River cruising in Europe & Asia

Human settlement largely developed along rivers. We followed them, camped by them, built hamlets, towns and cities.

And river cruising takes us along the ancient and traditional routes — to the very foundation of human history and culture.

This is the “inside world”.

This is also cost-effective, unpack-once touring where we return to the same room every night (nice). A floating hotel taking us effortlessly to new experiences.

In choosing our river cruise, we should think about the route and the places we will wander, as much as we consider the ship and its facilities and inclusions.

And we can be sure that the days will pass well — with a guided walk, perhaps a sightseeing trip, coffee in the lounge, relaxing on the veranda, a cocktail on the sundeck, a meal with new friends, and we’re off to the next place.

And, depending on which company we choose to travel and the package that we pick, touring, meals on board, drinks with those meals, and tips and gratuities might always be included.

MY TOP RIVERS & CRUISES

(in order) (I think)

+ Amsterdam to Budapest. It was the original river cruise in Europe, and I think it is still the best. Itineraries are usually around 15 days, along the Danube, Main and Rhine, through vineyards and past castles, and passing or calling at interesting and pretty places like Cologne, Passau, Melk and Durnstein. But Vienna, Prague and Budapest are the jewels in this brilliant trip. And price? As an example for a good trip with a trusted company, I’m looking at Avalon Waterways’ 15-day trip, which currently is reduced from $12,000 to a price from $9000 per person, twin share. That includes quality shore excursions, a very good ship … oh, and “14 breakfasts, 13 lunches and 14 dinners”. avalonwaterways.com.au

+ In the south of France, the Rhone and Saone is one of my real favourites. Itineraries are usually over about 11 days, and I like to start in the south, usually at Nice or Monaco, or the Mediterranean Sea. Companies coach guests to Arles to join their ship and, from there, they sail to Avignon and Lyon. A lot of packages end there, but consider sailing on into Burgundy, before taking the fast train to Paris.

+ The Seine, north-west from Paris to Giverny, Rouen, and with visits to Honfleur and the Normandy beaches. I recently sailed this — it’s a shorter itinerary than the previous two, a good addition to a good, long stay in Paris, and I loved it.

+ Another interesting area to consider in France is the river cruising out of Bordeaux, in the south-west. Bordeaux is graceful, with an architectural face that has kept the 18th century, grandiose sense of proportion and harmony. It survived the revolution and is constantly under renovation. The three rivers of Bordeaux — the Garonne, Gironde and Dordogne — lend themselves to itineraries of about eight days, and (I think) to travellers interested in tasting the terroir.

+ As you will see in the following pages, the Douro River in Portugal, is a different experience — and one (I’d suggest) enthusiasts of river cruising in Europe come to after experiencing some of those in the previous paragraphs. There’s time in Porto and plenty of local experiences, as Mogens Johansen found, travelling with APT on their new ship Estrela.

+ My mind is back further north in Europe again, with itineraries in Netherlands and Belgium, and including Amsterdam and Rotterdam, Antwerp and Ghent. It can offer an intense experience, with medieval towns, Gothic cathedrals, plenty of castles, and the art of Rubens and Van Gogh. The low countries offer a different landscape of fens laced with rivers, canals and historic ports. Yes, and big clusters of modern windmills, and glimpses of more traditional landmarks.

+ And now we’re in South-East Asia, predominantly on the Mekong River. It’s a different experience — think brown river, small villages and then the big-city buzz.

BIG QUESTIONS

Itineraries, inclusions and the intricacies of the ship.

These are three big questions I suggest asking yourself, if (and/or when) you’re thinking about river cruising.

In essence, what many companies offer is similar — so choices and decisions can be made by thinking about the small details.

Start with well-proven companies like Avalon, Viking, APT, Evergreen, Uniworld and Tauck.

ITINERARIES

There are good reasons why the best known, classic river cruises are popular — and that’s simply because they’re good. Don’t be tempted to search for “something different” just for the sake of it. They are just that because they are so good.

Amsterdam to Budapest, the Rhone and Saone, the Seine, the Rhine and the Douro. The “title” of the itineraries will speak for themselves but look, for example, for overnight stops in places you might like to wander in the evening. On the Seine, for instance, look for an itinerary that includes visiting Monet’s garden in Giverny, Rouen, Honfleur and the Normandy D-Day beaches and you have value.

INCLUSIONS

I’d like travellers to really understand what the price you’re looking at includes. Some (note, not all) will include flights. All will include meals. Most now will include drinks with meals and onboard activities. Most will include at least one daily onshore guided excursion. Lots include tips for crew, and some include tips for local guides. This is largely in response to feedback from Australian travellers. If they are not included, I’d budget for at least €15 ($25) a day per guest to be shared by the crew. Some cruise lines which don’t include tipping will actually include it on your final bill as a “mandatory” payment. It could be $375 per traveller for a 15-day cruise — and, if gratuities aren’t included, $750 is a sum to be considered when you are weighing up companies.

But lets just take a moment on this. Just make sure, in your mind, that all the things you are paying for are what you want. Do you want to do a big tour every day, or would you rather potter around towns and villages by yourself some days, feeling footloose? If you don’t drink alcohol, are you paying for something you won’t be “using”? Does that matter to you?

I’m just suggesting that you consider how you feel about everything.

Personally, I’m happy for some wins and losses. For example, even though I have “paid for dinner”, in my cruise price, I’ll absolutely be the person walking down the gangway and strolling through a little town looking for a local cafe for my evening meal when we are in port overnight.

INTRICACIES

Would you prefer to be on a ship with mainly Australian passengers? Do you like an international mix of companions? In this, you can be guided by these pages. Companies which advertise here are aiming to attract Australian travellers, clearly. That’s a good start. As a general rule, Avalon, Scenic, Evergreen and APT will often have Australian and New Zealand passengers. So too will Viking Cruises, though they are also now favoured by Americans, in my experience, as are Tauck and Uniworld.

Other details? I’m interested in the positioning of the bed in staterooms. Some are “lengthways” along the ship, so you have a view of the TV. Others are “crosswise”, meaning you can prop yourself up in bed, push the sliding doors open and watch Europe go by.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of skinny verandas. I’m simply not going to sit there, behind an eye-height wooden rail. I’d rather have that space included in the room, and have big sliding doors.

If you use a hearing aid, make sure it is compatible with the type of audio device the company you are considering uses on their excursions.

My advice is to pay attention to detail, and visualise.

HISTORY OF RIVER CRUISING

Anyone who enjoys river cruising in Europe might take a moment to thank Rudi Schreiner.

Rudi, then the president of AmaWaterways, has said that in 1992, when the new Main-Danube Canal opened a 4820km river network between the North Sea and the Black Sea, he thought it could be used for passengers, even though it was built for freight.

And it was Rudi who dreamt up a 14-night cruise between Amsterdam and Budapest and planned the itineraries — very much as we see them today.