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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. RIVERS UPDATE - River cruises continue to be discontinued until further notice on all rivers of the Ukraine and Russia.
Best European River Cruise for First-Timers: Viking River Cruises
When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. The one-week route doesn't take you far but does include the walled city of Padua, the charming fishing village of Chioggia, and the culinary mecca of Bologna. That's even before you get to the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. CroisiEurope is the only line to sail on the Loire River in France, with a specially designed modern paddlewheeler to navigate low water levels. Similar vessels sail France's lesser-known Elbe River and CroisiEurope is also the only line to sail on Spain's Guadalquivir River and the Vltava River in the Czech Republic.
Destination-Inspired Ships
Tauck is always prepared to deal with these eventualities in order to preserve your Tauck experience. If you love dazzling landscapes, magnificent architecture and fabulous food, a Danube river cruise is hard to beat. Exploring Europe by water requires no internal flights and train rides and eliminates schlepping around with your luggage in tow. You'll also be able to take in the lavender fields, haystacks and other scenes that inspired painters like Paul Cezanne and Vincent Van Gogh. The seven-night river cruise takes you through Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania. The most beautiful stretch of the river is a 62-mile passage through a gorge between the Balkan and Carpathian Mountains.
Best European River Cruise for Onboard Facilities: AmaWaterways AmaMagna
What's on deck for river cruising in 2024? - Travel Weekly
What's on deck for river cruising in 2024?.
Posted: Wed, 27 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
All menus onboard reflect the region, with vintage wines, dishes featuring truffle, escargot and foie gras and a gout-inducing selection of premium cheeses. On one-week cruises, you'll follow the river 130 miles past green hillside vineyards in the Douro River Valley, a UNESCO-recognized destination, before turning around at the Spanish border. The river cruises typically include a visit to the university town of Salamanca in northern Spain. Viticulture is very much the lesson en route, as you learn about port production on the "River of Gold."
The line’s newest ship sails Europe’s Rhine, Main, Danube and Moselle rivers, featuring a heated pool that transforms into a cinema, spacious suites and a dedicated wellness area. We're here to answer your questions about Uniworld cruises and ships, as well as any of our special offers. Uniworld takes all-inclusive luxury river cruising to an entirely new level, with everything you need to have a wonderful trip included. La Venizia, completely decked out with a sense of place, from Fortuny fabrics and Murano glass to its gilded accents. Our cruises offer High quality restauration as well as a very high quality selection of wine and drinks.
When it comes to top cruising rivers in Europe, the Rhine wins for natural beauty and fairytale landscapes. Along the route, between Melk and Krems in Austria, you cruise through the Wachau Valley, a key wine-growing region producing rieslings and gruner veltliners, with sipping opportunities available. 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. The "Charming Castles & Vineyards of the Rhine & Moselle" begins with arrival in Frankfurt and transfer to Mainz for boarding.
Fun activities include a “meet the captain” event, pizza-making classes and treasure hunts. All ships are stocked with age-appropriate games and books, and family shore excursions to zoos and theme parks feature on itineraries. The doyen of Europe's waterways is the adults-only Viking Cruises, a multifaceted cruise line that also boasts a fleet of ocean and expedition vessels.
River Cruise in Europe
River cruising has become a popular way to explore Europe, Asia, and other regions of the world, with many cruise lines offering a wide variety of itineraries and ship sizes to suit different preferences and budgets. Tauck’s all-inclusive European river cruises are a boon for travelers with a thirst for history. The cruise line sails all of Europe’s major rivers, offering thoughtfully crafted shore experiences that dig deep into each destination’s past.
Work up an appetite with action-packed kayaking, hiking and cycling tours before returning to a well-earned meal. Onboard cuisine features a variety of menus including Avalon Fresh which showcases mainly vegetarian dishes. The stellar 2022-built Viking Egdir, carrying 190 passengers, offers a ringside seat of bucolic vineyards and medieval castles on the Rhine, Main and Danube.
The world's largest river cruise line offers a well-tested river cruise recipe on its fleet of identical Scandinavian-style longships. Insightful port talks provide information on the next day's program that cover all questions, such as how much walking is involved and difficulty levels. Some lines, however, offer excellent value—especially when you compare the price to the overall cost of a land-based vacation in Europe. One cruise line that consistently offers great value is Emerald Cruises, a river cruise operator that gets travelers more bang for their buck—without compromising on quality or service. As standard, Emerald’s eight Europe-based “Star-Ships” offer a generous number of inclusions built into the cost of the cruise, with typically lower entry level fares.
Limber up for a game of pickleball on the full-size court that was just added in 2023. Passengers can work out solo at the Zen Wellness Studio or join an open-air spin class, while drinking in scenic river views. The ship's ample deck space also offers passengers the chance to unwind in the heated pool and indulge in a nap-inducing massage in one of two treatment rooms. Sail the Seine from Paris to Normandy aboard Tauck’s intimate 98-passenger MS Sapphire to explore destinations such as Caudebec-en-Caux, Les Andelys, Mont-St-Michel and Étretat. The cruise features a number of thoughtful, exclusive excursions, like dinner at the 16th-century Château du Taillis and a walking tour in Rouen to Joan of Arc Square and the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen. Most poignant, however, is the chance to pause at the D–Day Beaches, with 2024 marking the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy.
AmaWaterways' active excursions take in some of Europe’s most breathtaking scenery—enticing passengers on hilly bike rides and waterside hikes. We’re honored to have been named the #1 luxury river cruise line in the world by the experts at Cruise Critic. Bordeaux serves up the opportunity to sip Medoc, Margaux, Saint-Emilion, Pomerol and Sauternes wines as you expand your wine education. If you plan your cruise for September or October, you'll be able to admire the grape harvest. Your visit there and to the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, as well as other memorials and monuments to the fallen, is a poignant experience (one that requires a two-hour bus ride from your ship, however). Avalon Waterways brings a World War II expert on board to add insight on select sailings.
It also takes passengers to some of Europe's blockbuster cities, including Budapest, Vienna, Cologne and Amsterdam. Passengers can sip on fine wines in the Wachau Valley, wander Regensburg's UNESCO-listed old town and marvel at Vienna's Habsburg-period architecture. Itineraries feature guided trips to revered museums, cathedrals, and palaces—complemented by slow days sailing these scenic waterways. Selecting the right river cruise for you depends on the kind of experience you’re after. There’s a European river cruise for every type of traveler, from families and couples to the budget-conscious and luxury seekers. For a true luxury experience, we recommend a sail aboard Uniworld’s S.S. La Venezia, while for active travelers we love the holistic wellness offerings found on AmaWaterways’ AmaMagna.
