What’s the Best River Cruise for Each Season?

by Sue Bryant

River cruising is a year-round pleasure. Whether you’re looking to meander along the dreamy Seine in springtime, watch a tropical sunrise over Angkor Wat or catch some autumn warmth along Portugal’s rugged Douro valley, you’ll find there’s a cruise for every month.

January: Magnificent Mekong

A river voyage through Cambodia and Vietnam is a glimpse into a world of intricate temples, bustling riverside towns, floating markets and emerald paddy fields. In winter, the humidity is less intense, so you’ll have plenty of energy to enjoy a cruise along the Mekong, visiting the stunning temple complex of Angkor; the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, with its sobering history; and cosmopolitan Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. You’ll sail on the elegant, French colonial-style ship, RV La Marguerite which feature state-of-the-art amenities, or the Victoria Mekong, a truly luxurious vessel that promises impeccable, personal service.

February & March: Cruise The Nile

Winter is the perfect time to cruise the Nile, with sunny days and mild temperatures. Riviera Travel’s two-week Wonders of the Nile: From Cairo to Aswan tour combines bustling Cairo with a leisurely Nile cruise to Upper Egypt; the 104-passenger MS Darakum is one of the only ships to sail all the way from the capital to Aswan. You’ll see the Pyramids and the Sphinx – and there is the opportunity to visit the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Next, there’s a leisurely sail south to Luxor and Aswan, visiting exploring the stunning antiquities at Karnak, the mysterious Valley of the Kings and the beautiful temple of Kom Ombo.

April: Holland in Bloom

By April, the dazzling bulbfields of the Netherlands are bursting into flower, creating a tapestry of brilliant colour across the flat landscape. With Riviera Travel’s seven-night Bruges, Medieval Flanders, Amsterdam & the Dutch Bulbfields cruise, you’ll visit Arnhem, as well as the gorgeous medieval city of Antwerp. It is on to pretty Ghent, with trips to Ypres and romantic Bruges, famed for its chocolate and canals. The final highlight is a trip to Keukenhof, the world’s largest and arguably, most spectacular flower garden.

May: The Eastern Danube

Springtime in central Europe brings perfect temperatures for this unusual cruise across the Balkans. Sailing round-trip from the Hungarian capital, Riviera Travel’s Budapest to the Black Sea voyage takes you to Kalocsa, Pecs and Belgrade with its magnificent Kalemegdan Fortress, and through the breath-taking Iron Gates Gorge towards Bucharest. There’s a chance to explore the wetlands and marshes of the vast Danube delta and the Black Sea resort of Constanza, too.

June: Romantic Paris

Paris is at its most romantic in early summer and there’s no better time to gaze at the bucolic Normandy scenery as your ship glides from the French capital along the dreamy Seine. On the week-long The Seine, Paris and Normandy River Cruise, the MS Jane Austen calls at medieval Rouen and the exquisite riverside village of Caudebec-en-Caux. There’s a visit to Bayeux and a day at the D-Day landing beaches. It’s easy to see how the light in the pretty harbour of Honfleur inspired Claude Monet – and at his former home in Giverny, you’ll see the lush gardens and lily pond immortalised in his most famous works.

July: Lavender In Provence

In early July, the hazy fields of purple lavender that epitomise Provence in summer should be in full bloom. Riviera Travel’s week-long Burgundy, the River Rhône and Provence odyssey through southern France includes the wine country around Lyon, as well as the craggy beauty of the Ardèche Gorges and the lovely old city of Avignon, where you’re moored just along from the famous bridge. There’s a chance to see the amphitheatre at Arles and the spectacular Roman aqueduct at the Pont du Gard, against a backdrop of Nature’s most luminous colours.

August: Wine On The Rhine

By August, the steeply raked vineyards along the Rhine and Moselle valleys are a brilliant green, grapes heavy on the vines. With wine on the mind, this is the time to join a voyage on one of our luxurious ships, where you’ll visit the lovely old towns of Rüdesheim, Koblenz and Boppard, where half-timbered houses line the narrow streets, and sail deep into the Moselle valley, to Cochem and Bernkastel. These areas are known for their wine trading and will be time to take an optional excursion for a wine tasting while in Bernkastel. 

September: Imperial Cities

As the hoard of summer tourists disappears, the cities of Europe become quieter in September. On our Danube river cruises, you can soak up all that Europe's most cultured river has to offer in some of the cities and sights of historical and cultural significance that line the banks of the Danube. In September, the weather is warm during the day and cooler in the evenings - the perfect combination - and you can watch the kaleidoscope of colours change as Autumn creeps in. You can also spend time post-cruise exploring two of Europe's most beautiful cities - Vienna and Budapest - even more with our river cruise extensions.

October: River Of Gold

The perfect time to explore Portugal’s Douro Valley is autumn, as the heat of summer is fading. Wander the cobbled streets of Porto before embarking on Riviera Travel’s eight-day The Douro, Porto and Salamanca voyage deep into the wild, hilly countryside, the steep-sided river valley lined by terraced vineyards producing the famous port wine. Olive and apricot trees stud the hillsides, while medieval villages doze on the upper slopes. The cruise includes a day across the border in Salamanca, its ancient, honey-coloured sandstone buildings glowing in the sunshine.

November: Going Solo

November brings a chance to meet like-minded travellers on one of Riviera Travel’s highly successful solos holidays, in this case, The Blue Danube River Cruise. Sailing on either the luxurious MS Riviera Radiance or MS William Wordsworth, you’ll visit lively Budapest, as well as Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. In Lower Austria, the trees should still be brilliant with autumn colours. Here, you’ll visit Dürnstein Castle, where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned, as well as the exquisite baroque abbey at Melk, before spending a day in Vienna to explore the galleries, museums, the Opera House and the Spanish Riding School.

December: Christmas Markets

There’s no better way to savour the traditional advent markets along the Danube than on one of our luxurious ships, on Riviera Travel’s six-day voyage to The Danube’s Imperial Cities and Yuletide Markets. Explore the sights of Vienna and Budapest, where the aroma of sizzling sausages and spicy mulled wine wafts through the air and you can shop for hand-made Christmas ornaments, scented candles and spiced Stollen cakes.

We are thrilled to offer our collection of river cruises that operate in Europe and also worldwide. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sue Bryant

Sue Bryant is an award-winning journalist specialising in (and addicted to) cruising. She is cruise editor of The Sunday Times and also contributes to magazines and websites worldwide, including Sunday Times Travel Magazine, World of Cruising, Cruise Passenger (Australia), Porthole (USA) and www.cruisecritic.co.uk. Sue lives in London but is often travelling, exploring the world’s rivers and oceans. She has sailed on more than 100 ships over the last 15 years.