainly because we only had a few hours in both Speyer and Rüdesheim. I feel like we did get to see slightly more of the former than the latter, but both stops were rushed.

Speyer

Speyer is a small city on the western bank of the Rhine. Some notable landmarks include the Dom zu Speyer (Speyer Cathedral) and the Altpörtel (Old Gate) directly west of there. The two are connected by the short Maximilianstraße, which serves as the main street in the historic district.

Maximilianstraße looking towards the Altpörtel in Speyer, Germany

Viking offered a short included tour, then we had about an hour or so to explore on our own. There are some other interesting churches a little further inland, or you could check out the many side alleys that branch off of the Maximilianstraße.

Speyer seemed like an interesting town. I would’ve enjoyed spending more time there. However, as I mentioned above, this is only a half-day stop. Before lunch, we met in the Domplatz and boarded buses that brought us back to the ship. We sailed for a couple hours before making our second stop of the day in…

Rüdesheim am Rhein

At this point in the cruise, the Rhine starts to become much more scenic. Beautiful villages and vineyards can be seen in all directions. Rüdesheim is a touristy town known for its wineries and historic center, called the Drosselgasse. Viking doesn’t offer an included tour here, so I explored on my own. However, since we docked in the late afternoon, time felt even more limited here than in Speyer.

I took a short walk through the Drosselgasse, but I was much more intrigued by all the hilly vineyards overlooking the town. There’s even a chairlift that goes up, hinting that the views up there would be good! I walked up the Oberstraße, which turns into the Germaniastraße. Finally, I turned left onto this paved trail. The panoramic views were indeed incredible!

Day 5: Cruise through the Rhine Gorge; Stop in Koblenz 🇩🇪

As you leave Rüdesheim, the Rhine River goes from picturesque to spectacular. This day of voyaging through the Rhine Valley is the centerpiece of the entire trip. The surrounding landscape becomes more dramatic. I loved seeing the patchwork of vineyards on the steep mountainsides, but the coolest part of the day is seeing all the castles.

There are so many of them! You truly pass one castle every few minutes once you enter the Rhine Gorge. Our cruise Program Director also provided a running commentary on all of the things we were seeing as we sailed by. There’s something incredible about seeing these archaic stone structures from various angles as you move along the water.

Since we spent the first half of Day 5 cruising, the city of Koblenz was another half-day stop. However, our time here didn’t feel as rushed as the whirlwind tours on Day 4. Koblenz is a tourist hub that’s noticeably bigger than Speyer and Rüdesheim. I walked all over the Altstadt (Old Town), which is right next to the Viking River Cruises Dock.

The other main activity in Koblenz is taking the cable car to the other side of the river. Here you’ll find Festung Ehrenbreitstein, a sprawling nineteenth century fortress that overlooks the town. Visiting the fortress was interesting, but there didn’t seem to be much signage in English, so I don’t feel like I learned a lot about its history while I was there.

One other noteworthy attraction on the southern edge of the Altstadt is Kurfürstliches Schloss Koblenz. This ornate white palace is surrounded by impeccably maintained gardens that seem to serve as a public square for the city.

Day 6: Cologne (Köln) 🇩🇪

Cologne is the largest city this cruise stops in, so there wasn’t enough time to explore all that I wanted to. With that said, we at least had a full day docked here. The included Viking tour served as a brief introduction to the riverfront and Kölner Dom, the city’s massive iconic cathedral. After that, we had the rest of the day to explore on our own.

I thought the main sanctuary of the cathedral was stunning, but I actually didn’t really like climbing the church tower. The views from the top were fine but not as stunning as some of the other panoramic views I saw on this cruise (e.g. in Breisach or Strasbourg). More importantly, the climb is essentially one long spiral staircase – with visitors going both directions on it! It felt kind of dangerous. Frankly, being on a spiral staircase for that long with only the occasional narrow gothic window was disorienting and dizzying. If you want to climb a church tower, I suggest going up to the top of the Notre-Dame in Strasbourg instead.

After visiting the cathedral, I walked across the Hohenzollernbrücke, which is one of the most notable “love lock” bridges in Europe. Yes, I know this is a trend that’s swept almost the entire world, but the number of locks on the Hohenzollern Bridge is still a sight to behold.

The last thing I did in Cologne was visit the Museum Ludwig. It was hosting a fascinating temporary exhibit featuring the works of Isamu Noguchi. I’m not the biggest museum enthusiast, but the Ludwig ended up being very captivating.

Day 7: Cruise through the Dutch Countryside; Stop in Kinderdijk 🇳🇱

In all honesty, the Rhine (which turns into the Waal) is less scenic in the Netherlands than it is in Germany. You’re no longer surrounded by hills, vineyards, and castles. Instead, the riverbanks are flat and sandy here.

Our final shore excursion ended up being a really fascinating one: a guided tour of Kinderdijk, a ‎UNESCO World Heritage Site on the outskirts of Rotterdam famous for its windmills. Our tour guide did an excellent job of introducing us to the history and purpose of mills in the Netherlands.

The landscape here is so pretty, and one of the highlights of this visit was being able to see the inside of a mill. All in all, a short visit to Kinderdijk was a great way to wrap up our final full day on the Viking Hermod.

Day 8: Disembark in Amsterdam 🇳🇱

The Netherlands is a small country, and Kinderdijk is only about 95 kilometers (59 miles) away from Amsterdam. As such, the Hermod was already passing through Utrecht by bedtime. We docked at Amsterdam very early in the morning on our final day.

There were no day tours of Amsterdam organized by Viking on Day 8, but we were allowed to stay on the boat until the late afternoon (with lunch included). However, we did have to vacate our staterooms by 8:00 a.m. so that the cleaning crew could start preparing for the next cruise.

After checking out, guests are free to go on their way. I assume that most people flew out of Amsterdam within a day or two of ending the cruise. However, we stayed for five extra days in Amsterdam and met up with a few more family members there! I had mixed feelings about this bustling Dutch metropolis, which I’ve written about in a separate blog post.

Cruise Review

Now that you’ve seen the itinerary for the Rhine Getaway, the second half of this post will include some information about the actual cruising experience on Viking.

Impressions of the Rhine River

If you’re considering booking this cruise for yourself, you might be wondering: what is the Rhine River actually like between Basel and Amsterdam? Well, in my opinion it seemed to have three distinct sections. From Basel until Speyer (Day 1 to Day 4), the Rhine feels very industrial. It’s lined by factories, and to be honest, the river is not amazing here (although the cities along it are). Luckily, the boat sailed at night through the Upper Rhine, so it’s not like we really missed out on much.

From Speyer to Cologne (Day 4 to Day 6), the Rhine River is incredibly scenic. Viking did a great job of scheduling so that passengers could enjoy the view from the boat during the day on this portion of the trip. The vineyards, villages, and castles of the Middle Rhine are undoubtedly the river’s most unique offerings.

In the Netherlands, the Rhine (or Waal) has a rural vibe to it. We passed cows cooling off in the shallow riverbanks, a few small Dutch villages, and not much else until we approached Amsterdam. The Lower Rhine is not as industrial as the Upper Rhine, and it’s not as picturesque as the Middle Rhine.

The Viking Cruise Ship

The most noteworthy thing about this cruise ship is its capacity: only about 200 passengers. There are four levels, and each room has a window. The ship has one single dining room that can accommodate all passengers at one time, an indoor lounge, a terrace, plus an open-air deck on top that runs the length of the ship.

Food and Drink

The meals on our Viking Cruise were consistently amazing! I really looked forward to coming back on board after each excursion or tour to enjoy whatever was being served that day.

What’s more, Viking offered specialties from each region we were passing through. I loved the fact that I got to try Swiss, German, French, and Dutch food all onboard! They also have a permanent menu that includes classics like Caesar salad, steak, and burgers, but I ordered most of my meals from their rotating menu.

The Viking breakfast buffet is also excellent! The omelette station is absolutely worth waiting in line for, plus it moves along fairly quickly.

Of course, you could always eat at local restaurants while you’re exploring the cities along the Rhine. We did that once or twice, but the food on the ship was so delicious that I rarely wanted to pass it up.

Should you get the drink package?

You’ll have to make this decision for yourself, but beer and wine are included with each meal even if you don’t purchase the unlimited drink package. I did the math, and you’d basically have to drink two additional cocktails each day (outside of lunch and dinner) to make the package worthwhile. I enjoy drinking to be sure, but I would typically have wine with my meals and limit myself to one cocktail per day. My total bar tab came out to be about 90 euro for the entire trip.

Like the food, all of the alcoholic drinks on this cruise were expertly crafted. Everything tasted great, and they were never watered down or too strong. They even made a great White Russian, which is one of my favorite cocktails!

Shore Excursions

At every port of call, Viking offered one included (free) tour. These tended to be walking tours that lasted about two hours and introduced guests to the various cities. In general, I’d say these tours were pretty good. However, if you’d rather explore one of the stops on your own (or even stay on the ship), you are more than welcome to skip any of the tours.

Hohenzollernbrücke, Cologne, Germany

You can also pre-book one of many “Optional Excursions,” which are tours that you’ll have to pay extra for. I never did any of the Optional Excursions, so I can’t say if they were better or worse than the included tours.

Amenities Onboard

The Viking Hermod was not a massive vessel. As such, it didn’t have all of the amenities that some other cruise ships might. There was no pool, casino, food court, gym, bowling alley, nightclub, etc. Part of this is because Viking’s clientele seems to skew older: my cousin, my brother, and I (in our twenties or late teens) were the youngest passengers on board. Viking River Cruises does not allow minors, so there are no amenities specifically aimed at kids.

Despite this, the Viking Hermod had a beautifully designed interior. The atrium and dining room were both warm and inviting spaces. The lounge and front terraces were comfortable places to sit, relax, or sip a drink. The ship’s common spaces never felt cramped, even when all the passengers were gathered together (e.g. during dinnertime).

I also found the stateroom to be comfortably sized. There is lots of space to store your luggage, and I found that the bathroom and shower weren’t too small.

Entertainment and Activities

One thing I really loved about this cruise was that there were lots of fun optional activities onboard the ship in the afternoons and evenings. Our family group enjoyed game nights and musical performances, but you could also attend things like a glassblowing demonstration or a Q&A session with the captains of the ship.

Final Thoughts

Longtime readers of my blog will know that I don’t shy away from giving my honest opinion when it comes to travel. If an attraction is overrated, I will tell you that. If a tour is underwhelming, I will tell you that. With that in mind, I’m happy to report that this Viking River Cruise was an outstanding experience! I’ll cherish the memory of going down the Rhine with my extended family for the rest of my life.

Was the cruise perfect? No. I really would’ve preferred a little more time in fewer stops. If I could offer one suggestion to Viking, I’d say either choose Speyer or Rüdesheim am Rhein, and spend the entire day there. However, cruising through the Rhine Gorge the next day made up for it. Sailing past all those castles was the highlight of this cruise.

If you’re looking for an upscale travel experience in Western Europe, consider Viking’s Rhine Getaway. I had never been to Switzerland, Germany, France, or the Netherlands before this trip. Now, I can’t wait to go back and explore all four of those countries in greater depth! It’s safe to say this cruise inspired even more wanderlust in me. By that metric, I’d say it was a resounding success!

Have you ever been on a Viking River Cruise before? Are you about to embark on one? Leave a comment below and let me know! I’m curious if other travelers loved this cruise as much as I do!

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This post was published on July 23, 2022

This blog post was proudly created without the use of generative AI. It was 100% written and edited by a human, for humans. Enjoy, and thanks for your support!

Hi, I’m Kevin! I’m a coffee addict from Seattle, and my life revolves around traveling! Caffeinated Excursions is a record of my trips over the past seven years. Since I started blogging, I’ve lived in Mexico, Vietnam, Brazil, and the US. I just moved to Australia and plan to be here a full year. Thanks for checking out my blog!

Upcoming Trips

  1. Bangkok (Sept)
  2. Istanbul (Sept)

Support the Blog!

The post A Viking Rhine River Cruise Review: Basel To Amsterdam appeared first on Caffeinated Excursions.

]]> https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/a-viking-rhine-river-cruise-review-basel-to-amsterdam/feed/ 24 22603 Exploring Switzerland Before Or After A Rhine River Cruise https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/exploring-switzerland-before-or-after-a-rhine-river-cruise/ https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/exploring-switzerland-before-or-after-a-rhine-river-cruise/#comments Fri, 15 Jul 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/?p=22991 If you’re about to embark on a Rhine River cruise, there’s a good chance that you’ll be starting or ending your journey in Switzerland! That’s because the Rhine River begins in the Swiss Alps and flows towards the Netherlands. This blog post will explain how you can make the most of a few days Switzerland before or after a cruise...

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Exploring Switzerland Before Or After A Rhine River Cruise

Exploring Switzerland Before Or After A Rhine River Cruise

Published July 15, 2022

If you’re about to embark on a Rhine River cruise, there’s a good chance that you’ll be starting or ending your journey in Switzerland! That’s because the Rhine River begins in the Swiss Alps and flows towards the Netherlands. This blog post will explain how you can make the most of a few days in Switzerland before or after a cruise!

Zürich, Switzerland

My extended family flew from Chicago to Zürich, where we spent one full day touring. The next morning, we took a private van transfer to the smaller city of Basel located on the Rhine. We did some sightseeing there, then boarded our Viking Cruise ship the following afternoon. To skip down to any individual attraction listed below, click or tap on the corresponding link!

Exploring Zürich For a Day or Two

As Switzerland’s largest city, Zürich certainly feels like a bustling urban center. However, with a metropolitan population of only about two million, it’s not exactly sprawling or chaotic. Zürich’s skyline is also defined by church spires and clock towers instead of modern skyscrapers, giving it a distinctly older vibe.

Zürich Hauptbahnhof (HB)

This massive train station serves as the very heart of the city center. It may not be the most picturesque place, but we used Zürich HB to orient ourselves on our first day since our hotel was only a block or two away.

The station has a large underground mall attached to it with shops and restaurants. The area directly south of Zürich HB is also a busy pedestrian district with more dining and retail options.

Walk Along the Limmat River

After a midmorning snack and a brief visit to the train station, we wandered north. We walked by the grand Schweizerisches Nationalmuseum (Swiss National Museum). Then we meandered through the Platzspitz, a small park situated at the meeting point of the Sihl and Limmat Rivers. Continuing north, there is a path on the eastern bank of the Limmat where locals seemed to enjoy sunbathing and jumping into the water.

Schweizerisches Nationalmuseum (Swiss National Museum)
View of the Limmat River from Platzspitz

The riverfront is a quaint area that offers some good views of the city. There are also vendors selling refreshments nearby.

Altstadt (Old Town)

Zürich’s Old Town is not far from the train station, located just across the Limmat River to the east. We visited this area on a guided tour, so we only had time to take a quick look around. Nonetheless, the Altstadt is home to some of the city’s most famous structures, including the iconic twin domes of the Grossmünster.

Posing for a photo in front of the Grossmünster

Take the Ferry Across Zürichsee

This beautiful lake was definitely my favorite part of the city! It’s long and narrow, stretching many miles south of Zürich into the rolling green hills of the nearby countryside. However, you don’t need to leave the city to see the lake. A great place to walk along its shores is the Rentenwiese, a popular park in the neighborhood of Enge. There’s a nice view of the Springbrunnen Aquaretum, a picturesque fountain a few hundred feet offshore.

After a quick stop at Rentenwiese, our tour driver brought us down the eastern side of the lake to Meilen. Not only is the drive really pretty, but this is also where you can take the ferry across the lake to the western side! The boat ride only takes a few minutes, but I loved the views as we crossed the bright blue water.

Ride the Cable Car at Felsenegg

Since we were now on the western bank of Zürichsee, our tour guides drove us up to Felsenegg, a scenic viewpoint outside of the village of Adliswil. There’s also a restaurant up here, so we ordered a quick dinner. After that, we took the cable car from the top to the bottom of the mountain. The views of the city, the lake, and the villages were amazing!

Exploring Basel For a Day or Two

I honestly liked Basel more than Zürich. It’s much smaller, and Basel feels like a quirkier town (in a good way)! An amazing local guide brought us on a walking tour and introduced us to the main sites. Then, we explored a bit on our own. Here are some of the things we saw.

Tinguely Fountain

Perhaps my favorite landmark in Basel is this whimsical fountain located here. It was created in the late 1970s by Swiss artist Jean Tinguely. Apparently, a theater used to stand in this spot, so Tinguely incorporated old stage props into his fountain.

The fountain contains multiple characters that each have their own unique motions involving streams and flows of water. All of the movements are very fluid and natural, giving the fountain an almost lifelike feel. Since all of the motions are on a loop, the Tinguely Fountain is a mesmerizing piece of dynamic art!

Basler Münster

Basel’s most prominent cathedral should not be missed. Its distinctive brown sandstone exterior and green patterned roof are some of the things that make it unique. We learned about the church’s exterior and history on our walking tour, but sadly we didn’t have time to check out the inside for more than a minute or two. I would’ve also loved to climb this cathedral’s tower! I bet the view from up there can’t be beat.

In front of the Basler Münster is a large public square. It seemed pretty and empty and quiet while we were there, but we enjoyed trying the fresh mountain water from one of the city’s many public drinking fountains.

Be sure to also go around to the back of the Basler Münster. You’ll find an open-air balcony here that offers truly views of the Rhine River!

Explore Altstadt Grossbasel

The Old Town in Basel is a fascinating part of the city with a variety of architectural styles, bars and restaurants, and access to the Rhine. One of the most eye-catching buildings is the Basler Rathaus, or town hall. It has a deep red exterior that stands out among the other buildings on the Marktplatz.

Basler Rathaus

The Alstadt is also only a block away from the Rhine River, and two bridges cross from Grossbasel on the west to Kleinbasel on the east. I walked briefly through Kleinbasel, but I wish I had more time to explore that newer, up-and-coming part of the city in more depth.

Visit a Museum

Did you know that Basel is famous for its world-class museums? There are so many of them throughout the city, so you should check out at least one or two while you’re here!

I decided to visit the Kunstmuseum (Fine Arts Museum). It houses a massive collection of fine art that spans the centuries, but I was really impressed with some of the landscape paintings on display. There is also a lot of old religious art here.

One other important note: be sure to utilize your BaselCard if you’re spending the night in a local hotel! The card is included with your stay, and it offers tons of benefits, including free public transportation and major discounts on local museums and other attractions. I was able to get half off at the Kunstmuseum by presenting my BaselCard!

Rhine River Cruise Boarding

On our second afternoon in Basel, we boarded our Viking ship at this location. It’s an industrial riverfront area near the border with both Germany and France. After getting settled on the ship, I walked further north and found the Dreiländereck, a modern-looking monument marking the border.

Once we started sailing, it only took a few minutes to leave Swiss waters. If you’re curious about what our Viking Cruise was like as we sailed down the Rhine towards Amsterdam, be sure to check out the separate blog post I wrote about that!

First Impressions of Switzerland

After scratching the surface of both Zürich and Basel on my first trip to Switzerland, I must say the country left a very favorable first impression on me. I’m already aiming to go back within the next year or two! However, there were just a few points I think are worth mentioning to anyone who’s headed here as part of a Rhine River cruise.

One thing that stood out to me was just how expensive Switzerland is! Prices generally seemed higher than they are in the US, which is saying a lot given recent inflation. I don’t think there’s any way to avoid spending a lot of money in Switzerland. The best thing you can do is simply be prepared.

Another thing I noticed is that the food here was a little underwhelming. Now, the good news is that Switzerland seems to have a pretty international dining scene. With that said, most meals we had were only good, not great. And as you probably guessed, all the food we bought here was pretty expensive.

Have you been to Switzerland before? Have you ever done a Rhine River cruise? Are you headed that way soon? Leave a comment and let me know! I’m glad to finally get more Europe content on the blog after multiple years of travel restrictions. If you’re headed to Switzerland, have an amazing time; I think you’re going to love it!

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I recently embarked on a Viking River Cruise from Basel to Amsterdam. If you're curious about what you can do in Switzerland for a few days before or after a Rhine River cruise, check out this post! It's got travel tips for both Zürich and Basel! I recently embarked on a Viking River Cruise from Basel to Amsterdam. If you're curious about what you can do in Switzerland for a few days before or after a Rhine River cruise, check out this post! It's got travel tips for both Zürich and Basel!

This post was published on July 15, 2022

Hi, I’m Kevin! I’m a coffee addict from Seattle, and my life revolves around traveling! Caffeinated Excursions is a record of my trips over the past seven years. Since I started blogging, I’ve lived in Mexico, Vietnam, Brazil, and the US. I just moved to Australia and plan to be here a full year. Thanks for checking out my blog!

Upcoming Trips

  1. Bangkok (Sept)
  2. Istanbul (Sept)

Support the Blog!

The post Exploring Switzerland Before Or After A Rhine River Cruise appeared first on Caffeinated Excursions.

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