European River Cruises for Families: Why Take Them + Important Tips

9 months ago 78

You whitethorn person heard lately of much families taking European stream cruises with their children, including us, and successful this station we’re sharing our household position connected this benignant of travel.

Mom taking a selfie photograph  with 2  daughters connected  a stream  cruiseOn committee our Avalon cruise vessel successful Budapest, Hungary

News is spreading that this is simply a amusive caller mode to question arsenic a family. A mode that offers a more relaxed pace arsenic ships meander dilatory down iconic rivers similar the Danube, the Rhone, and the Rhine, stopping astatine smaller towns and larger cities offering an casual mode to sojourn aggregate countries without packing and unpacking each mates of days and dealing with planes, trains, and automobiles.

We precocious had the accidental to acquisition a European stream cruise with our 2 daughters, aged 15 and 11, connected an Avalon Waterways 8-day Danube River cruise done Germany, Austria and Hungary.

A stream  cruise docked astatine  portOur location for 8-days, Avalon Visionary

Our household thoroughly enjoyed the acquisition and walked disconnected the vessel saying, which European stream cruise should we bash next?We needed to absorption connected different imagination travel to assistance america get implicit the after-travel blues that deed america astir instantly upon disembarking and realizing we were present erstwhile again liable for EVERYTHING!

After 2 weeks of traveling done France and Italy independently, I was grateful for the “sit down and bask yourself Mom, we’ve got everything covered” benignant of the stream cruise. I deliberation the girls enjoyed maine besides nary longer being brag pistillate and caput circuit guide!

Family of 4  having meal  successful  a edifice  connected  a cruise shipWe enjoyed having meal successful the ship’s edifice each evening!

Our cruise acquisition was a paid concern with Avalon Waterways to stock wherefore stream cruising tin beryllium a large caller mode of traveling for families with older children, and beneath are our idiosyncratic insights.

European River Cruises For Families – wherefore instrumentality them?

We’ll beryllium sharing respective posts connected our acquisition with Avalon, but archetypal we wanted to stock wherefore we thought it was a large acquisition for families and a fewer tips to assistance you get the astir retired of it. 

Independence for all

Two girls sitting successful  chairs connected  a stream  cruise with a viewOur kids loved having their ain cabin, separated from us!

One of the biggest benefits of European stream cruising with older kids is that they’ll emotion and admit the independency it offers. 

Firstly, they’ll get their ain cabin arsenic staterooms are made for two. The girls were crossed the corridor from america and loved shutting their doorway and having their ain space!

They could travel and spell arsenic they pleased, which they took large vantage of for midnight raids of the snack barroom successful the ship’s backmost lounge.

Girl picking retired  donutsKalyra enjoyed raiding the escaped donuts successful the backmost lounge!

Savannah adjacent got up astatine 4:45am 1 greeting to ticker the Budapest sunrise from the apical deck. And our introverted 15-year-old loved escaping to her country to work and perceive to music.

As the vessel is overmuch smaller successful examination to ample water cruise ships, we felt comfy with them walking astir connected their own. They couldn’t get lost, and we could easy find them.

Dad and 2  daughters bikingBiking successful Vienna, Austria

They besides person tons of options to take from successful presumption of excursions disconnected the ship. The girls enjoyed being capable to marque the determination connected what to do. Some days they’d spell connected an excursion with conscionable 1 of us, oregon each of us, and if they were conscionable a small older (16+), they could person gone connected a metropolis exploration circuit without us!

With this comes independence for parents arsenic well. Craig and I were capable to measurement disconnected the vessel to person a portion 1 nighttime erstwhile we were docked successful Linz, Austria portion the girls stayed wrong their cabin. They were blessed and contented to walk clip isolated from america and we knew they were harmless connected the ship!

Lady lasting  connected  a motion   that says LINZPutting the ‘I’ successful Linz.

This is not thing you’d bash with younger kids of course, but with teens it’s perfect. And, connected our past time successful Budapest, Craig and the girls did a nutrient tour, portion I snuck distant connected a fantastic Budapest vino tour!

TIPS:

  • Have an other cardinal to your kid’s country truthful you tin easy aftermath them up of a greeting and cheque connected them if needed.
  • Make definite they adjacent their full-length solid sliding doors of an evening – particularly if their country is larboard side. You privation to beryllium definite nary 1 from the municipality tin leap into their room. Odds are this won’t happen, but you privation to beryllium careful.

Amazing Historical Learning

Craig & Kalyra astatine Melk Abby, Austria

This whitethorn not suit each children, and likelihood are, immoderate idiosyncratic young oregon aged volition get bushed of cathedrals, castles, and palaces successful Europe. But, arsenic a erstwhile teacher, I tin guarantee you determination is nary amended mode to larn than successful existent life!

River cruises are more cultural than water cruises and tin instrumentality you done immoderate of Europe’s astir notable cities and regions. It’s an perfect mode to thatch kids astir European history, art, culture, and music.

People connected  a walking circuit  successful  a cityOn our guided circuit of Regensburg, Germany

On our cruise done Germany, Austria, and Hungary we learned a batch astir the Second World War, the Austro-Hungarian empire, the power of the religion connected past and European culture, and classical music, art, and food.

I cognize this benignant of cognition volition lone payment the girls’ aboriginal arsenic they larn successful school, but besides arsenic they larn however to beryllium planetary citizens.

I besides enjoyed the much mature conversations it gave america astatine the meal table, and seeing however these humanities insights are shaping my girls’ views astir things similar religion today.

Girl holding an crystal  creamTrying a section crystal pick (Trdelník) successful Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

I’ve been connected respective water cruises, and I can’t accidental I’ve truly gotten to cognize immoderate of the destinations that we’ve visited. The off-shore excursions are typically expensive, truthful you either don’t’ bash them and conscionable bent retired adjacent to larboard fending for yourself, oregon they were activities similar formation driving, snorkeling oregon zip lining – each fun, but not truly connecting maine to the civilization and past of the destination.

TIPS: City past tours tin get tiring, arsenic it’s a batch to instrumentality in, truthful beryllium definite to interruption it up with different amusive activities similar hiking, biking, nutrient tours, and more. Keep reading!

A Focus connected Adventure Activities

Ladies doing yogaSavannah joined maine for a greeting yoga league connected board

On committee our Avalon Waterways cruise ship was an escapade big who ran greeting yoga classes, games connected board, and escapade benignant activities successful the larboard destinations. It wasn’t conscionable the question itineraries they program for you, but onboard amusement too!

I loved starting each time with a gentle 30-minute yoga people with our adventure guide, Hristo from Bulgaria. Savannah joined maine 1 morning; I could not resistance her retired of furniture connected the different mornings contempt her asking maine to – those comfy beds were hard to get retired of.

Or was it the late-night snack barroom raids!

Lady taking a photograph  of a metropolis  and riverView from my hike successful Budapest

Instead of taking the metropolis tours that are emblematic astatine each larboard stop, Avalon offers an escapade enactment arsenic an alternate for exploring the destination.

Savannah loved putting her independency into enactment by stating that I’m not doing the metropolis circuit today, I’m hiking instead.” Being progressive is much her personality.

She loved hiking to the lookout successful Passau with Craig for beauteous views implicit the city, and hiking with maine done the wood to Melk Abbey successful the tiny colony of Melk, Austria.

Girl taking a photograph  of a metropolis  from a hilltop viewAwesome presumption of Passau connected our guided hike
Dad and girl  with a metropolis  backdrop of Passau, GermanyDaddy & girl clip during the Passau greeting hike!

Craig and the girls joined the motorcycle circuit on the Danube successful Vienna and had a large clip seeing this beauteous metropolis from the position of the stream trails. And I went hiking connected my ain with Hristo successful Budapest, portion Craig and the girls did the metropolis tour.

You tin besides instrumentality the on-board bikes retired by yourself astatine immoderate larboard stop.

Girl riding a motorcycle  crossed  a bridgeBiking successful Vienna, Austria

Now I’m not definite if this is emblematic of each escapade hosts, oregon it was conscionable Hristo, but it was similar having our ain Flytographer with us. That is simply a lensman you wage to conscionable you successful a destination to instrumentality question photos of you!

Man and pistillate   hiking with a presumption    of a span  and river.Hiking successful Budapest with Avalon’s escapade guide, Hristo

He took truthful galore large photos of america portion enjoying these escapade activities. It was specified a thoughtful happening for him to bash and present we person large memories captured. It’s often hard to get each of america successful a photograph erstwhile 1 of america is liable for taking them.

Great optional activities

Classical euphony  performance  successful  ViennaClassical euphony performance successful Vienna

On our Danube River cruise, determination are optional excursions you tin take to bash astatine respective of the larboard stops. These are for an further fee but a large mode to dive deeper into a destination successful a mode much suited to idiosyncratic interests.

In Vienna, we chose to bash the classical euphony performance which we each loved, particularly Kalyra. She listens to euphony each time agelong (big Swiftie fan), truthful I thought she’d bask it, but I was besides acrophobic arsenic it’s classical, she mightiness person recovered it boring.

It was amazingly comic and entertaining and ended up being her favourite enactment from the cruise and a fantastic mode for kids to larn astir Vienna – the metropolis of euphony – and wherefore composers similar Mozart and Strauss were erstwhile the stone stars of their time.

Mom and girl  taking a photograph  successful  beforehand   of a metropolis  cathedralExploring Vienna with Kalyra

Kalyra had lone heard of Mozart a mates of days earlier arsenic we stood extracurricular his commencement location successful Salzburg. That was different optional time circuit Kalyra and I took, wherever we besides visited immoderate Sound of Music filming locations and the beauteous Mondsee (Mond Lake).

Craig and Savannah alternatively took the time travel to the medieval metropolis of Cesky Krumlov successful the Czech Republic, which they loved!

Dad and girl  exploring a medieval cityCraig & Savannah successful Cesky Krumlov

Food tours are thing we emotion doing arsenic a household (we did 1 successful Paris and 2 successful Italy earlier this Danube River cruise) and we did 2 of them connected this cruise: Vienna and Budapest.

We emotion learning astir section civilization done food and breaking retired of comfortableness zones to effort caller foods, similar equine meat…when successful Budapest!

Of course, sweets are usually ever involved, which kids love. It was ever amusive to comparison nutrient tasting notes and spot what they felt was bully and not truthful good!

Young miss  eating pome  strudelSavannah with Apple Strudel connected our Avalon nutrient circuit successful Budapest

For parents, determination is usually a vino oregon section liquor tasting involved, but kids volition beryllium fixed soda oregon foodstuff alternatives instead. Speaking of food, different BIG affirmative of stream cruising for families is the…

Never ending proviso of delicious food

Mom and 2  daughters having luncheon  connected  a cruise shipBBQ luncheon connected the apical platform successful Passau

One of the astir challenging, clip consuming, and anxiety-inducing aspects of traveling arsenic a household is figuring retired wherever to devour breakfast, lunch, and meal each day!

Savannah is (or was) the fussiest eater successful the world, and I person gluten sensitivity issues. Trying to find a spot that suits each 4 members of the family, astatine a tenable budget, with bully nutrient is incredibly difficult.

Sometimes I conscionable don’t devour arsenic I can’t beryllium bothered with however overmuch probe and readying it involves!

One of my favourite parts of the stream cruise, particularly for families, was the implicit ease of mealtimes. I could amusement up for breakfast, lunch, dinner, day tea, and blessed hours, and spot everyone would beryllium satisfied with delicious high-quality nutrient – that was not American – but afloat of local, determination dishes.

I did not person to interest that I’d walk wealth astatine a edifice and discarded it connected atrocious nutrient and atrocious service.

Smoked salmon connected  a plate

Every repast connected the vessel was fantastic – astir apt the champion of our full 4-week travel successful Europe. And each luncheon and meal meals were paired with outstanding determination vino arsenic good arsenic the desserts.

And past an implicit occurrence happened connected this household stream cruise. I don’t cognize if it was due to the fact that meal felt similar a good eating experience, and Savannah likes to beryllium fancy, but she dumped her mean chickenhearted nuggets and carrot sticks to devour dishes similar earthy tuna, Hungarian stuffed crepe, and broiled half-rock lobster tail.

I could not get implicit this alteration successful her and I anticipation she continues to devour successful this way! And she took large vantage of the 4 courses connected offering.

Lobster tailLobster tail

Kalyra, connected the different hand, chose to brace it down with conscionable a main and dessert. With the meals connected committee the ship, you person options for each eating styles and tastes.

Don’t interest if your kid inactive needs plain food, each nighttime are the modular grilled chickenhearted and steak options to cater to plain eaters.

Lunch was typically connected the ship successful betwixt excursions oregon arsenic we sailed to the adjacent destination, and meal was a buffet each greeting with plentifulness of options. You could besides bid dishes similar waffles oregon eggs benedict from a menu, oregon bid meal successful bed, which we did connected our past sail into Budapest.

Bacon and eggs with java  connected  a plateA hearty meal ever available!

Both girls made acold excessively galore concealed trips to the unlimited snack barroom astatine the backmost of the vessel – alternating betwixt their favourite donuts and pome strudel and blistery chocolate.

They would punctual america each time erstwhile day beverage would commencement and load their plates up with treats similar achromatic wood barroom and macarons.

And Kalyra would look from her publication speechmaking clip successful the country close connected blessed hr for her Fruit Punch (mocktail). And, I did not person to beryllium liable for readying immoderate of it!

I thought I would miss eating astatine section restaurants, but I did not astatine all.

The nutrient was conscionable truthful good, it was regional, and it saved maine truthful overmuch anxiousness and time. Plus, we had BBQs connected the Sky Deck with the champion views successful town, oregon stunning sunset views retired the model arsenic we cruised on the Danube. 

All Inclusive

Lady taking photos of a castleGorgeous scenery done the Wacha Valley successful Austria

I loved not having to instrumentality my wallet retired overmuch for the 8-day stream cruise. Once onboard astir everything is included successful the terms of the cruise: breakfast, luncheon and dinner, regular excursions, activities connected board, and, connected our Avalon cruise, Happy Hour, and day tea.

I’ve heard immoderate European stream cruises for families aren’t each inclusive and tin get costly erstwhile you adhd up each these further costs.

Family of 4  having luncheon  astatine  a German sausage kitchenLunch astatine the oldest sausage room successful the satellite successful Regensburg

On Avalon, we could take to bash optional excursions (for an further fee), different my wallet lone came retired for a java present and determination connected land, and a delicious sausage and sauerkraut luncheon successful Regensburg, Germany.

Avalon did springiness america a packed luncheon for that time trip, but Kalyra and I opted for eating retired alternatively (followed by blistery cocoa and pome strudel successful a café Mozart utilized to often visit!) 

No taxable parkland benignant entertainment

Mom and girl  playing checkers connected  a cruise shipDraughs crippled with a presumption connected the apical deck.

I cognize for galore this would beryllium a negative, and our girls bash emotion water cruises for their waterslides and taxable parkland benignant attractions.

But for me, I recovered it a blessing. I’m not a taxable parkland nor edifice benignant idiosyncratic (except connected the unusual occasions). I typically similar to link to land, culture, and radical and I privation my girls to besides larn the worth of this.

Sometimes, I deliberation kids request a simpler mode of entertaining. I interest that the taxable parkland glitter tricks them into reasoning that’s the lone mode to person fun.

A stream cruise has nary abstraction for that benignant of stuff, truthful it forces kids to effort simpler and much slowed down ways of being entertained.

Dad and girl  playing maize  holeCorn spread tourney connected the vessel was fun!

Plus, since sailing hours are minimal, and mostly done overnight, oregon during the time for the scenic sections, a stream cruise is much astir getting disconnected the vessel and exploring the cities and tiny towns on the way.

But erstwhile you are onboard, determination are inactive plentifulness of things to bash to entertain all.

On this cruise we enjoyed a maize spread contention tally by our escapade big and with different cruisers arsenic we sailed. We besides enjoyed playing games of elephantine draughts, wherever I taught Savannah a fewer winning strategies.

There were committee games connected the vessel we intended to play but ran retired of time, and movie nights.

Lady looking astatine  books connected  a shelfBooks and boardgames successful the backmost lounge

Savannah loved the Broadway singer, Lindsay Hamilton, who entertained america 1 nighttime with unthinkable songs and a precise comic drama sketch. She was thrilled to conscionable her aft the amusement and adjacent bought her CD.

Lady and young miss  having a selfie photoSavannah with Lindsay Hamilton

And past we had the farewell gala evening wherever we played a dancing crippled that Savannah won! While our tween’s property is good suited to this benignant of enactment – dancing with strangers – for our introverted teen this is simply a destiny worse than death. She was blessed to beryllium that out!

Girl laying connected  furniture  looking astatine  her phoneWifi worked good and our kids enjoyed keeping successful interaction with friends

There is besides Wi-Fi connected committee truthful the kids tin inactive ticker their ain movies oregon speech to their friends backmost location and springiness them a circuit of the boat. Savannah’s person enjoyed watching the Budapest sunrise with her. 

Quality clip together

Mon and girl  having java  successful  a cafeCafe clip with Kalyra successful Passau aft our metropolis tour

In alignment with the supra point, with a stream cruise families tin walk much prime clip together.

Unlike ample water cruisers wherever you tin suffer your children to kids’ clubs portion you laze astir connected excavation chairs drinking cocktails, the stream cruise lines are smaller and more suited to bringing the full household unneurotic through activities similar connected onshore tours, fancy dinners, oregon borrowing the ship’s bicycles to thrust on the riverbank.

Mon and girl  sitting connected  a lounge having a drinkHappy hr connected committee Avalon Visionary with Savannah

The girls and I enjoyed ducking disconnected into Vilshofen colony successful Germany for a mani pedi unneurotic during immoderate escaped time. That was a amusive acquisition moving unneurotic to explicate to the German and Vietnamese speaking manicurists what we wanted with a spot of miming, google translate, and the assistance of an English-speaking German lawsuit successful the salon!

As we’ve spent years traveling with our girls, including 7 years afloat clip and they’re getting existent sick of being with america (lol), I thoroughly enjoyed having much of this precious prime clip with them. I don’t cognize however galore of these I person left.

Attentive affable staff

I loved the diversity, friendliness, and attentiveness of the unit connected committee Avalon. We had a overmuch smaller radical traveling connected our vessel which meant much one-on-one attention.

We couldn’t person asked for a amended crew. They were funny, engaging, and precise benignant to the girls – ever looking retired for them, suggesting definite foods for them to devour astatine dinner, and ever making definite they had a portion and knew wherever the sweets were.

Four radical   posing for a photoOur edifice waiter Julian from Romania was comic & attentive!

I besides loved that the girls got to conscionable and speech with unit members from Romania, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Hungary, Serbia, the Netherlands and truthful galore different nationalities.

I privation my girls to person these interactions truthful they larn a fewer planetary truths: astir radical are good, diverseness is worthy celebrating, and we tin find humanistic similarities with anyone and everyone from anyplace and everywhere. 

See and bash a batch successful a week

Girl taking photograph  of a fountainExploring Salzburg with Kalyra

Europe stream cruises tin beryllium bully for teen-sized attraction spans. As Europe is small, a stream cruise volition instrumentality you crossed antithetic destinations and countries successful the abstraction of a week.

Mostly ships sail overnight, truthful you get the thrill of sailing determination caller the adjacent morning. It besides allows you to spot countries that are different excessively costly oregon excessively distant to question travel to independently.

For example, if you instrumentality a Rhine stream cruise, you tin walk done Switzerland which is known to beryllium an costly state to enactment in, oregon you tin instrumentality the Danube further to Slovakia which is not determination radical typically question to connected its own.

Reflections of buildings successful  a stream  successful  Regensburg, Germany

Sometimes they dock overnight, giving you the accidental to spell retired connected your ain and research the metropolis much successful extent arsenic a family. On our Avalon Waterways Danube River cruise, we stopped astatine 3 places successful Germany, 2 successful Austria, and finished successful Budapest.

Savannah adjacent ticked disconnected different state with her time travel to Cesky Krumlov successful the Czech Republic with Craig.

Dad and girl  lasting  connected  a span  with a castle successful  the backgroundCraig & Savannah successful Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

Some destinations were capable to bash much than 1 activity, similar a metropolis circuit successful the greeting successful Vienna, and a nutrient circuit successful the afternoon, and a classical performance successful the evening.

Typically, departures are successful the evening truthful you person a afloat time to explore, truthful you don’t person to interest astir not having clip for a time trip.

Smaller, much intimate experience

People having luncheon  connected  the apical  platform  of a cruise shipSome of our chap cruise passengers having luncheon connected the ship

I emotion however stream cruises are a smaller, much intimate experience. We wholly lucked retired with our cruise lone having 56 passengers. Typically, it’s treble this with a max capableness connected Avalon Visionary of 136.

Ocean cruises whitethorn travel with loads of bells and whistles, but they besides travel with thousands of passengers which tin beryllium overwhelming and, weirdly, astatine times isolating. It’s harder to conscionable caller radical – isolated from what kids’ clubs connection – erstwhile determination are truthful galore radical successful their ain bubble.

But connected this stream cruise, we had clip to talk to astir everyone connected board. It was a friendly, household benignant situation and the different guests were fantastic to our 2 girls.

People walking crossed  a span  towards a citySmall radical circuit of Regensburg, Germany

It besides meant we could find our ain idiosyncratic abstraction anyplace connected the vessel astatine immoderate clip and we felt comfy with letting the girls person their much-needed independence. I’d beryllium much disquieted astir a bigger, much crowded acquisition arsenic it’s truthful overmuch easier for them to get lost.

We didn’t person to combat against crowds to usage amenities oregon articulation tours, and arsenic mentioned, service was mode much personalized and attentive!

On our archetypal day, arsenic we had arrived aboriginal successful the morning, we adjacent had Captain Thijs instrumentality us retired successful the tiny dinghy to a adjacent swimming beach. When person you ever been capable to bent retired with the skipper of a cruise before?

Dad and girl  lasting  successful  a lakeSwimming successful the Danube River was cool

By the way, I ne'er knew you could aquatics successful the Danube River, what an unexpected dainty that was! 

Tips for River Cruising with Kids

There is simply a batch to see earlier you determine to instrumentality a stream cruise with kids. Here are immoderate of our astir important tips.

Know that European River Cruising is for older kids

Young miss  connected  her telephone  sitting is simply a seat  with a stream  viewSavannah successful the backmost lounge

A stream cruise is not for toddlers! I couldn’t ideate the accent of having to support an oculus connected a kid who has conscionable recovered their legs. There volition not beryllium capable activities oregon kids clubs to entertain younger kids.

I would urge stream cruising for kids aged 10 and up, perchance adjacent arsenic young arsenic eight, depending connected their personalities.

Teens are hard to justice arsenic each they privation to bash is beryllium with their friends and their temper swings are large. But I bash find the stream cruise offers a batch of worth to a teen, particularly erstwhile it comes to the independence it offers them and the taste onshore excursions.

They tin person that overmuch needed down clip successful their room, but if they are mature and similar to socialize, they tin bash that with the different affable passengers and crew, and they tin take activities that amended suit their property – adjacent being capable to spell connected excursions by themselves if they are aged 16 and above.

Personality lucifer with your kids

People dancing to musicDancing with Savannah

You cognize it, nary 2 kids are alike. The flexibility of choices allows you, and your kids, to take excursions that are much suited to their personalities and interests. So beryllium definite to bash that adjacent if it means parents divided up and instrumentality 1 kid each.

Our extroverted Savannah spent astir of her clip participating successful each the events and interacting with everyone, including singing with the Broadway performer, and dancing with america each astatine the past nighttime farewell gala dinner.

Dady and his girl  successful  beforehand   of an abbyMelk Abby successful Austria

While our introverted Kalyra was contented with spending quiescent hours by herself successful her cabin, coming retired to bask regular excursions, scenic sails, and mealtimes.

Make it a multi-generational experience

As a stream cruise caters good to mature travelers and older kids, it would beryllium a large accidental to marque this abrogation a multi-generational one. Everyone volition beryllium blessed and it’s a large accidental to enslaved unneurotic successful a smaller vessel acquisition astatine a slower pace.

Or, question with different families oregon friends!

Do you cognize different families with kids the aforesaid property that you emotion to question with? Why not each instrumentality a European stream cruise together?

Our girls would person loved this stream cruise acquisition with a mates of their friends. Savannah was adjacent making plans for it with her champion person she loved to look clip with connected the ship.

Choose the close cruise for your family

Sailing into a metropolis  connected  the stream  astatine  nightOur nighttime sail successful Budapest was a dainty

Not each cruises are kid-friendly ones. Some stream cruises are much for adults.

I was rather amazed by the scope of ages connected our cruise, from a mates younger than us, to ages ranging from forties up to eighties. So, if considering stream cruising with kids bash your probe to take the close one.

Avalon Waterways has a divers enactment of cruises to take from crossed aggregate rivers successful Europe. Choose 1 that would beryllium a large acceptable for your family.

Cruise vessel  successful  larboard  successful  BudapestOur Avalon Visionary vessel successful Budapest

What astir a festive cruise exploring the Christmas markets of Europe? Or 1 that journeys into the Black Sea?

Ours was a much classical past and practice cruise down the Danube River, but Avalon offers Active & Discovery cruises that person much of the adventure-type activities that families volition love, arsenic good arsenic taste immersive activities specified arsenic cooking classes and coating and trade workshops.

Start Small

Lady drinking vino  connected  a cruise shipEnjoying larboard beingness successful Passau, Germany

For your archetypal stream cruise acquisition arsenic a family, I urge you commencement with a shorter cruise length. Cruises typically scope from 5 to 26 days.

I thought 8 days was cleanable for our family, though I could person stretched that retired to 2 weeks. I missed it instantly that nighttime erstwhile we had to signifier our ain dinner. If you’re unsure, commencement with a five-day cruise!

Understand what to expect

two radical   sitting successful  prima   chairs drinking coffeeMorning java connected the apical platform successful Budapest

A stream cruise is simply a antithetic abrogation acquisition for families; it whitethorn not suit everyone truthful determination are a fewer things to see (some whitethorn spot these arsenic positives!)

The past happening you privation to bash is take a question acquisition you’ll each hate. What makes thing bully oregon atrocious is simply a substance of preference, oregon perspective.

Know earlier you go. River cruise ships won’t person kids’ clubs, waterslides, pools, respective restaurants, arcades, and different kid-focused edifice benignant amenities. The absorption is connected discovering the satellite outside.

Mom and girl  enjoying a blistery  tubNo pools, but a blistery tub.

Cabin rooms aren’t configured for much than treble occupancy truthful you volition request to get 2 staterooms, which kids mostly volition love, but your wallet whitethorn not.

River cruises bash outgo more, though ours came with included food, excursions and different amenities, which could equilibrium retired the budget. Do the figures and support an oculus retired for deals. Many different passengers connected the cruise told america they recovered large deals with Avalon.

Legs connected  a furniture  and woman  sitting connected  sofa  with views of a stream  from their country   connected  a cruiseAmazing presumption of Passau from our awesome stateroom cabin

And not each kids whitethorn bask the metropolis tours and different activities. While we recovered thing to suit some our girls, your kids whitethorn beryllium different.

FAQs About European River Cruises

Here’s what radical usually inquire america astir taking European stream cruises…

Which is the astir fashionable stream successful Europe that connection stream cruises?

Most radical take to bash a Danube stream cruise since it’s the second largest stream successful Europe and stops done 10 countries. It passes done immoderate of Europe’s astir iconic cities, specified arsenic Budapest, Prague, Vienna, Bratislava, and Belgrade.

What’s the champion clip of twelvemonth to instrumentality a stream cruise successful Europe?

European stream cruises run from March – December, but the champion clip to instrumentality a cruise is successful the summertime erstwhile the upwind is lukewarm and the cities are live with radical retired and astir soaking up the atmosphere. Summer is highest season, which means there’s much tourists, truthful if you don’t similar that vibe past September would besides beryllium a bully clip bash instrumentality a stream cruise due to the fact that it’s quieter but inactive warm.

Are European rivers excessively debased for cruise ships?

River cruises are not similar water cruises due to the fact that the ships simply cannot beryllium that big. The acquisition is somewhat similar, but the vessel is overmuch smaller and much intimate, which we prefer. It’s not that communal that European rivers are excessively debased for cruises to tally truthful you seldom person to interest astir the level of the waters.

In Conclusion

Mom and girl  successful  beforehand   of an abbyEnjoying Melk Abby with Savannah

A European stream cruise with kids is a unsocial experience that tin springiness families overmuch needed prime clip together. I enjoyed it acold much than I thought I would and would not hesitate to bash it again. It was an effortless and rewarding question experience that had options to cater to our idiosyncratic personalities and interests.

I felt that was besides invaluable for my girls. I don’t privation them to instrumentality from a household question experience, similar cruising, and their memories beryllium of waterslides!

I privation them to acquisition the joyousness they get from this, but I besides privation them to locomotion distant with enrichment. Something that has a deeper transportation to onshore and civilization and different people.

Girl looking astatine  padlocks connected  a bridgeKalyra successful Slazburg, Austria

For galore kids, they won’t recognize these benefits until they’re older. Sometimes arsenic parents we request to resistance them distant from the neon flashing lights and thrill rides to springiness them those much cultured experiences.

A European travel gives them those deeper experiences that let them to larn astir the world, recognize however they acceptable into it and uncover however they tin usage this to germinate into a amended person.

Four radical   lasting  against a obstruction   with elevated presumption    of a citySavannah with different passengers connected our Passau hike

As venturing into the satellite of stream cruising for families is caller for Avalon Waterways, I americium definite that soon we’ll spot adjacent much kid-centric activities erstwhile exploring the larboard stops and connected committee the ship.

This is conscionable our parenting position of the worth of a stream cruise for families. Stay tuned due to the fact that Kalyra and Savannah are going to constitute a station sharing their tween and teen position of the Danube River cruise experience we conscionable had. 

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