Thursday, January 29, 2009

European River Travel: Don't Leave Home Before Having Read This

By Samson Mandez

If you are thinking about river travel, you should spend a moment to consider a European cruise. These kinds of waterborne trips are great to explore the interior of a country, and especially so no the European continent, with its tightly packed and diverse cultures and nationalities.

Regardless of whether you will be cruising by yourself, as a couple, or with a group of people, you will find that European river travel has something special, and that every cruise that you will take on the continent's waterways will be a trip to remember.

Compared to seaborne cruising, there is much more inland territory you can cover on a river trip, and compared to car-borne holidays you won't have to experience the discomfort of constant hotel changes. Plus who has ever heard of a river traffic gridlock?

Even though a European river cruise ship is smaller than an ocean going ship the facilities on board are no less numerous with most ships boasting a ball room, plentiful bars and restaurants, possibly a cinema as well as numerous viewing decks from which you will be able to admire the scenery and the architecture of many of the most beautiful European countries and cities.

Before looking at the boating companies that you may want to book your trip with, it would make sense to decide on the length of your voyage, as well as on the location that interests you and on the amount of amenities that you would expect to come with your package.

Concerning the length, one or two weeks is standard but there are also short break offers for a weekend, and on the other end of the scale, six week Rhine-to-Danube extravaganzas for people with a lot of leisure time.

As for the location, trips tend to concentrate on the bigger rivers such as the Rhine, the Danube and the Seine, but there are also lesser-known alternatives, such as the tributaries of the Elbe in Germany, the Po in the north of Italy, or the rivers of Poland and European Russia.

Another crucial thing to consider is the season of the trip. The south of France or the flower-growing areas of Holland are great for a late spring or summer trip, for instance.

As for the winter, Germany and Austria are great cruising spots because of the snow, the renowned winter markets, and also because of the cakes and cookies! And don't worry, European river boats are all well heated.

As for budgeting, you can find luxury ships, or ships that cater to a more conservative budget when you look for European river travel. One of the best places to find the cheapest fares for European river travel is on the internet. You can always find hot deals for last minute trips when you are looking for European river travel.

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