Which River Cruise Line Is Best For Europe?

Viking is the best cruise line in Europe for first-time river cruisers, offering a well-tested river cruise recipe on its fleet of identical Scandin ships. Viking Cruises, Viking Egdir, Uniworld, and S.S. La Venezia are some of the top-rated European river cruise companies. Leading cruise lines like AmaWaterways, Viking, and Uniworld continue to create new markets and itineraries to showcase the best of Europe’s flowing rivers. Cruising down a quiet river, surrounded by scenic views, is an ideal way to see Europe.

The Danube is the top choice for people new to river cruising, as it features a list of marquee cities such as Nuremberg, Passau, Linz, and Vienna. Avalon Waterways is the best line for get-up-and-go European river cruises. Tauck, Uniworld, AMA, Viking, Avalon, Gate1, and Tauck River Cruises are all-inclusive, top shelf unlimited cruises.

The world’s largest river cruise line has a fleet of 75 ships plying Europe’s great waterways. The top 10 best places to go on a river cruise in Europe are the Northern Rhine (Germany), Southern Rhine (France, Germany, Switzerland), and Rhône (France). Tauck River Cruises and Swiss Emerald in Bernkastel are also recommended.

We have done seven river cruises (3 Viking, 2 Vantage, and 2 Avalon), and we highly recommend an itinerary that includes the Moselle. The Blue Danube cruise is highly recommended.

What is the average price of a European river cruise?

Prices for river cruises start at around $300 per person per night but can stretch to $500 or more, depending on the inclusivity of the cruise line, the time of year and destination. Cruises on the Danube and Rhine generally run seven days.

Is Viking the best cruise line?

In 2024, Viking was voted to the top of its categories for oceans, rivers and expeditions in their annual World’s Best Awards. For the second consecutive year, Viking was named the #1 Ocean Line and #1 Expedition Line, as well as one of the best river lines.

In 2022, Viking was named both the #1 Ocean Line and the #1 River Line, reinforcing Viking’s position as a formidable industry leader. Viking was also recognized as the #1 Ocean Line from 2016 to 2020, overtaking the spot previously held by a luxury cruise line for 20 years. Viking is immensely proud to be recognized every single year since the launch of Viking’s ocean voyages in 2015.

Cruisers’ Choice Awards — 2023, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016. In 2023, the Viking fleet swept the 11th Annual Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards earning six first-place awards including Best Overall Line (Small Ship Category).Viking’s ocean and expedition voyages also took First and Second Place, respectively, across two other categories: Best Cabins and Best Value for Money. Viking’s expedition voyages took First Place in Best Dining, followed in Second Place by the company’s ocean voyages. Additionally, Viking’s ocean voyages were named the Best for First-Timers. The Cruisers’ Choice Awards name the best cruise lines in the world, based solely on ratings submitted with member reviews published on the Cruise Critic website.

What is the average age of people on Viking River cruises?

• Transportation from and to the airport is arranged. If you book your airfare through Viking (we got free airfare as part of one of their regular promotions), then Viking will send you a baggage tag and a sticker for your shirt before you leave, and someone will greet you at the airport upon arrival, take you to the boat and put your luggage in your room. This was especially welcome during our unexpectedly arduous trip overseas. The same works in reverse: When it was time to leave, Viking took us by bus to the airport, helped us with our luggage and showed us to check-in.
• You can get help during your flights. If you book your airfare through Viking and you run into travel snags, then you can call a number that they supply exclusively for flight issues and someone will guide you to solutions, as well as notify the boat.
• Drinking water is abundant and free. They’ll give you a bottle of water when they pick you up from the airport. There’s always a large glass bottle in your room. When you depart for an included excursion, they’ll provide a bottle of water. I drink a lot of water all day long. In some places where I’ve traveled, tap water is unsafe, and drinking water is scarce. In others, it’s a matter of buying, carrying and keeping enough on hand to feel hydrated. On this cruise, someone made sure that I always had drinking water. I’d say it’s the little things, but this was huge for me.
• The boat is luxurious. It’s not big, but it’s modern, bright, very clean and sleek, reflecting the Scandanavian design aesthetic of its country of origin. There are floor-to-ceiling windows nearly everywhere in the shared spaces, making it feel open and airy and allowing for great views of the passing scenery.
• The service is exceptional. Thanks to my work as a food and wine writer, I’ve enjoyed some amazing service, and the people working on our Viking River Cruise were on par. They lead with enthusiastic welcomes, gracious offers of help and hard work.
• The food is fantastic. There’s a huge selection of menu items at every meal, including dishes local to the region that you’re visiting each night at dinner. There were two coffee stations on our boat with cappuccino machines, hot tea and cookies available all day. The lounge had a full bar and, if you have the Silver Spirits package, premium cocktails, beer and wine are free. (Otherwise, a nice selection of wine and beer is free at lunch and dinner.) Breakfast and lunch include both a self-service buffet area, and sit-down, full-service options. Dinner is full service. SIDENOTE: In honor of Viking’s Norwegian heritage, Viking gives guests a glass of Aquavit, a Scandinavian-distilled beverage. Tradition dictates that the Linie Aquavit they serve must be carried in oak casks on ships that cross the equator twice on a four-month voyage spanning 35 countries. It’s believed that the moving seas and temperature changes allow more flavor to be extracted from the casks. How specific and charming is that?
• The included excursions are phenomenal. I pride myself on comprehensively canvassing a city when I visit. I do a ton of research beforehand to identify places to see and to get a sense of the vibe and history. I map out routes and plan how to get around, whether by foot, public transportation or even a Hop-On Hop-Off bus. The basic tours included in our Viking River Cruise each morning eliminated all of that legwork — I could simply show up, look and learn.
• There are spaces to tuck away. The boat includes a tiny library space and workspace at one end of the upper level where you can read, write or go online if you need a bit of a break from all the people-ing. (See the people-ing and wifi cons below.)
• There is community. If you’re traveling solo and can swing the single supplement, this is a brilliant way to feel a part of a group. People grow familiar very quickly, and they’re quite friendly, adept at making interesting conversation. Many are avid travelers with good stories. The average age of the population on a Viking River Cruise is probably 70. And it’s a largely lovely group of well-traveled people who know how to make small talk and do a good job of it. If you’re traveling solo, you’ll have ample opportunities to make friends and share conversation.
• It can be very affordable. If you have a traveling companion, and you take advantage of one of the specials — such as free airfare — you will likely beat the cost of a self-organized trip by a mile.

• The Cons of a Viking River Cruise. There’s no space to work out. Yes, I know. It’s vacation. But after sitting on an airplane for hours (or days) and eating and drinking so much, I wished for a small gym. The upper deck of the ship is an open-air seating area with a walking track. But depending on the time of year in which you cruise, it could be a really brisk walk, as in blustery.
• I felt like a conspicuous tourist. During our excursions, we were shuttled to our walking tours in giant motorcoaches. We wore listening devices on bright red lanyards. We followed our guide, who was bearing a sign, in a slow-moving cluster. This all eliminates the opportunity to observe a place unnoticed. It makes you a more obvious target to vendors or pickpockets who follow travelers like bees on honey. And we were sometimes noticeably annoying to local residents.
• Your time is not entirely your own. There’s not always a chance to linger at something you want to explore further when you’re on an excursion, or to venture further in a place. It’s the tradeoff for being free of planning responsibilities.
• An introvert could be overwhelmed. If you dine in the restaurant, you’ll share a table with a group. When you go to the mandatory safety presentation, or the cultural presentations and port talks, or the captain’s welcome, you’ll need to continue chatting with other people. Sometimes it’s a lot of people-ing. And on a small boat, you’re not anonymous for long. The good news: The people on my cruise knew very well how to dip into a conversation and dip right back out.
• For the solo traveler, it’s expensive. The solo supplement turns an affordable trip into an extravagance.
• For a pair, the cheapest rooms are tight. It’s entirely manageable to share one of the lower-deck rooms. They’re well-designed, making the most of the teeny, tiny space. Your two twin beds are pushed together or separated, and there is space under the beds for luggage. But there isn’t enough room for two people to pass each other at the foot of the beds
• it’s a bit of a dance to navigate. And any time that you have a suitcase out, it consumes all of the floor space.
• The internet is unreliable. I was able to work extra before and after my trip and avoid long days or late nights on the laptop during my cruise. But I did need to send some emails and make some social posts, and I was dead in the water, so to speak, for several days. Our service was extra bad — they even brought in a tech team in Vienna, but the service failed again the next day.
• You lose the sense of place that comes with staying in a destination. On a Viking River Cruise, you’re somewhat esconsed in typical American culture, far more than if you were staying in a local hotel for a few days.

The Boat. Viking has a fleet of river and ocean cruise ships. Ours was the Viking Jarl, built in 2013. It holds as many as 190 guests. There are three levels on the ship, plus an open-air deck on top. The lower level includes guest rooms and crew areas. The middle level includes guest rooms, guest services and the restaurant, plus a dining terrace. The third level includes guest rooms, a library and other seating, and the lounge. The top level is an open-air deck with a walking track, herb garden, solar panels, shuffleboard and a golf putting area.

Is a balcony worth it on a river cruise?

I prefer a balcony cabin so that I can relax and enjoy the view and some fresh air. However, I do have clients who decide that they will spend most of their time outside of their room in the shared spaces and would like to make their holiday budget stretch further. They’ll opt for a lower deck cabin with a fixed window. It’s down to personal preference and budget. If finances allow, I highly recommend a balcony option.

It is worth noting that one morning, you could have an incredible view over the river, but the next day, the view could be of a dock wall and your balcony becomes less important. In busy ports, river ships may need to dock next to each other and on one occasion I opened my curtains, and my view was straight into the cabin of a passenger on the adjacent ship. The view from the deck can’t be obscured by another ship as they are all the same height.

When I travelled on Uniworld Joie de Vivre, I had a stateroom with a French balcony – the top half of the floor to ceiling window glides down to the halfway point allowing an uninterrupted view and plenty of fresh air to circulate.

Cabin, room, stateroom or suite?. The terminology can vary between river cruise lines. For example, AmaWaterways and Uniworld have Staterooms and Suites. On Scenic river ships, each room is known as a Suite with larger options named Junior Suites or the opulent Royal Suite. Riviera refer to their “wonderfully spacious and luxuriously appointed cabins”.

Which side of river cruise ship is best?

The truth, though, is this: There’s no “better” side of the ship. It doesn’t matter where you’re going, or what river you’re sailing on, or even what ship you’re sailing aboard. Both sides of the ship are created equal.

The trouble with trying to pick a side of the ship based on something you’d like to see is this. Assume, for example, you’re booking a sailing from Budapest to Nuremberg, and you’d really like to see Durnstein from you stateroom. Because you’re sailing up-river, Durnstein will be on your starboard, or right-hand-side, when you pass.

But two problems will immediately present themselves. First, you have no control over what time the ship will pass Durnstein. Secondly, you have no control over where you might be in that given moment. So, unless you intend to spend your entire voyage cooped up in your room, there’s little point to trying to play the “which-side-is-better” game. Plus, you only need walk up to the top deck for a great view of Durnstein.

What is the most beautiful river in Europe?

The 8 Most Beautiful Rivers in EuropeDanube near the Iron Gates Gorge.Porto on the Douro.Rivers in Europe Avignon on the Rhone.Würzburg on the Main.Rhine river loop.Cochem on the Moselle.Paris on the Seine.Windmills on the Dutch Waterways.

A river cruise is a luxurious and leisurely way to discover the delights of Europe, seeing cities, regions and countries from a new perspective and exploring intriguing destinations that may otherwise be missed from a holiday itinerary.

Following the route of one of the most beautiful rivers in Europe, such as the Danube, Rhine or Rhône, you’ll cut through stunning scenery, pass charming villages and catch sight of spectacular landmarks. No wonder so many people choose to go onriver cruises in Europe. But as a first-time cruiser, where do you start? Read on for inspiration.

What Are The Must-See Rivers In Europe?. Danube. Length:1,783 miles / 2,870kmRoute:Germany’s Black Forest to the Black Sea.

Which river is prettier, Danube or Rhine?

On a Danube river cruise, the scenery is a little greener as the river passes the foothills of the Bavarian Forest, the idyllic wine-making Wachau Valley and through the stunningly beautiful Iron Gates Gorge. The outlook a Danube River cruise feels more rural too, with fewer cargo boats and barges passing by.

ARhine or Danube river cruise?Which should you choose? Both are great options if you’re consideringriver cruises in Europe. They sail along scenic routes, passing dramatic hilltop castles and through awe-inspiring landscapes, and both offer excursions aroundcaptivating citiesand charming towns. Attractions are nearby too, meaning quick access from your ship to the best sightseeing spots. You can easily discover each river’s highlights on a week-long cruise.

So which river cruise is best for you? Read on to find out more about Rhine river facts and Danube river cities.

Rhine River Facts. Flowing 1,233km from the Swiss Alps to Rotterdam in the Netherlands, aRhine river cruiseis enshrined in the history and culture of the six countries it passes through — Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France and the Netherlands. For centuries, the Rhine river has been a major shipping route, and not only did it play a significant role during World War II, its striking scenery has influenced Romantic writers, painters and musicians.

What is the best river cruise to take for the first time?

The Rhine, Danube, and Seine are some of Europe’s most famous rivers for first-time cruisers. The Rhine offers fairy-tale castles and charming villages, while the Danube takes travelers through multiple countries with rich histories and diverse cultures. The Seine River provides a romantic journey through the heart of France, including stops in Paris and Normandy.

Cruise Line Reputation: Importance of Selecting a Reputable Cruise Line.

Choosing a well-known and reputable cruise line is crucial for first-time cruisers. Companies like Viking, AmaWaterways, and Avalon Waterways are renowned for their high-quality service, comfortable accommodations, and well-planned itineraries. Researching customer reviews and industry awards can also help identify the best options.

What is the best month for a river cruise in Europe?

Best Times to Take European River Cruises The European River cruising season runs from March through December, though the best time to take a river cruise in Europe is during the late spring (April-May) or early fall (September-October).

As in North America, the season for cruising northern Europe is the months from April through October. The weather is warm, becoming hot in July and August. Flowers are blooming, days grow longer the farther north you travel, and at night temperatures only dip to a cool breeze. Particularly in the Baltic region, summers are short and sweet, lasting from June to August. Travelers to Europe can view landscapes ablaze with spring colors beginning in May; however, they generally turn brown come October. The high season for travel is June through August; also keep in mind that August is traditionally the European holiday month, so crowds swell during this time. To avoid crowds and experience cooler temperatures, consider traveling in the shoulder months of May and September. By mid-October, the climate is cooling considerably, bringing rain and eventually snow to many regions of northern Europe.

Mediterranean Europe: one of the most culturally rich and exotic destinations in the world, from the ancient stone villages and sunny beaches of Portugal to the mystical eastern flair of Turkey. Whether you’re seeking stunning landscapes, splendid cuisine, or a new cultural experience, there’s something for everyone on a Mediterranean cruise.

Summer is the high travel season in the Mediterranean. The weather is hot and sunny, the water is warm, and millions of people flock to the coast to soak up the sun and take a break from routine. The best time to take a Mediterranean cruise, however, is in the spring (May-June) or fall (September-October). Temperatures are comfortably warm, the sun is bright, and the crowds are far, far fewer than in July and August. During the spring months, the flowers are blooming and the landscape is verdant, while autumn days are mild and clear before the winter rains.

Is Viking considered a luxury cruise?

Whilst designated as an Upper Premium brand, Viking has all the hallmarks of a Luxury Ocean Cruise Line. From the tastefully appointed, modern, beautifully designed, Scandinavian ships to the luxurious all-inclusive amenities, Viking are recognised as a Luxury Brand within the industry.

What is the best river cruise to take in Europe?

Upper Danube Route Map from AmaWaterways The Upper Danube is the other great route on Europe rivers (it is the single most popular river cruise route in all Europe—it has about 30% of all river cruise passengers that take a Europe river cruise every year)—and typically goes from Nuremberg or Passau to Budapest.