Have you been thinking about traveling in Europe? Don’t’ forget to include river travel in the various options that you should look at. Not doing so would be a shame as you would be missing out on one of the most pleasant and surprising ways to discover the continent.
Regardless of whether you will be cruising by yourself, as a couple, or with a group of people, you will find that European river travel has something special, and that every cruise that you will take on the continent’s waterways will be a trip to remember.
Compared to seaborne cruising, there is much more inland territory you can cover on a river trip, and compared to car-borne holidays you won’t have to experience the discomfort of constant hotel changes. Plus who has ever heard of a river traffic gridlock?
Even though a European river cruise ship is smaller than an ocean going ship the facilities on board are no less numerous with most ships boasting a ball room, plentiful bars and restaurants, possibly a cinema as well as numerous viewing decks from which you will be able to admire the scenery and the architecture of many of the most beautiful European countries and cities.
There are many European river travel companies that you can go with, but the most important initial part is to decide on the length of the trip that you want to make, on the location and on the kind of comfort. just make sure that you begin with these details so that you can then relax and plan out the trip.
Concerning the length, one or two weeks is standard but there are also short break offers for a weekend, and on the other end of the scale, six week Rhine-to-Danube extravaganzas for people with a lot of leisure time.
As for the location, trips tend to concentrate on the bigger rivers such as the Rhine, the Danube and the Seine, but there are also lesser-known alternatives, such as the tributaries of the Elbe in Germany, the Po in the north of Italy, or the rivers of Poland and European Russia.
Make sure that you also choose the season well. Areas such as the South of France and the Netherlands are more suited to a trip in the warmer months, due to the bloom in vegetation that you will experience.
As for the winter, Germany and Austria are great cruising spots because of the snow, the renowned winter markets, and also because of the cakes and cookies! And don’t worry, European river boats are all well heated.
Concerning the level of comfort, you will find that there are a great number of alternatives, from Spartan drive-your-own houseboat hires to luxury cruse ships that have a lot in common with high-end hotels, but that retain an individual character.
Permanent link to this post: European River Travel: From Budget To Luxury Cruising
From the Cruises weblog
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