Deilmann Introducing Cycling Excursions on Europe Cruise/Tours Cycling enthusiasts can now enjoy sailing the inland waterways of Europe, visiting European cities and towns and bike touring through the countryside on Peter Deilmann river cruises. Deilmann is introducing river cruises this summer and fall featuring soft cycling adventures in the Rhône-Saône, Provence and Normandy regions of France and the Danube region of Germany, Austria and Hungary that include pre- or post-hotel stays with additional opportunities to ride and explore the surroundings. Cycling cruise holidays are on three Cezanne sailings on the Seine River in July and August, two Mozart cruises on the Danube in September and one Princess de Provence sailing on the Rhone in September. The first cruise tours start in the town of Fontainebleau, outside of Paris. There is dinner and an overnight stay in a tour-star Fontainebleau hotel followed by a morning wooded bicycle ride to the village of Barbizon and market town of Milly-la-Fôret. Participants then drive back to Paris to board the ship for two nights on the five-star, 50-cabin Cezanne before cruising north on the Seine. On Sunday, bikers ride through the Haute de Valle de Chevreuse Parc to Rambouillet, visit Chartres Cathedral and the Palace of Rambouillet and its beautiful park. The next day is spent in Paris sightseeing with a visit to the Rodin Museum. On Tuesday from Vernon, bikers ride through the Normandy landscapes to Monet’s house and garden at Giverny in the morning and to the village of Les Andelys in the afternoon. On Wednesday, participants drive the Alabaster coast to the resort town of Etretat and later cycle along country roads through the scenic Pays de Caux to Tancarville Castle. At Le Havre, there is a morning bike ride to the Parc du Brotonne nature reserve with its centuries-old trees, rustic farmhouses and Calvados apple orchards. At Rouen, after a morning visit to the Abbey Saint Martin de Bosherville, bikers ride along the river to the Cloister ruin of Jumiege and later have a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. A morning city tour of Rouen completes the Deilmann program. Three Normandy cycling cruises Participants average between 20 and 25 miles a day on the cycling excursions, sometimes less, for a total of around 150 miles for each cruise. Each day’s cycling mileage, on traffic-free paths and small side roads, is outlined in the program. Dates of the two Danube cycling cruises on the five-star, 100-cabin Mozart are Sept. 10-18 and Sept. 17-25. The nine-night program begins with an overnight stay at the first class Hotel Residence in the lovely German town of Passau, two hours from Munich. The five cycling excursions feature paths along the Inn River to an old world village; a ride along the Danube through Austria’s Wachau wine region; small country roads, orchards and wine terraces leading to Vienna; a ride to “Heurigen” or rustic wine taverns in the Viennese Forest; paths along the Danube Bend to a Hungarian village and, after a guided tour of the grandiose Baroque Abbey at Melk, a riverside ride to charming Austrian villages and towns before returning to the ship. The Danube cruise calls at the wine village of Dürnstein, overnights in Vienna and Budapest and visits Bratislava, capital of Slovakia before returning to Passau. Rates start at $3,695 per person for an outside twin including eight nights on the Mozart, one at the Passau hotel with dinner and breakfast, the cycling program, lunches, picnics, transfers, excursions, fees and accompanying driver. Cycling by French vineyards Bikers ride through the wine regions of southern Burgundy and Beaujolais, and to the Ardeche plateau down to the bottom of the gorge, the medieval town of Viviers, the small side streets at the foot of the Alpilles mountains to Les-Baux, the vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the Roman theater of Orange. The eight-night package starts at $3,200 per person for an outside twin cabin and includes six escorted cycling tours, two wine tastings, lunches and afternoon picnic, transfers, excursions and entrance fees, the Lyon first class hotel with dinner, breakfast and farewell dinner. Depending on the itinerary, non-cycling river cruise companions deduct between $700 and $1,000 from the cruise tour price. Sun Tours & Travel can arrange air transportation, meet and greet service and transfers between airports and ships for all river cruises. Port charges are an additional $85 per person.
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