Night 1 & 2: Sofitel Strasbourg Grande Ile Strasbourg, France The Sofitel Strasbourg Grande Ile is wonderfully located near the La Petit France area and the Cathedral in the city of Strasbourg. Guest rooms literally tell the city’s history with excerpts from the “Serments de Strasbourg” written on the wall behind each bed. Each warmly accommodating room offers flat-screen TV with satellite and cable channels, WiFi Internet access, air conditioning, mini bar, hair dryer and in-room safe deposit box. The fifth-floor fitness center is the place to keep in shape while the Restaurant Goh, with its bright contemporary look, is the place to savor Alsatian cuisine and dining al fresco on its summer terrace.
Night 3 – 16: Aboard ms Swiss Sapphire Cruising Europe's inland waterways exclusively for Tauck, ms Swiss Sapphire (along with sister ships ms Swiss Emerald and ms Swiss Jewel) represents the epitome of luxurious river cruising. In addition to her spacious, well-appointed cabins, she offers 14 beautiful 300-square-foot suites – equipped with floor-to-ceiling windows, marble baths, flat-screen televisions and walk-in closets – as well as 7 junior suites, adding up to four times more suites than most other European riverboats. The cabins, which range from 150 to 183 sq. ft., provide plush accommodations with plasma TV, terry bathrobes, fine L'Occitane toiletries, large windows and much more; 85% of the cabins have floor-to-ceiling windows with French balconies. A crew of 29 attentively serves just 118 guests. The Restaurant offers both an elegant dining venue and a fine dining experience, while the spacious Panorama Lounge in the bow, with its bar, dance floor and entertainment, is a delightful gathering spot in the evenings. The gracious Lido Bar in the stern has a 180° glass wall that opens for an indoor / outdoor cocktail hour, and offers alternative bistro dining featuring lighter fare – a first on Europe’s rivers. The Swiss Sapphire is definitely “top-of-the-line”!
Night 17 & 18: InterContinental Budapest Budapest, Hungary Situated in the heart of the city close to the main shopping street, Váci Utca, and right across the Danube from Castle Hill and the Royal Palace, the cosmopolitan InterContinental Budapest offers some of the best views in Budapest of the Danube River and the city from its public areas. The elegantly appointed guest rooms feature all of the amenities that today’s sophisticated travelers expect. Guests have access to the Fitness Club, with an indoor, reverse-flow swimming pool, cardiovascular machines, weights and sauna. Spa InterContinental provides a wide variety of body, facial and nail services. The Corso Restaurant, ranked among the best in Budapest, offers an Asian and Mediterranean menu enhanced with Hungarian accents… and dining on an outdoor terrace overlooking the Buda Hills during the summer. Stop in at the Corso Bar and treat yourself to delectable cakes, pastries and specialty coffees or your favorite cocktail.