European River Cruises Becoming Popular Vacation Choice

By Author: Mark Stjean
Total Articles: 59
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European river cruises have become all the rage, and for good reason. On a river cruise in Europe, you can enjoy the luxuries of having your hotel travel with you, and not having to check-in and check-out, or pack and unpack in each city you visit. Unlike ocean cruises, where you may have a long motorcoach ride to the city center from the seaport, Europe's cities and towns were built along its rivers, and on a European river cruise your moving hotel is usually right in the city center. Just step off and enjoy!

There are now many river boats plying Europe's rivers, and the challenge for the consumer is how to select the river cruise ship that offers the best value. As in choosing a hotel, where a Motel 6 will not provide the same vacation experience or comforts as a Sheraton, Hyatt or Ritz Carlton, choosing the right European river cruise takes some doing, especially when all those boats are over there, sight unseen. That's where an experienced travel agent can play a valuable role in helping you choose the right river cruise vacation. Travel agents can also sometimes offer special value-added savings that may not be available ...
... online or direct from the cruise line.

Many travelers are swayed to purchase the least expensive European river cruise package. Perhaps the largest of these is Viking River Cruises. While Viking delivers good value for money, we're often asked what paying a bit more for a different cruise deal will get them - what the points of difference are. Our most popular European river cruise lines are Uniworld and AMA Waterways.

One of the most important things to travelers who go river cruising, next to security, is comfort. A good night's sleep, and the added comfort an exquisite bed provides, is worth a little extra. Uniworld and AMA Waterways offer high-quality hotel-style bedding throughout (unlike some ships with convertible sofa beds). In addition, on both Uniworld and AMA, guests enjoy complimentary wine, beer, or soft drinks at dinner, something Viking's guests pay extra for.

While European river cruise companies generally include shore excursions, Uniworld, for example, also features an epicurean adventure on most cruises, and sometimes two, providing authentic experiences at someone's home, a cooking class, or other added enriching experiences at no additional cost. Uniworld and AMA Waterways provide complimentary bicycles on board. Terrain is quite flat along the rivers, and a bike ride is a great way to get some exercise and fresh air while seeing the sights.

Regardless whether a traveler books airfare with the cruise line or on their own, both Uniworld and AMA Waterways include airport transfers for all guests arriving on the day of boarding or departing on the day of disembarkation. I experienced this myself recently when booking my own flight: my wife and I were met at the airport by a Uniworld representative who took our luggage and guided us to a private van that whisked us away to our accommodations.

River cruises offer a relaxing and comfortable way to enjoy Europe and the numerous itineraries available are a unique alternative to the traditional European cruise vacation. The important thing to remember is in travel you often get what you pay for, so be sure to do your research and/or rely on a good travel agent to select the European river cruise that's right for you.

For help is selecting the best European river cruise to fit your style and budget, contact a TravelStore river cruise expert today.

Written by Dan Ilves, Vice President of Leisure Marketing and Sales.for TravelStore. TravelStore is a company that specializes in helping consumers select the best European river cruise deals. Dan Ilves is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. © 2010 TravelStore.