Kirbys Coaches (Rayleigh) Ltd | Tel: 01268 777777

The Beautiful Blue Danube River Cruise

Fully Escorted by Karen Kirby!

Be surprised by our cruise along the “Beautiful Blue Danube” that will take you to the heart of Eastern Europe where you will discover stunning cities with rich heritage. Admire the colourful alleys of Bratislava that twist around each other like in a fairy-tale village, and the Puszta, the true soul and heart of Hungary. Enjoy a traditional Hungarian Folklore evening with music, visit the awesome Schönbrunn Palace and the former capital of Hungary, Esztergom. There is so much to see on this cruise, it will certainly take your breath away.

Day 1

2024 - UK TO RUDESHEIM AM RHEIN
Depart from home area and travel to Dover for a short channel ferry crossing to France. Continue through France, Belgium, and into Germany with suitable refreshment stops. Arrive at the Hotel Felsenkeller, our overnight hotel, in the early evening. Time to freshen up before our evening meal.

2025 - UK to Wiesbaden
Depart from home area and travel to Folkestone for our Eurotunnel crossing to France. Continue through France, Belgium, and into Germany with suitable refreshment stops. Arrive at our overnight hotel in the early evening. Time to freshen up before our evening meal.

Day 2

2024 - RUDESHEIM AM RHEIN TO VIENNA
After breakfast, continue traveling through Germany and into Austria with suitable refreshment stops. Arrive at the ship in Vienna late afternoon. Freshen up and unpack before the welcome cocktail party, followed by our evening meal and entertainment. Our ship sails this evening to Melk.

2025 - Wiesbaden to Vienna
After breakfast, continue traveling through Germany and into Austria with suitable refreshment stops. Arrive at the ship in Vienna late afternoon in time to freshen up before the welcome cocktail party, followed by evening meal and entertainment. We sail to Melk this evening.

B, D

Day 3

VIENNA TO MELK TO DÜRNSTEIN
After breakfast, visit Melk Abbey, known for its splendid Baroque architecture and UNESCO World Heritage status. Return to the ship for lunch and cruise up the beautiful Wachau Valley to Durnstein, passing picturesque villages and gothic ruins. Take a tour of the medieval town of Durnstein with our hostess. Return on board in the afternoon and continue cruising towards Bratislava. Enjoy an evening of dancing after dinner.

B, L, D

Day 4

BRATISLAVA TO KALOCSA
This morning take a panoramic tour of Bratislava, including a visit to Bratislava Castle and the central square. Enjoy some free time before returning to the ship for lunch. Cruise to Kalocsa and relax on board. Enjoy some evening entertainment after dinner.

B, L, D

Day 5

KALOCSA TO BUDAPEST
After breakfast, we board our coach to Kiskunsag Park for a traditional equestrian show and tasting of local delights. The csikós, the mounted horse-herdsmen of Hungary, dressed in traditional blue attire, will invite you to take part in their "games of skill and ability". Return to the ship for lunch and cruise towards Budapest.

B, L, D

Day 6

BUDAPEST TO ESZTERGOM
After breakfast, take a panoramic tour of Budapest, including the Castle quarter and Fisherman’s Bastion in Buda, and Heroes’ Square, the Szechenyi thermal baths and Parliament building in Pest. Return to the ship for lunch and free time. This evening, we attend a traditional Hungarian show in downtown Budapest that takes us through their folklore and Gypsy dance and music.

B, L, D

Day 7

ESZTERGOM TO VIENNA
Spend some free time in Esztergom, one of the oldest cities in Hungary. After lunch, cruise to Vienna. Enjoy a Gala evening on board as the ship sails through the night to Vienna.

B, L, D

Day 8

VIENNA
Join our coach for a guided tour of Vienna seeing the city’s famous landmarks. Return to our ship for lunch before our visit to Schönbrunn Palace for a guided tour. Enjoy free time to wander through the Palace Gardens.

B, L, D

Day 9

2024 - VIENNA TO RUDESHEIM AM RHEIN
We enjoy our last buffet breakfast on board before disembarking. Retrace our outward journey, with suitable refreshment stops along the way. Returning to our overnight in Rudesheim.

2025 - DAY 9 Vienna to Wiesbaden
We enjoy our last buffet breakfast on board before disembarking. Retrace our outward journey, with suitable refreshment stops along the way to our overnight hotel in Wiesbaden.

B, D

Day 10

2024 - RUDESHEIM AM RHEIN TO UK
After breakfast, we continue our journey through Germany, Belgium, and France, making suitable refreshment stops. We take our return short sea ferry crossing to Dover and travel back to the home area.

2025 - Wiesbaden to UK
After breakfast, we continue our journey through Germany, Belgium, and France, making suitable refreshment stops, return Eurotunnel crossing back to Folkestone and travel back to the home area.

B=Breakfast Included, L=Lunch Included, D=Dinner Included

MS BEETHOVEN

Named after the famous German virtuoso, the MS Beethoven accommodates 180 passengers in 90 cabins over 3 decks. The refined decoration and the elegant friendly atmosphere are in perfect harmony with its environment. The restaurant is located on the main deck, where we are offered delicate cuisine and enjoy the views from the wide windows. The middle deck is where we will find the lounge/bar with a dance floor. On the upper deck we will find comfortable sun loungers, the ideal place to relax and admire the surrounding landscapes.

PRICE INCLUDES

• Return short sea ferry crossing Dover to Calais (2024), Eurotunnel (2025)

• Half board accommodation on the outward and return overnight at the Hotel Felsenkeller, Rudesheim am Rhein (2024) - Hotel Wiesbaden Niedernhausen (2025)

• 7 nights full board accommodation on the MS Beethoven

• Unlimited complimentary on-board beverages, including beer, fine wines, spirits, bottled mineral water, soft drinks, speciality coffees and tea from 12noon to midnight

• Captains welcome cocktail reception

• Gala Evening with 4 course dinner

• All Excursions as described

• Porterage

• Free Wi-Fi in lounge and bar onboard MS Beethoven

• Fully escorted by Karen Kirby

Please Note: Lunch is not included on Days 1, 2, 9, & 10

Passports are required

Cruise itineraries & couriers are subject to change. Single Room Supplements are subject to change. A deposit of £250 per person applies. This cruise is promoted by Success Tours and cannot be booked via a Travel Agent.

TRAVEL OPTIONS

Upgrade your room (subject to availability). Supplements apply, call 01268 777 777, option 1

It is not possible to display the home pick-ups map because JavaScript is disabled in your web browser.

JavaScript Information

The map below can be used to check the price of a home pick-up. The map shows the price bands for each area we service. To check the price from your address either click your street on the map or enter your postcode or city/town and click the 'Check Price' button.

Please enter your postcode Check Price

Home Pick-up Pricing Key:

£35.00

£30.00

£25.00

£20.00

£15.00

£10.00

£0.00

Please find below our pick up points (not all pick up points will be available on all departure dates). View the pick-up point you require, then you’ll see a list of dates which are/aren’t available from your pick up point.

Name	Address	Times
Barking	Station Parade, IG11 8TU	Failed View
Barkingside	Fullwell Cross, Bus Stop A - IG6 2EA	Failed View
Basildon	Cherrydown East Bus Stop, SS16 5GT, Basildon	Failed View
Brentwood	Brentwood, Outside The Dairyman	Failed View
Chalkwell Park	Chalkwell Park Bus Stop, London Road	Failed View
Chelmsford Victoria Road	Victoria Road CM1 1JR	Failed View
Collier Row	White Hart Lane - Bus Stop out Tythe Court RM7 8LZ	Failed View
Corringham Town Centre	Gordon Road, Bus Stop near Grover Walk SS17 7EY	Failed View
Cranham	Front Lane/Moor Lane Junction Bus Stop RM14 1XJ Outside Restaurant Opp. Car Park	Failed View
Dagenham	Church Elm Lane, Bus Stop L - RM10 9QS	Failed View
Depot	Depot, Princess Road, Rayleigh	Failed View
Galloway Pickup	Pickup tba for Galloway	Failed View
Hadleigh Church	Hadleigh Church, Bus Layby	Failed View
Harold Wood	Bus Stop A, Gubbins Lane, RM3 0DR	Failed View
Hockley Spa	Hockley Spa, Bus Stop outside the Library	Failed View
Holiday Inn, Brentwood	Holiday Inn Brentwood	Failed View
Hornchurch.	Hornchurch Town Centre, outside Sutton Arms	Failed View
Hutton	Hutton, Bus Stop just past the Chequers Pub	Failed View
Ilford	Ilford, Bus Stop outside 6 Clements Road, IG1 1BA	Failed View
Kavanaghs Rd	Kavanaghs Road/London Road, Brentwood	Failed View
Palace Theatre	Palace Theatre Bus Stop	Failed View
Pitsea	Outside what was Gala Bingo Hall, Pitsea	Failed View
Queensway	Queensway Bus Stop (Behind the Odeon Cinema)	Failed View
Rayleigh Stn	Rayleigh Railway Station	Failed View
Romford	St Edwards Way - Bus Stop H - RM1 3DQ Out: Romford Shopping Hall	Failed View
Sadlers Farm	Bus Stop on A13, just before Sadlers Farm roundabout, nr Romsey Road	Failed View
Shenfield Stn	Shenfield Station, outside what was Barclays Bank	Failed View
Shepherd & Dog Crays Hill	Shepherd & Dog, Crays Hill	Failed View
Shotgate	Shotgate Post Office	Failed View
South Green	Grange Parade Bus Stop, South Green, Billericay	Failed View
Stanford Rookery Corner	Rookery Corner Stanford	Failed View
Sun Corner	Sun Corner London Road - Billericay	Failed View
Thames Drive	Thames Drive Bus Stop	Failed View
The Elms	Bus Stop outside Elms Public House, Leigh on Sea	Failed View
The Oak Grays	The Oak Public House, Lodge Lane, Grays	Failed View
Thorpe Bay Stn	Thorpe Bay Station, Acacia Drive (opp Station)	Failed View
Thurrock Services,	Thurrock Services Coach Park, RM16 3BG	Failed View
Upminster	Bus Stop M, St Mary's Lane- Upminster Outside St.Laurence Church RM14 2QJ	Failed View
Vic Hse Cnr, Rayleigh Rd	Vic House Corner, (Rayleigh Road)	Failed View
Websters Way	Websters Way, Rayleigh	Failed View
White Horse	White Horse,Southchurch Road, Southend	Failed View
Whittinghams Grg	Whittinghams Garage, opp Rochford Railway Station	Failed View
Wickford	Halls Corner, opposite Police Station, Wickford	Failed View
Woodford Green	Snakes Lane East, Bus Stop R - IG8 7HU	Failed View