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They cover all premium drinks, including a minibar in every cabin, plus specialty dining, butler service and gratuities. This year's World's Best Awards survey was open for voting January 11 through May 10, 2021, as destinations around the world were lifting COVID-19 restrictions. Survey rules have always allowed readers to reflect on their travel experiences over a three-year period. We hope that this year's honorees will inspire your own travels as you get back out into the world. While a Douro tour offers excursions to various historical monasteries and ports, it also takes you through a vibrant urban scene full of world-class eateries. When you board the river cruise line, you’ll be treated to breathtaking sights, including the Bordeaux Cathedral and the Place de la Bourse.
Splendours of Europe (Start Budapest, End Amsterdam)
A romantic cruise in the Seine River is great for those who wish to lose themselves in the romance of Paris and Normandy. The Seine, which begins just north of Dijon and ends in the English Channel, is a magnificent river that spans 483 miles, with 60% of its length available for recreational boating. If you want to see a lot of central Europe without having to deal with the hassles of trains and cars, cruising the River Danube is for you. This magnificent river flows through the heart of Prague for a whopping 19 miles and is crossed by no less than 18 bridges. However, it is much longer, nearly 268 miles, bordering large parts of North Bohemia. A relaxing cruise along one of Europe’s famous waterways is a surefire way to make the most of your vacation across the pond.
Moselle
Adventures by Disney is, unsurprisingly, one of the best river cruise lines for families in Europe. The line charters AmaWaterways and, while you shouldn't expect a bevy of Disney branding on the ship, Disney's Adventure Guides are trained to bring kids into the river cruise experience. The line also offers reduced solo-traveler surcharges on higher-grade cabins on select sailings. Tauck's ships carry fewer passengers than riverboats of a similar size, so it's easy for solo travelers to make new friends.
Avalon Waterways
The ship docks in Koblenz and takes a daytime cruise through the Rhine Gorge before landing in Miltenberg for a guided tour of the city. On day six, guests can choose a trip to Rothenburg or visit a family-owned farm for a home-cooked morning tea. The ship passes through the Main-Danube Canal that connects the Black Sea and the North Sea.
Danube Serenade: Romantic Journey from Vienna to Bucharest (Turnu Magurele) , MS Fidelio
Their deluxe beds and luxurious linens provide comfort in spacious, quiet quarters with ample closet space. Avalon offers "Active & Discovery" river cruises with activities for a variety of energy and fitness levels, from traditional sightseeing to action-packed experiences. The stellar 2022-built Viking Egdir, carrying 190 passengers, offers a ringside seat of bucolic vineyards and medieval castles on the Rhine, Main and Danube.
Nearly every major river cruise line has introduced itineraries here in recent years. Best for food and drinkWine tasting, gourmet cuisine, beautiful landscapes… the treasures of the Douro River are easy to discover on a luxurious river cruise from Portugal’s Porto to the Spanish city of Salamanca. Enjoy the medieval architecture and bountiful local tastes of Porto’s wine regions, before heading west, into the peaceful Iberian countryside.
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The 10 Best River Cruise Lines in Europe for Every Traveler.
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Excursions include a tour of a medieval castle and tasting of Sauternes, a stop in Pauillac, gateway to the Medoc wine region, and a Saint-Emilion tour and tasting. Returning to Bordeaux, guests will explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site and capital of the wine world. With a number of cruise companies and rivers to choose from, planning a river cruise can take some time. Consulting with a travel advisor is always a good idea, and there's plenty of information available online as well.
Rhine River Cruises
The elegant barges cruise the waterways of Burgundy, Provence, Alsace, Champagne, Languedoc, and Franche-Comté from April to October. The "Active & Discovery on the Rhone" cruise begins in Lyon and heads south through the French countryside of Provence and ends in Port-Saint-Louis. On the way, Avalon Choice excursions include a culinary walk, cooking class, painting workshop, wine tastings, guided bike rides, and more, with Active, Classic, and Discovery level activities.
Brilliant Bordeaux ( (Bordeaux to Bordeaux,
Daily activities feature a wide choice of included shore tours so you can personalize your cruise experience. Though many European countries have been off-limits for travelers, memories of recent trips to one of the world's iconic river cruising destinations helped inform voters' choices this year. Tauck moved up two places in T+L's 2021 rankings to grab the No. 2 spot with an eye-popping score above 96. The iconic river ships of No. 3 Viking Cruises also fared well this year, with readers giving the stalwart high marks, moving it up three places.
For a true luxury experience, we recommend a sail aboard Uniworld’s S.S. La Venezia, while for active travelers we love the holistic wellness offerings found on AmaWaterways’ AmaMagna. No matter what you’re searching for, these are the best European river cruises to book for 2024 and beyond. Viking includes one excursion in each port with your fare, and offers a wider variety of river cruises in Europe than others. That gives new-to-river-cruise passengers plenty of options to try their hand at a cruise length that fits their style and a wide array destinations from which to choose. The past year put the entire travel industry through the wringer, perhaps no segment more so than cruising. Though the pandemic forced ships around the world to remain in port, readers nevertheless looked back fondly on their times at sea while ranking the world's top 10 river cruise lines for Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards.
Between off-hours tours at world-renowned museums and guided walks through medieval cities, guests are also invited to join enriching lectures aboard the ships. Every year for our World's Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Readers rated individual cruise ships on their cabins and facilities, food, service, itineraries and destinations, excursions and activities, and value.
Perks include a roommate matching service for solo cruisers, competitively priced single supplements and group discounts, plus price match guarantees. Ships offer traditional-style cruising and Exclusive Discovery Series, which provides first-person accounts from locals or expert talks about the destinations you'll be visiting. Picking the best line for a European river cruise can be a challenge as more and more lines compete for attention on European waterways. Many American travelers have heard of river cruise lines like Viking, AmaWaterways and Avalon Waterways -- and you can find more about them below. On a river cruise, you can discover multiple destinations – and even get to the heart of them with a guided tour, should you wish – in just one trip, all the while returning to the same luxurious stateroom and comfy bed each night. Its banks are lined with dramatic, unspoiled landscapes, postcard-perfect towns and villages, and grand, opulent cities.
Travelers can partake in authentic shore excursions and cultural experiences at AmaWaterways’s various destination ports. AAA members can enjoy Welcome Amenities and stateroom savings across several journey lengths. Experience an exclusive luxury getaway with AmaWaters, whether it's leisurely strolling through the streets of Amsterdam or enjoying the blissful views of the Seine. Aboard the cruise ships, travelers will find immediate comfort in the spacious staterooms and will satisfy their passion for worldly culture through various destination-based lectures, music performances and cooking classes.
In Lyon, guests can visit foodie heaven at Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, the city’s outstanding indoor food market filled with a vast array of produce. The line’s newest ship sails Europe’s Rhine, Main, Danube and Moselle rivers, featuring a heated pool that transforms into a cinema, spacious suites and a dedicated wellness area. While Scenic isn't strictly adults-only, this elegant Australian-owned cruise line doesn't tend to draw many families, making it ideal for couples.
France’s Rhône River is a haven for epicures and history buffs, with riverboats, from companies like Avalon Waterways, that bring guests through Provence (and, sometimes, Burgundy). Add this altogether and a voyage on the Seine has to be one of the loveliest cruises in Europe in terms of scenery and history — and the most effortless way to enjoy Paris and the surrounding countryside. Best for countrysideThere are many reasons to cruise the Seine, not least the glorious countryside of Normandy, with apple orchards, weeping willows and thatched cottages lining the banks. You’ll call at historic Rouen, and have a chance to visit the poignant D-Day landing beaches and cemeteries. Cruises also take in the Palace of Versailles and, in season, Monet’s house and garden at Giverny. Highlights include visits to Avignon; Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy; Vienne, home to the remains of a 14,000-seat amphitheater and a temple built in 25 B.C.; and an excursion to Arles, where Vincent van Gogh lived and painted.
Grand Circle generally draws travelers aged over 50 and is a popular line for Americans cruising the rivers of Europe. Grand Circle attracts a high number of repeat passengers, drawn by value-for-money fares that are often lower than other European river cruises. With more itineraries than any other, Viking is the best cruise line in Europe for first-time river cruisers. The world's largest river cruise line offers a well-tested river cruise recipe on its fleet of identical Scandinavian-style longships. Insightful port talks provide information on the next day's program that cover all questions, such as how much walking is involved and difficulty levels.
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