The most famous rivers in Europe are undoubtedly the Danube and Rhine; either could be the best river cruise for first timers. Between them, they showcase a vast concentration of culture-rich cities and scenic countryside, with plenty of different itineraries to choose from, including Christmas markets and New Year sailings.
Both of these wonderful waterways are also very easy to reach, with multiple local airports served by all the major international airlines. Here are some of the best river cruise itineraries to consider for your first river cruise.
Westbound Danube River Cruises
Bratislava, Slovakia
One classic week-long itinerary will take you from the Hungarian capital of Budapest, divided neatly in two by the Danube with the contrasting sides of leafy Buda and buzzing, cultural Pest, to Vilshofen in Germany.
You’ll visit four countries and three European capitals on this itinerary. Once you’ve left Budapest, you’ll stop in Slovakia and its cute, walkable capital, Bratislava. The city is dotted with quirky and whimsical street art and the most famous is “Cumil”, a bronze statue of a utility worker peering out from a manhole cover.
Continuing into Austria, another headline stop is the elegant Austrian capital of Vienna, with grand palaces that housed emperors, the “dancing” white Lipizzaner horses of the Spanish Riding School, and classical music at every turn. It was here that Johann Strauss II composed his best-known waltz, The Blue Danube.
Melk, Austria
Melk is the gateway to the mighty Melk Abbey, perched on a rocky headland high above the Danube. It took nearly 35 years to build this Baroque masterpiece, which is considered by many to be the most magnificent monastery in Europe. Today, it is still home to 22 monks. Afterwards, you can stroll through the attractive town and stop at one of the cafés or pick up some souvenirs.
Arguably, the most beautiful stretch of the Danube is the Wachau Valley. Listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the scenic, 22-mile stretch between the Austrian towns of Krems and Melk is lined with romantic castle ruins and the head-turning scenery of apricot orchards and steep, terraced vineyards. These produce the light Grüner Veltliner wine that you’ll get to try alongside regional menus served onboard your river ship.
Engelszell Abbey, Austria
There are more monastic splendors to admire in Engelhartszell, where 18th-century Engelszell Abbey was built in elaborate Rococo style and has ornate interiors with painted ceilings.
Eastbound Danube River Cruises
Linz, Austria
Another Danube itinerary, which is also one of the best river cruises for first-timers, will take you in the opposite direction from Vilshofen to Budapest, with a day in beautiful Vienna en route. Highlights on this sailing include a stop at Linz in Austria.
The once-industrial city has remodeled itself as a center of contemporary culture and is a vibrant UNESCO-listed City of Media and Arts. Make sure to try some hazelnut-filled Linzer torte, which is the oldest known cake named after a city.
Grein, Austria
Charming Grein is notable for two very different-sized claims to fame. The 15th-century castle which overlooks the town is among the oldest in Austria, while the tiny theater in the Old Town, constructed in 1791, is the country’s oldest continually used playhouse. The auditorium can hold an audience of just 130, and there are prime front row seats with locks that were once reserved for the rich.
Another quaint stop is the Hungarian village of Gönyű, which was once an ancient Roman settlement and later became a community of sailors and fishermen. This heritage can be traced at the visitor center, once a fisherman’s cottage, and the nearby Life on the Danube Bank exhibition.
Christmas on the Rhine
Mainz, Germany
Say goodbye to holiday cooking and cleaning by taking a Christmas river cruise on the Rhine from Nuremberg to Basel and letting the crew do all the work for you. You’ll get to spend more time with your loved ones, learn about festive traditions, and enjoy traditional yuletide food in different countries along the way.
Your ship will be beautifully decorated, with a large tree, and—who knows?—you might even get a visit from Santa. You’ll spend Christmas Day in Würzburg, one of the towns in the beautiful German region of Bavaria. Here, stroll around the town and admire the half-timbered buildings—a construction style known as Fachwerk—surrounding the market square.
This itinerary also takes in Mainz, where an impressive 30-foot high fountain, adorned with 200 bronze figures, celebrates the town’s annual carnival season.
Strasbourg, France
Then, you’ll sail into French Strasbourg, once part of Germany, where the food is influenced by both cultures and the delightful Petite France district is surrounded by canals. This itinerary ticks off a third country when your ship reaches Basel, in Switzerland, where the Old Town is a labyrinth of narrow cobblestone streets dotted with more than 200 ornate fountains.
Christmas on the Danube
Budapest, Hungary
See how Christmas is celebrated along the Danube on a voyage from Budapest in Hungary to Nuremberg in Germany. As you start your journey in Budapest, the Hungarian capital will be in full festive swing, with locals out enjoying the festive markets as the excitement for Christmas reaches its peak.
You’ll spend Christmas Eve in another capital city, Bratislava in Slovakia, the scent of sizzling sausages and spicy mulled wine in the cold winter air. Families spend the evening of December 24 at home, eating together and exchanging gifts, by which time you’ll be gliding along the Danube in your cozy ship, beautifully decked out for the festive season.
Dürnstein, Austria
Christmas Day unfolds in Vienna, perhaps a time to take some fresh air as you stroll the Stadtpark, especially lovely if it’s blanketed in snow, to admire the statue of Johann Strauss. Your journey will continue through the beautiful Wachau Valley, where the ruin of Dürnstein Castle gazes down over the winding river. Admire the majestic Melk Abbey and then cross the invisible border into Germany to continue your celebrations in Passau, Regensburg, and Nuremberg.
Christmas Market River Cruises Between Vilshofen and Budapest
Budapest, Hungary
The Christmas market season, which runs from late November through December, is an absolutely magical time to visit Europe and enjoy your first river cruise vacation. With a history dating back hundreds of years, towns and villages along the river banks are transformed into winter wonderlands. Wooden chalets, decorated with fairy lights, sell food, handmade crafts, gifts, and more. At the same time, these itineraries provide a superb introduction to some of Europe’s top river cruise destinations.
When you embark or disembark in the Hungarian capital of Budapest, you can raise your glass in a celebratory drink at one of the city’s ruin bars. These unusual bars grew up in old, often disused buildings and have eye-catching, idiosyncratic décor such as old cars used for seats and street art. Some, such as Szimpla Kert, are open in the daytime.
Wiener Rathaus in Vienna, Austria
Similarly, the elegant Austrian capital of Vienna is a highlight on any festive season sailing, which typically operate from Budapest in Hungary and Vilshofen in Germany.
Vienna comes into its own at Christmas, and markets spring up in front of the city’s most beautiful buildings, including Schönbrunn Palace and the Rathaus, or Town Hall.
There’s more in the Prater, which is one of the world’s oldest amusement parks, filled with booths and food and drink stands during the festive period. If you’ve got a head for heights, a ride on the giant Ferris wheel is a must-do experience. Built in 1897, and a symbol and landmark of Vienna, at one time it was the world’s biggest wheel.
Viennese Sachertorte
Christmas is a time for treats, so indulge in a slice of Viennese Sachertorte. The original chocolate and apricot cake was first created at the city’s Hotel Sacher in 1832, and variations are sold in every café.
Before or after your visit to Vienna, you’ll drift through the pristine natural countryside of the Wachau Valley, which is a chance to relax and enjoy the festive onboard hospitality.
Passau, Germany
Another featured port on Christmas market sailings is Passau, a German city situated at the meeting point of the Danube, Inn, and Ilz rivers. You can’t miss St. Stephen’s Cathedral, visible throughout the city, and it provides the impressive backdrop for Passau’s main market.
You’ll also want to go inside as it’s home to one of the world’s biggest cathedral organs—with 17,974 pipes and 233 registers—and if you visit at 12 noon, you’ll be treated to a stirring musical recital when the notes fill every corner of the cathedral.
Christmas Market Cruises Between Nuremberg and Budapest
Regensburg, Germany
If you pick a Christmas market sailing from Nuremberg, you’ll visit one of the oldest markets in Germany as it has its roots in the 16th century. Nuremberg is also noted for its toy-making heritage, so you’ll find plenty of presents for youngsters.
Another great place to celebrate the run-up to Christmas is UNESCO-listed Regensburg. In addition to having one of Germany’s best-preserved medieval towns, it’s also said to have the highest concentration of bars—500-plus at the last count—throughout the whole of Germany.
Mulled wine
Every market you visit provides the chance to sample festive specialties, with the most popular being gingerbread and warming spice-infused mulled wine, or glühwein.
Another reason why a Christmas market sailing is the best river cruise for first-timers is that you’ll get an authentic, first-hand experience of local traditions. For example, if your sailing coincides with St. Nicholas Day—December 6—you may well be invited to leave one shoe outside your stateroom door the night before. In the morning, you can expect to find it filled with candies.
Christmas market in Nuremberg, Germany
Danube cruises between Nuremberg and Budapest also call at Vienna, which is beautiful at Christmas, the whole city sparkling with festive markets. Join the locals and take to the ice on one of the seasonal ice rinks, or ride on a Fiaker, the city’s elegant horse–drawn carriages, for a truly romantic experience.
Back on board, your river ship will also be stylishly decorated for the festive season, providing a warm, welcoming home away from home.
Nuremberg to Amsterdam Cruises for New Year
Nuremberg, Germany
Another of the best river cruises for first-timers is to see in the New Year on a river cruise along the Rhine. These voyages combine everything you would normally see and do on a river sailing with the added excitement of discovering New Year’s celebrations in Europe, where it’s traditional to let off fireworks at midnight on December 31. Onboard your ship, there will be a special gala dinner with Champagne at midnight and, of course, you don’t need to worry about how to get home afterwards.
One enticing option to consider is a sailing from Nuremberg to Amsterdam. In Nuremberg, you can sample the famously small local sausages that are served in portions of six to 12, with a side of sauerkraut. If you prefer something sweeter, try the soft and spicy lebkuchen, which has led to Nuremberg’s renown as the world’s capital of gingerbread.
Koblenz, Germany
After Miltenberg, nestled on a dramatic, sweeping bend in the Main River, which is a tributary of the Rhine, there’s plenty to see in Koblenz. Here, the Rhine meets another tributary, the Moselle, a towering equestrian statue of German emperor Kaiser Wilhelm I marking the spot where the two waterways join. For a panoramic bird’s-eye view, take a trip up to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, which took 11 years to build and is Europe’s second-largest preserved fortress.
Cologne Cathedral, Germany
There are more impressive sights in Cologne, where the cathedral is the world’s tallest twin-spired church. If you’re feeling energetic, you can take 533 stairs to the viewing platform in the tower.
Basel to Amsterdam Cruises for New Year
Breisach, Germany
An alternative New Year’s itinerary, also ending in Amsterdam, sets off from Basel in Switzerland. First stop is Breisach, Germany, which is next to the Black Forest, a densely wooded region of rolling hills, famous for cuckoo clocks and delicious chocolate gateau. It was also the setting for fairytales written by brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, and inspired stories such as Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel.
As you continue through Germany there will be plenty of scenic sailing, when you can sit back and watch the ever-changing riverside scenery of vineyards and castles. When you reach Speyer, go to a local bakery to buy a pretzel. While you’ll find them all over Germany, Speyer lays claim to inventing them and here they’re called bretzels.
Heidelberg, Germany
From Mainz you could take a trip to Heidelberg, topped by an imposing castle built between the 13th and 17th centuries and one of Germany’s most impressive landmarks. It must have also hosted some memorable New Year parties in the past as its gigantic 58,400-gallon wine barrel is the largest in Europe.
Budapest, Hungary
Are you tempted to explore Europe’s waterways? Browse Celebrity’s river cruises on the Rhine and Danube and plan your dream vacation.
