A Ancient bridges, palaces, castles, fortresses, cathedrals, abbeys… Spot them from the river or on an onshore excursion.
B Bordeaux: Home of medieval villages and vineyards which have produced wine for 2,000 years. Explore the Bordeaux region from the Garonne River.
C Cuisine: Savour European flavours – crepes, pastries, cheeses, sausages, schnitzel, goulash.
D Danube: Europe’s second longest river at 2,850km and traversing ten countries, it is its most cruised.
E European river cruising began around the 1960s on refitted barges. It wasn’t until the late 1990s that vessels were purpose-built.
F France has the Seine, Loire, Rhone, Dordogne and Garonne Rivers flowing through it giving plenty of opportunity to explore by boat.
G Germany’s Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers lead to cobbled, medieval streets dotted with churches and cathedrals, Bavaria’s breweries and beer gardens, and Rhine Valley vineyards.
H History: Europe has centuries of it.
I Inclusive: From departure to return, cruise costs are usually all inclusive and can be a more affordable option than those of car hire and petrol/train travel, accommodation, food, and time navigating and planning.
J Journeys: Cruises range from three nights to a massive 49 nights, through 15 countries.
K Kick back: Cruising has many advantages – no battling traffic, train or bus delays, or finding accommodation or parking.
L Local guides tell the stories and history of their towns/sites… better than a guidebook.
M Museums: Europe has over 15,000 with many accessible from a cruise stop.
N Nature: Take a biking or hiking excursion into the countryside… to fortresses, along the river, through wine regions.
O Opera: Enjoy it? Make sure your cruise includes Paris or Venice, home of two of Europe’s most opulent opera houses.
P Palaces: From the Danube explore Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace and Liechtenstein City Palace, or Salzburg’s Hellbrunn Palace and Mirabell Palace. From the Seine, France’s Palace of Versailles. They have gardens to wander too.
Q Quaint sights include: Miltenberg’s half-timbered buildings on the Rhine; Durnstein Abbey’s blue tower on the Danube; and Rouen’s Rue des Chanoines, an unspoilt medieval street, on the Seine.
R Roman Ruins can be found on a Vienna walking tour, at Budapest’s Roman City of Aquincum, and in France at Tournon. France also has the Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard in Avignon, and Arles’ Roman Amphitheatre.
S Scenery: It’s ever-changing. Towns, hilltop villages, forests, vineyards, flat fields, gorges…
T Tired of exploring? Stay on board and enjoy Europe from a deckchair.
U UNESCO World Heritage sites: Germany has 52, France 49, Austria 12. Cruises cover a few.
V Variety of excursions. Attend operas, shows, and cocktail parties, visit vineyards, paddle a kayak, or take a cooking class. The list is endless.
W Widens your horizons with different cultures and new experiences.
X Xmas Markets: Don’t be deterred by the cold! Cruising Europe’s Christmas markets is worth it.
Y Young: Some cruises exclude under eight year-olds, some under 12.
Z Zoom from place to place… nope! It’s leisurely all the way.
