Viking Kara: 151 departures, 34 of which run from Amsterdam to Avignon
Measured on 25 August 2026: 43 departures from Basel to Amsterdam and 34 from Amsterdam to Avignon, out of 151 in total. It is the fullest calendar among the ships we sell on the Rhine.
Amsterdam-Avignon: what that route actually is
This needs saying plainly, because the name of the route suggests otherwise. The Rhine and the Rhône do not connect for a 135-metre hull: the Rhône-Rhine canal exists, but its gauge dates from the nineteenth century and accepts nothing of that size.
A trip advertised from Amsterdam to Avignon therefore combines two distinct segments with an overland move between the basins. That is not a flaw — it is the only way to do the Rhine and the Rhône in one trip — but a client expecting never to leave the ship will be surprised. Have the exact composition of the route and the nature of the transfer confirmed in writing before booking.
The direction of the Rhine
On this river nearly every departure runs down from Basel to Amsterdam. All 43 of Kara's follow that direction. A traveller set on going upstream will search a long time, on this ship as on the ten others we sell on the Rhine.
The practical consequence: your air ticket needs to be an open-jaw, arriving at Zurich or Basel and returning from Amsterdam. It works well, but it is planned when the flight is booked, not afterwards. Viking Kvasir escapes that constraint: she runs return between Antwerp and Amsterdam, two cities reachable without crossing Switzerland.
What 190 berths mean
One hundred and ninety guests over 135 metres, served by 53 crew, in 95 staterooms: 25 Standard, 22 French Balcony, 39 Veranda, 7 Veranda Suites and 2 Explorer Suites. No stateroom sits more than 60 metres from the dining room.
One crew member for every 3.58 guests: that is the Longship-class figure, and it does not generalise to the rest of the river fleet.
Viking Hlin follows the same pattern with 118 departures, and Viking Rolf stays on the Rhine alone with 86.
Kara, the valkyrie who sang
Kara is a valkyrie of the sagas whose singing protected her lover in battle. In one version she flies above the fight in the shape of a swan and he kills her by accident, raising his sword too high.
Getting there from Montreal
No year-round direct flight to Basel: one connection, usually through Zurich, Frankfurt or Paris. The return from Amsterdam is served by direct flights on several carriers, which makes the way home markedly shorter than the way out.
Booking from Quebec
From a Quebec address, Viking's reservations site does not answer: it redirects to a page inviting travellers to contact an agent. On this line the agency is not a convenience, it is the route. You can check that yourself in thirty seconds.
Our Viking River Cruises advisors confirm in writing the exact fare, what is included, what is not, and the applicable conditions before any booking, in line with Quebec consumer protection rules and participation in the compensation fund for travel agency customers.
