It’s no secret that I believe that river cruising is one of the best—and most effortless—ways to explore Europe; in fact, I’ve been on three myself and have more river cruises planned in the pipeline!
There’s so much to love about river cruising: you get to hop around a country (or multiple countries) and only have to unpack once, you get to indulge in amazing food and wine on board, and you get access to tiny towns that would take forever to drive to on your own. Basically, it’s like boarding a floating boutique hotel with gourmet meals included.
If you’re thinking of embarking on a river cruise, you’re guaranteed to have a good time if you simply sit back, relax, and let the good times roll … but you can create an even more memorable experience when you keep the following five tips in mind:
1. Incorporate a private tour.
River cruises generally come with excellent walking or biking tours, but don’t feel compelled to do every tour they offer. Instead, personalize your experience by adding in a private tour that speaks directly to your interests. My husband and I did this in Bilbao; instead of a tour of the city center with the cruise, I arranged a private guided tour of the Rioja region with plenty of wine tastings. We’re big Rioja fans, so this was hands-down the best use of our time (and we felt like real VIPs since the tour was just for us!).
2. Add on a custom pre- or post-stay.
If you really want to personalize your river cruise, extend your vacation with a tailored-to-you land itinerary before or after your cruise. You (or your travel advisor, ahem!), can hand-pick your own hotels, tours, and immersive experiences, so you can keep the in-depth discovery going even after you’ve disembarked. Or even better, we can design a land experience for a few days before your cruise departs to combat jet lag prior to sailing and build in a buffer in case of canceled/delayed flights! Most people cruise for only 8 to 10 days, so adding on a custom land extension really maximizes the time it takes to fly over to Europe.
3. Choose an itinerary and ship that matches your travel style.
Not all river cruises are the same. Some include all of the excursions, some only include one standard excursion. Some have a sleek modern design, and some have an old world classic
feel. Some have buffet breakfast, some have both sit-down and buffet, while some only have sit-down. Some travel with their own bikes, some use the bikes at the port (which means you have to adjust your new bike for each ride). There are so many differences, which is why it is important to work with an informed travel advisor.
After taking a river cruise with my mom and falling in love with it, I traveled to Hungary last year, to immerse myself into the River Cruise Market. It was an “expo” where several river cruise companies came to share their ships with the invited travel advisors. I would never get the opportunity to see seven different ships and all of the cabin types, the onboard space, taste the food, in any other way. I have been accepted again for the 2025 Expo in March! I always invest in learning as much product knowledge as I can so I can better serve my clients, and becoming educated by each cruise line on their products was priceless.
So whether you want to check off as many countries as possible on a single trip, like sailing down the Danube passing through Hungary, Austria, Bratislava, Germany, or enjoy a particular area of a country on rivers like the Rhone in Eastern France or Portugal’s Douro, understanding what the cruise line is like and how they compare is crucial to ensure the perfect experience.
4. Take advantage of evening exploring.
One of the downsides of ocean cruising is the limited time you get for exploring in each port. You have to race back to the ship in the afternoon or else you risk getting left behind! River cruises, though, don’t have as much ground to cover, so they stay in the ports for longer, later—so be sure to take advantage of the extra time.
Don’t be afraid to skip dinner on the ship for a night on the town. We did this in Bordeaux and had such a wonderful cultural experience, as we strolled from wine bar to wine bar for libations and bites. The best part? We didn’t have to worry about driving back to our hotel—we just swiped our cruise card and got back on the ship!
5. Don’t be afraid to split up.
One of the best things about river cruising is the flexibility, which makes it an ideal choice for traveling with your favorite friends, family, or couples. Because there are multiple tour options—plus the option to simply explore a port on your own or relax on the ship—it’s easy to split up and do your own thing during the day.
Then, you come together with your group again in the evening and share what you discovered over dinner and drinks. No need to be attached at the hip the whole time, and you’re far less likely to get on anyone’s nerves (or vice versa) when you’re not spending the entire trip together. We’ve done this when traveling with one of our coupled friends on a French river cruise and it worked out wonderfully!
Ready to plan your own European river cruising adventure? It all starts with a complimentary consultation call; simply click here to book your call with me to start planning.
