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The Wachau Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located between the Austrian towns of Krems and Melk, is particularly stunning. City highlights include elegant Vienna, with its grand palaces such as Hofburg from which the Habsburgs ruled Austria for 700 years. You can also see the gorgeous white Lipizzaner horses at the Spanish Riding School. With more castles than any other river, the Rhine river cruises combines centuries of history and culture with spectacular scenery and some of the oldest and most historic cities in Germany. The lesser-known Moselle, running through northeast France and Luxembourg, joins the Rhine at Koblenz. The Main river flows into the Rhine from eastern Germany; cruise along this, and you'll end up in the Main–Danube Canal, which enables vessels to sail into the iconic "Blue Danube," the gateway to Hungary and beyond.
Best Boutique European River Cruise: European Waterways
One cruise line, Scenic, has built a new vessel that really approaches the expected standards of Europe river cruises. Founded in 2017 with the goal of making European river cruises more economical and personalized, family-owned American company Teeming River Cruises developed a different river cruise model. Instead of pre-programmed group activities, guests create their own unique experiences with a complimentary city tour app for each destination. All-inclusive plans and group tours are not part of Teeming's itineraries. This Australian-owned organization is the country's largest family-owned tour and cruise company, offering a variety of travel styles.
NEW! Treasures of the Rhine
Highlights include visits to Avignon; Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy; Vienne, home to the remains of a 14,000-seat amphitheater and a temple built in 25 B.C.; and an excursion to Arles, where Vincent van Gogh lived and painted. The purpose of this page is provide you a comprehensive guide of the available Europe River Cruise Routes, so you can decide on which route will be the best for your next Europe river cruise vacation. 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. Day four is spent in Verona, with its ancient amphitheater and Giusti Gardens.
Christmas on the Rhine & Moselle
With a number of cruise companies and rivers to choose from, planning a river cruise can take some time. Consulting with a travel advisor is always a good idea, and there's plenty of information available online as well. These are the major companies offering the best European river cruises along with examples of their itineraries. 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.
And after a visit to the world’s largest floral park (Keukenhof Gardens), you’ll see first-hand why this is one of the best river cruises you can do in the spring – or anytime. We’re more than midway through 2023, but there’s still time to book river cruises this year. So if you’re looking to spend time in Paris before cruising the Seine, in Vienna before cruising the Danube, in Porto before cruising the Douro, you can still find reasonably priced airfare and space available on ships. They include Kizhi Island, an isolated tourist destination set at almost the center of Lake Onega, home to an open-air museum made up of more than 80 wooden buildings. In the small river town of Goritsy travelers can visit the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery, which was built in 1397 and is home to a vast collection of Russian Orthodox icons.
European Sojourn
The 8 Best European River Cruises 2024 - Forbes
The 8 Best European River Cruises 2024.
Posted: Fri, 19 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Or you can choose to explore on your own, which is easy since your ship often will dock right in town. 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. There are 12 Scenic all-suite vessels on Europe's waterways, each one featuring nifty innovations such as in-suite windows that slide down at the touch of a button—perfect for languid mornings gazing at picture-perfect scenery. Couples can dress up for glitzy cocktail receptions and choose from romantic dining venues, including Portobellos or L'Amour, for candlelit meals for two. Diamond Deck and Junior Suite guests can also dine at Table d'Or, where a six-course degustation menu is paired with local wines.
Best European River Cruise For Foodies: Riverside Luxury Cruises, Riverside Ravel
These two-week cruises also typically include two nights each in Budapest and Bucharest at the start and end of the itinerary. River cruising in Europe stands out as a distinctive and memorable way to explore the world. French line CroisiEurope caters to travelers on a tight budget and does river cruising in a friendly European style. Among the differences here is you won't just be cruising with fellow Americans. The passenger contingent is mostly bargain-seekers from France and Germany, and you'll hear onboard announcements in multiple languages.
Here's a rundown of the best river cruise lines traversing inland waterways around the world. Christmas Markets have a long-standing history in European cities, and these markets are not limited to just one river. Some of the best markets are in Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria, and France. Beyond the gorge, the Rhine River runs for more than 700 miles through the Netherlands, France, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.
Seine River Cruises Combine Coast, Countryside and Culture
And if you’re a wine lover, you’ll be extra enthusiastic about booking this trip. Tour scenes straight off of a holiday card on an unforgettable river cruise. Flowing through France, Luxembourg and Germany, the Moselle River is known for its medieval architecture and excellent white wines. The climate, soil and topography along the Moselle create an ideal environment for the cultivation of grapes. Common itineraries are sailings between Budapest, Hungary and Passau, Germany. Highlights include Vienna, once the center of the Habsburg Empire, with visits to the Hofburg Palace, the Vienna Opera House, and Ring Boulevard; Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart; and Melk home to the stunning Benedictine Abbey.
In Moscow, a visit to the Kremlin, shows the power of the largest country of the world. In St. Petersburg, the most western of Russian cities, the Hermitage museum, Catherine’s Palace and Peterhof are a unique look at the lives and treasures of the tars of Russia. Expect a 2 week or so cruise—it will always be longer than a week cruise.. There are 3 rivers in France that are used by the river cruise companies.
In this post we’ll take a look at 10 Reasons To Choose Luxury Hotel Barge Cruising. 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. Running from the Czech Republic through Germany, most river cruises on the Elbe River run between Prague and Hamburg. Cities on an Elbe cruise include Dresden, Meissen, Worlitz, Wittenberg and Magdeburg.
From Portugal's dazzling Douro to the mighty Danube, a river cruise is a fantastic way of exploring Europe’s magical cities and sensational countryside. Sparkling new Europe-based ships seemingly debut every year, all with innovative features and itineraries that showcase art, history, food and more. The best European river cruises make it easy to enjoy the continent’s marvelous scenery to its fullest, with thoughtful amenities, intimate ship sizes and a slower pace to soak it all in. If that size river cruise sounds too small for you, Uniworld is a great boutique-style option for sailing Europe's rivers.. The line is more high-end than European Waterways and decor runs maximalist. Uniworld's ships are each distinctly designed and outfitted, and the all-inclusive itineraries include tours, meals, liquor and wine, fitness classes and more.
That’s why you’ll typically, but not always, cruise the Main on river cruises between Budapest and Amsterdam. Highlights include a visit to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s home in Frankfurt, and the town of Bamberg, a UNESCO site, which dates from 902 A.D., making it one the most impressive river cruises in Europe. The eight-day "Traveling on the Elbe and Havel" cruise covers Germany's north on rivers and canals aboard the Frederick Chopin. Starting in Berlin, the cruise continues to Potsdam for a guided walking tour. A guided tour takes guests through Autostadt Wolfsburg, a park dedicated to the history of the automobile.
Some cruise lines also offer extended two-week French itineraries with rail transfers to link a Seine cruise with sailings in Burgundy or Bordeaux. There really is only one option on the Rhone, but why not take advantage of being in France and add a couple of nights in Paris to the start or end of the cruise? It will give you time to have a taste of the highlights, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Champs-Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe. Once an important trading route for the Greeks and Romans, today's cruises run along the southernmost stretch.
The Rhine, by contrast, was rainy and overcast as we cruised it (both ways) between Amsterdam and Koblenz. The river is a hidden gem filled with stunning scenery, warm and friendly people, and charming towns bordered by vineyards, and of course, barrels of fine Portuguese wine. A visit to the Keukenhof Gardens, the world’s largest floral park, is of course, a highlight. All along the way, passengers will get the chance to enjoy Portugal’s national beverage, port. Running across Central Germany, the Main River is formed by the joining of the Red Main and the White Main, meeting the Rhine River at the town of Mainz.
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