european river cruises

Hi Kim,

I think it would depend on what your preferences are. Cruising tends to be a laid-back experience, and river cruises are especially so. I personally would prefer taking trains around or spending longer periods of time in romantic cities like Paris, Venice, and Vienna, but it is always up to what you look forward to.

Was thinking would be nice to see small towns and not have to pack and un pack each town

I would check with a couple of cruise companies about average age of their participants; wouldn't be surprised if they had lots of seniors. Have you checked into barge trips in France and England? Have never done one but have seen a video about one in France that looked wonderful. Best of luck! B.

Have you found a particular itinerary that would work for you in terms of visiting the small towns? Many of those cruises spend the majority of the time in larger towns, so make sure you find one that would work for you before you decide if the cruise is even right.

I would echo a prevoius sentiment about age. We went on a river cruise in 2006 and in our early 60s we were definitely one of three "young couples" on board! Apart from that it was a wonderful experience and we would - and hopefully will - do it again.

My mother and late step-father loved river cruising. Most people they were older, but they fell in love with everyone on the boats, including the teenagers traveling with large family groups. I think the older couples would find a young honeymooning couple positively adorable. I'm sure you could get some good advice on how to have a long, happy marriage from some of the seniors! It's a little bit offbeat and unusual, but I think a riverboat cruise sounds like a relaxing charming, romantic way to spend a honeymoon.

Choosing the right river cruise is important. Consider the length, itinerary, rivers cruised, cruise line, time of year and cost.

Don't book the first one you find. Being 20 and honeymooners makes it more important to take more time deciding so that you don't make a mistake. 20 years from now you will want to enjoy the memories.

Do your research on the web before you decide. Read comments from cruisers listed on cruise line webpages.

If you decide on a river cruise I believe you'll enjoy it. There are many to choose from and many companies.

You probably already realize, or should realize that on any kind of cruise (big cruise ships or smaller river cruises), you'll get a mixed bag of fellow travelers, and a fair number of older travelers. I think the larger cruises tend to draw more families and younger people, but on a percentage basis, I think the river cruise is probably has the same potential, but because there are less travelers in total, it often appears like there are more older travelers.

Check out Uniworld http://www.uniworld.com/europe.asp.

We've traveled with them and enjoyed our trip. There are many sights to see, and you can always opt out if you want. We took our 2 girls who were 18 and 20 at the time, and they had fun too. We were lucky in that there happened to be another family with 2 boys of similar age, but it's luck of the draw.

We took the river cruise for alot of what you mentioned. It's a very convenient way to travel and to not have to pack/unpack every day is GREAT! There are plenty of excursions and the food was good. Plenty of free time to go off on our own too. And alot of people on board who really want to make you happy (there's usually a tip envelope to turn in at the end, so there's motivation for them to go out of their way to make you happy!).

Cruises can go down the Rhine to enjoy castles, through France to enjoy the wine, or maybe the Danube. Plenty of options.

If there is a down side, rooms aren't large and it is your honeymoon.......

Hey, Gary made me sit up when I read about cabin size. It is your honeymoon and most riverboat cabins have two SINGLE bunks! Choose your ship carefully!

Iain -- We went on a river cruise from Bucarest - Amsterdam (changing ships in Budapest) last year (2008) and we had a cabin with a KING size bed and as much storage room as a level nine deck on a BIG Carnival cruise liner the previous year :)

HOWEVER I really believe thet honeymooners might be better on a bigger ship as most of the folks I know who hwve done rivr er cruises have found the ages of passengers closer to 70 than 20 :))

Yes, Jackie, I know these exist, that is why I told the OP to choose their ship carefully.

For what it's worth, if I had to breakdown the ages on our cruise I would say:

50% over 65
20% 50 - 65
15% from 25 - 50
15% under 25

Hard to say if you'd be looking for a cruise with alot of couples your age for socialization aspects or if you are looking to get away from the crowds. I would suspect that the older folks would be thrilled at your situation and enjoy meeting and talking with you. And you'd likely meet some folks your age.

But yes, this was just one cruise and maybe our experience isn't the norm.

Kim,
I have also gone on a river cruise. In comparison to a ship cruise, the average age is older. Different lines cater to different age groups. If you are looking to get into city centers, river cruises do that. The food is not nearly as good nor do they offer a great varity. If you are into to each other, on a honeymoon, this could be a good choice. Less crowds and fewer ammenities. I wouldn't say room size is smaller than a cruise ship though. Whatever you choose,
Happy Travels!