Enjoy a cruise holiday with a difference down the mighty Danube from Budapest to Vienna

I’m not a morning person, but I was determined to be up at dawn to see Budapest’s magnificent Parliament Buildings glowing in the pre-dawn light as we sailed out of this extraordinary city.

Luckily I’d set my alarm, because we didn't even stir as the boat’s engines started up for the first time to take us down the mighty Danube for seven incredible days.

I’d never been on a river cruise before, and Saga’s Filia Rheni II was a brilliant introduction to the genre. Now, I’m not (quite) old enough for a Saga cruise, but I was treating my mom Val for her... er... eleventy-first birthday so I figured she’d fancy a holiday partying with her peers.

Poor Mum didn’t get much time to chat on our first day – we had two nights, but just one full day in Budapest before we set off, so there was no time to waste.

We joined the included morning walking tour which took us up to the Buda side of the city.

A local guide gave us a bit about the history of the city and showed us around the grounds of Buda castle and the turreted fortress of Fisherman’s Bastion, with its great views across the river to the afore-mentioned Parliament Building dominating the city on the Pest side.

We were dropped off back at the boat, moored by the Elisabeth bridge near the heart of the action, then my mum and I set out to explore Pest on our own.

We were just a 15-minute walk from the Great Market Hall, so we kicked off proceedings in this massive grocery and souvenir store.

This is the place to get your foodie kicks – and stock up on those essential paprika products and souvenirs.

Looking at all the fresh produce on sale had made us hungry, so we headed down Vaci utca, a pedestrianised street lined with restaurants and bars, and picked Old Street Café for some heavenly goulash soup served with crusty bread.

Suitably fortified by the country’s most famous dish, we managed to clock up 15km wandering around the city’s handsome tree-lined streets.

There is so much to see here, it was a shame we only had a day. Highlights included the massive St Stephen’s Basilica, the Hungarian National Gallery, the fascinating Jewish Quarter with the Dohany Street Great Synagogue and the moving Holocaust Memorial Centre, and, of course, the city’s famous baths.

The Hungarian State Opera House is also worth a visit – if you don’t have time for a full concert, there are tours of the building at 3pm and 4pm which include a 12-minute mini opera.

Sadly, we had run out of time in this fabulous city, but the welcome dinner on board soon made up for it – Hungarian chef Zoltan and his brilliant team put on a quite spectacular traditional feast for us.

In fact, the food throughout the week was outstanding, especially the four-course evening meals, served by a very entertaining international crew.

The majority of the 150 passengers were Brits, and we had great company at our table every night.

After our early start on our first day of sailing, we tucked in to a hearty breakfast before stopping off at the former residence of the kings at Esztergom – with the country’s biggest cathedral – and a visit to the pretty little artists’ village of Szentendre.

One of my favourite cities on this itinerary was the capital of Slovakia, Bratislava. It’s small but perfectly formed, with a gorgeous Old Town, lovely Art Nouveau buildings (find the Blue Church!) – and a fantastic hot chocolate shop, Maximilian, on the main medieval square.

Although it is possible to have three meals a day (plus afternoon tea!) on board Filia Rheni II, we tried the local cuisine whenever we could.

In the street running up to St Michael’s Tower, we enjoyed halusky (potato dumplings with sheep’s cheese and bacon) and kapustnica (sauerkraut and smoked sausage soup) washed down by a pint of the local brew, Zlaty Bazant. Then we jumped on the mini train up to the castle district for great views.

The journey to Linz in Austria was our longest day 'at sea', but we were kept entertained by the housekeeping staff’s “towel-folding” demonstration and watching the ship negotiate some spectacularly huge locks.

We arrived in Linz at 4pm – just in time for us to find the home of the famous Linzertorte at Café Traxlmayr, after a whizz around the beautiful town centre, taking in the Mariendom’s beautiful stained-glass windows.

And so on to Passau (we’re in Germany now) which sits at the confluence of the Danube, the Inn and the Ilbe. We docked here for a full day, right in the centre of the action, so we had plenty of time to explore this city of lovely pastel Bavarian buildings.

Baroque St Stephen’s cathedral has the biggest organ in Europe (17,774 pipes!) – don’t miss the goosebump-inducing recital held every day at noon.

A fun place to visit here is the Wilder Mann Hotel, which holds a massive private glass collection.

Start at the top and work your way down. We also hopped on the bus from the main square to the Fortress glowering from a hill across the Danube for cracking views of the three rivers.

On the way to Durnstein at the furthest reach of our journey, we stopped off at Melk Abbey – an impressive Benedictine complex sprawling across a hill high above the river.

Learn about its lavish history as you go from one jaw-dropping room to another – before ending up in the magnificent library, which leads to the quite spectacular cathedral. You really have to like churches on this trip... each one is more ornate than the last!

Our last stop before turning back for a stay in Vienna was Durnstein – another firm favourite of mine... not least of all because it’s surrounded by vineyards in the gorgeous Wachau Valley.

We took the mini train for a little jaunt through the vines before being deposited in the centre of this bustling village, with its ivy-covered buildings and steep cobbled streets crammed with wine stores and quirky shops.

I bought some homemade gin in a family store and tried a delicious local white – Grüner Veltliner – with a slice of apfelstrudel. Heaven.

I may not be (quite) old enough for a Saga cruise, but this trip gave me a very good idea of how I’m going to be spending my retirement...