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No matter what you’re searching for, these are the best European river cruises to book for 2024 and beyond. For a lazy, dreamy, wonderful river cruise experience, nothing quite beats exploring the wine regions of Portugal on the Douro, one of the major rivers through the Iberian Peninsula. The home base for these river cruises is Porto, Portugal, with its historic city center, spectacular bridges and port houses.
European River Cruise Photos
Call us, or call your travel advisor, to book your preferred departure date today – and explore our beautiful brochures to find your inspiration for your next journey. Unforeseen circumstances may occur on the rivers of Europe from time-to-time, including high and low water levels. Tauck is always prepared to deal with these eventualities in order to preserve your Tauck experience. Although there's no better way to explore Europe's great cities, castle-dotted countryside and vineyards by riverboat, situations may arise that are beyond our control. In the event we need to modify your journey for any reason, you can trust that we will make every effort to communicate with you and to preserve your experience.
Up to Five Dining Options
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. Between off-hours tours at world-renowned museums and guided walks through medieval cities, guests are also invited to join enriching lectures aboard the ships. Airport transfers to and from the ship, drinks (non-alcoholic, beer and wine) with lunch and dinner, gratuities, Wi-Fi and a plethora of shore excursions are included. There are often excellent deals to be had, too, such as free flight credit when booking early, buy-one-get-one-free offers and reduced-single supplement for solo travelers. Emerald’s ships are unquestionably elegant, including the 180-guest Emerald Luna, which sails Europe’s Rhine, Main, Danube and Moselle rivers.
Choosing The Best European River Cruise For You
That's even before you get to the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Reserve a Combination River Cruise and save an additional 10% on subsequent sailings. Take the chance to spend a relaxing day at a traditional vineyard in Portugal – tasting the Port wine for which the region is famous. Take a cycling trip to explore the picturesque Medoc region, stopping to taste the local reds from the finest French region for red wine.
Portugal's golden Douro River, home to our newest cruises
Excursions include a tour of a medieval castle and tasting of Sauternes, a stop in Pauillac, gateway to the Medoc wine region, and a Saint-Emilion tour and tasting. Returning to Bordeaux, guests will explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site and capital of the wine world. AmaWaterways ups its dedication to active cruisers with a bevy of wellness spaces as well, including massage rooms, a fitness center, open-air spin classes on the sun deck and a pool. However, despite being twice as wide as most river ships in Europe, there are only about 30% more travelers onboard (just shy of 200 passengers). In addition to the main dining room, ships have smaller venues where every passenger can have a meal.
The intimate 96-passenger Scenic Azure winds through the port-producing Douro Valley, with its terraced vineyards, olive groves and tranquil towns and villages. Yes, please keep me updated with the latest special offers, travel inspiration, product updates, and event invites. 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. 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.
Whether biking through Germany's wine regions or exploring historic castles, there's a European river cruise that matches your interests. The most popular cruises sail the Rhine, which runs from Amsterdam to Switzerland; the Danube, which spans Austria, Hungary and parts of Eastern Europe; the Douro in Portugal; and the Seine in France. Perhaps the best known of the river cruise companies, Viking promotes their "longships," which include large suites and inviting verandas for outdoor dining. Guests enjoy Viking's destination-focused dining as well as the variety of staterooms and itineraries with a wide range of prices. The line also offers reduced solo-traveler surcharges on higher-grade cabins on select sailings.
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. While Scenic isn't strictly adults-only, this elegant Australian-owned cruise line doesn't tend to draw many families, making it ideal for couples. Couples can dress up for glitzy cocktail receptions and choose from romantic dining venues, including Portobellos or L'Amour, for candlelit meals for two.
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Douro’s Valleys & Vineyards
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AmaWaterways' holistic wellness program encompasses a variety of fitness classes and wellness-themed excursions, making it the leading European river cruise line for active travelers. Each ship has an onboard wellness director who hosts daily fitness classes as well as meditation and yoga. AmaWaterways was also the first river cruise operator to carry a fleet of complimentary bicycles.
The Douro River runs through northern Portugal and into Spain, with river cruises typically sailing to and from Porto, with the option of city stays either side of the cruise. A European river cruise is one of the best ways to explore the continent's iconic cities and charming towns. Though Europe is vast, river cruises visit multiple destinations in one trip and often port right in the center of the continent's coolest cities.
Please see our booking terms and conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate, click here. RiverVoyages acts as a retail agent to you and also as a disclosed agent of the holiday provider (the Organiser of the holiday). The Foreign & Commonwealth Office have up-to-date advice on staying safe and healthy abroad.
With longer port calls and our destination-focused approach, Viking maximizes your discoveries in Europe. From the fairytale castles of the Middle Rhine to the natural beauty of Norwegian fjords, you will gain deep insight into the continent’s cultural and historic riches. Our Scenic Enrich experiences are exclusive to Scenic guests and place you at the heart of the world’s most refined art, music, and architecture. These carefully curated experiences are destined to be the highlights of your journey. They stop in places such as resurgent Dresden, heavily bombed during World War II but expertly rebuilt; the Saxon Switzerland region of Germany with its striking sandstone rock formations; and the spa town of Bad Schandau.
There's also the exclusive Table La Rive fine dining experience for Diamond Deck suite guests. Daily activities feature a wide choice of included shore tours so you can personalize your cruise experience. I am a freelance journalist who has covered travel for over a decade and the cruise industry for several of those years. I've written about destinations ranging from the South China Sea to the Arctic and Norway. Some of my favorite cruise experiences include sailing the Rhine during fall or a transatlantic voyage on the Queen Mary 2 during summer. I adore my home city, London, the west coast of Ireland and New York, where I once spent a summer living in Brooklyn Heights on a work abroad program.
Touch history in Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania, as you sail along the exotic lower Danube. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices.
This ship truly embodies the decadence of Renaissance Venice, with a playful interior featuring hand-painted Venetian masks and flamboyant custom-made fabrics by Venice-design house Fortuny. Passengers can dine on fresh wood-fired pizza at Cielo's and sip Bellinis at Hari's Bar, all while taking in views of Venice's sparkling lagoon. 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. For those looking for a longer experience, Uniworld cleverly combines a Po cruise with luxury rail journeys to places like Istanbul, Switzerland and beyond. Another must for wine-lovers is exploring the interior of France, sipping Cotes du Rhone in such famous winemaking regions as Hermitage and Chateauneuf-du-Pape in Provence and Beaune in Burgundy.
While people from North America aren't regular passengers on the line's European river cruises, the line is bilingual so English-speaking passengers won't be left out. European Waterways has 17 barges sailing along the less-visited waterways in the U.K., France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Italy. Most European Waterways ships are old working barges, though the casual houseboat atmosphere includes beautiful modern interiors. Each all-inclusive cruise holds just eight to 20 passengers and can also be chartered by families and groups.
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