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Along the way, guests can choose a hike through vineyards, canoe trip, village walking tours, or wine tasting onboard. 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.
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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. 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. The next days are spent in Cremona and Mantua with disembarkation and a coach trip back to Venice.
Romantic Rhine (Southbound) 2024
Cruises include numerous excursions to must-visit sites like the Normandy beaches and the Eiffel Tower, with delicious meals and plenty of French wine. I recommend taking this trip in the summer so that you can enjoy your evenings as much as your days. On a Danube river cruise from Vienna to Budapest, you will pass through Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary while exploring medieval fortresses, fairytale castles, concert halls, and fine wineries. I actually have a lot of love for Budapest and highly recommend this frequently overlooked destination. If you’re planning on visiting the Vltava, there are a variety of multi-day cruises on offer that travel between culturally rich cities from Prague to Mělník to Dresden.
Popular Viking River Cruises
In Bratislava, Junior Adventurers can visit a petting zoo, and in the evening, there's family karaoke. A tour of Vienna and Schönbrunn Palace, marionette show, concert, and strudel making are options the next day. After an Oktoberfest celebration and captain's farewell dinner, the cruise ends the next day. For true indulgence, book a table at the fleetwide reservation-only Vintage Room, set up for private dining, with an extravagant seven-course wine-pairing menu.
Splendours of Europe (Start Amsterdam, End Budapest)
It’s a natural fit for oenophiles, who will have ample opportunity to tipple the local bounty en route, including, naturally, aromatic port aplenty. The most popular itineraries run between Basel and Amsterdam, with several stops in France and Germany en route. The Douro River is a rising star in the river cruising world, with almost every major river cruise line introducing itineraries here in recent years. You can filter by departure port and duration and then compare prices to find the best deal.
Viticulture is very much the lesson en route, as you learn about port production on the "River of Gold." On the Belmond Napoleon, guests cruise the River Saône past châteaux, rural river towns, and expansive vineyards. Stops at Montmerle, Mâcon, and Tournus offer opportunities for wine tasting and exploring a Benedictine abbey.
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]
What are the best things to do on a Danube river cruise?
Each Tauck suite measures 300 square feet and features a spacious balcony for amazing views of the shores along the Rhine, Danube, and more. Petersburg and Moscow—and cruising here pairs time spent exploring both culturally and historically rich metropolises on either end (multi-night calls are typically incorporated at each). Embarking on a river cruise in Europe is a journey into refined luxury, cultural immersion, and scenic splendor. Several river cruise lines stand out for their commitment to delivering unparalleled experiences along the continent’s waterways. Let’s explore the top river cruise lines that redefine travel along the iconic rivers of Europe.
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. 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.
Readers rated individual cruise ships on their cabins and facilities, food, service, itineraries and destinations, excursions and activities, and value. Those assessments were combined to generate results for the cruise lines in five categories, including river cruising. Another river cruise alternative within France is set within the Bordeaux region in the southwest of the country, where sailings are offered on the Dordogne and Garonne rivers and Gironde estuary (which leads toward the Atlantic Ocean). An increasing number of river cruise options here are anchored out of the UNESCO-protected city of Bordeaux, where ships overnight so that guests can discover its historic structures, outstanding dining, and lively riverfront. From there, itineraries emphasize the surrounding rural areas and most especially, the fine wines that are synonymous with the region.
Along its 2,000-mile course, it runs through several European countries and is a must-see if you’re planning a trip to Europe. After a long day under the sun, it’s a good thing you’ll be able to recharge your energy right as you arrive. The Moselle (or Mosel, depending on which country you’re in) rises in the Vosges mountains in eastern France and flows through Luxembourg to western Germany. Rather than being a bonafide river, it is a stunning tributary of the River Rhine, joining the mighty river near the historic German town of Koblenz. Cruising the Rhine is like a real-life fairytale, as this dramatic river flows through the most otherworldly landscapes of Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Liechtenstein, and the Swiss Alps.
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. No matter what you’re searching for, these are the best European river cruises to book for 2024 and beyond. Emerald Cruises recently unveiled a design update coming to its luxury river cruise ships. The update will integrate the elegance and features of its ultra-luxury ocean yachts into its river cruise ships, which will not only enhance the guest experience but also reflect the brand’s commitment to sustainability.
Some attractions near the ship docks include the Old Masters Picture Gallery, Green Vault Museum, and the Semperoper. Tourists and visitors can experience luxury and relaxation at Campanile Bordeaux Nord and Pullman Bordeaux Lac. Exploring the Rhine River is surely worth anyone’s time, so if you plan to take this trip, it is best to save up and enjoy a multi-day cruise. But as you travel the world with your budget in mind, you can still see the sights for 40 minutes to two hours of a river cruise along the Thames, costing only around $16 to $17 per person. Visitors to Amsterdam seeking a short European canal cruise as part of a day trip instead of a multi-day tour can opt for one for as little as $40.
Summer, when the weather is hottest, is peak season and as a result Europe’s cities are particularly crowded. Because of that, we recommend taking a Danube river cruise in April, May, September and October. Good Housekeeping's seven-night itinerary sails in September, when the weather should still be balmy and dry, but the summer hordes have gone home. Then you find there's an overwhelming choice of boats out there, and with seemingly similar appearances, routes, amenities—even cost.
Apt's offerings include rail journeys, as well as small boat, yacht, and ocean cruises. This Austrian family business dates back more than 40 years and offers European river cruises on its fleet of 16 AMADEUS ships. Five-star service, facilities, and cuisine are their hallmarks, and their ships feature wide panoramic windows and a spacious sun deck.
Best for going back in timeBeyond Budapest, the Danube cuts its way through the southern Carpathian Mountains, continuing under the vast skies of the steppes, and finally reaching its marshy delta in Romania. Along the way are cool cities such as Novi Sad and Belgrade, standing in stark contrast to swathes of forested countryside in Bulgaria and Serbia. There’s ancient history in Veliko Târnovo, the former capital of Bulgaria; at the medieval fortress of Baba Vidin; and in the wind-sculpted rock formations at Belogradchik. But this is also an opportunity to learn about the tragedies of the much more recent Balkans conflict, which kept this stretch of the river off limits for decades. It’s a way of exploring the history, cuisine and nature of a region as you drift gently past vineyards, meadows and towns. Top-ranked Viking does all the major riverways of Europe, with ships also on the Nile and the Mekong, and, new in 2022, on the Mississippi.
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