River cruising has exploded in popularity over the last several years with Americans. If you have seen those TV commercials for Viking Cruises you can see why.
The idea of unpacking once and letting the cruise line handle all of you on board and tour requirements as you slowly sail on a great European river is appealing to more people. Companies such as Viking, AMA, Avalon Waterways, and Uniworld do a brilliant job of allowing passengers to experience Europe in a more intimate and "all inclusive “manner.
Most Americans will experience their first river cruises in the region where they started and are the most popular, along the major rivers of Europe. Each of the major river cruise companies offers great cruises that allow you to visit intimate German towns and view castles along the Rhine; or a romantic experience in Vienna as you cruise on the Danube. The experiences are great, the sites are breathless, and the service first-rate.
Now the river cruise lines are expanding the unique services and experiences they offer to other parts of the world.
By offering cruises on the great rivers of not only Europe, but also Asia, Africa, Egypt and even North and South America, they allow you to see and experience parts of the world few people will be able to do from a hotel or on a tour bus. River cruises are still the most popular in Europe. Cruises on the Rhine and Danube rivers are the most popular, and a fantastic way to experience a large segment of Europe is to take a single cruise from Amsterdam down the Rhine and the Danube all the way across the continent to the Black Sea.
All the major river lines offer relaxing cruises from Paris, down the rivers of France, allowing you to really understand the magic that is France. Be it the beaches of Normandy, wineries of Bordeaux or Rhone River valleys.
Another popular European cruise option is to travel through the heart of the largest country in the world, Russia; allowing you the opportunity to enjoy and live life, as only a Russian can do.
If you want something different, how about a boutique river cruise through Portugal and Spain, or Italy. By combining cruises with personalized tours, they allow you to experience the energy of Northern Italy and Lisbon, with the beauty of the country.
If you like exotic, and traveling on the road less taken, nothing can measure to taking a river cruise on the great rivers of Asia.
If you want to see how the old is transforming into the new and see some of the most exotic places on earth, a cruise to modern Vietnam and Cambodia on the Mekong River will take your breath away, will still experiencing the luxury and convenience nightly of your ship.
And if you really want to experience where history meets the future, a trip with Avalon Waterways, you get personalized tours and cruises of the past: with trips to the Great Wall, and Tibet, with a cruise down the Yangtze River and experience thousands of years of human history. In addition, you experience the energy and opportunity of the future in the cities of Beijing and Shanghai; all the time staying and experiencing it in 5 star luxury.
If you have a need for adventure and exploration in your DNA, AMA Waterways offers a unique way of experiencing and exploring Africa, with a 3 night journey on a luxury train or safari in South Africa, with a 4 night luxury river cruise in Zambia and 2 nights staying at on the wonders of the world, Victoria Falls.
Avalon Waterways of something few people get to do, explore the Amazon River AND the Andes Mountains. On an 11-day combined 20-person tour and cruise, you explore the country of Peru, from the city Lima, you fly and get to explore the Andes, and the wonders of the Incas, including a trip to Machu Picchu. Then you fly to the remote reaches of the Amazon River, for a luxury 3-night cruise through some of the most remote jungles in the world on the Upper Amazon River.
If seeing the Great Pyramids of Giza and the glories of Ancient Egypt, numerous lines have returned to the Nile River in the last few years.
If you want something a little less exotic and closer to home, a cruise on the Columbia and Snake rivers allows you to explore the path Lewis and Clark used in their historic journey.
Wherever you want to travel, river cruising allows you a unique way really learn about and the places you visit. Being able to visit areas outside of the usual tourist areas is a great way to really experience the world.
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