European River Cruises in the Ascendancy

Until fairly recently, Europe river cruises were very much considered a summer pastime. However, the recent surge in popularity that European river cruises have enjoyed has meant that European river cruise operators, such as Avalon European River Cruises, are now offering European river cruises the year round. It is easy to see why river cruises in Europe are on the up. To begin with, travelling onboard a cruise ship is far more comfortable, convenient, and intimate than going on a coach or a train or a plane. Another reason for their growing popularity is that European river cruises give travellers unmatched access to often overlooked cities around Europe. Or perhaps the most important cause for the upswing in demand for European river cruises is that riverboats have finally reached a point where they rival their ocean cruise competitors. River cruises Europe are available on a larger range of river going boats than ever before.

By far the most popular European river cruise destination are Danube and the RhineAmong European tourists, the most popular river cruise destinations have been the Rhine and the Danube]. The impressive Rhine river is a surprisingly long waterway that takes shape in the Alps of Switzerland and travels through Germany, Italy, Austria, France, Belgium and Luxembourg before reaching Holland. That is a total length of almost 800 miles . Historically, the Rhine has always been one of the most important rivers in Europe. It has acted as a natural border for countries since the days of the Roman Empire. As you would expect from a river with such a fascinating history there are many ancient sights to see en route.

The Danube river is longer than the Rhine by more than double, with an overall length of around 1771 miles or 2850 kilometres. The Danube starts its life in the Black Forest. The Danube heads through eastern Europe and passes through Austria and Hungary, as well as Slovakia, Serbia, Croatia and Ukraine. On the way, it passes through a number of major European cities, including Belgrade and Bratislava, Regensburg and beautiful Budapest. There is also plenty of wildlife on show, especially at the fabulous Danube Delta. The Danube River has famously been painted and photographed, sung about and written about, and will always be a source of great inspiration to artists of all kinds.

Johnny Fong is an experienced travel writer and blogger with a love of all things European. Johnny recommends Avalon Cruises for  River Cruises Europe .