Best river cruises in Europe

The Netherlands and Germany are the two leading stars of this seven-night sailing, which starts in the Dutch Waterways and weaves along the Rhine River to the city of Frankfurt. You’ll begin in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, where you’ll stay overnight, giving you lots of time to tick off some of the main attractions. There’s the Anne Frank House, where the heroic Jewish teenager hid during the Second World War, and the Van Gogh Museum – the latter’s loaded with works by the legendary painter. Before leaving the Netherlands behind, you’ll stop at the city of Rotterdam on day three. No visit here’s complete without heading to the top of the Euromast – the city’s tallest building – for a chance to take in the view from its 600-foot-high observation platform.

You’ll spend day four in Dusseldorf, where art museums, an avant-garde harbour and a restaurant-loaded old quarter steal the spotlight. While the next three days focus on some of Germany’s smaller wine towns, like Bonn, Koblenz, Boppard and Oberwesel. You’ll tick off the last two on day seven. In the morning, you’ll have a few hours to walk along the ancient walls of a former Roman fort, before sailing through the UNESCO-protected Rhine Gorge to Oberwesel. You’ll spend the afternoon here, giving you some time to visit some of the town’s traditional wineries and hilltop defensive towers. Finally, on day eight, you’ll say goodbye to your ship in Frankfurt, where you’ll catch your flight back to the UK.

Find out more about the Dutch & Deutsch Explorer itinerary

If you’ve got your heart set on a river cruise to Germany, the Legends of the Rhine itinerary is right up your street. During this seven-night sailing, you’ll tick off leading cities like Frankfurt and Cologne, as well as a handful of peaceful wine towns, including Bonn and Mainz.

Day six is a particular highlight on this itinerary. You’ll drop anchor in Boppard, where white Riesling and red Pinot Noir wines have been made for centuries. You’ll have a few hours to tour the vineyards that are dotted along the nearby hillsides, before setting off to Rudesheim. The journey between the two takes you through the Rhine Gorge, a UNESCO-protected section of the Middle Rhine Valley that’s loaded with postcard-worthy scenery and preserved hilltop castles. You’ll have a few hours to kick back and take in the view onboard while you sail through the area to your afternoon stop in Rudesheim.

Just like Boppard, this town boasts a winning wine scene, meaning you’ll have another scattering of vineyards and wineries to explore. Rudesheim has another claim to fame for you to sample, as well. You’ll find Rudesheim coffee on the menus in most of the town’s coffee shops – it’s been a staple here since the 1950s. The drink is made by flambéing sugar and brandy together in a specially-shaped cup, before adding coffee, whipped cream and chocolate flakes.

Find out more about the Legends of the Rhine itinerary

This seven-night cruise starts and finishes in Frankfurt, and spends most of its time in Germany. On day five though, you’ll drop anchor in the town of Basel, in northwest Switzerland. This place sits at the point where the borders of France, Switzerland and Germany meet, meaning you can get a taste for all three countries here. If it’s French pastries and coffee you’re yearning for, Basel’s collection of cosy cafés gets the job done. If you want to get to grips with Switzerland’s chocolate-making heritage, check out some of the local chocolatiers. And, if it’s a German-style beer stein that puts a smile on your face, head to one of Basel’s traditional beer halls. There’s plenty in the way of sightseeing here, too – a 16th-century, crimson-coloured town hall and a 12th-century waterfront cathedral are the two highlights.

When it comes to the German portion of this cruise, you’ve got a variety of traditional towns to tick off. On day two, you’ll moor up in Koblenz, where the Rhine and Moselle rivers meet. From the water’s edge, you can see UNESCO-protected forts and regal hillside palaces, while the town centre’s teeming with souvenir shops – wooden Christmas decorations and glass beer steins are popular buys here. On day three, you’ll visit Mannheim, where you have a selection of Medieval-era sights and a Baroque Palace to wander around. On day four, the town of Kehl’s in the spotlight. It’s right on Germany’s border with France, meaning its food scene has picked up flavours from both sides of the Rhine over the years. Before reaching the end of your cruise in Frankfurt, you’ll spend days six and seven in Breisach and Speyer. The former’s headlined by a Gothic-style church, while Speyer sports a 1,000-year-old cathedral.

Find out more about the Rhine Gems itinerary