River Cruise Advisor

Make no mistake. River cruises and barge cruises are completely different beasts.

Designed specifically to transit locks along the way, modern river cruisers are long and narrow, as are the locks themselves, which measure more than 600 feet long but are only about 40 feet wide.

Barges typically are smaller and with fewer frills and amenities than river cruisers. Whereas river cruisers may carry more than 100 passengers, barges range from a few passengers to few dozen.

What River Cruises Offer

The opening of the Main-Danube Canal in 1992 not only spawned the birth of river cruising as we know it today but also spawned the birth of the contemporary river cruise vessel. There are more than 100 river cruisers operating on Europe’s rivers. A “building boom” since 2000 has seen the introduction of more than 50 new ships.

Because of the canal and the locks, river cruisers are quite narrow, and this poses challenges for designers.

Though some river cruisers feature balcony staterooms, many retain the real estate that would be allocated for balconies to create more expansive interior space. Some river cruisers do feature balcony staterooms, where you can sit and watch the landscape pass, but take solace if your stateroom does not feature a balcony: Nearly all vessels feature a broad expanse of sun deck only a deck or two up.

The typical river cruiser design is four decks, including an upper sun deck, with two to three decks below it featuring a series of staterooms on each side of the ship. Staterooms typically feature a queen-sized bed that can be reconfigured to two single beds, television, storage space and a small, but often well-appointed, bathroom with shower and often no tub.

Public rooms typically include restaurant, lounge, spa and fitness center. While other features vary, some cruisers offer wireless internet access; bicycles for use on shore; whirlpool; sauna; and at least two river cruisers in operation today feature swimming pools.

River cruisers are essentially barges with an integrated hotel above and typically carry 100 or more passengers. Some river cruisers are (nearly) all-inclusive, meaning that wine and beer are served at lunch and dinner (one cruise line offers beer one morning of each cruise at breakfast), and some form of shore excursions, such as a guided city walk, are included.

Prices are competitively priced, and you should expect to pay from $200 per person per day to $400 per person per day depending on ship, itinerary and level of accommodations.

What Barge Cruises Offer

One of the big differences between river cruisers and barges is the amount of territory they cover. Barge cruises usually span six days and typically cover fewer than 50 miles of river a week, whereas river cruisers may cover few hundred. Transiting the locks can be time-consuming, and passengers often prefer to walk or bicycle along the canal’s banks (often outpacing the barge). Activities such as hot-air ballooning, horseback riding, guided tours, tennis and golf are offered, some for additional costs.

A barge usually cruises within one region of one country (usually France) whereas river cruisers can travel through several countries and on several rivers during the span of one sailing.

Barges typically have only one deck, smaller staterooms than riverboats and a combination dining room and lounge. Barge staterooms almost always feature private facilities.

Barges are usually all-inclusive, with drinks, fine wine and champagne, gourmet cuisine (using fresh, local ingredients and cooked to order), pick up and drop off from local airports, train stations and hotels, shore excursions and entrance fees included in the cruise fare. Bicycles are often available for use on shore. Some barges feature Jacuzzi, pool and exercise equipment.

Although barge cruises are offered in Belgium, Germany and Holland, France is the most popular destination.

Whereas you may think of river cruising as a floating hotel experience, barge cruising is more of a country manor house experience.

Though most barges are staffed, there are self-drive barges. Small groups, such as family or friends, may book the entire barge, or barges may be booked by individuals, preferably liked-minded people who don’t mind sharing space in a small setting.

Barge cruises can range from $350 per person per day to more than $1,000 per person per day. These are for six-day weeks, because one day is reserved to prepare the barge for the next group of people. Whole barges can be chartered from $15,000 to more than $50,000.

With more than 5,000 miles of canals, France’s most popular canals for barging are the Canal de la Marne au Rhin, which links the Rhine with the Marne, and operates between ,  which empties into the Saone; Canal Latéral a la Marne, a canal that follows the course of the Marne river, passing through the heart of Champagne; and Canal Latéral a la Loire, which follows the course of the upper Loire. (Latéral indicates that the waterway parallels the course of the river. Some rivers, like the upper Loire, are not navigable, hence the latéral.)

Transiting these canals takes lots of time, as you pass through many locks that can takes as long as 20 minutes to pass through. But barge cruising is meant to be relaxing, and if you get bored, just hop on a bike or walk to meet the barge at another lock upstream.

The Elbe runs 725 miles from the Czech Republic to the North Sea. Most weeklong Elbe itineraries are between Berlin and Prague and include hotel stays at one or both ends of the cruise. Other ports often include Potsdam, Magdeburg, Wittenberg, Meissen, Dresden, and Konigstein.

The German poet Goethe called Prague, “the prettiest gem in the stone crown of the world,” and indeed the capital of the Czech Republic is remarkable. The city’s rich architectural heritage reflects an urban life extending back more than 1,000 years. Prague’s highlight is the Charles Bridge, which crosses the Vitava River. On one side is Prague Castle, dominating the left-bank region.

Konigstein and its dramatic fortress, 1,180 feet above the river, provide a scenic backdrop for brief visits, while farther along Dresden is known as the “Florence of the Elbe,” for its art treasures.

Meissen is known for its porcelain, while Wittenberg marks the birthplace of the Protestant Reformation. In 1517, Martin Luther, an Augustine monk and university lecturer, nailed his 95 theses on the door of the Palace Church.

Magdeburg is situated midway on the Elbe. Nearly destroyed during World War II, the rebuilt city is an example of a traditional German town. Ships usually moor in Potsdam for transfers to and from Berlin at the beginning or end of each cruise.

Berlin once symbolized Germany’s partition — East Berlin being part of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and West Berlin being part of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). The Berlin Wall, which separated Germany, fell in 1989, and today Berlin has heralded itself into a historically and culturally prominent European city.

Also popular for barge cruises, the rivers of France course through the vineyard-canopied hillsides of Burgundy to the lavender fields of Provence. Positioned in between is the City of Lights, Paris, with its broad boulevards, charming cafes and world-renowned museums.

The Seine, Rhone and Saone

Other river cruises combine the Rhone and Saone rivers for itineraries from Chalon-sur-Saone to Avignon. Along the way, passengers enjoy Avignon’s Papal Palace; the early Roman ruins in Vienne and Arles; wine tours of Beaune, Burgundy’s acclaimed wine capital; the history and beauty of Lyon and Vienne; and the Middle Age charm of Viviers.

Seine cruises include at least one night in Paris before traveling northwest toward Honfleur and the English Channel. Major stops include Giverny, home of the artist Claude Monet and one of France’s most-visited destinations; and Rouen, known as the “City of 100 Spires,” for its many churches and cathedrals.

The Seine is practically synonomous with Paris, and thus the City of Lights is one of the main attractions on Seine cruises. The river has been used for sightseeing within Paris since the 19th century.

The Rhine flows 820 miles through four countries — Switzerland, France, Germany and the Netherlands — from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea.

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.

Mainz is the birthplace of Johannes Gutenberg and home to the Gutenberg Museum, which presents the history of printing. It’s not long before riverboats departing Mainz reach Rüdesheim, perhaps one of the Rhine’s most charming villages.

Rüdesheim is situated in the heart of the Rheingau wine-producing region, and the wine taverns along the narrow and lively pedestrian street known as Drosselgasse are packed with locals and tourists enjoying Reisling, sparking Sekts or local brandies.

Heading north from Rüdesheim, river cruisers pass half a dozen or more castles on both banks as well as the storied Lorelei, immortalized by poet Heinrich Heine, who wrote about a mysterious nymph who distracted sailors and lured their boats onto the rocks to their deaths.

The river passes more castles, along the most-castled section of river in Europe, before reaching Koblenz, situated at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers. Some cruises follow the Moselle from Koblenz.

For those cruises that continue along the Rhine, the river continues past more castles to Germany’s capital, Bonn, and Cologne, with its famous cathedral, a World Heritage Site and one of Germany’s best-known architectural monuments. These cruises conclude (or begin) farther along the river at Dusseldorf or Amsterdam.

The Tributaries

The Rhine has many tributaries, the most important for cruisers being the Main, Moselle and Neckar.

The Main

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 Main has 34 locks and becomes navigable at Bamberg, Germany, at the north end of the Main-Danube Canal.

Some river cruise companies offer itineraries along the Main between Nürnberg, situated about midway on the Main-Danube Canal, to Trier, on the Moselle, which branches off the Rhine.

The Moselle

The Moselle is regarded as the most beautiful — and perhaps the most romantic — of the navigable European rivers. From its headwaters in the Vogesen Mountains to where it joins the Rhine at Koblenz, the Moselle is only about 175 miles as the crow flies. But the actual length of the winding river is a little more than 335 miles, making it the Rhine’s longest tributary.

The Moselle weaves its way through the vertical slopes of the Schiefergebirge mountains into Luxembourg and northeastern France. Cities and towns along the river are of fairy-tale charm: picturesque Cochem, settled by the Celts and later by Romans before being granted a town charter in 1332; Bernkastel-Kues, with its castle ruin overlooking the city center of half-timbered buildings and cobblestone streets; and the Romanesque city of Trier, Germany’s oldest city and also one that claims to be 1,300 years older than Rome itself. Trier’s Porta Nigra (Black Gate) dates from the 2nd century, when Trier was a Roman city.

The Moselle is known for its (mostly) white wines, such as Riesling and Piesporter, and indeed much of the pleasure of a Moselle cruise can be found in sampling the wines along the way.

The Neckar

This tributary of the Rhine flows 228 miles from the Black Forest through some of Germany’s most beautiful countryside. The primary attraction for many travelers is Heidelberg, Germany’s oldest university town and the cradle of the German Romantic movement.

The most popular region for river cruising in Continental Europe — and a good choice for first-time river cruisers — is the Danube. Immortalized in Strauss’s Blue Danube Waltz, the Danube winds from Germany’s Black Forest through Austria into the Balkans before dumping into the Black Sea.

Most Danube river cruises span seven to 10 nights and allow sufficient time to explore the major cities along the river. Some vessels operate roundtrip from Passau; some operate one-way between Regensburg and Budapest; and others cruise between Vienna or Budapest to Nürnberg, which includes transiting a section of the Main-Danube Canal over Europe’s Continental Divide in the Franconian Alps.

The Danube flows through six countries and meanders for nearly 1,800 miles. Some of Europe’s most-fabled cities — Regensburg, Passau, Linz, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest — are situated on the banks of the Danube.

Cruises from the Main River may begin in Würzburg, but more frequently begin or end in Nürnberg,which was the center of the Nazi Party in the 1930s and virtually destroyed during World War II. Only a few historic buildings survived the severe bomb damage, but the city itself has been restored.

And while most river cruises take place during the spring, summer and fall, Nürnberg hosts the world’s largest Christmas Market, featured on so-called Christmas Market cruises during the month of December.

Dating back to Roman times, Regensburg, Germany, was practically untouched during World War II. The city is the oldest on the Danube, tracing its history back nearly 2,000 years. Still standing are the Roman gates, Porta Pretoria, built in 179 A.D.

Regensburg also lays claim to Germany’s oldest surviving bridge and its oldest restaurant, Alte Wurstküche, a small sausage kitchen and dining room situated right on the river and within walking distance of where most river vessels dock.

From Passau, Germany, and Linz, Austria, excursions can be made to Salzburg (about two hours away), birthplace of Mozart and the setting for the acclaimed musical, “The Sound of Music.”

Vienna was home to the Habsburgs, one of Europe’s principal sovereign dynasties from the 15th to the 20th centuries. Just outside the inner city is Schonbrunn Palace, the imperial summer palace of the Habsburgs.

Vienna is characterized by beautiful parks, legendary Viennese coffee houses and Baroque palaces. One of the city’s most famous landmarks, Stephansdom (St. Stephen’s Cathederal) is also one of Europe’s most impressive Gothic structures.

The musically inclined will appreciate that Mozart, Beethoven and Strauss composed their greatest operas and symphonies in Austria’s capital city. The composer Schubert was born here.

Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava was a “capital in exile” for Hungary’s kings and archbishops during Turkey’s occupation of Hungary and most of the middle Danube basin from 1526 to 1784. Bratislava is dominated by an enormous castle that stands sentinel over the Danube. Though the castle dates back to the 9th century it was razed in 1811 and rebuilt.

Situated on opposite sides of the Danube, Buda and Pest were united in the 19th century to form the Hungarian capital Budapest. The beginning or ending point for most Danube cruises, Budapest was once referred to as the “Queen of the Danube,” because of the city’s cultural significance at a time when Hungary was three times the size it is today.

On one side of the Danube, hilly Buda retains much of its Middle Age charm. Its cobbled streets and Gothic buildings have been well preserved. On the other side of the river, Pest is the thriving city center.

Because Danube cruises typically are seven days in length and visit familiar destinations, many travelers will begin here and then move on to the Rhine and its tributaries for future cruises.

In 1992, Europe’s age-old maritime landscape changed dramatically. It was that year that the Main-Danube Canal opened, connecting the Continent’s main arteries — and along with them, all of Europe.

The completion of the canal spawned grand cruise itineraries from Amsterdam to Budapest — and beyond. An engineering marvel, the 106-mile Main-Danube Canal permits modern-day vessels to travel from the North Sea to the Black Sea, opening up more than 2,200 miles of river and exposing today’s travelers to life along the banks.

Tributaries and smaller rivers flow into the main arteries to provide additional opportunities not only to reach deep into the heart of the Continent but also to explore some of its more remote regions.

The opening of the canal also meant that no longer would travelers need to sit with their noses pressed against the windows of busses as they moved from one destination to the next. Instead, travelers admire the scenery from the ship’s sun deck as they are transported along with their accommodations.

Nor would travelers have to obligingly put out their luggage by 7 a.m. (or earlier) to be loaded onto the motorcoach before it set off to the next destination. River travelers unpack only once during the course of their cruise as they move from one city to the next.

River cruising emerged to introduce an entirely new concept to Europe: that of floating hotels that journey between destinations. In its simplest form, a river cruiser is nothing more than a barge with a hotel on top.

For many travelers, the slow chug along the river is just the right pace for getting the lay of the land. Sitting on the top deck of a ship under brilliant blue skies, you gaze on fabled landscapes dotted with castles, villages and vineyards. A flight of stairs down, and you have all the amenities of a modern hotel — restaurants, bars, lounges, fitness facilities, spas, internet access and comfortable staterooms.

River cruises offer opportunities to step ashore in fairy tale towns and fabled cities. Immerse yourself in contemporary culture, and learn something about the history of the towns along the Continent’s greatest rivers.

The season runs March through the end of December, beginning with “Tulip Time” cruises in Benelux countries and ending with Christmas Market cruises in Hungary, Austria, and Germany.

The majority of itineraries are seven nights, though longer cruises are available. Book one year in advance, if possible, and consider cruising March through May or September through December, when the crowds are thinner and airfares may be more reasonably priced than during peak periods.

River cruising is perfect for those who want a relaxed grand tour of Europe and for cruisers who want to explore Europe beyond the coastline. River cruising presents the grandeur and charm of Europe as well as the indelible landscapes that inspired Europe’s great artists. Few things in life can beat the views of Europe over the ripples of Continent’s rivers.

An Uplifting Experience
A series of 16 locks lifts river cruisers nearly 1,400 feet above sea level as they transit the Main-Danube Canal to cross the Swabian Alps, south of Nürnberg, and Europe’s Continental Divide.

Good To Know
Some river cruisers overnight in ports and cruise during the day; others cruise during the night and tie up in port during the day. Both approaches allow for dinners ashore and late-evening strolls into town.

Europe has more navigable rivers than any other region in the world — and arguably more diverse cultures along its river banks than any place else.

Cruising the entire length of the Rhine and Danube rivers alone — made possible thanks to the Main-Danube Canal — exposes travelers to ten countries in Eastern and Western Europe. Along the way are charming villages, storied capital cities, fairy tale castles, vineyards and more — all accessible from your floating hotel.

Europe’s major rivers include Eastern Europe’s Danube, and the Germanic rivers: Rhine, Main, Moselle, Neckar and Elbe. France’s Seine, Saone and Rhone rivers also are popular for river cruises and barging.

Though some cruises operate on Italy’s longest river, the Po is largely unnavigable because of low water levels and sediment.