Optional Tours

In today's post, we'll continue to explore the remaining 2 optional tours...

During day 8 of our tour in Budapest, Hungary, there is an option to cruise the gorgeous Danube River at Euro 20 dollars per pax (SGD 42).

The Danube River is 2,850km long and is the second-longest river in the Europe after the Volga. It originates in the Black Forest mountains of western Germany where the Brigach and Breg rivers join and runs through 10 countries namely, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine before entering the Black Sea. Much older than the Rhine, its basin is thought to have been the site of some of the earliest human cultures, and it remains one of Europe’s most important and historic waterways and a popular river cruise destination.

The Széchényi lánchíd or Chain Bridge over the Danube river in Budapest

Oddly enough, the waterway is not called “Danube” in any of the countries through which it runs. In German, it is the Donau; in Czech, the Dunaj; in Hungarian, the Duna and so forth. Worshipping a god of the same name, the ancient Romans called the waterway Danubius. All these names derive from the Celtic word danu, which means “to flow” or “to run.

The Hungarian Parliament Building on the bank of the Danube

One-third of the Danube’s total length is in Hungary. Budapest, is often called “the Queen of the Danube.” From the water on a cruise, the city is particularly spectacular at night, with lights illuminating Budapest’s Chain Bridge, Parliament Building and other famous structures.

Spectacular nightview of the Danube River in Budapest

During the last day of our tour in Vienna, Austria, we are given an option to attend a Mozart music concert at Euro 50 dollars per pax (SGD 104).

Probably the most famous composer of all time, Mozart began his musical career as a child prodigy. He performed on violin at the age of four, wrote his first symphony and four sonatas for piano and violin when he was eight, and held the position of a concertmaster at thirteen. Before his premature passing, Mozart composed more than 600 works, among which there are masterpieces in numerous musical forms – concertos, symphonies, ensembles, sonatas, string quartets, ballets and music for church ceremonies. He gained immense fame for his compositions that include 'Piano Sonata No. 11' (1783 or 1778), 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' (1787), the unfinished 'Requiem' (1791), the operas 'The Marriage of Figaro' (1786), 'Don Giovanni' (1787) and 'The Magic Flute' (1791) as well as the 'Jupiter Symphony' (1788), which was his last.

We do not have much information on the concert at this moment. Will definitely try to get more details at the pre-departure briefing. Normally concert venues are old Imperial style Palaces from the Hapsburg era., which provide the chance for audience to experience the style of music in the home of classical music and in the city where these great works were composed.

Overall, the 3 optional tours look appealing. Will probably join the 2 scenic tours and leave out the Mozart concert as we don't understand classical music :)

Forced options???

If the price of a tour package barely covers the airfare, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess that profits for the Travel Agents must be coming from elsewhere like optional tours or shopping stops.

This strategy of trying to "get their price down as far as possible" has been around for years. This may entail cutting down on what is included in the itinerary, and rebranding the activities hived off as optionals. Although these are optional and not a must to participate, most travellers just go along.

For us, we'll factor in all the hidden costs like optional tours, tips for tour guides, airport taxes, etc. Of course, we'll do some background research on the optional tours whether they are worth our time and money.

In our upcoming tour of Eastern Europe with Chan Brothers Travels, there are three optional tours available. Below are some information which we have gathered.

During day six of our tour in Kraków, Poland, we are given an option to visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine at Euro 40 dollars per pax (SGD 83).

Located in the town of Wieliczka in southern Poland, Wieliczka Salt Mine lies within the Kraków metropolitan area. The mine had been in continuous operation, producing table salt since the 13th century until 2007 as one of the world's oldest operating salt mines. The mine is a major tourist attraction, with about 1.2 million visitors per year. Commercial mining was discontinued in 1996 due to low salt prices and mine flooding.The Wieliczka salt mine reaches a depth of 327 meters and is over 300 km long. It features a 3.5-km touring route for visitors (less than 1% of the length of the mine's passages) that includes historic statues and mythical figures. The oldest sculptures were carved out of rock salt by miners; more recent figures have been fashioned by contemporary artists. Even the crystals of the chandeliers are made from rock salt that has been dissolved and reconstituted to achieve a clear, glass-like appearance. The rock salt is naturally grey in various shades, so that the carvings resemble unpolished granite rather than the white or crystalline look that many visitors expect.

Also featured is a large chamber with walls carved to resemble wooden chapels built by miners in earlier centuries; an underground lake; and exhibits on the history of salt mining. The Wieliczka mine is often referred to as "the Underground Salt Cathedral of Poland."Over the centuries, visitors to this site have included Nicolaus Copernicus, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Alexander von Humboldt, Dmitri Mendeleyev, Bolesław Prus, Ignacy Paderewski, Robert Baden-Powell, Jacob Bronowski (who filmed segments of The Ascent of Man in the mine), Karol Wojtyła (the later Pope John Paul II), former U.S. President Bill Clinton, and many others. During World War II, the salt mine was used by the occupying Germans as facilities for war-related industries.To get down to the 64-metre level of the mine, visitors must descend a wooden stairway of 378 steps. After the three-kilometer tour of the mine's corridors, chapels, statues and lake, 135 metres underground, visitors take an elevator back up to the surface. The elevator holds 36 persons (nine per car) and takes some 30 seconds to reach the surface. In 1978 the Wieliczka salt mine was placed on the original UNESCO list of the World Heritage Sites.

That's all folks! In our next post, we'll talk about the other 2 optional tours namely Danube River Cruise and Mozart concert.

5 Stars Airlines???

Come December, we'll be flying to Eastern Europe by Qatar Airways. It will be our first flying experience with this airline. We mostly flew by Singapore Airlines (being patriotic? NO!). This time round, we are really excited as Qatar prides itself as a five star airline with five star services.

We have done some research on Qatar Airways and are quite pleased with what we have read so far... Fingers crossed! Here are some of the comments plucked from the web...

1. "...service was excellent, food very good and cabin crew very helpful. Could be better if the seats are wider and TVs a bit bigger..."

2. "...the staff were helpful and there was about 8 stewardesses to the economy section. Each seats have their own inflight video and audio entertainment which basically means you can choose exactly what and when you want to watch or listen to. It is one of the best i have come across as it allows you to go through hundreds of albums both old and new, watch more than 25 blockbuster movies, about 20 variety shows and news from around the world etc.. the list is endless. There are also tons of games like tetris, battleship and who wants to be a millionaire etc. certain games can be played against other passengers like battleship.

The food was very nice and much nicer than normal plane food. Snack and Drinks are complimentary throughout the flight. I would not hestitate to recommend qatar to anyone as i believe they are one of the best airlines."

3. "The terminal is too small, and not too fancy, considering that Qatar (and Qatar Airways) has delivered soo massive ads worldwide. In cabin, my table was broken, it could not be stowed. The cabin crews were all ok, but there was one male FA really unfriendly. I asked him about arrival card, he said, "pls help yourself, it's over there"

4. "Slightly disappointed with service. Had to ask for headphones as they hadn't been given out after the seat-belt signs were turned off. Alcoholic drinks by request, and service was slow as a result. Found the staff professional yet soulless - smiles seemed forced and not one appeared happy to be doing their job. For a short flight, I found them adequate, but nothing to write home about."5. "Good seat and leg room. IFE good, but some minor problems. Cabin crew attentive and polite. On the transfer at Doha it was chaos with numerous passengers trying to make connecting flights. On the leg from Doha to Heathrow the seat pocket had rubbish from the previous flight. Flight attendants did sort it, but this was not what I expected. Some flights have very short transfer times in Doha, but this doesn't excuse planes not being cleaned/checked before passengers board. Food was good and drinks served regularly. I like Qatar Airways, and 3 of the 4 flights on my journey were very good. I would book again based on the seats, leg room and IFE."

P.S. Realistically speaking, as economy class travellers we are not looking for anything spectacular, just basic amenities such as adequate seat space with ample legroom, 'edible' meals and nice inflight Video and Audio Entertainment to last the 2 x 15 hours journeys from Singapore-Doha-Berlin & back (Vienna-Doha-Singapore).