We leave Belfast on the early HSS and drive from Stranraer to Hull to catch the overnight sailing to Europoort, in Holland.

From Europoort we travel directly to the Rhine Gorge. We stop for a lunch break on the shore of Maria Laach, a small lake near Koblenz, and leave the main autobahn to follow the river to Boppard, where we check into our hotel by the Rhine in mid-afternoon.

After breakfast we travel back down river to Bonn. Like many German cities it has Roman origins, dating back to around 10BC. We have a short guided tour today, finishing with a memorable visit to Beethoven's birthplace. The rest of the day is free to explore.

We turn south this morning and follow the course of the river upstream to romantic Heidelberg. Again, we have a short introductory tour, with a visit to the beautiful old castle which dominates the skyline, overlooking the old town "Altstadt".

We see the famous Alte Bruche (old bridge), the much photographed Bruckentor (bridge gate) and, in the castle cellar, the famous Grosses Fass (Big Barrel) - with a capacity of 221,000 litres, this huge wine barrel has a walkway along the top which has even been used as a dance floor!

Unlike Bonn and Heidelberg, Loreley Rock is just around the bend in the river. Locals believed that this narrow section was inhabited by all sorts of mystical river folk - dwarfs, nymphs and mountain ghosts. The story goes that the daughter of Father Rhine, spurned by her lover, lured boat-men to their deaths. The view of the bends in the river from the top of the cliffs is spectacular and the excellent visitors centre paints a wonderful picture of the area.

We have the afternoon free in Boppard.

There are lots of things to see and do within a short walk from the hotel. Try the chair lift for another fabulous view of the river or just enjoy the hotel’s excellent leisure facilities.

After a relaxed Sunday morning we commence our return journey, crossing the nearby Dutch border and boarding the P&O Cruiseferry in Europoort, for the evening sailing back to Hull.

From Hull we retrace our outward journey and take the evening HSS to Belfast. We are expected at the Europa Buscentre around 10.00pm.