Our pick of the best river cruises

With river cruise holidays becoming more and more popular over the past few years, a new generation of holidaymakers are being drawn by the truly special travel experiences that the river cruise offers. River cruise boats may not be as grand as the larger ocean liners, but river cruises have seen something of a revamp over the past decade, and modern river cruise ships like Avalon River Cruises provide cruising experiences that are made for first timers and seasoned cruisers alike. From increased entertainment facilities onboard to tour guides and restaurants, river cruises are rocketing in popularity. The Central European Experience (Prague to Paris) river cruise from Avalon Cruises is one of our particular favourites as it includes travelling down the Moselle, Rhine and Main rivers and also pedestals Prague as a major feature, a city which is simply beautiful.



Indeed, the Rhine River is one of our favourite river cruise destinations. Flowing all the way from the Swiss Alps to the Netherlands, there are a multitude of sights to see on the Rhine riverfront and beyond. River cruise holidays will often take you through cities such as Heidelberg, Bonn, Strasbourg and Basel. Other possible sight-seeing locations include the striking Rhine Gorge (an UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the legendary Lorelei Rock. If you do decide to visit the Rhine Gorge area, be sure to pay Rudesheim am Rhein a visit, a famous winemaking town in Hesse, Germany.



For a truly relaxing river cruise, we suggest taking a tour of Koblenz. Here, there are wine bars aplenty (known as weinstube) that serve local wines from the Mosel and Rhine vineyards. French wines are certainly ones to look out for and you can enjoy a glass or three in the midst of beautiful medieval architecture which oozes romance and has an impressive charm. If you do make it to Koblenz, be sure to also visit Bacharach as well which is situated very close by. This is a town which is named after the Roman God of wine, Bacchus. Legend has it that once a year Bacchus rolls a barrel of wine through the streets of Bacharach for everyone to enjoy. Be sure to taste the wines here, they are to be remembered.



The Regina Rheni II cruises down the Rhine from Amsterdam to Maastricht. Along the way, you can tour the vineyards of Alsace, and go on fascinating day trips to beer festivals in addition to the house of Anne Frank.



So, if you have never been on a cruise holiday before, and find the idea of taking to the sea in a giant ocean liner somewhat daunting, a river cruise can serve as a gentle introduction to life aboard a cruise ship.



River Cruise Holiday article by Danny Smith