Travel: From the Rhone to the Danube, tips on river cruising in Europe

It doesn’t take being an American in Paris or seeing “An American in Paris” to know the must-do’s when visiting France.

Get bedazzled by the sparkling Eiffel Tower at night, experience pure opulence at Versailles, take an obstructed selfie with the mesmerizing Mona Lisa, wine taste your way through Bordeaux, compare their Disneyland to ours — not that all those things were possible when Gene Kelly sang and danced his way through France  … or at least the MGM lot in Culver City.

The list of must-sees in La République française goes on and on like a busking accordionist at a Metro station in the 7th Arrondissement. For first-time delegates of the red, white and blue in the land of the blue, white and red, each of these and many others are pinch-me experiences. But what about for second-timers? Does the extraordinary become ordinary on a return visit?

No one is suggesting that a reunion with Italian noblewoman Lisa del Giocondo in the Louvre or another pop-in at King Louis XIV’s palace west of Paris wouldn’t be special. Au contraire. But if the potential for déjà vu sounds like a vacation with more blah than ooh la la, consider this French twist: Take a river cruise.

We don’t mean those half-day sails with sardine-treated tourists on boats as dense as flourless buche de noel. We’re talking a bona fide luxury river cruise of at least a week — the kind that, because of their relaxed nature and intricate itineraries that take guests to more nice-to-see’s than must-see’s, may not be the best for newbies. Think going to a gourmet shop instead of a supermarket for your regular groceries.

Also, think Europe when considering an introduction to river cruising. Rich in resplendent waterways, the continent across the Atlantic is the world’s unrivaled river cruise capital. And within this travel-enticing destination, France is la première with seven of the most popular itineraries in the crowded and competitive industry.

Going one factoid further, over half of North Americans traveling by river in Europe sail with Viking Cruises. Second place isn’t even close; AmaWaterways has 18%, according to estimates by Cruise Industry News. All other comers have less than 10% market share including Avalon Waterways and Uniworld Boutique River Cruises.

The 51% that sail with Viking (vikingrivercruises.com) do so on the industry’s largest fleet. Viking’s armada is 79 strong, not including three vessels under construction, and 55 of those are near-identical sister longships built to fit the many locks and tight ports of Europe’s romantic rivers.

Romantic is a descriptor rarely associated with non-European waterways. The Mississippi is mighty and the Mekong is mysterious, but when Mother Nature passed out amorous dreaminess to the world’s rivers, at the front of the line were the Rhone, Seine, Dordogne and Gironde, all meandering in France, along with the Danube and Rhine, Europe’s other glistening gems.

Serenely sailing through parts of Europe where nearly every view is a picture postcard, with or without a charming castle or formidable fortress on a lush hilltop above, a river cruise can be full of fairy-tale moments.

One of those magical memories is guaranteed on Viking’s 8-day “Lyon & Provence” cruise, and so easy to get. Just walk off the ship in treasure-filled Arles, France, take a few steps to the right and you’ll be standing in the very spot where Vincent Van Gogh painted “Starry Night” in 1888. The icing on the French yogurt cake is buying an original piece of signed art from an entrepreneurial painter working at said spot on the bank of the Rhone River. For only 20 or 30 euro, that could be the best souvenir purchase on the entire trip.

Another amazing European journey is Viking’s 8-day eastbound “Romantic Danube” cruise. Among the more stunning visuals between Regensburg, Germany and Budapest, Hungary, is when the concrete gate of the Melk locks slowly opens to expose western Austria’s grand Wachau Valley. Standing at the bow of the ship for the dramatic reveal provides an indelible eyeful of the lavish 11th-century Melk Abbey against a rocky outcrop.

River vs. ocean cruising

Besides going where ocean liners don’t, or in most cases, can’t, river itineraries tend to be more immersive than those by sea. Built to the maximum dimensions allowed through Europe’s canals — 443 feet long and 95 feet wide — river ships are able to pull into the heart of a city like a parallel parking car. Being central to key points of interest benefits passengers who don’t want to choose between an organized shore excursion or exploring independently. Most stopovers allow time for both with bonus time in such biggies as Paris, Vienna and Budapest.

While about a third of ocean passengers prefer to stay on a ship during an entire cruise or at least a majority of it, scant is the number of guests who don’t get off on a river cruise. With no spa, gym, casino, robust schedule of activities, production shows or round-the-clock food, it’s all about access to marvelous destinations. Plus, at least one tour is offered for free at every port, so why stay back just for the cookies that are available 24/7?

Bucking the adage that you get what you pay for, the fare-included tours on the three Viking itineraries we can talk about from personal experience are well-organized and enriching. In Arles, for example, the guided walking tour takes guests to a Roman coliseum and where Van Gogh slept, painted and was influenced during his 15 months there. Viking’s “Paris & the Heart of Normandy” itinerary includes an all-day excursion to the hallowed beaches of northern France where Allied soldiers engaged in an operation known as D-Day on June 6, 1944.

Countless other experiences with various degrees of reverence or heartstring tugging are available on river cruises outside of France. A favorite on Viking’s Danube cruises is a tour of a near-1,000-year-old working monastery in lower Austria. Gottweig Abbey, overlooking the adorable hamlet of Krems in the fertile Wachau Valley, partially funds itself through the sale of wine crafted where 13 Benedictine monks still reside full-time. The fermented fruits of their labor are quite quaffable, and what a kick it is doing tastings of monk-blessed vintages at a monastery founded in 1083. Can’t do that on an ocean cruise.

Something common on the sea that is very different on rivers is getting seasick. With short distances between stops and moving along mostly placid waters, there’s a reason you won’t find “riversick” in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary.

What river cruises do have on par with their ocean counterparts are quality accommodations, generally decent food and the joy of visiting multiple destinations while unpacking only once. Cabin-wise, most of Viking’s fleet devoted to Europe has units as grand as the 445-square-foot “Explorer Suite” which features a wraparound veranda and two separate sleeping and sitting areas, and as small as the “French Balcony” that’s a super-tight 135 square feet, but at least a sliding glass panel. A happy medium is the “Veranda” stateroom that has 205 square feet and a real balcony.

Which brings up a nit, and it mostly applies to Viking because of its large fleet that frequently goes to ports shy on berths. Sister longships being double- or even triple-parked is fairly common not just during the day, but overnight. Not being able to enjoy a balcony was the most frequently heard gripe on the Rhone-based Hermod and Danube-sailing Gullveig. What’s nice is Viking lets frowning guests without the drink package drown their sorrows with complimentary beer and wine at lunch, dinner and a VIP reception that’s hosted on every sail.

Age-wise, river cruises skew older than even many ultra-luxury ocean voyages. So few guests are not of retirement age that this now-62-year-old and his slightly younger wife were called “the kids” on a sail from Paris to Normandy only 12 years ago. Today, we’re right there in terms of the average age of a Viking cruiser in Europe.

As for price of a European river cruise, an 8-day itinerary in June 2024 starts around $2,800 per person on Viking, which is in the middle of the “good-better-best” model. Uniworld and butler-bestowing Scenic Luxury Cruises are generally higher in price and regarded as more lavish than Emerald Cruises, Tauck and the one that started it all, Viking.

Interestingly, if not refreshingly, while the competition throws the “L” word around whether it fits or not, Viking never describes itself as a luxury brand. In Europe, Viking’s longships showcase what the cruise line calls “streamlined Scandinavian design and understated elegance.” In other words, tasteful, yet unpretentious.

Whichever line or level is chosen, one truism about seeing Europe by river is the Cabernet, chocolate and cheese enjoyed on or off the ship taste equally wonderful.