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Between off-hours tours at world-renowned museums and guided walks through medieval cities, guests are also invited to join enriching lectures aboard the ships. Every year for our World's Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Readers rated individual cruise ships on their cabins and facilities, food, service, itineraries and destinations, excursions and activities, and value.
Viking River Cruises: Exploring the Waterways
The ship docks in Koblenz and takes a daytime cruise through the Rhine Gorge before landing in Miltenberg for a guided tour of the city. On day six, guests can choose a trip to Rothenburg or visit a family-owned farm for a home-cooked morning tea. The ship passes through the Main-Danube Canal that connects the Black Sea and the North Sea.
Best European River Cruises
Here are 15 popular river voyages in Europe, whether you’re planning your first cruise or are already a river cruising connoisseur. It’s a way of exploring the history, cuisine and nature of a region as you drift gently past vineyards, meadows and towns. Highlights include Vienna, once the center of the Habsburg Empire, with visits to the Hofburg Palace, the Vienna Opera House, and Ring Boulevard; Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart; and Melk home to the stunning Benedictine Abbey. They stop in places such as resurgent Dresden, heavily bombed during World War II but expertly rebuilt; the Saxon Switzerland region of Germany with its striking sandstone rock formations; and the spa town of Bad Schandau. Bordeaux serves up the opportunity to sip Medoc, Margaux, Saint-Emilion, Pomerol and Sauternes wines as you expand your wine education. If you plan your cruise for September or October, you'll be able to admire the grape harvest.
The Best European Rivers to Cruise
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.
Viking
Nearly every major river cruise line has introduced itineraries here in recent years. Best for food and drinkWine tasting, gourmet cuisine, beautiful landscapes… the treasures of the Douro River are easy to discover on a luxurious river cruise from Portugal’s Porto to the Spanish city of Salamanca. Enjoy the medieval architecture and bountiful local tastes of Porto’s wine regions, before heading west, into the peaceful Iberian countryside.
They cover all premium drinks, including a minibar in every cabin, plus specialty dining, butler service and gratuities. This year's World's Best Awards survey was open for voting January 11 through May 10, 2021, as destinations around the world were lifting COVID-19 restrictions. Survey rules have always allowed readers to reflect on their travel experiences over a three-year period. We hope that this year's honorees will inspire your own travels as you get back out into the world. While a Douro tour offers excursions to various historical monasteries and ports, it also takes you through a vibrant urban scene full of world-class eateries. When you board the river cruise line, you’ll be treated to breathtaking sights, including the Bordeaux Cathedral and the Place de la Bourse.
Best European River Cruise Line for Unique Destinations: CroisiEurope
France’s Rhône River is a haven for epicures and history buffs, with riverboats, from companies like Avalon Waterways, that bring guests through Provence (and, sometimes, Burgundy). Add this altogether and a voyage on the Seine has to be one of the loveliest cruises in Europe in terms of scenery and history — and the most effortless way to enjoy Paris and the surrounding countryside. Best for countrysideThere are many reasons to cruise the Seine, not least the glorious countryside of Normandy, with apple orchards, weeping willows and thatched cottages lining the banks. You’ll call at historic Rouen, and have a chance to visit the poignant D-Day landing beaches and cemeteries. Cruises also take in the Palace of Versailles and, in season, Monet’s house and garden at Giverny. Highlights include visits to Avignon; Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy; Vienne, home to the remains of a 14,000-seat amphitheater and a temple built in 25 B.C.; and an excursion to Arles, where Vincent van Gogh lived and painted.
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. 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.
The 8 best Christmas market river cruises for 2024 - The Points Guy
The 8 best Christmas market river cruises for 2024.
Posted: Mon, 04 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Best European River Cruise Line for Active Travelers: Avalon Waterways
Their deluxe beds and luxurious linens provide comfort in spacious, quiet quarters with ample closet space. Avalon offers "Active & Discovery" river cruises with activities for a variety of energy and fitness levels, from traditional sightseeing to action-packed experiences. The stellar 2022-built Viking Egdir, carrying 190 passengers, offers a ringside seat of bucolic vineyards and medieval castles on the Rhine, Main and Danube.
Perks include a roommate matching service for solo cruisers, competitively priced single supplements and group discounts, plus price match guarantees. Ships offer traditional-style cruising and Exclusive Discovery Series, which provides first-person accounts from locals or expert talks about the destinations you'll be visiting. Picking the best line for a European river cruise can be a challenge as more and more lines compete for attention on European waterways. Many American travelers have heard of river cruise lines like Viking, AmaWaterways and Avalon Waterways -- and you can find more about them below. On a river cruise, you can discover multiple destinations – and even get to the heart of them with a guided tour, should you wish – in just one trip, all the while returning to the same luxurious stateroom and comfy bed each night. Its banks are lined with dramatic, unspoiled landscapes, postcard-perfect towns and villages, and grand, opulent cities.
In Lyon, guests can visit foodie heaven at Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, the city’s outstanding indoor food market filled with a vast array of produce. The line’s newest ship sails Europe’s Rhine, Main, Danube and Moselle rivers, featuring a heated pool that transforms into a cinema, spacious suites and a dedicated wellness area. While Scenic isn't strictly adults-only, this elegant Australian-owned cruise line doesn't tend to draw many families, making it ideal for couples.
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. The experience is worth the $295 fee, especially for true oenophiles who will get to savor coveted Bordeaux Grand Crus. Other highlights include visiting a truffle farm near Viviers and savoring a selection of wines at Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyard.
Travelers can partake in authentic shore excursions and cultural experiences at AmaWaterways’s various destination ports. AAA members can enjoy Welcome Amenities and stateroom savings across several journey lengths. Experience an exclusive luxury getaway with AmaWaters, whether it's leisurely strolling through the streets of Amsterdam or enjoying the blissful views of the Seine. Aboard the cruise ships, travelers will find immediate comfort in the spacious staterooms and will satisfy their passion for worldly culture through various destination-based lectures, music performances and cooking classes.
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. The line also offers reduced solo-traveler surcharges on higher-grade cabins on select sailings. Tauck's ships carry fewer passengers than riverboats of a similar size, so it's easy for solo travelers to make new friends.
The elegant barges cruise the waterways of Burgundy, Provence, Alsace, Champagne, Languedoc, and Franche-Comté from April to October. The "Active & Discovery on the Rhone" cruise begins in Lyon and heads south through the French countryside of Provence and ends in Port-Saint-Louis. On the way, Avalon Choice excursions include a culinary walk, cooking class, painting workshop, wine tastings, guided bike rides, and more, with Active, Classic, and Discovery level activities.
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