Our river cruise tips are designed to help you understand – and overcome – the complexities of river cruising.

Unfortunately, a flawless river cruise is not as simple as booking space on any ship and stepping on board. There are many decisions to be made before packing your bags and leaving home, not the least of which are which river to cruise and which cruise company to cruise with.

Preceding those two questions, however, you’ll also need to know if you are able to river cruise. That may sound like an odd consideration, but, in fact, some people aren’t able to river cruise because of physical limitations.

Provided that you’re able to river cruise, you’ll need to figure out how much you can afford to spend. How will you get to the port of departure – and back? What do you pack? How much cash do you carry? How do you book your shore excursions? Which stateroom do you choose? How are gratuities handled?

We’re here to help.

7 Starting steps to prepare for your flawless river cruise. 

1. Know if you’re able to river cruise.

The answer to whether you’re able to river cruise depends largely on mobility, and mobility on a river cruise takes two forms: 1) those who are disabled; and 2) those who have limited mobility.

If you rely on a wheelchair, walker or scooter, you’ll want to give serious consideration about going on a river cruise. First, there’s the infrastructure in Europe to contend with. Sharp curbs and cobblestoned streets can make for rough going for the disabled and mobility-impaired. Second, river cruise vessels, in general, are not well-equipped for wheelchairs, scooters or walkers.

As for those who have limited mobility, you could be fine, as long as you manage your expectations. While the ships can be comfortable for those who have bad knees or backs (or other issues that cause limited mobility), the excursions generally involve walking, and keeping up with your fellow passengers. With most river cruise companies, you’ll be able to find walking tours for gentle walkers, which are ideal for those who move, but move slowly.

Check out River Cruise 101: Scooters, Wheelchairs & The Mobility-Impaired Traveler

2. Choose the right river.

The Danube is our number one recommendation for people new to river cruising, primarily because it has so many of Europe’s marquee cities – Nuremberg, Passau, Linz, Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava (as well as a slew of charming villages). But if you’ve done the Danube, you’ll need to decide if you want to cruise the Douro, the Rhone, the Rhine, the Seine, the Moselle or any of the other rivers that course through Europe. Or maybe you want a canal cruise on a hotel barge. There are big differences between the rivers and the modes of transportation, but if you’re just starting off, forego the decision fatigue and choose a Danube river cruise. 

3. Choose the right company.

This one is full of complexities. There are more than a dozen river cruise companies, and each has its own style and price point. Let’s focus on style first. The luxury players, where everything is included – all alcohol (except select premium brands), transfers, gratuities and more – are Riverside, Scenic, Tauck and Uniworld. And the line between luxury river cruises and those that are not in that category is skewing.

With European river cruises, it’s a big mix of which river cruise best suits your style. For a glance at which company may be best for you, see our Comparisons for what’s included on your river cruise.

4. Determine your budget.

Compared to other modes of travel in Europe – or even an ocean cruise, river cruises can be downright pricey. At the same time, river cruises in Europe can be quite a bargain when compared to other means of exploring the continent. That’s because, as alluded to above, so much is included.

For starters, you’re getting a boutique hotel room, and a floating one at that. All meals are included, and on most ships, the dining is delectable. Wine and beer are included during lunch and dinner on nearly all river cruises. And most river cruises offer complimentary excursions, Wi-Fi, bicycles, airport transfers and more. Plus you get all that passing scenery.

All that said, you need to figure out how much money you’re willing to part with. We break down river cruises into three categories on a cost per-person, per-day basis: 1) less than $400 per person, per day; 2) up to $600 per person, per day; and 3) more than $600 per person, per day. This is an important part of the process in choosing your river cruise. Be honest with yourself. Don’t just choose less than $400 per person, per day, thinking that you want the lowest price possible when you expect an all-inclusive river cruise and a balcony stateroom.

Create a realistic budget for your river cruise, and base your decisions on that budget.

5. Don’t go straight to your cruise port.

While you’re creating your budget, be sure to add in the cost of getting to your cruise, and this raises another consideration. When do you want to arrive? We can tell you when not to arrive. Our recommendation is that you don’t arrive on the day of your cruise departure. Too many things can go wrong. We’ve seen flights canceled, resulting in delays in getting to Europe. We’ve seen luggage gone missing or delayed for days.

Our recommendation is to arrive at least a day early, more if possible. In fact, we also recommend that you do not go straight to your port of departure. Use the expense and energy required to get to your river cruise to see something else along the way. Though it relates to ocean cruising, we headed to Venice in May for a cruise on Ponant by way of Copenhagen, so that we could explore a part of Scandinavia where I lived for nearly a decade.

Routing through Copenhagen saved me thousands of dollars on business class airfare, and it also allowed us to acclimate to the change in time zones, shaking off the jet lag that comes from crossing the Atlantic. Getting to Europe well ahead of our cruise also would have allowed our luggage, should it have been delayed, to catch up with us.

6. Make sure you passport is up to date.

Most nationalities will want to make sure they have at least six-month’s validity in their passports before traveling to Europe. That’s what the U.S. Department of State advises U.S. citizens. If you’re traveling with kids under the age of 16, be sure to check their passports too. Children’s passports are valid for five years, not 10 years as is the case for U.S. citizens aged 16 and older, so you’ll want to look closely at the kids’ passports.

Speaking of kids, not all river cruise companies welcome them. Only a couple of river cruise companies allow children under the age of three. Others allow children from ages 3 and up, while some require that kids be 8, and some even older.

7. Pack light

Back in the 1980s, I traveled around the world with a hefty backpack weighing down my shoulders. As I traveled, my backpack became lighter and lighter and lighter. I started disposing of stuff because I got tired of carrying it, and I learned that I could do with a lot less than I had originally thought I would need.

If there is one lesson that I have learned in my four decades of traveling, it is pack less. It’s a lesson I am still learning as I find myself at the end of a river cruise only to discover I didn’t touch half the items in my bag.

As a rule of thumb, packing what you think you’ll need, letting it sit for a few days and then removing half the contents is not a bad approach. I’ve tried it before, and in fact, even then, after removing half the contents, I have found that I overpacked.

For tips on how to pack, see What I Pack When I River Cruise, What About You?