I recently had the opportunity to experience Trafalgar River Cruises’ 9-Night Best of the Rhine and Amsterdam itinerary on the Trafalgar Verity — and from start to finish, it was a truly wonderful journey blending world-class cultural storytelling with relaxed luxury.
Pre-Cruise Transit: Zürich to Basel & The Three Countries Bridge
My Aer Lingus flight arrived in Zürich later in the evening, so I booked a night at an inexpensive airport-adjacent hotel — the ibis budget Zurich Airport. The hotel is just two tram stops away from the terminal. Tickets were easy enough to purchase once the airport information desk clued me in on the process. The room was compact, but comfortable and convenient for an overnight rest.
After a good night’s sleep and an included breakfast, I took the tram to the train station for the scenic trip to Basel. When asking directions, always be sure to specify which station you need! I booked through SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) and my first-class ticket was very reasonable. A smooth hour and fifteen minutes later, I arrived in Basel. A short taxi ride brought me directly to the lovely Radisson Blu Hotel.
Since check-in for the cruise wasn’t until the afternoon, I enjoyed a leisurely morning before checking out. The hotel restaurant offered an excellent buffet lunch, and then it was time to head to the ship. The Trafalgar Verity was docked in Huningue, France — a northern suburb of Basel that directly borders Weil am Rhein, Germany. The three nations meet at the remarkable 814-foot arch bridge for pedestrians and cyclists known as the Three Countries Bridge (Dreiländerbrücke).
Stepping Aboard Trafalgar Verity: First Impressions & Stateroom Comfort
Embarkation at the ship was seamless. The reception staff scanned my passport, registered my credit card, took a quick photo for my stateroom keycard, and escorted me to the Observation Lounge for a refreshing welcome drink. It was lovely to relax and get to know fellow guests and shipboard staff while staterooms were being prepared.
Once announced, I was escorted to my French Balcony stateroom where luggage was already placed. One of the greatest pleasures of river cruising is unpacking once for the entire voyage. The stateroom provided generous hanging and shelf storage, and my large suitcase slid effortlessly underneath the plush bed.
The outer wall of my stateroom featured an expansive panoramic window where the top half glides down at the touch of a button, converting the entire stateroom into an open-air balcony complete with an integrated screen to keep the evening breeze fresh. My stateroom was situated just two doors down from the main dining room, and right down the hall from the reception lobby and lounge — an exceptionally convenient location.
French Balcony stateroom aboard Trafalgar Verity with panoramic lowering picture window and plush bedding.
The elegant Observation Lounge & Bar — the social hub for daily briefings, afternoon tea, and evening cocktails.
The open Sun Deck offering 360-degree unobstructed vistas as we cruised past riverside vineyards and historic castles.
Wellness, Life Onboard & Destination Dining
The Trafalgar Verity features a dedicated boutique wellness spa. A few of us attended a spa presentation led by the ship’s Wellbeing Coach. The treatment options were delightfully themed around restful sleep — including the signature full-body massage I booked called Napflix and Chill. The service was restorative and the pricing was very reasonable for a luxury river cruise.
That evening, we gathered for the First Captain’s safety overview followed by welcome introductions with the Hotel Manager and Experience Director. Each evening before dinner, the Experience Director delivered a vibrant preview of the following day’s excursions and free-time options. Back in our staterooms after dinner, housekeeping placed the printed Daily Program with port maps, town histories, and QR codes for offline digital guides.
Dining onboard was consistently outstanding. Each evening dinner menu presented three distinct choices for starter, main course, and dessert — celebrating regional German, French, and Dutch culinary heritage alongside classic always-available favorites. Breakfast and lunch featured lavish buffets with live cooking stations. Soups across the entire cruise were among the finest I have ever tasted, and the restaurant team was knowledgeable, attentive, and remarkably warm without being intrusive.
Chef-crafted multi-course regional dinners paired with local Rhine and Moselle wines in the Trafalgar Verity dining room.
Port 1: Breisach & The Signature “Be My Guest” Farm Feast
Our first port of call brought us to Breisach, Germany. Our included morning walking excursion wound uphill to the imposing St. Stephen’s / St. Vincent Cathedral perched above the town, offering commanding panoramas across the Rhine into Alsace, France.
From Breisach, we departed for one of Trafalgar’s signature highlights: the exclusive Be My Guest experience at the family-owned Bohrerhof Farm. We met the Bohrer family, explored the estate’s agricultural heritage, and sat down to a farm-to-table lunch during peak German white asparagus (Spargel) season. The fresh local strawberries served for dessert were utterly sublime.
St. Vincent Cathedral high above Breisach overlooking the Rhine floodplain toward France.
Exclusive Be My Guest luncheon at Bohrerhof Farm during peak German asparagus season.
Farm-fresh strawberries and cream — sweet, vibrant, and harvested right from the fields that morning.
Port 2: Strasbourg & The Heart of the Black Forest
Next, we docked near Strasbourg, France. For this port, I chose the full-day excursion: Strasbourg Old Town Plus Rural Life in the Black Forest. We began with a walking tour through Strasbourg’s pedestrianized city core. Strasbourg has a captivating cultural duality that blends French elegance with Germanic timbered architecture. The centerpiece is the soaring Gothic Strasbourg Cathedral, home to a world-famous 19th-century Astronomical Clock.
Leaving the city behind, our coach ascended into the majestic, mist-draped mountains of the Black Forest. We arrived at the Vogtsbauernhof Open-Air Museum, starting with a hearty traditional lunch at Hofengel featuring genuine Black Forest cherry cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte).
We spent hours exploring historical Black Forest farmsteads dating from 1599, working watermills, and cottage gardens before watching an artisan demonstrate the intricate woodcarving and mechanical gearing behind traditional cuckoo clocks. Before returning to the ship, we stopped at the atmospheric 12th-century ruins of All Saints’ Abbey (Kloster Allerheiligen) nestled inside Black Forest National Park.
The renowned 19th-century Astronomical Clock inside the Gothic Strasbourg Cathedral.
Half-timbered fairy-tale architecture along the tranquil canals of Strasbourg.
Vogtsbauernhof Open-Air Museum showcasing preserved 16th-century rural Black Forest life.
Artisan woodcarving and pendulum mechanics at an authentic Black Forest cuckoo clock workshop.
The 12th-century sandstone ruins of All Saints’ Abbey in Black Forest National Park.
Port 3: Speyer & The Birthplace of the Pretzel
Arriving in Speyer, Germany, we joined the morning walking tour: Medieval Sights of Speyer. The stroll from our riverside berth led directly to the awe-inspiring Speyer Cathedral, an imperial Romanesque basilica commissioned in 1030 CE by Emperor Conrad II and protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Our guide led us through picturesque residential quarters lined with half-timbered homes and revealed that Speyer is celebrated as the historic birthplace of the pretzel. The local Speyer pretzel is uniquely baked with melted cheese and crunchy pumpkin seeds. Even the town’s pedestrian crossing signals feature an illuminated “Pretzel Boy” in place of the standard walking silhouette!
The majestic Romanesque towers and nave of the UNESCO-designated Speyer Cathedral.
Speyer’s charming streets, pumpkin seed pretzels, and beloved “Pretzel Boy” pedestrian traffic signal.
Port 4: Rüdesheim, Rhine Gorge Castles & Marksburg Stronghold
The following day delivered quintessential Rhine romance. In Rüdesheim, the open-air Winzerexpress mini-train met our ship and carried us up steep terraced hillsides carpeted with Riesling vineyards past the historic Abbey of St. Hildegard. Afterward, we enjoyed free time along the lively Drosselgasse, sipping fiery Rüdesheimer Kaffee — prepared tableside with rich coffee, sugar cubes, whipped cream, and local Asbach Uralt brandy ignited in flames.
Back onboard, the afternoon was spent on the Sun Deck as the Trafalgar Verity navigated the legendary Rhine River Gorge (Upper Middle Rhine Valley UNESCO World Heritage area). With live historical narration from our Experience Director, castle after castle appeared perched atop dramatic crags: Katz, Maus, Rheinfels, and the mythical Lorelei Rock.
Later that afternoon, we docked in Braubach for a guided exploration of Marksburg Castle — the only hilltop castle on the Middle Rhine that was never destroyed. Reaching the gate requires climbing over 100 stone steps, but the medieval armory, banquet hall, and rampart views are well worth the effort.
The Rüdesheimer Winzerexpress climbing through scenic terraced Riesling vineyards.
Sailing past storybook medieval fortresses lining the cliffs of the UNESCO Rhine Gorge.
Marksburg Castle in Braubach — the Middle Rhine’s only undefeated medieval stronghold.
Port 5: Koblenz, Deutsches Eck & The Seilbahn Aerial Cable Car
The next morning we reached Koblenz, docking directly beside the monumental Deutsches Eck (German Corner), where the Moselle River converges into the Rhine beneath the towering equestrian statue of Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm I.
After an informative 90-minute historical walking tour, we had several hours of leisure. I purchased a ticket for the Seilbahn Koblenz — an aerial cable car that glides directly over the Rhine River up to the hilltop Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. Floating high above the river offered sweeping panoramic views across both river valleys.
Deutsches Eck in Koblenz — the dramatic confluence where the Moselle meets the Rhine.
Soaring across the Rhine on the Seilbahn Koblenz aerial cable car to Ehrenbreitstein.
Spectacular sweeping vistas across Koblenz and both rivers from Ehrenbreitstein Fortress.
Port 6: Cologne, Gothic Wonders & Historic Cafes
On our final full day aboard the ship, we arrived in vibrant Cologne, docking just downstream from the famous Chocolate Museum. Our guided walking tour led through historic Old Town streets directly to the world-renowned twin-spired Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom). Steps from the cathedral square sits the historic flagship of 4711 Eau de Cologne, the original perfume produced here since 1792.
I arranged to meet a dear school friend who lives near Cologne, and she guided me off the beaten tourist path to the Romanesque St. Ursula Church. Its astonishing Golden Chamber preserves ancient relics unearthed in 1106 CE. We shared a traditional Kölsch lunch at Früh am Dom, followed by artisan coffee and pastries at the retro 1960s-styled Cafe Fassbender.
The monumental twin spires of Cologne Cathedral dominating the skyline.
The ornate Golden Chamber within the Romanesque St. Ursula Church.
Relaxing with fine coffee and pastries inside Cologne’s historic Cafe Fassbender.
Port 7: Arnhem Memorials & Disembarkation
To mitigate overtourism, Amsterdam regulates river vessel berthing limits, so our scheduled disembarkation port was Arnhem, Netherlands. Trafalgar handled coach transfers seamlessly, tagging our bags according to our assigned Amsterdam luxury hotels.
En route, we stopped at the deeply moving Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery and the nearby Airborne Museum Hartenstein, commemorating the soldiers of Operation Market Garden in September 1944. One guest in our travel group located the graves of two of his grandfather’s brothers — an unforgettable, emotional tribute made possible by Trafalgar’s thoughtful itinerary curation.
Honoring history at the serene Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery and Airborne Museum Hartenstein.
Amsterdam Finale: Canals, Albert Cuypmarkt & Evening Dinner Cruise
Arriving in Amsterdam, we checked into the stylish Mercure Amsterdam City Hotel, located right along the peaceful Amstel River. With afternoon free time, I explored the lively stalls of the famous Albert Cuypmarkt, sampling freshly prepared traditional Dutch kroketten.
Our farewell evening was celebrated aboard a private Amsterdam Canal Dinner Cruise. The excursion boat picked us up directly from the hotel’s private dock. We spent the evening gliding through illuminated 17th-century Golden Age waterways, savoring a gourmet multi-course dinner with wine while gazing upon historic houseboats and glowing arched bridges.
The following morning, my pre-arranged airport transfer arrived promptly for the 20-minute drive to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Connecting through Dublin with Aer Lingus allowed me to clear US Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance on European soil — making my eventual arrival back at LAX remarkably swift and stress-free.
Mercure Amsterdam City Hotel situated right along the scenic Amstel River.
Sampling warm, crispy Dutch kroketten while exploring Amsterdam’s Albert Cuypmarkt.
Our magical evening canal dinner cruise gliding past historic illuminated Amsterdam canal houses.
Plan Your Dream Rhine River Cruise with Vincent Vacations
As dedicated river cruise specialists, Vincent Vacations partners directly with Trafalgar River Cruises to secure premium stateroom categories, exclusive Signature amenities, and tailor-made pre- and post-cruise European land extensions.
Reviewed by Karen Lee Elder
Karen is a luxury travel specialist and river cruise connoisseur with Vincent Vacations. With extensive firsthand experience across Europe’s most iconic waterways, Karen curates deeply personal, culturally rich itineraries for discerning travelers.