Down the Danube to Dracula with Avalon Waterways
(250 Reviews)
99% Recommended
Ann Castagna Morin
Southampton, MA
Luxury River Cruise & European travel specialist
I have had a sense of wanderlust since I was a child, always yearning to go off and explore the world.
I will take my own personal passion for travel and use it to craft an extraordinary luxury experience for you.
Europe is my specia...
I have had a sense of wanderlust since I was a child, always yearning to go off and explore the world.
I will take my own personal passion for travel and use it to craft an extraordinary luxury experience for you.
Europe is my specialty, I have dual citizenship holding both Italian and US passports. I have personally traveled to more than 3/4 of the countries in Europe and have visited Italy over 40 times.
The first-hand knowledge I gain from my own adventures I will utilize to create your inspiring journey.
I work with many tour providers, whether you wish a private custom excursion, a rail package with a local concierge in each city, or a group tour, I not only can arrange it, I have personally experienced the product.
As much as I enjoy land tours, I have become enamored with luxury river cruises and small ship/yacht cruising.
After my first glide down the Danube I was hooked!
I have sailed 20 different small ship itineraries in both Europe and Asia and have two more currently booked. I make it a point to cruise at least once a year so that I can keep up with new ships, and offerings.
It is one thing to read about a product, to fully understand all the nuances of a journey, and how it will fit their client's personality, one needs to experience it first-hand, and more than once!
On a river cruise luxury abounds with high end bath products, indulgent linens, and extraordinary service all along your journey. River cruising is such a delightful experience, similar to staying in a high-end boutique hotel, except that it travels along with you.
No detail is overlooked for your comfort, but you can leave your fancy clothes at home, I call it "laid-back luxury".
A small ship/yacht cruise on Ponant, Scenic, Windstar, Azamara or Seabourn is a journey filled with pure indulgence. These small ships can visit ports the large vessels must bypass and are able to stay late into the evening. With guest capacity ranging from 189-700 there are no crowds or lines like the large ocean vessels.
Wading through all of the choices in ships and itineraries can be overwhelming. I will answer all your questions and show you photos and videos from my own journeys to narrow down the perfect cruise for you.
As one of the top selling Key Partners in the world for both Globus Tours and Avalon Waterways I have the unparalleled experience and skills to ask the right questions to match you up with the perfect itinerary for your interests and budget.
I look forward to working with you!
Misty morning at the Golubac fortress Serbia
I adore the Danube river!
I have sailed it several times and never grow tired of the cobblestone lined streets and quaint villages. Gliding past the illuminated Parliament in Budapest is nothing short of jaw dropping!
When I saw that Avalon had a cruise, "Balkan Discovery", sailing towards the Black Sea with a Transylvania extension I knew I had to try it! How often do you get a chance to visit the castle linked to the Dracula books?
I have visited some of the Balkan states before, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina and I was excited to see Romania, Serbia, and Bulgaria to add to my portfolio. This trip did not disappoint!
We started out in Pecs Hungary with interesting explorations of the underground tombs, the next day we crossed into the former Yugoslavia arriving in Belgrade Serbia. It was quite fascinating exploring; I saw communist block buildings next to ornate Byzantine buildings. We visited Saint Sava — one of the world’s largest Orthodox churches with its stunning golden walls and ceilings. The next foggy morning we boarded a smaller vessel and sailed past an old fortress that could be the setting for any number of movies. It was very mysterious and not like any excursion I had experienced before!
The terrain is much different than other parts of the Danube with steep mountains and narrow passages that suddenly open to huge reservoirs. You never knew what would be waiting around the next corner! I was completely blown away when we visited the Belogradchik Fortress which felt like we had stepped right into a Game of Thrones episode.
Bucharest had an air of Paris in some neighborhoods, there is even an Arc de Triomphe.
Next, we slipped down the rabbit hole into a fairytale while visiting Peles Castle, which now tops my list as the most beautiful palace I have visited. (Sorry Neuschwanstein you have been replaced.)
Finally, the moment of truth, the trip to Bran Castle, the setting could not have been scripted better in Hollywood. It was misty and drizzling as we walked up the stone pathway, it felt almost foreboding. The Castle looks quite imposing, I can see how an author might conjure up that Dracula could be lurking around a corner. There was dramatically carved furniture, suits of armor, a poetic courtyard with a wishing well and even a hidden escape tunnel to the roof!
I like to look for out of the ordinary trips and this certainly fit the bill.
It was exciting with great scenery, and much different than my other river cruises. I still had my same luxurious panorama suite, the same great food and service but, this trip was more edgy and exotic than your typical Danube cruise.
When I first made my reservation, my main interest was to see the dramatic Iron Gates gorge with the massive rock sculpture of Decebalus. That was an impressive sight, but there were so many unique and beautiful scenes I was exposed to, I don't know that I can say that was the true highlight of my journey. Interacting with the people who had been living in a former oppressed system was great, seeing the canyons and rock formations in Belogradchick was a complete surprise.
The trip was a compilation of wonderful experiences.
For 2021 Avalon is going to be offering this itinerary also starting from Zagreb Croatia, I am thinking of doing it again as I enjoyed it that much!
If you would like to hear more about this trip give me a call, the history of the Balkans is quite fascinating, the people are welcoming and the views amazing!