A vacation in another country always gives you many unforgettable impressions and emotions. But for cruise lovers, a vacation on board a ship is an even more interesting experience, because it is a unique opportunity to visit several countries or cities at once, while enjoying maximum comfort. It is important to note that meeting new places begins almost at the door of your cabin, since ship moorings are most often organized at piers in the centers of large European cities.
All you have to do is choose the direction: Rhine, Danube, Seine, Rhone, or maybe the Douro Valley?
Let's take a closer look at the most interesting cruise routes along the rivers of Europe.
Rhine
When it comes to the best river trips in Europe, Rhine cruises take the top spot due to the spectacular scenery and incredible beauty of the area. A Rhine cruise usually lasts a week and goes from Amsterdam in the Netherlands to Basel in Switzerland, giving you the opportunity to enjoy the majesty of nature, postcard medieval villages, numerous attractions, and, of course, world-famous vineyards.
Part of this region (a 65-kilometer stretch of the Rhine River in Germany between the cities of Bingen and Koblenz) is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The stretch of river between the German cities of Rüdesheim and Koblenz is famous for its castles, some of which have been converted into modern hotels. Along the liner's route, you can see the famous Lorelei rock, which is associated with the legend of a beautiful mermaid - one of the most romantic legends in Germany. They say that you can still see a mermaid on the rock at sunset, combing her curls and luring sailors with bewitching songs.
Gastronomic and wine tourism is no less popular in this region. Wines made in the Rheingau region are called Rhein wines and are considered a true work of wine art.
Routes
Tulips and Windmills (2024)
Liner: River Princess (Uniworld)
Amsterdam (Netherlands) - Amsterdam (Netherlands) - Haarlem (Netherlands) - Hoorn (Netherlands) - Nijmegen (Netherlands) - Rotterdam (Netherlands) - Vere (Netherlands) - Ghent (Belgium) - Antwerp (Belgium) - Antwerp (Belgium)
Dates: 24 April - 03 May / 9 nights
Price: from 4999 € per person
Rhine Experience: Amsterdam and Rotterdam (2024)
Liner: A-ROSA SENA
Cologne (Germany) - Amsterdam (Netherlands) - Amsterdam (Netherlands) - Rotterdam (Netherlands) - Antwerp (Belgium) - Antwerp (Belgium) - cruise day - Cologne (Germany) Dates: April - September / 7 nights Price: from
1448
€ per person
The magnificent rivers Moselle and Rhine (2024)
Liner: River Queen (Uniworld)
Frankfurt am Main (Germany) - Cochem (Germany) - Cochem (Germany) - Trier (Germany) - Bernkastel-Kues (Germany) - Boppard ( Germany) - Rüdesheim am Rhein (Germany) - Speyer (Germany) - Baden-Baden (Germany) - Frankfurt am Main (Germany) Dates: June
- September / 9 nights
Price: from 3999 € per person
Moselle Romance ( 2024)
Liner: A-ROSA SILVA
Cologne (Germany) - Treis-Carden (Germany) - Bernkastel-Kues (Germany) - Mehring (Germany) - Mehring (Germany) - Zell (Germany) - Zell (Germany) - Cochem (Germany) - Cochem (Germany) - Koblenz (Germany) - Cologne (Germany)
Dates: April - September / 7 nights
Price: from 1749 € per person
Danube
The ideal seven-night European river cruise is a trip along the Upper Danube, which will introduce you to the history and culture of Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. Cruise ships visit internationally recognized cultural centers: Vienna, with its opera, art museums and luxurious royal palaces, and Budapest, with its magnificent architecture and famous thermal springs.
Along the route, between Melk and Krems in Austria, the liner passes through the Wachau Valley, a wine region producing Rieslings and Grüner Veltliners. Of course, you can’t do without tasting here! In addition, there are many ancient castles and monasteries open to the public.
You'll also have the opportunity to take a tour of Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Mozart and the location where several scenes were filmed for The Sound of Music. A surprise for many tourists is the Old Town of Bratislava (Slovakia), which may not have originally been on your excursion bucket list, but will instantly charm everyone with its beer culture and beautiful castles.
Routes
Danube Classic (2024)
Liner: A-ROSA BELLA
Passau, Engelhartszell an der Donau (Austria) - Vienna (Austria) - Vienna (Austria) - Esztergom (Hungary) - Budapest (Hungary) - Budapest (Hungary) - Bratislava ( Slovakia) - Krems (Austria) - Melk (Austria) - Passau, Engelhartszell an der Donau (Austria)
Dates: April - September / 7 nights
Price: from 998 € per person
Enchanting Danube (2024)
Liner: SS Maria Theresa (Uniworld)
Budapest (Hungary) - Budapest (Hungary) - Vienna (Austria) - Vienna (Austria) - Dürnstein (Austria) - Linz (Austria) - Passau (Germany) - Passau ( Germany)
Dates: April – September / 7 nights
Price: from 3799 € per person
Delightful Danube and Prague (2024)
Liner: River Duchess (Uniworld)
Budapest (Hungary) - Budapest (Hungary) - Vienna (Austria) - Emmersdorf an der Donau (Austria) - Passau, Engelhartszell an der Donau (Austria) - Regensburg (Germany) - Nuremberg (Germany) - Nuremberg (Germany) - Prague (Czech Republic) - Prague (Czech Republic)
Dates: April - September / 9 nights
Price: from 4699 € per person
Seine
Besides the stunning views of the Eiffel Tower, the real highlight of a Seine River cruise is the journey towards the English Channel and an excursion to the beaches of Normandy for a dive into the history of World War II.
While traveling along the Seine, you'll see many attractions, including the home and famous gardens of impressionist Claude Monet at Giverny. If you are a fan of his work, you will be especially interested in visiting these places.
Historic Rouen, where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in the Middle Ages, attracts attention with its cathedral, also famous for the work of Monet, and many cozy cafes along the cobblestone streets.
Routes
Experience Normandy (2024)
Liner: A-ROSA VIVA
Paris (France) - Rouen (France) - Rouen (France) - Caudbec-en-Caux (France) - Les Andelys (France) - Vernon (France) - Vernon ( France) - Paris (France) - Paris (France) - Paris (France)
Dates: April - September / 7 nights
Price: from 1148 € per person
Paris and Normandy (2024)
Liner: SS Joie de Vivre ( Uniworld )
Paris (France) - Vernon (France) - Rouen (France) - Caudbec-en-Caux (France) - Rouen (France) - Versailles (France) - Paris (France) - Paris (France)
Dates: April - September / 7 nights
Price: from 5599 € per person
Portrait of Majestic France (2024)
Liner: SS Bon Voyage ( Uniworld )
Bordeaux (France) - Cadillac (France) - Pauillac (France) - Bligh (France) - Libourne (France) - Libourne (France) - Bordeaux (France) - Bordeaux (France) - Vernon (France) - Rouen (France) - Caudbec-en-Caux (France) - Rouen (France) - Versailles (France) - Paris (France) - Paris (France) Dates: April - September / 14
nights
Price: from 8499 € per person
Rhone
An exciting experience for wine connoisseurs is to travel through the French interior and taste Côtes du Rhône wines in famous wine regions such as Hermitage and Châteauneuf-du-Pape in Provence, and Beaune in Burgundy.
Cruises on the Rhone and Saône rivers most often depart from Lyon to Arles or Avignon and are rich in more than just tastings and wine experiences. You can visit many attractions, such as the Roman aqueduct Pont du Gard, the Roman amphitheater in Arles and the majestic Palais des Papes in Avignon. During the cruise, travelers will admire lavender fields and beautiful landscapes that inspired Paul Cézanne and Vincent Van Gogh.
Routes
Classic route along the Rhone (2024)
Liner: A-ROSA STELLA or A-ROSA LUNA
Lyon (France) - Chalon-sur-Saône (France) - Macon (France) - Trevoux (France) - Lyon (France) - Lyon (France) - Chateauneuf-du-Pape (France) - Avignon (France) - Avignon ( France) - Arles (France) - Viviers-le-Montagne (France) - La Voulte-sur-Rhone (France) - Lyon (France) Dates: April
- September / 14 nights
Price: from 998 € per person
Absolute France ( 2024)
Liner: SS Catherine ( Uniworld )
Bordeaux (France) - Cadillac (France) - Pauillac (France) - Blaye (France) - Libourne (France) - Libourne (France) - Bordeaux (France) - Bordeaux (France) - Vernon (France) - Rouen (France) - Caudbec-en-Caux (France) - Rouen (France) - Versailles (France) - Paris (France) - Lyon (France) - Lyon (France) - Macon (France) - Tournon-sur-Rhone (France) - Viviers le Montagne (France) - Avignon (France) - Tarascon (France) - Arles (France)
Dates: April - September / 21 nights
Price: from 12,899 € per person
Burgundy and Provence (2024)
Liner: SS Catherine ( Uniworld )
Arles (France) - Tarascon (France) - Avignon (France) - Viviers-le-Montagne (France) - Tournon-sur-Rhone (France) - Lyon (France) - Macon (France) - Lyon (France)
Dates: April - September / 7 nights
Price: from 4799 € per person
Culinary masterpieces of the Rhone (2024)
Liner: A-ROSA LUNA
Lyon (France) - Tournus (France) - Chalon-sur-Saône (France) - Macon (France) — Viviers-le-Montagne (France) — Arles (France) — Avignon (France) — Avignon (France) — Chateauneuf-du-Pape (France) — Vienna (Austria) — Lyon (France) — Lyon (France) Dates
: April – September / 7 nights
Price: from 2049 € per person
Douro
For those looking for a lazy, dreamy holiday, there's nothing better than a cruise through Portugal's wine regions in the Douro Valley, one of the main rivers of the Iberian Peninsula. This region is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The main departure point for these cruises is Porto (Portugal) with its historical center, magnificent bridges and wine cellars.
On week-long cruises, the ship travels about 130 miles past the green hills and vineyards of the Douro River Valley before returning to the Spanish border. River cruises usually include a visit to the university city of Salamanca in northern Spain. Along the way you will learn a lot about winemaking, as well as the production of port wine on this “Golden River”.
Routes
Douro Experience (2024)
Liner: A-ROSA DOURO
Porto (Portugal) - Porto (Portugal) - Regua (Portugal) - Pinhão (Portugal) - Pinhão (Portugal) - Vega de Terrón (Spain) - Vega de Terrón (Spain) - Barça d'Alva (Portugal) - Barça d'Alva (Portugal) - Pinhão (Portugal) - Pinhão (Portugal) - Regua (Portugal) - Bitetos (Portugal) - Bitetos (Portugal) - Cais da Lixa – Porto (Portugal) – Porto (Portugal)
Dates: April – September / 7 nights
Price: from 1499 € per person
Portugal, Spain and Douro (2024)
Liner: SS São Gabriel (Uniworld)
Porto (Portugal) - Porto (Portugal) - Regua (Portugal) - Regua (Portugal) - Pocinho (Portugal) - Salamanca (Spain) - Barça d'Alva (Portugal) - Porto (Portugal) - Lisbon (Portugal) - Lisbon (Portugal) - Lisbon (Portugal) - Lisbon (Portugal) Dates:
April - September / 10 nights
Price: from 6399 € per person
Douro Valley (2024)
Liner : SS São Gabriel (Uniworld)
Porto (Portugal) - Porto (Portugal) - Regua (Portugal) - Regua (Portugal) - Posinho (Portugal) - Salamanca (Spain) - Barça d'Alva (Portugal) - Porto (Portugal) - Porto (Portugal)
Dates: April – September / 7 nights
Price: from 5599 € per person
