Rhine-Main-Danube River Cruise Prices is part of a continuing series of comparison charts and articles featuring European River Cruises offered by world class river cruise lines. Our goal is to provide a True Per Diem for each cruise, or the daily cost breakdown of the trip once all extra fees are added to the cruise fare.

Comparison charts serve as a guide and attempt to answer the most frequently asked questions from our readers:

• What is a Amsterdam to Budapest river cruise going to cost me?
• How does the cruise I am looking at compare to Rhine river cruises offered by other companies?
• What is the price for an entry-level cabin?
• What’s the price for an upgrade?
• What’s included in a 2025 Amsterdam to Budapest River cruise?
• What Amsterdam to Budapest river cruise incentives are there for 2025? 

Our goal is to provide a True Per Diem for each cruise, or the daily cost breakdown of the trip once all extra fees are added to the cruise fare.

Why Cruise The Rhine, Main and Danube All At Once?

Itineraries incorporating the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers provide a vast landscape of Europe, typically sailing from Amsterdam all the way to Budapest, or the reverse. And though these cruises can span longer than two weeks, you’ll find yourself not wanting your cruise to end.

From trading posts to water-powered factories, these rivers have long served as the lifeblood of this western continent. That being said, it’s important to mention something: River cruising views aren’t always that of the Monet and Rembrandt variety. Factory smokestacks often greet your arrival instead of castle turrets and fortress walls. This is something that shouldn’t serve to dissuade you by any means, quite the contrary, but understand that given the cultural clout of these destinations, some river cruisers visiting the city must dock in an industrial port more suitable for loading and unloading gravel and grain than river cruise passengers.

While that might be contrary to the gloss and glamour of ocean liner terminals, it also encapsulates the essence of river cruising: you are being delivered to culture’s doorstep, where locals coexist with visitors and life unfolds before you.

Speaking of industrial influences, the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal is one that changed the face of river cruising on the Rhine, Main and Danube. The man-made canal runs between the German towns of Bamberg and Kelheim via the historic city of Nuremberg, transporting thousands of river cruise ship passengers every year between this famous trio of rivers. While it may go largely unnoticed today, this technological marvel remains a surprisingly recent addition to the German landscape.

Although an early version of the canal existed prior to World War II, heavy damage during the war years destroyed many of the early locks that lined the river. To complicate matters, bridges had been destroyed and waterways were clogged, making the resumption of river traffic at the end of World War II anything but easy. By the early 1950s, plans for the reconstruction of the canal were no longer a priority, and the idea was shelved.

Just a decade later, it became apparent that a link between the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers was greatly needed after all, thanks to an increase in both passenger and freight traffic on the waterways. The canal would also serve as a sign of German unity in a Europe that rapidly sought to forgive and forget after the horrors of the Second World War. But rather than a simple reconstruction of the locks that existed prior to 1945, plans were drawn up for a new system of locks that would unite the rivers once and for all and finally allow ships to travel uninterrupted from Amsterdam to the Black Sea.

By the time the last section was completed in 1992, the canal had grown to span a distance of 106 miles. But this journey is anything but a straight line between two rivers. The canal rises and falls with the surrounding landscape and because of the extreme height differences between the two rivers, a total of 16 locks had to be constructed to alternately lift and lower ships along their journey. At their highest point along the Continental Divide, locks carry ships to a height of more than 1,000 feet above sea level.

Understanding The Pricing Charts

The prices in this chart are based on double occupancy. The upgrade costs for a cabin with a balcony are per person. The value of the incentive is broken down per day, per person. True per diem will include the savings of incentives/discounts offered at the time of research as well as the imputed value of items that are not included.

Prices and details reflect information available at the time of research. Cruise lines offer varying incentives with differing time limits or deadlines, and it is best to check with a travel agent or the cruise company’s website. The incentives that are included in the charts were current at the time they were compiled and may no longer apply or there may be a new special offer.

Availability for these itineraries is limited. As you can see, some companies have sold out for Fall 2025 already. These charts were compiled based on current availability.

Amsterdam To Budapest 2025 Pricing

Amsterdam To Budapest Autumn 2025 Pricing