How to Choose the Right River Cruise for You
There is no single 'best' river cruise. There is only the best river cruise for you based on your travel style, interests, budget, and how much time you have. This guide walks through the key decisions every Australian needs to make before booking, in the order they should be made.
Step 1: Choose Your River (or Let It Choose You)
Start with the destination you've always wanted to visit, not with the logistics.
You've always wanted to go to Austria and Hungary → Danube.
You want Germany's castles, wine, and Christmas markets → Rhine.
France is the dream, especially Paris → Seine.
Portugal intrigues you wine, history, Atlantic coast → Douro.
Southeast Asia before the flight length puts you off → Mekong (8 12 hours from Australia).
You want France but something completely off the tourist trail → Canal barge, Burgundy or Alsace.
Step 2: Choose Your Duration
River cruise itineraries typically run 7 15 days. The right duration depends on how much time you have and how long you're willing to spend on a single itinerary.
• 7 8 days: A single river, a single country or 2 3 countries. Good for first-timers or time-constrained travellers.
• 11 15 days: Multiple rivers or an extended single-river itinerary. Better value per hour of travel time from Australia.
• 21+ days: Grand European voyage combining Rhine, Main, and Danube (Amsterdam to Budapest). Once-in-a-lifetime journey.
Step 3: Choose Your Season
Spring (April May): Tulip season in the Netherlands, blossom on the Douro and Rhine, lighter crowds before summer.
Summer (June August): Longest days, all onboard activities operating, Christmas market cruises booking out also busiest and warmest.
Autumn (September October): Harvest season on the Rhine and Douro wine tastings are at their best. Foliage colours are exceptional.
Winter (November December): Christmas market cruises on the Danube and Rhine. Atmospheric, festive, and a completely different experience.
Step 4: Choose Your Ship Size and Cabin Level
CroisiEurope's river ships carry 100 180 passengers; canal barges carry 22. On river ships, cabins range from standard (lower deck, smaller windows) to suites (upper deck, wider windows, sometimes a balcony). For a first cruise, a standard cabin is perfectly comfortable the ship is small enough that you're never far from the sun deck.
Step 5: Decide on Extensions
Most Australian travellers add 3 7 days of independent city time before and/or after the cruise. Choose the open-jaw flight option (fly into the start city, home from the end city) to avoid backtracking.
Still Not Sure? Call the Experts.
CroisiEurope Australia's team (1300 739 652) handles these conversations daily. A 10-minute call will clarify your options better than hours of online research and costs nothing.
Book Your 2027 River Cruise with CroisiEurope Australia
CroisiEurope Australia handles all bookings for Australian travellers local support, AUD pricing, no credit card surcharges on Visa or Mastercard.
Phone: 1300 739 652 | Email: contact@croisicruises.com
Website: www.croisieuroperivercruises.com.au | Office: Tweet World Travel, 544 Magill Road, Magill SA 5072
2027 Early Booking is open now. Enquire today.
