If you’re thinking of going on a European river cruise or getting ready to set sail on one of Europe’s rivers for the first time, here are 9 of the most important tips for European river cruises that you need to know to navigate your first river sailing.

Choosing the right river

European river cruises are available year-round, from sailings that take in the autumn colours along the Douro River in Portugal to Christmas market cruises during winter, tulip cruises in the Netherlands in spring, and summer sailings along the Rhine, Danube, and other popular rivers.

If you’re finding it hard to even know where to start when it comes to choosing the best river for your first cruise, it can be helpful to think about what you enjoy most and choose your river cruise itinerary accordingly. For example, the Danube is widely regarded as one of the most scenic river sailings in Europe, or you could indulge your love of food and wine along the Seine in France.

Keep an open mind

No matter how carefully you choose your itinerary, there will almost certainly be a few things on it that don’t particularly interest you. But it pays to keep an open mind. As someone who’s never been interested in war history, the prospect of touring Normandy’s WWII sites didn’t thrill me. However, learning about what happened at Omaha Beach and walking through the thousands of crosses at the Normandy American Cemetery was one of the most poignant and memorable moments of my trip.

When to book

While it’s possible to cruise year-round in Europe, choose your sailing date with care, as itineraries that are early or late in the season may be impacted by high or low river levels. If this happens, you could end up being bussed between ports instead of sailing. While it’s impossible to accurately predict river levels in advance, a mid- or shoulder-season sailing is more likely to be hassle-free.

Choosing your cabin

No matter what line you sail on, river cruise cabins tend to be smaller than those you’ll find on ocean-going ships. If having more room to move is important to you, you may want to book a slightly higher cabin category with a larger floor area.

If you’re travelling on a tight budget, opting for a cabin with a window instead of a balcony is an easy way to save money. While the panoramic views from the floor-to-ceiling windows in a river ship balcony cabin are lovely, you’ll probably spend most of your time out and about in port or chatting with other travellers.

What to pack

The dress standard on river ships tends to be more relaxed, even when you’re sailing with the same cruise line. For example, on my Viking River sailing in Portugal, most of the gents wore polo shirts to dinner, but long-sleeved collared shirts and dressy slacks were the norm on my Viking Ocean cruise.

As river cruise itineraries can involve long days of touring, pack comfortable clothes you can layer, a pair of worn-in walking shoes that can handle cobblestones, and wet weather gear. If your ship has a plunge pool or spa tub on the top deck, don’t forget your swimmers.

Booking excursions

With so many excursions included in your river cruise fare, there’s no chance of getting bored on a river cruise. Work on your fitness before your trip so you can make the most of your days in port, and pre-book any ‘must do’ excursions as soon as bookings open as these can fill up fast. Also, don’t rule out the extra for-a-fee excursions, as these often cater to special interests.

It’s okay to go your own way

One important thing to understand about river cruising is you don’t have to do every activity just because it’s included in your program. Opting out can be a great way to balance independence vs group interaction and have the kind of European holiday that’s right for you.

For example, if you’re an art lover and want to spend a full day exploring the Louvre, the ship’s one-hour walking tour will be a disappointment, no matter how great it is. Sometimes it’s smarter to book an independent tour or go as you please for the day.

Interacting with your guides

Your cruise director is an expert on your itinerary and the areas you’ll visit, so don’t be shy about asking questions when you’re onboard. Also, take advantage of the cruise tour guides in each destination. They’re local experts and the perfect people to ask where the best lunch spot is, how to find shops with locally-made souvenirs, or where to hang out with the locals.

Allow for some downtime

While it’s natural to want to take advantage of the included activities to get the best value from your river cruise, it can be a mistake to book up every minute of each day with excursions. Being able to spend time relaxing and soaking up the beauty of the river from the top deck is one of the joys of river cruising, whether you’re in port or sailing along one of Europe’s beautiful rivers.

Want more great cruise advice? Check out our tips for choosing the perfect cruise, cruising with grandchildren, cruising with tweens and cruising with kids of all ages, solo cruising, the best activities on Ovation of the Seas, doing a Transatlantic cruise with kids, cruising in Australia or Papua New Guinea, Iceland cruise tips, cruising on a megaship, scoring a bargain cruise fare, cruising the Mediterranean, making the most of a cruise ship kids club, luxury cruising with kids, and the Byron Beach Club on Carnival Cruises. We have also reviewed Disney Wonder, Carnival Encounter, Celebrity Edge, Carnival Adventure, Quantum of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas, Carnival Splendor, Voyager of the Seas, Pacific Adventure, Nieuw Statendam, Viking Helgrim, Pride of America, Coral Expeditions in Tasmania and the Great Barrier Reef, Celebrity Solstice, and Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth.