We’ve looked at both cruising and touring in the Mediterranean. Is there a way to combine the best of both? River cruises combine the best of an ocean cruise with the best of a land tour. Further, river cruises especially apply to European trips as the original means of transportation were rivers like the Danube, Moselle, Rhine, and Main. Do you want to visit Europe and see the sites, in comfort with plenty of time to explore?
River Cruises Budapest
Many people choose to visit Europe on a cruise for their first time but comment they don’t have enough time to see all of the sites. While people on panoramic land tours have lots of sightseeing but travel time and multiple packing and unpacking may dampen the vacation “feel” of their trip. What a dilemma! River Cruises make it easy to really take in the sites of Europe in comfort and with more time to explore.
River Cruises are an ideal way to take in the sites:
- Quintessential European destinations, like Budapest, Vienna, and Lyon are located right on the great rivers of Europe.
- Sail historic waterways to experience an up close view of ever changing scenery, like castles, small villages, steep gorges, and vineyards as you sail by in your own quaint floating hotel.
- River cruises often dock right in the heart of town close to charming squares, magnificent cathedrals, and bustling market places.
River cruises provide unmatched comfort to experience multiple cities without the stress.
- Unpack once with the comfort of knowing where you’ll spend each night with a familiar venue for dinner and plenty of time to explore ashore.
- Intimate ships (most average well below 200 guests)
- All cabins have a window at minimum. Virtually any ship in any line in Europe has three decks. The two higher decks will have French balconies (you lean on the rail from inside the cabin) and some ships have “ocean ship” style balconies. The bottom deck is partially underwater with windows.
River Cruises give you more time to explore:
- You’ll spend less time getting to the sites you want to explore and more time being there! (Did you know that river cruises are the fastest growing segment in the travel industry?)
- Enjoy breathtaking, constantly changing scenery with no “sea days” or “tendering” into port
- Enjoy dinner ashore along with free time to explore after sundown on many itineraries
- Many itineraries offer a first or last night aboard in ports like Amsterdam or Budapest to allow time for sightseeing in your “docked” hotel room.
River cruises have a higher upfront cost than ocean cruises but offer a far more inclusive experience. At Daydream Excursions we focus on the “cost to come home!” River cruises include many land tours along with beer and wine at dinner and perhaps lunch. When you add the price for an ocean cruise plus your shore excursions, tours, optional meals and drinks, the river cruise may be an intriguing option to literally cover much more ground at a very comfortable pace with lots of inclusions.
Questions? We’ve got answers – just an email or phone call away!
