Luxury European River Cruise

Paris by Night

Now here is an interesting way of seeing Europe, rather than the usual dash around the capital cities, as most American visitors who attempt to “do” Europe seem to do. A relaxing 12 day cruise along some of the most famous river-ways of Europe.  Starting with two nights in Paris, followed by a leisurely cruise along the Moselle, Rhine and Main rivers, ending with another two nights in Prague.

My personal preference is to see Paris in August as many Parisiens choose this time for their own vacation, which makes visiting the Louvre and other museums considerably less frenetic. The journey begins by being met at the airport (Charles de Gaulle) and transfer to a hotel for the first night in Paris, after which you are free to join the company’s “welcome walk,” or if you are feeling more independent, explore the city under your own steam.

The second day in Paris includes a trip to the Louvre with the second half of the day to see more of the city. I rarely manage to get out of the Louvre in under a day, and I suspect that if you have any interest in art, you will be spending the whole day there. I usually top off a trip to the Louvre with a walk through the gardens to watch kids sail boats in the pond in the Jardin des Tuileries. But that is one of the fantastic things about Paris – whatever your personal preferences, there is something to interest everyone. Paris is a great place to start – either as a return visitor or a first timer, offering perhaps the most culturally and historically diverse range of museums, buildings and galleries than almost any other city in Europe. In fact, the Louvre is the biggest museum in the world. Whatever your opinion of the glass triangle at the entrance (and many Parisiens dislike it) it is unquestionably somewhere everyone should visit – at least once in their lifetime.

Day three goes from Paris through Luxembourg with a visit to the American Cemetery where one can remember the many American service men who lost their lives during the Battle of The Bulge in WWII, and on to Trier, Germany’s oldest city. Then on from Trier, taking in Cochem, Koblenz, Rüdesheim, Heidelberg, Würzburg, Bamberg, Nuremburg and Prague, where you have two more nights, although you can extend your visit for a further 3 nights in Prague. The trip encompasses 4 different countries and includes 10 guided tours.

Having lived in Europe for much of my life, I can heartily recommend this way of traveling. European river cruises allow you to see a completely different part of the country from the rivers that is almost never seen when traveling any other way.

Viking River Cruises run this one and call it their “Cities of Light,” cruise, which is appropriate. There is nothing quite like the view of Paris at night and Paris is as different from Prague as New York is from San Fransisco. Both have a wealth of history behind them and the cities in between give a glimpse of another culture altogether. I was a little surprised at the price -  $2,800. I suspect the strong dollar and ongoing financial crisis have made this far more affordable than would normally be the case. The itinerary is here – Paris to Prague River Cruise

Prague Castle at Night