River cruises through the canals of Belgium or along the Rhine — page 53

Yes. Many people drive to the Danube ports in their own car. From southern Poland, Passau or Vienna can be reached within a single day.

The drive to the Rhine and the Moselle is longer but still feasible. For Paris and Lyon, a flight is usually the more convenient solution.

Quay parking may be paid and is not always directly at the berth. We check the available options for the specific cruise.

Choose the Danube if capitals and a relatively short journey matter to you: Passau, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest.

The Rhine and the Moselle are a better choice for lovers of castles, vineyards and smaller, atmospheric towns.

The Seine combines Paris with Normandy, while the Rhône runs through Provence and usually offers the warmest climate.

It is best to start from what you want to see. We will match the right river to that, not the other way round.

Above all in the scale and rhythm of the journey. A river ship usually carries a hundred and something guests, moors close to the town centre and barely rocks at all.

In exchange, it does not offer the extensive infrastructure typical of large ocean ships: multiple pools, big shows or a wide choice of restaurants.

A river cruise is more intimate, but the cost of a single night can be higher than on a large ocean ship.

The fare always covers the cabin, full board and the voyage between the towns.

The remaining services depend on the operator. Some include drinks with meals, others shore excursions, and a few both.

It is one of the biggest differences from ocean cruising. That is why, with river cruises, it is not worth comparing brochure prices alone, because a cheaper offer does not always mean a lower cost for the whole trip.

The operator may change the cruise programme. Part of the route is then sometimes covered by coach, or passengers transfer to a second ship beyond the problematic stretch.

The cruise still goes ahead, but its course may differ from the brochure.

The risk rises during an extremely dry summer and after heavy rainfall. Before the purchase, we check how the specific operator handles such situations.

From the end of November to the end of December, most often on the Danube and the Rhine.

These are usually short cruises of a few nights. Their great advantage is mooring in the town centre, which puts the markets often just a few minutes' walk from the ship.

The best dates sell early, so it is worth booking them in advance.

Prices on the site are shown in zloty, while the contract is concluded in euros or US dollars. Payment by transfer can be made in euros or in zloty.

It is worth remembering that the brochure price most often applies to one person sharing a double cabin. If you travel alone, the operator adds a charge for single use of the cabin. On river cruises this supplement can be high, because the number of cabins is limited.

We give the exact price before booking.

The organiser is Biznes i Turystyka Piotr Skupiewski — a Polish company entered in the CEOTiPUT register, paying contributions to the TFG and TFP funds, and holding insurance guarantee UNIQA no. 3800003856, valid until 04.05.2027.

The telephone is answered in Polish between 9:00 and 18:00. We stay in touch after the cruise ends as well.

The embarkation points are Cologne, Düsseldorf and Basel. The classic route runs through Koblenz, Rüdesheim and Strasbourg, and sailings from the Dutch side start in Amsterdam.

It does, which is why the question is worth settling before booking. The classic arrangement runs from Amsterdam down to Basel, so you step ashore several hundred kilometres from wherever the car was left.

Vineyards running down to the water, towers above the bends, and the Lorelei rock where the channel is at its narrowest. The ship takes that fragment slowly, so it is part of the programme rather than scenery passed on the way.

German is the main language, because A-ROSA is a German operator. The crew speak English and information on board is duplicated.

Six of them do so as a matter of course: AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, Viking, Uniworld, Scenic, Emerald. CroisiEurope works bilingually, French alongside English.

The usual length is 7 nights. The schedules also hold shorter sailings of 4–5 nights and longer ones of 10–14 nights, usually combined with a neighbouring stretch of river.

The extent differs between operators and between fares, and most often concerns drinks with meals, shore excursions and transfers. The terms depend on the fare and the route, and current rules are given at booking and checked before the deposit.

The currency of the contract is either the euro or the US dollar, and the booking itself decides which. Payment goes by transfer, in euros or in zloty, to the details we set out in the document. With a payment link the settlement runs in zloty only. Prices on the site are shown in zloty at the day’s rate.

The Rhine is above all castles and landscape, while the Danube runs through capital cities. We describe the two rivers separately, and the language on board works the same way on both.