European river cruises are one of the most popular ways of sightseeing for over a century. If you wish to see many popular European cities and towns in a single trip, a river cruise is the best option. With a plethora of choices, you can take a cruise down the different European rivers and waterways that would otherwise be inaccessible in an ocean-going cruiser.

There are over a dozen options for travelers to book themselves on a cruise. They have shore excursions on each port, similar itineraries, and the charges depend on the size of the cabin, amenities, and service you book.

If you have three to four weeks of time and enough money, then you can sail between the Black Sea and Amsterdam on a single ship. European river cruises also come in combination with moving from one river to another and moving on land. Here are a couple of famous European river cruises that you can book:

1. Danube River, Central Europe
The river begins its journey in Germany’s Black Forest and flows 1800 miles to the east through central Europe to the Black Sea. It goes through or passes close to the borders of various countries like Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine.

The cruises sail the length of the river, which is navigable between Regensburg and the Black Sea. The focus on the cruise is on the areas between Bucharest and Budapest and Budapest and Passau. The river Danube is navigated with the help of 19 locks, and most of them around 15 are between Vienna and Regensburg.

2. Passau to Budapest river cruise
This river covers the beautiful locals of Central Europe and many of these sites have been awarded UNESCO’s world heritage tag, which includes the Wachau Valley, cities of Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna. The cruise also involves tours of towns like Krems, Durnstein, Melk, and Linz. Many of the cruise ships pass through the hearts of these towns and cities and you can just walk through and explore as the ports are within walking distance.

3. Main River, Germany
Main is the longest river that passes through Germany entirely and lies in it completely. It flows westwards and joins the river Rhine at Mainz. It is 327 miles long but only 246 miles is accessible through ships and boats and has 34 locks. In the port of call in this river are Miltenberg, Wertheim, Wurzburg, and Bamberg. Each is a historical town with attractive architecture, beautiful streets, walking tours and history to draw your attention.

Many travelers may just see this river as a connection between Danube and Rhine rivers. The ships pass through 16 locks and 106 miles to reach the Danube River. The connecting canal was completed in 1992 and it took over 32 years of construction work to complete it.