Bazbo Loc: Lisboa, Portugal

I did the reverse trip last October. You will be traveling mostly at night (except when you go past the famous castles) so you won't see much of the countryside. The shore excursions are pretty good and the food is great (my wife got a little bored eating on the boat everyday) and the service was top notch. We are still in touch with new friends we met on the boat.

Have a great trip.

williejoha

The part of the Rhine between Koblenz and Ruedesheim ( known as the Rhinefall ) is one castle after another. Use a wide angle to medium tele and you should be fine. Have fun.
WJH

par4fore Loc: Bay Shore N.Y.

Just got back Tuesday Budapest to Amsterdam. Viking is soooooo fantastic! You must get to Amsterdam 2 days early and enjoy. Best hotel there is Double Tree by Hilton at Central Station. Has a outside rooftop bar with food, great for night photos of the city and the waterways in the back. 2 min. walk to the canal boat rides and so much more, everything you could want is right there. Write me PM for more info.

Amielee Loc: Eastern Washington State

Wife and I made the trip last year in July. The Rhine and Danube rivers were low. Had to change to buses twice and were on three different Viking boats. Amsterdam to Budapest. Some photography had to be made through the bus windows with reflections. Polarizing filters not useable due to speed of buses and lack of time to focus. On the river much of our photography was from the starboard side, simply because our cabin was on that side. Picture opportunities about equal from both sides of ship and many photos of other passengers and crew. If I took the trip again would go in April or May. Weather good at that time of year and water is higher. Temperatures in July were in the 90's F. and quite warm for walking tours. Viking crews were great and most helpful. Low river was not their fault and they really tried to make up for it.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

One day you will cruise down the Rhine in the afternoon with a history lesson on the top deck. You will pass villages and towns. Be on the lookout for some nice landscape shots. The hills have vineyards everywhere. I always carry my Sony HX99V which has a 24-750 mm Zeiss lens with pop up viewfinder. I carry it in a belt pouch and I am always ready for a shot.

RolandDieter

You will want focal length versatility as you go Koblenz to Rudesheim. Steep cliffs and the medieval castles are both near and far ... normal to long is what you will want while cruising that stretch. For the town excursions you would want wide to normal at least, and long to get some of the details on and in the buildings and in the shop windows

cascoly Loc: seattle

https://www.shutterstock.com/g/cascoly?searchterm=rhine&sort=newest

this was a Xmas market cruise from amsterdam to Basel
https://www.shutterstock.com/g/cascoly?searchterm=xmas&sort=newest

aggiedad Loc: Corona, ca

We took Viking from Amsterdam to Budapest a few years ago, and it was fantastic. I was shooting a 7D with 24-105 and 70-200. Got some great photos. I wish I had a voice recorder to get the narration on the castles that were so great. The difficulty with excursions is that the tour leaders have to keep the herd moving, and I was always bringing up the rear. And yes, trying to shoot out of bus windows is the worst!

Kishka Loc: Grafton, WI

The Mrs and I did the comparable German ship Rhine tour, frequently docking alongside the Viking ships. Both have upper decks which are great for viewing both sides of the river, especially during the Castle stretch between Rudesheim and Koblenz. I found the 12-60mm on a Lumix GX85 to be sufficient to my needs, plus a 20mm F1.7 for low light situations.

Basel has many museums of note, more than you'll have time for. Speyer Dom is the largest Romanesque church in the world, do visit the crypt with the Emperors buried below. We arrived in Rudesheim after the stores had closed but the "shopping ladies" calmed down after a visit to one of the many Wein Stubes to try the local vintages. The castles come one after another, take your pick. Most have been restored and painted in a common decor. Koblenz is lovely, nice view from the Ehrenbreitstein fortress across the river and worthwhile in itself. Our boat traveled during the night to Cologne, leaving us with a 2 hr early tour before departure. Since the tour returned to Cologne after Amsterdam, the short tour left one with a hint of what the city has that you could visit at the end after the trip. Of course the Dom both inside and climb the tower if you're energetic, possibly the Roman Museum next to the Dom, one of the many restaurants if only for the local Koelsch Bier that is served in a 7 oz glass - order two, maybe the Chocolate Museum on the Rhein in a ship. North from there the land is flat with fewer sites so enjoy the shipping views.

Learning a few German words like "Please, thank you " and "where is the bathroom" will make points with the locals.
Rhein

(Download)

Friscotex

Take time for the little town squares to relax, eat a pastry and people watch. We stopped in Colmar, France on our Uniworld cruise. It was a nice little place.

Hammer Loc: London UK

Like quite a few other Hoggers, I have done this cruise with my wife, twice. Wonderfully relaxing and interesting . The cruising stretch near Koblenz is great , castle after castle on the riverbanks , used a 70-200 most of the time . Around the towns etc found 24-70 fine . I could have done with something a bit more versatile as some other have used. Would have been easier.

Cologne is unreal . Research the construction of the Cathedral if you get a chance . Unbelievable history and story but here is a boring Cologne story for you .

My wife and I went ashore at Cologne and did our own thing, having previously been on the organised walks etc. We went in a small hotel for a coffee and the waitress who served us started talking to us. She wondered why we were only in Cologne for just one day . Told her we were on a cruise. Who with ? Viking ? Which boat ? Helvetia . My boyfriend works on that boat! We met when working together on a cruise ship. She then said that she rarely sees him because of his work and was surprised he was in Cologne as she had not heard from him. Straight back to the ship and down to the kitchens . Asked for the guy by name . He came out and got a real shock when we told him a message from his girlfriend. His co-workers were all around him and rolling about laughing, he had finally been caught out .

Facing the Cathedral is a large square which looks down slightly on it. In the square is a famous coffee shop with a large open air area. They serve wonderful pastries and drinks and it "smells" of the past opulence and style of Germany . In particular go downstairs and use the restrooms . I am not going to say any more and leave you to get the surprise we did.

Enjoy your trip.

cascoly Loc: seattle

the Germano-Roman museum is excellent & right next to the cathedral

cameraf4 Loc: Delaware

Cool image! I hope that not all of your days on the trip were as gloomy as this day looks. How was the water depth this year?

cameraf4 Loc: Delaware

4 trips! That makes you an expert. We'll be in Koblenz about the half way point of the cruise. Did you tour the castle at Marksburg there?

cameraf4 Loc: Delaware

Cool story. Looked it up. Unfortunately the "Rhine in Flames" night will take place in July this year, so I will miss it.