Danube River cruise

Mondsee, Austria

You always here people talking about river cruses and how wonderful they are, so I decided to take one to experience it for myself – well it’s easier to sell a product that you have tried, as with anything.

I took an Avalon cruise on the Danube from Budapest to Nuremburg.   Avalon promotes their one-of-a kind stateroom layout with Open Air balcony, wall to wall windows, for spectacular views of the passing countryside and for me the best part is that the bed faces the window.   Sitting there in the morning with a cappuccino was one of my favourite parts of the day.       

River cruises allow you to travel in comfort in an intimate setting of just over 100 passengers, with a 2:1 staff ratio.   Your room is a chic hotel room with wonderfully comfy beds, quality bedding and pillows, a marble-lined bathroom, fluffy towels and luxury bath goodies. The beauty for me is that you only have to unpack once and yet you get to see many different places and also there is no lining up to get on and off the boat, its very convenient way to travel.   

One of the great joys of river cruising is being able to dock in the centre of some of the most beautiful cities in Europe, on a floating hotel that moves you from one beautiful location to the next.   You could opt to stay on the ship and relax or take a guided tour and learn a little of the history.  There were tours for slow walkers or faster walkers, also bikes to take from the ship if you preferred.    Something for everyone.  

Meal time on a river cruise is an experience in itself.  From the lavish breakfast including freshly baked pastries, fruit, smoked salmon, cheese, hot dishes and eggs made to order.    Lunch and dinner were also lavish affairs, with beautifully prepared meals to suit all pallets.    There was also afternoon tea served in the lounge and a coffee/pastry station that was open all hours.    We were also treated to a wine tasting one night in Austria and another night when we were in Germany we learned about the local beers.

There are many different types of themed river cruises now, from wine tasting, to wellness to Christmas market cruises. 

The river cruise was definitely as wonderful as I had heard and I would definitely recommend them, I hope to do another one on a different river.   If you want any more info just email me at kate@littletravel.co. 

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