A small river cruise ship sailing the Douro River past terraced vineyards in Portugal

Unpack once, and wake up in a different country every morning.

Sue plans European river cruises for people who want Europe at eye level. Small ships, one suitcase, and a different town outside your window each morning. She books Viking, AmaWaterways and Avalon most weeks of the year, which is why she can tell you which one actually fits you instead of reading you a brochure.

Call 573-355-2438 or email sue@adventuresbymj.travel.

Who this is for

You want to see the Danube or the Rhine without repacking six times. You would rather step off the boat into a town square than ride a coach in from an airport hotel forty minutes away. You have a week or ten days, and you would like most of it spent in Europe rather than in transit.

A seven-to-ten-night European river cruise runs roughly $3,000 to $7,000 per person, depending on the line, the cabin and the season. That is the honest range, not a teaser fare. If the lowest number is the only number that matters to you, the online booking engines will serve you fine.

The lines Sue books, and who each one suits

Viking for first-time river cruisers. Largest fleet, the most route choices in Europe, adults only, and a consistency that makes it hard to have a bad week. If you want the version of this trip that reliably works, start here.

AmaWaterways for travelers who care about dinner. The food is better than the category standard, the programming is more active, there are complimentary bikes on board, and family sailings exist if you want the grandkids along.

Avalon for the person who wants the bed facing the window. Different cabin philosophy from the other two, and on a trip where the view changes all day, that matters more than people expect.

Uniworld, Scenic and Emerald are bookable too when the fit is right. If you would rather compare the big two yourself first, the Viking versus AmaWaterways breakdown is the honest version.

Picking your river

The Rhine is the first-timer’s river. Castles on the hillsides, fairytale towns, and short sailing distances between stops.

The Danube is the one for grand capitals. Budapest, Vienna, Bratislava, with more city time and more cultural depth.

The Douro is the quiet one. Portuguese wine country, warmer weather, and far fewer crowds than the other two.

The Seine, the Rhône and the Main all have their weeks as well. Which one you want comes down to the season you can travel and what you want to be doing at four in the afternoon. The full route comparison is here.

What Sue does that the booking engine does not

Reads the deck plan before recommending a cabin. On a river ship, the difference between two decks is the difference between a real balcony and a window that opens.
Matches the river to your season. The same itinerary in April and in August is two different trips.
Times your flights with a buffer day on the front end. River ships do not wait, and there is no next port to catch up in.
Watches the line promotions, which move monthly, and applies them to a booking you have already made wherever the terms allow it.
Tells you when a land trip or a train itinerary would serve you better. Sometimes it would.

When to book

Most European river lines open a season 18 to 24 months ahead, and the working window is 12 to 18 months out. That sounds absurd until you watch what happens to the good cabins. When Celebrity River Cruises opened its inaugural 2027 season, all 33 seven-night Danube and Rhine sailings sold out in under five hours.

If you are looking at summer 2027, you are already inside the window. More on booking timing here.

Start here

Send Sue the river you are curious about, or just the two weeks you can get away. She will come back with two or three sailings side by side and tell you which one she would book herself.

Call 573-355-2438, email sue@adventuresbymj.travel, or use the contact form.