Why Choose a River Cruise?

• Intimate Access: Discover how river ships dock right in the centre of historic cities, eliminating long transfers.

• Hassle-Free Exploration: Learn about the "unpack once" philosophy that makes visiting multiple countries seamless.

• Regional Flavours: Explore how river cruising brings the local culture, wine, and food directly to your table.

If you’re stuck deciding between a cruise holiday or a city break, we’ve got great news!

You can have the best of both worlds by booking a river cruise.

A river cruise is quite different to its ocean cousin. River cruising offers a unique insight into the picturesque and captivating qualities of some of the world’s most iconic and awe-inspiring waterways, it provides its own version of exceptional experiences, luxury and relaxation, so we’re sure you’ll have an amazing time.

There is a complete range of top river cruise brands that travel to a massive variety of amazing, awe-inspiring destinations all over the world, including Uniworld River Cruises, Shearings River Cruises, Riviera Travel, Avalon River Cruises, AmaWaterways Cruises, Emerald Cruises, and many, many more.

Below, we explain why your next holiday should be a river cruise, and provide you with all the information you need to know about river cruising.

A new place to explore almost every day

If you love sightseeing, exploring city streets, historic architecture and intriguing cultures, a river cruise provides a new opportunity almost every day to do all this and much more. 

Whether you choose to explore the vibrant, heritage-filled cities of Europe or the compelling, ancient attractions and majestic, natural landscape of Southeast Asia, each stop-off along the way offers a new flavour of culture and spectacular scenery to see and soak in.

Many river cruises offer daily excursions, often included in the price of your cruise. There are immersive guided experiences for those who like a little reassurance when exploring or, for the more adventurous, independent tours are also on offer.

Build in a mini-break

Many river cruises provide the option of a stopover at the start or end of your trip, giving you a bit more time to explore your surroundings or just enjoy some extra relaxation before heading home.

For example, leading river cruise company, Emerald Cruises, offers three days in Portugal as part of their River Douro - which means River of Gold - river cruise or three nights in Prague when sailing on their Danube Delights cruise.

Dining delights

We know how important dining is on any holiday or cruise. Whether you’re seeking a new culinary experience or just want to enjoy the luxury of being catered for while you’re away, we’re sure that river cruises will satisfy your appetite. On Emerald Cruises, meals are included in the price, and they take an innovative approach to make onboard dining a highlight of the day. Sourcing their ingredients locally, Emerald Cruises creates menus inspired by the region through which you are travelling, enabling you to enjoy an all-encompassing local experience through gastronomic experiences.

Discover the wide variety of options

If you’re now sold on the idea of river cruising, you may be wondering where the best places are to go. With numerous rivers winding across the landscape and followed by river cruises, there are many possibilities. 

These are four of our favourite European rivers:

The Danube River

Ticking off some of the most elegant and fascinating cities in Europe, the River Danube runs through a remarkable ten countries. 

Discover Budapest, Vienna, Bratislava and Belgrade, to name a few, all rich with historic architecture and culture and linked by charming scenery that makes sitting out on deck a delightful pastime.

The Rhine River

From the vibrant, historic city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, the legendary Rhine River takes you on a trip through Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein and France filled with mystical folklore, romantic architecture, mystical castles and lush vineyards. 

Gorgeous towns are dotted along the Rhine, such as Cologne, Basel, Dusseldorf,  Rotterdam and Strasbourg.

Sailing through the Black Forest in Germany, you’ll spot castles, forts and ruins - inspiration for the infamous tales of the Brothers Grimm.

The Douro River

To explore the warmth and beauty of the Mediterranean, a cruise on the Douro is an excellent option. 

From Porto's charmingly colourful and laid-back city, the Douro navigates picture-postcard rural countryside, where vineyards stretch out from the river banks, and historic landmarks and peaceful hilltop villages dot the landscape.

Other cities the Douro stretches through include the historic Aranda de Duero, the Gothic Valladolid, and Soria, known for its Romanesque architecture.

The Rhône River

Adorned by world-famous, stunning French vineyards, beautifully preserved historic architecture and a verdant green rolling landscape, the Rhône Valley is an enchanting region of France that makes for the most magical holiday.

You can sail past significant city sites through Lyon, Aries, Vienne, Sion and Sierre, all dotted along the river stretching for over a whopping 800km.

For the most memorable, magical trip exploring some of the world’s most gorgeous, culturally rich cities, dazzling landscapes and sensational cultures, a river cruise has got to be on your travel bucket list. Browse all of our river cruise holidays, here, or contact our specialist cruise consultants for expert guidance.