The 10 Best River Cruises in Europe Your AAA Network
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The most popular itineraries run between Basel and Amsterdam, with several stops in France and Germany en route. Another immensely popular themed river cruise in Europe is a voyage to take in the Netherlands and Belgium’s famous tulips. These are often called “Dutch Waterways” cruises, since ships go through a network of small rivers, inland seas and canals which are referred to as the Dutch Waterways. These mid-spring trips typically start and end in Amsterdam, and travel to Antwerp, Arnhem, Ghent, Rotterdam. With its fleet of more than 50 contemporary "longships" on rivers such as the Rhine, the Danube, and the Seine, plus additional ships in Europe, Egypt, and Vietnam, T+L's top-ranked river cruise line for 2022 is often praised for its steadiness.
Popular Cruise Ships
These Are the Best Luxury River Cruises to Take in 2024 - Veranda
These Are the Best Luxury River Cruises to Take in 2024.
Posted: Tue, 06 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Many American travelers have heard of river cruise lines like Viking, AmaWaterways and Avalon Waterways -- and you can find more about them below. The best river cruises blend refined onboard accommodations with exciting itineraries along some of the world’s most memorable waterways. 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. Belmond has another way to cruise some of Europe's rivers — on luxury barges with private chefs and excursions like truffle hunting, hot air ballooning, canoeing, and wine tasting. The elegant barges cruise the waterways of Burgundy, Provence, Alsace, Champagne, Languedoc, and Franche-Comté from April to October. Uniworld's one-of-a-kind vessels are inspired by the locales they visit, making their luxurious ships a destination in themselves.
Night Romantic DanubeDetails
Grand Circle generally draws travelers aged over 50 and is a popular line for Americans cruising the rivers of Europe. Grand Circle attracts a high number of repeat passengers, drawn by value-for-money fares that are often lower than other European river cruises. Viking includes one excursion in each port with your fare, and offers a wider variety of river cruises in Europe than others. That gives new-to-river-cruise passengers plenty of options to try their hand at a cruise length that fits their style and a wide array destinations from which to choose.
Thoughts on “The 10 Best River Cruises in Europe”
All along the way, passengers will get the chance to enjoy Portugal’s national beverage, port. The Douro River Valley is the world’s oldest demarcated wine region and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Most cruises begin or end with an overnight stay in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Porto, with ample time to explore. La Venizia, completely decked out with a sense of place, from Fortuny fabrics and Murano glass to its gilded accents. The six-day "Highlights of the Rhine" cruise begins in Cologne and cruises on to Rotterdam and then Amsterdam the following day. Options include a bus tour, canal tour, pedal boats, or private auto tour, each at an additional cost.
Europe River Cruises
All ships are stocked with age-appropriate games and books, and family shore excursions to zoos and theme parks feature on itineraries. 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). 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."
Splendours of Europe (Start Amsterdam, End Budapest)
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. You might also have the option of a side trip to Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Mozart — and also where several scenes for the movie "Sound of Music" were filmed. A surprise for many is Old Town Bratislava, Slovakia, which might not have been on your must-do list but which charms with its beer culture and castles.
Lueftner Cruises
You're in a small floating hotel, exploring calm inland waters, gliding past castles and vineyards and scenery that changes by the hour. The fleetwide reservation-only Vintage Room is set up for private dining, with an extravagant seven-course wine-pairing menu. The storied Seine—revered as one of the world’s most romantic rivers, thanks to its deep ties to Paris—extends beyond the City of Lights for fascinating river voyages into northern France. The 485-mile-long waterway flows northwest from France’s Burgundy area near Dijon, through Paris, and into the Normandy region, before emptying into the English Channel (at Le Havre). Most of the France-exclusive itineraries here run for a week between Lyon and Arles or Avignon. Some continue north on the Saône River, the chief tributary of the Rhône (the two merge in Lyon), and into the heart of Burgundy; it’s a gateway to stops like Burgundy’s wine capital at Beaune.
The company's "time to discover" philosophy focuses on intensive travel experiences, shore excursions, and varied culinary offerings. This Australian-owned organization is the country's largest family-owned tour and cruise company, offering a variety of travel styles. Their Concerto River Ships, AmaVenita, AmaStella, and AmaReina, cruise on the Danube, Main, Rhine, and Douro Rivers with luxury accommodations and excursions. Apt charters the ships from AmaWaterways, but their itineraries and onboard programs are unique to Apt River Cruises. Apt's offerings include rail journeys, as well as small boat, yacht, and ocean cruises.
American Queen Voyages (formerly American Queen Steamboat Company and Victory Cruise Lines)
Adventures by Disney is, unsurprisingly, one of the best river cruise lines for families in Europe. The line charters AmaWaterways and, while you shouldn't expect a bevy of Disney branding on the ship, Disney's Adventure Guides are trained to bring kids into the river cruise experience. Picking the best line for a European river cruise can be a challenge as more and more lines compete for attention on European waterways.
The Best New River Cruise Ships and Sailings of 2024 - AFAR - AFAR Media
The Best New River Cruise Ships and Sailings of 2024 - AFAR.
Posted: Mon, 22 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
With more itineraries than any other, Viking is the best cruise line in Europe for first-time river cruisers. 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. Running from the Czech Republic through Germany, most river cruises on the Elbe River run between Prague and Hamburg. On the Belmond Napoleon, guests cruise the River Saône past châteaux, rural river towns, and expansive vineyards.
You'll also find plenty of energetic and engaging activities, like tobogganing, 4x4 tours and bike excursions. In the evenings, supervised meals for kids and teens (and movie nights) keep the vibe upbeat until bedtime. 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.
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. The guided tour also visits the somber Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial on Omaha Beach. CroisiEurope is the largest company based in Europe and operates a fleet of riverboats and hotel barges.
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