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Budapest to Prague May 9th 2013

Walk_with_StickWalk_with_Stick
in The Blue Danube
My wife and I are arriving in Budapest on May 7th and will be spending 2 nights before the tour starts May 9; we will be spending one extra night in Prague(May 20) before flying home May 21st. We just got our Tauck 'Guest Documents' today(a spiral bound booklet) thru our travel agent and I found almost no additional tour info that was not in the Tauck River Cruising brochure/catalog(or web-site tour description). Anyone else have the same feeling about lack of specifics? Not much guidance about dress code for specific events, i.e. day 5 private Imperial Viennese Evening which I believe is a coat and tie(for men) and dress/pantsuit(for ladies) dining event. We did Tauck tour 'A Week in London & Paris' last year and there was no dining event that was not 'Resort Casual' attire and men didn't need a coat and tie and ladies didn't need an evening dress. The documents do mention that coat and tie for men & dress/pantsuit for ladies is suggested for welcome(day 1 May 9) and farewell(day11 May 19) dinners. It is clear day by day what meals are included, especially dinner so you can make reservations thru hotel concierge, etc.

Let's exchange whatever info might be useful to all of us on this tour.

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    BarbMMBarbMM
    My husband and I will be on the same tour. I, too, am wondering about appropriate attire. I read another post where it was mentioned that most of the men wore jackets to dinner on the riverboat. Also, jeans are not allowed at dinner. Some additional information on appropriate attire would be much appreciated.
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    crackers54crackers54
    The palace you can wear dress up clothes. Some people were really dressed up and others just had nice outfits on. A little sparkle helps dress up your outfit. I wore a black dress to the event. As far as jackets for men not really needed except for the palace. You will be there in spring and probably will be cooler men might want a jacket. I don't believe I saw any jeans or shorts on my 2 riverboat cruises but no one got really dressed up till the last night for the farewell cruise.
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    Walk_with_StickWalk_with_Stick
    I have found the following info, some of which is directly related to attire, on the Tauck web-site under The Blue Danube rivercruise and 'What to Pack' sub-heading:

    We recommend you pack the following items for your cruise on the Danube:

    •Flat, rubber-soled walking shoes for onboard
    •Sturdy but comfortable walking shoes that have already been broken-in for onshore
    •Casual daytime wear – shorts, slacks, long and short-sleeved shirts
    •An optional jacket and tie for men
    •Casually elegant evening wear for ladies
    •Sunglasses, sunscreen, hat
    •Swimwear
    •Gym wear
    •A light sweater or jacket for higher elevations or a breezy night
    •Binoculars (7x50 preferably)
    •Insect repellent
    •Camera, lenses, batteries, memory cards and/or plenty of film
    •Lightweight, comfortable, sturdy walking shoes that have already been broken-in
    •Battery-operated travel alarm clock
    •Rain poncho and collapsible umbrella
    •Zipper-lock bags
    •Daypack for camera equipment
    •Sundries and toiletries that may be difficult to find en route
    •Copies of your travel documents that should be secured in the safe in your ship cabin while traveling
    Upon

    Also, on the web-site page for this Blue Danube rivercruise, there are 3 pictures at the top and one picture shows tour members and one or two are wearing jeans on an excursion off the riverboat.....so, my wife and I will be bringing jeans for daytime wear when needed. We are from SW Florida and we wear shorts 12-months a year and we'll be bringing shorts to wear too in mild to warm weather. My next-door neighbor and his wife went on a Danube river cruise(not Tauck) last year in May starting in Budapest and they said there were some days where it was hot!
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    crackers54crackers54
    I was there end of Aug. and beginning and ending nice and warm. The middle was very cool. I had not brought any warm sweaters, so one of my favorite souvenirs is the nice knit sweater bought on a cold rainy day in Salzburg.
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    jdurkinjdurkin
    Dear Walk_With_Stick,

    I don't move in regal, or even vice-regal, circles (!!) so when I was invited to dine at a Viennese palace as part of my Amsterdam to Bucharest cruise, I relished the opportunity to dress appropriately ... well, as best I could given the limitations of my suitcase. I don't travel with a tiara, and really, I doubt that the yellow plastic one I have ready access to at home would fit the bill! But seriously, dinner on the Tauck boats is a culinary delight and is complemented by the style of the surroundings and the elegance of service. European style is more formal than in other parts of the world and the locals dress very stylishly for dinner at a fashionable restaurant. Of course they dress casually, too. A time and a place for everything, as the saying goes. The dinner at the palace was lovely. It was a real event and it was lovely to be able to show respect for the occasion and the host.

    All this adds to the joy of travelling in Europe. The What to Pack List pretty well nails it. Casual for day and casually elegant for evening, with an added bit of bling for the special occasions. And how nice is it to be able to dress up, anyhow? Personally, I don't travel with my jewellery, but if you do, wear it and enjoy!

    Cheers,

    Jan
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