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To learn more about each port of call and our included as well as optional excursions, click on the individual days below. Many of the cruises along the Douro start or end with an overnight stay in Porto, also a UNESCO World Heritage site. When cruising the Douro, you’ll transit the world’s deepest lock (Carrapatelo) and take an all-day tour to Salamanca, Spain.
What to Expect On Europe's Rivers
Avalon Waterways brings a World War II expert on board to add insight on select sailings. River cruising in Europe is one of those delightfully slow and easy modes of travel. You're in a small floating hotel, exploring calm inland waters, gliding past castles and vineyards and scenery that changes by the hour. Founded by the Celts over 2,000 years ago, Passau is one of Bavaria’s oldest cities.
Danube Waltz
13 Best River Cruises in the World to Take in 2024 - AFAR Media
13 Best River Cruises in the World to Take in 2024.
Posted: Wed, 13 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Scenic offers both ocean and river cruises, all with emphasis on its fleet of "Space-Ships" and their meticulous design and spacious quarters. Ships offer a wellness area, massage services, gym, e-bikes, and onboard entertainment. Scenic's "FreeChoice" excursions offer something for all activity levels. Avalon features wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows with beds facing the views for ultimate enjoyment from their suites and staterooms. Large private bathrooms include full showers and L'Occitane bath amenities.
Teeming River Cruises
You'll also find a high number of inclusions, such as all drinks from the bar and with meals, to create a stress-free sailing with no hidden extras. However, there are also other lesser-known cruise lines to choose from that are contenders for the best river cruise line in Europe, depending on your travel style. To help you out, we've taken a look at 10 lines, from the familiar to the lesser-known, so you can decide the best river cruise line in Europe for you. Readers had high praise for the incredible service and interesting itineraries on these river cruise lines in our annual "World’s Best Awards" survey for 2023. Bordeaux river cruises are different from other water routes because you explore two short waterways — the Dordogne and Garonne Rivers — and the Gironde Estuary in Southwest France. Christmas Markets have a long-standing history in European cities, and these markets are not limited to just one river.
Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
That’s because this storied river features so many of Europe’s marquee cities – Nuremberg, Passau, Linz, Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava (as well as a slew of charming villages). It’s notoriously shallow, like the Loire, but at least one operator has figure out how to navigate the river. Strasbourg-based CroisiEurope runs two paddle-wheelers on the Elbe River on trips primarily between Prague and Berlin. “Cross the cradle of Germanic culture and embark on a cruise to discover the heart of Europe,” the company’s website says.
For 90+ years, the Tauck family has had a passion for sailing — aboard small ships and yachts at sea, riverboats along great inland waterways, and at home on the rivers and lakes of Connecticut and New York. When we began blending our land experience with our strong passion for cruising in our first European river cruise back in 1992, we knew that no "ordinary" river cruise experience would do for our guests. We wanted them to travel Europe's rivers in the same beyond-the-ordinary Tauck style they experienced on our land trips. With that in mind, we searched to find a company to partner with that would share our values and our commitment to "do the right thing" by our guests... Together, we crafted a river cruise experience that was ahead of its time and inspired by the destinations we explore.
No Tours Match Your Room Configuration
My Dream Cruise spans 18 nights, with optional pre- and post-cruise extensions. There you have it, a full list of best river cruises in Europe for you and your loved ones to enjoy. Typical itineraries sail between Budapest, Hungary, and Passau or Vilshofen, Germany. Highlights of a Danube river cruise include visiting the Vienna Opera House or Mozart’s birthplace in Salzburg (and doing the “Sound of Music” tour). Typically roundtrip Amsterdam, Moselle River cruises transit the Rhine before “making a left” in Koblenz, Germany.
Their deluxe beds and luxurious linens provide comfort in spacious, quiet quarters with ample closet space. Avalon offers "Active & Discovery" river cruises with activities for a variety of energy and fitness levels, from traditional sightseeing to action-packed experiences. Guests are kept busy (if they wish to be) with daily shore excursions, and most cruises offer several options depending on interests and activity levels.
Blue Danube: Family Riverboat Adventure
It's also a great place to bike, which is why it's nice to sail with lines, such as AmaWaterways, that carry bikes on board for passengers to use. Ships visit such cultural hubs as Vienna, with its opera and art museums and elaborate royal palaces, and Budapest, Hungary, with its magnificent architecture and modern vibe. If your ship passes the Hungarian Parliament building at night, you're in for a treat; magnificently lit, it's one of the most photographed sights on the river. Discover one of Austria’s most picturesque cities, Salzburg, the birthplace and childhood home of Mozart and setting of the beloved film The Sound of Music. During an informative tour led by Viking guides Peter Staudinger and Julia Hattinger, follow along as they show us some of their favorite places and delve into the history of this elegant Alpine destination.
There are other calls along the way, but the crown jewel just may be Prague, with its iconic Old Town, Charles Bridge and Prague Castle. Certainly, the Elbe, as fickle as it can be (CroisiEurope’s website says the Elbe is an uncontrolled river that may require ship transfer), ranks among the best river cruises in Europe. To cruise the Main, you might have to do a long cruise, between Budapest and Amsterdam, but in our book, it’s well worth it, and one of best river cruises in Europe. Cruising the Moselle two years ago, I visited the wheelhouse early one morning as Crystal Bach’s Captain Douwe was navigating the misty river. “It’s my favorite river,” said the captain, who added that he had been sailing for 48 years. He told me that when there is low water on the Rhine, he’ll sometimes deviate to the Moselle.
Yes, there are some wonderful river cruises in the cold parts of the year. Their cruise in northern Italy along the Po River, "From the Canals of Venice to Renaissance-infused Mantua," is a seven-day excursion starting in Venice where guests can discover St. Mark's Square and Doge's Palace. In partnership with CroisiEurope aboard the MS Michelangelo, the ship heads west to Vicenza and then on to Chioggia.
On the way to the nunnery, she asked the three knights accompanying her if she could climb the Lorelei for one last look at her beloved Rhine. Gazing into the river, she thought she saw the lover who betrayed her and fell to her death. In “Die Lorelei,” Heine depicted “the fairest of maidens … sitting up there … combing her golden hair,” luring seamen to their deaths with her spellbinding song. The Danube River is always our number one recommendation for people new to river cruising.
Or you can choose to explore on your own, which is easy since your ship often will dock right in town. For a smooth sail through Provence and Burgundy, a Rhone river cruise also ranks as one of the best river cruises in Europe for oenophiles and food lovers. All Rhone river cruises highlight the region’s super-rich wine heritage and include various tastings and vineyard visits. We’ve heard the same from other travelers and even from river cruise company owners and employees. One reason is that the landscape, cities and excursions are so good – as are the wines.
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