River Cruises Europe

We LOVE Tauck.

Viking is the biggest & most advertised - and you are on a RiverCruise in Europe, so you really can't go wrong. Do your research and know the differences, but go with what works for your budget & schedule.

Tauck is a family run company here in the USA who have been doing tours since the 1920s . We have been on many of their USA tours and they are truly wonderful. When we began researching RiverCruises in 2013, Tauck was definitely high on our list, but we still wanted to explore ALL the options. We went to AAA and they recommended Tauck or Uniworld to us. Because of our past experience with them, we chose Tauck. They are leaders in the RiverCruise world with BEST OF awards from TRAVEL & LEISURE.

Tauck is also TOTALLY ALL INCLUSIVE. No extra expenses or hidden fees - all tips, port fees, taxes, excursions, food, wine, is included in the price. There are extra excursions/etc that are available on some of the other lines, so just be sure you know that. They are not cheap, but SO worth it. We chose a CHRISTMAS MARKET RIVER CRUISE on the Danube because the prices are SO much better in December & how can you go wrong seeing the Markets!!??

The whole experience was top notch & we are saving to do the Christmas Market Rhine Cruise for Dec2016. The ship was beautiful, the staff went above & beyond. We chose the cheapest room category, but it was very nice w/a great bed & bathroom w/large shower. The food was fantastic. Breakfasts were both buffet and 'cook' stations w/every imaginable food, plus all the regional specialties & great coffees. You could go back to the boat for lunch, but we chose to eat in the towns. Dinners were 5course, order from a menu with 3-5 selections for each course - always the region favorites, but you could aways get steak, chicken, salads, etc - and unlimited red & white wines from the area we visited that day. The time spent in the ports was done very well. Along w/our staff - they hired "local guides" to guide us, show us the highlights, teach us the history, take us into the churches, abbeys, etc. We spent the mornings with the guides & then at lunch, the guided tour was over and we had time on our own to explore the town, Christmas Markets, etc. Shuttles were provided every 30min back to the boat for those who wanted to return to the boat. We were given 'surprises' everyday either in transport to the city, or left on our bed during dinner/bed turndown . . . Gingerbread from Nurmburg, Salt from Salzburg, Chocolate Apricots from Melk, etc - and a wonderful book about the European Christmas Markets. We can't speak highly enough about our experience with Tauck.

A good start would be to check some of the reviews at http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/?src=nav or Trip Advisor.

Viking seems to really push the advertising on TV but there are other good cruise lines as well. You could look at *AMA Waterways, Tauck (as mentioned previously), UniWorld, Avalon Waterways, Jerry Van Dyke River Cruises or others.

I've never taken a river cruise as they're not a particularly good value for single travellers, but I have looked at a number of them.

We had a good Danube experience with Lueftner Cruises a few years back, but have no one to compare them to.

Depending on what you want, you might look for cruises that include a lot of Europeans or other non-American travelers, since you'll be spending time with your fellow cruisers. Not the ideal "back door" experience but still a good way to meet people.

Another 'vote' for Tauck. First class in everything they do. We went on the Belgium/Holland river cruise with them, and it was first-class. We prefer land journeys when in Europe, but if an itinerary makes more sense via river (as this particular trip did), Tauck would be our first choice.

I've been on three European river cruises with Grand Circle Travel, and they all were great. They are an American company and the passengers will be Americans - but the Program Directors [one for each 30-40 passengers] are from the countries you are visiting, and the crew is from all over the world. I've done Vienna - Amsterdam [Danube, Main, Rhine], Budapest - Black Sea [down the Danube, ending with 2 days in a hotel in Bucharest], and Basel - Antwerp [the Rhine-Mosel]. Food has been generous and excellent, with plenty of choice, and wine at dinner; program directors and the local guides in each city all very good. One thing I like is that your bed [a twin] gets made up into a little sofa during the day. GCT does offer 3-4 optional tours on each trip; we've done some but not all. Those are of course an extra cost, and you are also expected to tip the crew and your program director at the end. Otherwise I believe all costs are included.

Our first trip was in August, and the other two in mid-October. The Mosel was getting a bit dark and chilly later in October, as the days got shorter - I was glad I brought silk underwear and a warm hat and gloves. Feel free to send a PM if you'd like more specifics about GCT.

Enjoy your trip, whatever you decide!