European River Travel: Important Information Before You Leave
If you’re considering going on a cruise, river travel is a good way to go. River cruises let you explore many of the most fascinating rivers and cities worldwide, and especially so in Europe with its wealth of diverse history, culture, and cuisine.
River travel is probably one of the most comfortable and stylish ways to travel, and going on a river cruise in Europe will be the experience of a lifetime for you, whether you go alone, with one or more friends, with your significant other, or decide go with members of your family.
River travel allows you to see the interior of the continent from an angle that few tourists experience to the fullest. You will be far from the crowds, travelling with your floating hotel. and will never risk being stuck in traffic or having to wait for hours at airports and train stations.
It is true that ships for European river travel are smaller then ocean liners, but most are very comfortable and quite roomy, and there are several that have a movie rooms and fully equipped restaurants, as well as a dancing area. Plus, of course, viewing areas to look at the lovely landscape around you.
Before looking at the boating companies that you may want to book your trip with, it would make sense to decide on the length of your voyage, as well as on the location that interests you and on the amount of amenities that you would expect to come with your package.
Concerning the length, one or two weeks is standard but there are also short break offers for a weekend, and on the other end of the scale, six week Rhine-to-Danube extravaganzas for people with a lot of leisure time.
As for the location, trips tend to concentrate on the bigger rivers such as the Rhine, the Danube and the Seine, but there are also lesser-known alternatives, such as the tributaries of the Elbe in Germany, the Po in the north of Italy, or the rivers of Poland and European Russia.
You will see wonderful floral displays as you cruise through Holland in the spring or sail through the South of France along the Rhone and Saone in the summer. There you could see the vistas that inspired Van Gogh.
During the holidays in the winter, on either a Rhine river cruise or a Danube river cruise you could stop and walk through the renowned Christmas Markets of Germany and Austria.
Concerning the level of comfort, you will find that there are a great number of alternatives, from Spartan drive-your-own houseboat hires to luxury cruse ships that have a lot in common with high-end hotels, but that retain an individual character.