Europe

#1 In Europe Danube & The Main-Danube Canal

Region: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia

The Danube is our number one choice for people new to river cruising. You’ll find itineraries that sail between Germany and the Black Sea and packages that range in length from 5 to 23 days. What most people appreciate most about the Danube:

Scenic beauty as you cruise through gorgeous landscapes and past fairy-tale villages
Visits to iconic cities such as Vienna, Budapest and Passau
Excursions to UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Cesky Krumlov
Evening concerts and waltzes (both on the ships and during evening visits to Viennese palaces)
Opportunities to bicycle, particularly on the gorgeous stretch between Melk and Durnstein through the Wachau Valley

Duoro

Region: Portugal and Spain

Douro River cruises are from Porto, Portugal to Vega de Terron, Spain. Most trips are roundtrip from Porto, which is a coastal city in western Portugal located near the Atlantic Ocean. Vega de Terron is located about 125 miles west of Porto and is the farthest east cruise ships travel.

Elbe

Region: Germany and Czech Republic

In our view, only one company does the Elbe effectively, CroisiEurope. On Viking, for example, our readers tell us that you won’t cruise much, if at all. You’ll be bussed around from place to place and stay on the ship overnight. AmaWaterways pulled out from the Elbe. One Company Exits The Elbe & Another Enters: Should You Consider An Elbe River Cruise?

CroisiEurope has two paddle-wheelers that can cruise right into the center of Passau from Berlin. See Elbe Princesse: Summing Up

CroisiEurope is French, family-owned and operated. CroisiEurope’s all-inclusive product impresses us with its French flair and innovative designs. The company serves up one of the best values in river cruising. But CroisiEurope is not for everyone. See my story: Is CroisiEurope Right For You?

For special offers, see CroisiEurope’s website: http://www.croisieuroperivercruises.com.

France

Also popular for luxury hotel barge cruises on canals, France has rivers that course through the vineyard-canopied hillsides of Burgundy to the lavender fields of Provence and the fertile wine-producing region of Bordeaux. Perhaps the best known river in France, however, is the Seine, which flows from the Atlantic Ocean to the City of Light, Paris, with its broad boulevards, charming cafes and world-renowned museums.

Bordeaux river cruises
Dordogne River cruises
Loire river cruises
Rhone river cruises
Saone river cruises
Seine river cruises
For luxury hotel barging On French Canals | See 10 Reasons To Choose Barge Cruising

Po River

Region: Italy

Po River cruises begin on the canals of Venice in northern Italy. The city of Venice is connected to the Po river through a couple of different waterways. So a cruise on the Po River is always combined with the canals of Venice and the Venetian Lagoon.

Rhine, Main, Moselle

Region: France, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands and Switzerland

Though some cruises operate between Basel, Switzerland, and Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, or Dusseldorf, Germany, the most popular section of the Rhine is between Mainz, at the confluence of the Main and Rhine, and Cologne. The Rhine has many tributaries, the most important for cruisers being the Main and the Moselle.

The Main is one of the Rhine’s most significant tributaries. It, along with the Main-Danube Canal, connects the North Sea with the Black Sea. The Moselle is regarded as the most beautiful — and perhaps the most romantic — of the navigable European rivers.

Also check out Europe’s Most Beautiful River – At Least During The Fall

Rhône & Saône

Region: France

Rhône River cruises in France are between Lyon and Avignon or Arles. Many packages also include the Saône River, which joins the Rhône in Lyon. A cruise that combines both rivers usually begins or ends on the Saône River about 80 miles north of Lyon in the city of Chalon-sur-Saône. Read more about Rhone River cruises

Saône River Cruises in France are between Lyon and Chalon-sur-Saône and are usually combined with the Rhône River. There are barge riverboat cruises that do not include the Rhône River; however, these cruises usually combine other waterways, such as the Burgundy Canal and the Canal du Centre. Read more about Saône River cruises

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Best Choices

Africa

Prefer to see the antiquities or animals? On an Africa river cruise you can see quite a lot of diversity. You can visit Africa & The Chobe River or Egypt & The Nile. The choice is yours on an Africa river cruise.

Asia

Asian river cruises offer a mix of destinations and diverse ports where the settings range from bustling cities to bucolic rural countryside. Asian river cruises give passengers opportunities to sample myriad experiences that would be much more difficult to do on a land tour of the region. Traveling on the rivers also allows passengers many chances to indulge in local cuisines, interact with ancient cultures, witness awe-inspring landscapes and explore regions dating back thousands of years.

North America

While Europe may be the first destination that comes to mind when you think of river cruising, it is far from the only region of the world available to those who want to explore by waterways. Enter North America river cruises. Learn more about The Best Mississippi River Cruises & Columbia River Cruises.

Russia

As of spring of 2023, Russia was off-limits to cruises due to its invasion of Ukraine.

Also see Get My River Cruise Recommendations & My Favorites

6 Responses

John Dunning says:

January 25, 2025 at 5:12 pm

Very interested in Northern United States cruises, especially the Columbia River and the Great Lakes.
line robin says:

March 10, 2024 at 7:45 pm

Bonjour ,nous regardons pour une croisière fluviale .Avez-vous des brochures en français SVP
Rene Visser says:

November 27, 2019 at 2:25 pm

I wish to make a rivercruise between Rotterdam and Constanta an d back by plane.
Five years ago I made this route by Bicycle.
I cannot find an organisation which offers such a journey.
Perhaps in two parts?
Arnhem Passau and Passau Constanta?
Ralph Grizzle says:

July 15, 2019 at 1:54 pm

We have not, nor heard of them.
E Wang says:

July 13, 2019 at 8:54 am

Have you traveled on Indus?
Looking at the Rhine for the castles
Looking for your input on the overall experience with this company

Thanks
Ben Poitevent says:

August 27, 2018 at 12:24 pm

What is the status of the river levels and the extent of disruption to cruises AMD to BUD?