+1 (323) 800 6001European River Cruise Packages
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Talk to a travel expert — call +1 (323) 800 6001, 24/7. Tell us your departure city, dates and who is traveling; we price flights, hotel and transfers together and book it for you. Prefer to start online? Use Plan My Vacation and we call you back.
A European river cruise package from Fond Travels pairs a Rhine, Danube, Seine, Douro or Rhône river cruise with round-trip flights from the US and a hotel night in the embarkation city before you board. Call +1 (323) 800 6001 24/7 and a real travel expert will price the cruise, flights and hotel together for your dates.
River cruising is Europe without the packing and unpacking. The ship docks in the heart of historic towns, meals and most excursions are included, and you wake up somewhere new nearly every day with a walking tour already arranged.
Why a European river cruise
Rivers were Europe's original highways, so the castles, cathedrals and wine villages you came to see are right on the banks. Ships carry roughly 100 to 190 guests, dock steps from old-town squares and sail slowly enough that the scenery is the entertainment. Days are structured but relaxed: a guided walk in the morning, lunch on board while you cruise, an afternoon in a new town, dinner with regional wines. Because so much is included, the price you agree to on the phone is close to what you will actually spend. It is a comfortable way to see many countries in one trip, especially for travelers who prefer not to drive or change hotels every night.
What's included in a European river cruise package
- Your river cruise in the stateroom category you select, with all onboard meals, and on many ships wine and beer with lunch and dinner.
- Guided shore excursions in most ports, typically one included per day.
- Round-trip flights on major airlines from your US city to the embarkation city and home from the disembarkation city, including open-jaw routings.
- A pre-cruise hotel night, with transfers between airport, hotel and ship where available.
- Optional extensions in Paris, Prague, Vienna, Amsterdam or Lisbon, plus travel insurance on request.
Call for current pricing on your dates; your expert will explain exactly what each cruise operator includes.
Best time to sail
The main season runs from late March through early November. April and May bring tulips in the Netherlands and blossoms along the Rhine and Danube, with cool mornings and mild afternoons. Summer is warmest and busiest, with long daylight hours; some rivers occasionally see low water in hot, dry spells, so flexibility helps. September and October are ideal for the Rhine, Moselle and Douro wine harvests and autumn color. Late November and December bring Christmas market cruises on the Rhine and Danube, with mulled wine, lights and cold, festive weather. Winter outside the market season is quiet, and most ships pause for maintenance.
Ships, cabins and itineraries
River ships are long, low and intimate, with a sun deck, a single main dining room, a lounge and often a small fitness room. Cabins map to ocean categories with river-specific twists: lower-deck staterooms have a fixed window near the waterline (the river equivalent of an oceanview cabin); mid and upper decks offer French balconies with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass, full step-out balconies on some ships, and suites with separate sitting areas. There are no interior cabins on most river ships, so every room gets daylight. Cabins are compact compared with ocean ships, so if space matters, step up a category or ask about the handful of ships with larger standard rooms.
Typical itineraries are 7 nights: Amsterdam to Basel on the Rhine, Budapest to Passau or Nuremberg on the Danube, round-trip Paris on the Seine, round-trip Porto on the Douro, or Lyon to Avignon on the Rhône. Grand voyages of 14 to 23 nights link the Rhine, Main and Danube from Amsterdam to Budapest and beyond.
Ports and shore days
- Rhine: Amsterdam's canals, Cologne's cathedral, the castle-lined Rhine Gorge, Rüdesheim, Heidelberg and Strasbourg.
- Danube: Budapest's Parliament and thermal baths, Bratislava, Vienna's palaces, Melk Abbey and the Wachau Valley, Salzburg or Regensburg by coach.
- Seine: Paris, Giverny's gardens, Rouen's old town, Honfleur and the Normandy D-Day beaches.
- Douro: Porto, terraced vineyards, quintas and a day trip to Salamanca, Spain.
- Rhône and Saône: Lyon, Beaujolais, Avignon's papal palace and Arles.
Most stops are walkable from the dock, and included tours usually offer a gentle-paced option.
Departure ports and getting to the ship
Ships board in Amsterdam, Basel, Budapest, Paris, Porto, Lyon, Nuremberg, Vienna or Passau, depending on the itinerary. We fly you into the nearest major airport, such as Amsterdam, Zurich, Budapest, Paris, Porto, Lyon or Munich, on a nonstop or one-stop routing from your home city, arriving the day before embarkation. The included hotel night absorbs the overnight flight and any delays, and lets you see the city before boarding. Because many itineraries end in a different city than they start, we book open-jaw flights so you never backtrack. Central Europe is six hours ahead of US Eastern Time; arriving a day early also softens the jet lag.
Who this cruise suits
- First-timers: a gentle, all-inclusive introduction to Europe with tours already arranged.
- Couples: wine regions, French balconies and unhurried evenings in port.
- Seniors: smooth water, no tenders, elevators on most ships and slower-paced excursions. See senior travel reservations.
- Families: best for teens and multigenerational groups; a few operators run dedicated family sailings.
- Groups and reunions: partial or full charters and coordinated flights from several cities via group travel flights.
- Long-haul comfort: ask about business class for the overnight flight.
How booking by phone works
- Call +1 (323) 800 6001 with your preferred river, month, home airport and cabin style.
- Your expert compares operators and sailings, checks flights in real time and quotes the full package.
- Confirm names exactly as on your passport, choose insurance and extras, and pay securely by card.
- Receive cruise, flight and hotel confirmations by email with a pre-departure checklist.
Plan it online
Send your dates and wish list through our vacation request form and an expert will call you back. You can also browse flights, hotels and rental cars for pre- or post-cruise days.
Why book by phone with Fond Travels
Fond Travels is an independent US travel agency in Woodbridge, Virginia. Real travel experts answer 24/7, match flights to embarkation times, and remain your point of contact while you are abroad. We are rated 4.8 of 5 with 2,200+ Google reviews, and we work with leading cruise lines and major airlines so one call covers the entire trip.
