Sometimes for our holidays we want to see lots of new places, take in some new sights and still have plenty of time for relaxation, which seems a lot to ask.
If you want to avoid the stress of travelling from one destination to another whilst trying to cram everything into an itinerary, then a river cruise may be the perfect solution.
Check out Travel Department's advantages and their reasons for going on a river cruise for your next holiday.
1. Less time spent repacking
If you were travelling overland from city to city, you would constantly need to repack your bags, haul your baggage, check in and then check out of a new hotel at each destination.
The beauty of river cruise ships is they are essentially floating boutique hotels. You only need to unpack once, so you can get comfortable, whilst travelling from one fascinating destination to another and settle in your cabin for the rest of your trip.
2. Cruise iconic waterways
Discover the highlights of Europe, sail along the Danube, Rhine or Douro. Take our Classical Danube River Cruise or sail along the Rhine with Lueftner Cruises. You can also experience a river cruise in some worldwide destinations, such as Egypt, where you can cruise down the Nile and visit all the ancient sites or take the Yangtze Cruise in China.
3. Wake up to a different view
The beauty of a River Cruise is that the ships are much smaller than ocean cruise liners, which allows them to navigate through smaller waterways, meaning you can experience many adventures along the way and dock in the very heart of cities or towns.
4. Guided city tours
Every day will be an exciting experience in a new destination. Depending on your tour, you can enjoy guided city tours in Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava on our Danube river cruises or you can explore Cologne, Heidelberg and Strasbourg on our Rhine river cruises.
5. Optional excursions
Depending on your river cruise itinerary, there will be plenty of optional excursions at each point of port of call, from experiencing a classical music concert in Vienna and hearing the works of Mozart to wine tasting in Cochem.
If you prefer, you can stay on-board the ship or explore more of wherever you’re docked that day independently; your local guide or tour leader will be happy to give some top tips or suggestions.
6. It's relaxing
Each ship offers a range of fantastic facilities, you can relax on the sundeck whilst taking in the scenery, have a drink in the bar, enjoy a delicious themed dinner prepared specially by the onboard chef and even experience live music.
As it’s much smaller than an ocean cruise liner, you’ll have more of a chance to get to know your fellow like-minded passengers and the crew members in a more laid back setting. Also, unlike some ocean cruises where the seas can get rough, it offers a smoother sailing journey, so there’s a much smaller chance of travel sickness and there’s always something interesting to see on either side of the river.
7. It's stress free
It’s all taken care of, as our holidays include return flights, guided transfers, and full board accommodation aboard your vessels; allowing you more time to experience the sights, relax and enjoy your river cruise escape.
A river cruise holiday is a fantastic way to visit multiple destinations, get a taste of some of Europe’s beautiful capital cities or to tick off some of those items off your dream travel list while avoiding the stress of organising a comprehensive itinerary yourself.
