Last Updated on November 24, 2025
Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
Tauck, one of the world’s leading tour companies, is now celebrating 100 years of upscale, guided travel. Since its humble beginnings in Connecticut in 1925, the family-owned company now offers over 150 guided tours on all seven continents and across 70 countries. Our latest adventure with Tauck covered much of what it does so well.
The title of our tour was Rhine Enchantment: seven days on a luxurious riverboat, cruising from Basel, Switzerland, to Amsterdam, but the enchantment extended well beyond the river portion. The 11-day, all-inclusive package for 116 guests included three nights in historic Milan, Italy, a high-speed train ride across Switzerland, and an extra day to enjoy the canals and gabled architecture of the Netherlands’ largest city.
Tauck is unique among the many tour companies that ply the historic waters of western Europe. Most Tauck riverboats are the standard 143 feet in length, and they hold a maximum of just 130 guests, while similarly sized riverboats of competitors often accommodate up to 190. Tauck rooms are also larger, and the staff-to-guest ratio sets the industry standard. With Tauck, everything is included – transfers, all excursions, meals, drinks, and gratuities.
A Three-Day stay in Milan
Tauck is also unique in the exclusive events it offers to all guests at no additional cost. This was evident in our three-day, pre-cruise stay in Milan. A driver met us at the airport and took us to the five-star Hotel Principe di Savoia. The century-old landmark, decorated in classic Italian and Art Deco styles, served as our base for bus rides and guided walks through the city.
This included priority access to Il Duomo, the city’s massive Gothic cathedral. In the evening, our three Tauck Tour Directors broke us into small groups for an exclusive, private viewing of Leonardo da Vinci’s mural masterpiece, The Last Supper.
Also in Milan, we were taken to the shores of pristine Lake Como, in the shadow of the snow-capped Alps. Tauck also chartered several private boats to cruise us past opulent villas and small medieval towns. In Bellagio, “The Pearl of the Lake”, we had free time and the Tauck Tour Directors gave each of us five Euros to buy a coffee and use the café’s facilities. This was just one of several special (and much-appreciated) touches by Tauck.
A High-Speed Train to Basel
Leaving Milan for Phase Two of our Tauck tour adventure, we took buses to Lugano, Switzerland. There Tauck had also arranged for four first-class coaches on a high-speed train through and under the Alps to Basel. We left exactly on time (after all, this is Switzerland) and reached speeds of up to 155 mph (249 kph).
The most astonishing part of the ride was the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world’s longest and deepest, running for 35 miles and up to 7,500 feet (2,290m) below the mountains. Between the shorter tunnels, the alpine views were also stunning.
Reaching Basel (on time, of course), comfortable buses took us to our riverboat, MS Inspire, on the banks of the Rhine. After registration and an introduction from the Tauck Cruise Director, we went to our room on Deck 2, where our luggage had already arrived from Milan. On Deck 3, 22 Inspire Suites are a spacious 300 square feet, while our room, like most on Deck 2, was 225 square feet, more than adequate for our time aboard.
Aboard Inspire we enjoyed balconies with floor-to-ceiling windows, plenty of storage space, and both European and North American electrical outlets. There were also 400-thread-count satin sheets, Molton Brown toiletries, and a shower with both traditional and rain shower heads. Cozy bath robes were provided, but unfortunately, just one size of slippers was available. Too big for Sandra; too small for John.
All tours on our cruise were complimentary, usually with several choices. The riverboat stayed in Basel the next day, with half our group visiting the world-class Basel Art Museum. The rest of us joined an excellent local guide on a walking tour of the Old Town and its culinary heritage. After a tasting at an exquisite chocolate shop, we were each given 25 Euros to splurge on chocolate and cheese.
Sailing With Tauck On The Rhine
Sailing down the Rhine was a special treat as we passed the legendary Lorelei Rock and small villages with countless vineyards climbing up fertile hillsides. These were often topped with medieval castles, some in ruins, others that welcome visitors. The Middle Rhine is especially picturesque, but after Düsseldorf it becomes quite industrial.
Other fascinating Tauck tour excursions from the riverboat included the Alsatian Wine Route, with a tasting visit to one of the many Riesling producers in the region. There was also a guided tour of the 13th-century Heidelberg Castle, which dominates the bustling university town below. We were all given tickets to ride the funicular.
In Colmar, France, many on our bus were startled to see a 39-foot replica of the Statue of Liberty at the city’s north entrance. We soon learned that the statue’s designer, Frédéric Bartholdi, was born in this eastern French city, where there’s also a museum to honor his life and work.
A Special Tauck Treat
Dining was a special treat on MS Inspire. The Bulgarian Executive Chef, Petar Petrov, and his team of ten chefs and cooks consistently produced fine meals from the riverboat’s small galley. Breakfast and lunch were mainly buffet-style, with several made-to-order specials.
While sailing through Germany, the chefs grilled a half-dozen varieties of sausage, served, of course, with sauerkraut. Dinner was always an elegant occasion with three appetizer choices, two soups, and five or six entrees. Typical menus included beef tenderloin, Alaska king crab legs, rack of lamb, and black cod.
We’re fussy about fish and were delighted with the quality of all seafood. Cocktails were always available as fine wines were poured and topped up whenever a guest wished. A blind whisky tasting session was scheduled with Japanese and Indian single malts in an interesting mix.
Two Special Occasions
Two special occasions stood out. Near the end of the cruise, we celebrated Tauck with the Chef’s Signature Dinner, a five-course feast featuring a starter of shrimp cocktail with sturgeon caviar. This was followed by Austrian cream of pumpkin soup, North Sea scallops and three main course choices – beef tenderloin with lobster tail or swordfish steak or a chevre & brie cheese souffle. Dessert was layered chocolate sponge cake with orange sauce. The European wines were excellent.
On every European river cruise, Tauck gives guests an exclusive evening of fine dining and entertainment at a historic palace or castle. Its choice for this special occasion was Schloss Biebrich, a riverside palace in Wiesbaden, Germany, dating from 1702.
Just a short stroll from our dock on the Rhine, the palace, with its massive, chandelier-filled dining room, was a magical setting for this unique Tauck tour tradition. The starter of small meatballs, grilled antipasti vegetables, and marinated veal strips came on a trio of tiered trays.
For the main course, guests could choose among roasted chicken breast, salmon fillet, or tortellini with asparagus filling and lime sauce. Dessert was a crispy swan-shaped cream puff. The wines were all high-quality German Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Merlot.
A harpist played beautiful melodies during dinner, and, between courses, a soprano showed immense range as she alternated between high opera and Elvis ballads. Full marks to Tauck.
Evening entertainment on the riverboat was exceptional. In addition to the resident pianist, local guest entertainers came aboard, including a violin/accordion duo, a gentleman singing German lieder, and a humorous four-person combo playing a variety of instruments, including cowbells and an alpenhorn.
To continue celebrating Tauck’s 100th anniversary, guests were invited to dress in Roaring ’20s finery for an evening party. Flappers, feathers, pearls, and boas were prominent among the ladies.
Arrival in Amsterdam
Our riverboat adventure ended in Amsterdam, but, typical of a Tauck tour, we stayed an extra day while the company arranged for several private boats to take all guests on a cruise through the elaborate canal system.
The next day, transportation to the airport or local hotels was seamlessly coordinated for all guests. At the airport, a Tauck rep even escorted us to our airline check-in counter. As Cruise Director Tea Clougher told us, “We want guests to know they can depend on us, especially if something goes wrong. If you’re sick or injured, we’ll care for you.”
This positive, guest-oriented attitude has now sustained Tauck for 100 years and will undoubtedly continue to do so. Tauck’s reputation and growth are based on word of mouth, not advertising. We were told that instead of ads, those dollars are put into improving the product.
It shows.
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