Take one of these irresistible and scenic river cruises in Europe.
There is a growing preference among travellers to go on long scenic river cruises in Europe instead of cramming their vacation in a tight flying schedule.
Flying in and out of 12 cities in seven days would not give you real satisfaction of spending your holidays memorably. It might inflate your ego and get you envying comments for your social media travel photos but that can’t cheat your inner pleasure-right?
Therefore, passionate travelers who love to take their full family on a Europe tour have started looking for relaxed and scenic river cruises packages on any of the romantic European rivers that include:
- Rhine
- Elbe
- Volga
- Danube
- Loire
- Rhone
- Seine
- Po
- Oder
Of course, there are several more rivers flowing through European countries but cruise companies don’t operate their small ships in them.
Five Most Scenic River Cruises in Europe
The Scenic River cruises in Europe take you through absolutely enchanting cities, towns, and villages of Europe that you can enjoy if you plan your Europe holiday by flights.
Gently drifting through Danube and Rhine rivers going past peace-rich countryside of Europe can be your lifetime vacation.
Come, let us find out some of the most beautiful Scenic river cruise packages and cruise routes in Europe.
Important Tips:
Always book an all-inclusive European river cruise package so that you are free of searching for restaurants and cafes.
In addition, enquire with the river cruise operating companies whether the tour includes all the offshore activities such as walking tour on ports of call, in-house dining offered, wine tasting opportunities, and participation in local festivals.
Go through beautiful Holland and Belgium on a Rhine scenic river cruises Package.
Many people are not aware of the rustic beauty of Belgium and the Netherlands countryside. If you wish to take your spouse or fiancé on a Tulip tour, river cruise on the Rhine is the best as you can admire the beauty of rows and rows of Tulip flowers in various colors in the small towns and villages of these twin European countries.
The zigzag network of Dutch canals that meet with the rivers will go past beautiful castles, forts, and finest towns in Europe.
Moreover, if you chose a windy season to cruise on the Rhine through Holland and Belgium, you will see giant windmills installed neatly on the countryside amidst agriculture fields.
The offshore tour will expose you to scintillating cultures, majestic gothic cathedrals, awesome paintings of medieval Europe and some of the finest Dutch cuisine. Don’t forget to eat a few fluffy and juicy Dutch pastries.
Opt for a longer duration Rhine river all-inclusive cruise package. I remember reading about a 10-day Rhine river cruise that takes you through 8 ports of calls in Holland Belgium.
Four European countries scenic river cruises
How about cruising on three different rivers instead of just one river? And that too, this wonderful river cruise will show the hidden beauties of Germany.
The three European rivers on which you will cruise are:
- Rhine
- Moselle
- Main
In this Europe river cruise, you will visit:
- Holland
- France
- Germany
- Switzerland
Seine river cruise
Your cruise need not be long if you cannot afford to stay away from work for more than a week. In addition, if you are visiting just one country, you can still avail a short one or two days in a small cruise ship.
For example, if your vacation destination is Paris, you can go on a two-day short cruise trip in the scenic Seine river that takes you through some of the unspoiled villages and small towns of France.
You can visit several wineries, taste and buy original and authentic French wines and fizzy champagne.
In the small restaurants and cafes in Normandy, Caudebec, and Rouen, you will dine with local wine growers and taste some of the most delectable and true French cuisines.
Of course, your river cruise itinerary will also include seeing Eiffel Tower, the famous Louvre museum, and Notre Dame cathedral.
Oh, yes, I almost forgot. Your cruise ship captain will accompany you on a memorable Impressionist painting tour. That would be the culminating point of your Seine river cruise.
Your Seine river cruise will be etched in your memory as the finest and scenic European river cruise,
Elbe River Cruise
Not heard of River Elbe before? Don’t sulk; you have thousands of people to give company on the list of those who have not heard of River Elbe in Europe.
A relaxed journey of Elbe River will take you through lesser known European treasures that include:
- Prague where the impressive and intricate architecture of churches and cathedrals and Government buildings will astound you. Incidentally, Prague, the capital city of Czech Republic is also known as the “City of Hundred Spires”.
- Ruins of world war 2-the Dresden city.. It is the capital of Saxony, a German state.
- Meissen, the porcelain capital of Europe. It is only a short distance away from Dresden.
- Saxon Switzerland where you may feel reluctant to get back to your cruise ship because of its stunning natural beauty and those 1000 trekking peaks and sandstone mountains.
Well, these less-visited beauties of Europe are not covered in any other European river cruise route.
The Elbe scenic river cruise in Europe is a must for nature lovers.
Danube River Cruise tours
I have reserved the best for the last. Danube River itself a very beautiful river and it flows several scenic and enchanting European cities such as:
- Budapest
- Austria
- Prague
- Munich
- Belgrade
Oh, what more do you want to see in Central and Eastern Europe during your European River Cruise tour?
These big tourist attractions offer you spectacular sights that include churches, castles, cathedrals, museums and modern shopping malls.
If you are a first time river cruiser in Europe, I would recommend you to buy Danube River cruise package that takes you through 10 European countries that are:
- Germany
- Austria
- Slovakia
- Ukraine
- Serbia
- Croatia
- Romania
- Bulgaria
- Maldova
- Hungary
The spectacular beauty of these European countries, culture, food and drink are too diverse and beckon an ardent tourist who admires fine taste.
Trivia: Do you know the rivers Danube and Rhine confluence at one point?
Here are some of the dependable Europe River Cruise Lines. Research their river cruise packages and choose the one that peals to you the most.
- Crystal River Cruises
- Viking River Cruises
- Tauck River Cruise Lines
- Ama Waterways
- Avalon Waterways
