European River Cruise Routes & Destinations
Europe’s rivers each tell a different story. Here are the great routes and what makes each one special.
The Danube
Four capitals — Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava and beyond — plus the scenic Wachau Valley and famous Christmas markets. The classic first river cruise.
The Rhine
The castle route: the UNESCO Rhine Gorge, Cologne’s cathedral, Strasbourg and, in spring, the Dutch tulip fields, from Amsterdam to Basel.
The Douro (Portugal)
Portugal’s terraced wine valley from Porto — port-wine quintas, dramatic locks and some of the prettiest scenery in Europe.
The Seine (France)
Paris to Normandy — Monet’s Giverny, Rouen and the D-Day beaches, with the Eiffel Tower as your start and finish.
The Rhône & Saône
Provence and Burgundy — Lyon’s gastronomy, Avignon, Arles and vineyards, with food and wine at the center.
Main, Moselle & Elbe
Bavaria’s medieval towns and Nuremberg (Main), storybook wine villages (Moselle) and Dresden and Prague (Elbe).
Rhine cruises often begin in Amsterdam and Seine cruises in Paris, and a pre-cruise night lets you see the city at leisure — try Amsterdam hotels or places to stay in Paris.
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