A river cruise is not only a different way to see a country; it’s a different country you will see. By water you sail through beautiful scenery laced with ancient fortresses, mighty cathedrals and storybook castles, right up to the front door of great cities.

Among the major rivers in Central Europe are:

• The Danube, Europe’s second longest river, linking along its course Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
• The Rhine flowing mostly through Germany.
• The Vistula forming the main waterway in the Czech Republic and Poland.
• The Elbe, joining cruises between the Czech Republic and northeast Germany.

Within Central Europe you can choose from a number of cruise companies who offer a many regional and multi-country cruise options.

River Cruise Companies

Increasing numbers of travelers are opting for a different viewpoint on Central European countries, and choosing a river cruise is a fun-filled, educational and stress-free way to explore new destinations. The largest and most upscale river cruise companies offering weekly sailings (March to November) are:

Amadeus Waterways: A variety of cruise vessels and itineraries, with sailings along the Rhine and the Danube, visiting Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Avalon Waterways: Cruising through Germany, Hungary and Slovakia along the Danube and the Rhine, with overnights in Prague on some cruises.

Elegant Cruises & Tours: River cruises on the Danube, Rhine, Main and Moselle, visiting Austria, Germany, Hungary and Slovakia.

Peter Deilmann Cruises: Along the Rhine, Danube, Elbe, Havel, Moldau and Oder, visiting all six countries of Central Europe, depending on the cruise.

Viking River Cruises: Along the Danube, Elbe, Rhine, Main, and the Moselle; visiting Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and Slovakia.

 

Regional and Multi-Country Cruise Options

In many countries, waterway travel is also popular for both day and overnight excursions by ferryboats and hydrofoils operating on lakes and rivers.

Austria/Slovakia/Hungary

Hydrofoils run daily from Vienna to Bratislava in Slovakia and to Budapest in Hungary from mid-April through October.

Austria/Germany/Hungary

Ferries between Vienna and Passau take in a beautiful stretch of the Danube. The trip (operating from late June to last September) takes two days, including an overnight stop in Linz; travelers can take the ferryboat service all the way to Budapest. Vessels are not deluxe, but offer a marvelous way to see the country.

Danube steamers cruise from Vienna upriver to Passau in Germany, downriver to Budapest, and as far east as Romania and Bulgaria.

Czech/Germany/Austria

Prague is often the start or finish of cruises along the Danube River, where vessels also call at Regensburg; Passau in Germany; Salzburg, Linz and Vienna in Austria; Bratislava in Slovakia; Budapest in Hungary. (Note that passengers do not board in Prague, but rather at Regensburg at the German border).

Within Each Country

Within Austria

Boat cruises along the Danube can be takes within Austria, but also to the neighboring countries of Germany and Hungary (see above)

By boat on the Austrian Lakes: From mid-May to the end of September, there are regular passenger boat or ferry services on some of the larger lakes, such as the Achensee, Attersee, Lake Constance, Hallstatter See, Ossiacher See, Traunsee, Worthersee and the Wolfgangsee. Schedules are posted on the local piers.

Within Germany

Day-ferry boat services require no reservations on German rivers. Among the most popular outings are the half-day trip through the Rhine River gorge between Koblenz and Mainz, and along the scenic Moselle River between Trier and medieval wine village of Cochem.

The Danube offers one of Germany’s most popular boat tours: from Passau on the Austrian border, a 45-minute, three-river excursion (the Danube and its tributaries, the Inn and the Ilz), as well as a steamer cruise down river to Vienna. Passau also is joined to Linz on a five-hour ferry ride, April-October.

Take a super-scenic cruise on the historic Elbe River for a half-day from Dresden to the Czech border at Rathen, operating between March and early November. (Train service is available for the return trip).

From April to early October, explore the Neckar River valley by boat, boarding in Heidelberg and cruising as far as Neckarsteinach and Bad Wimpfen; trips are also available between Heidelberg and Hirschhorn (mid-June through September).

When in Berlin, treat yourself to a boating excursion on the Spree River.

For visitors who want to travel under their own “steam,” Germany offers canoeing facilities on all its major rivers.

Within The Czech Republic

Day trips are available for river tours along the Vltava. Passengers float through historic city center and sail through the beautiful Bohemian landscape along the river. One- and two-hour cruises are available, as well as a Prague By Night cruise with buffet dinner and live music. Cruise ships are the only commercial vessels permitted to use the waterway that passes through the city.

Rowboats and paddleboats are an optional and fun-filled way to enjoy a “self-drive,” rent-your-own-boat tour along the Vltava River, which snakes through the middle of town beneath the city’s spires.

Canoeing and kayaking are both very popular with the Czechs, and at least a half dozen rivers lend themselves to this mode of exploration. The Bata Canal in Southern Moravia is a newly restored waterway that can be entirely traversed by boat. Sailing and other water sports are popular on the large artificial lakes in the south of the country.

Within Hungary

Summertime is the best time to take a romantic tour by a Danube sightseeing boat from Budapest to the picturesque Danube Bend, stopping at Szentendre, medieval Visegrad and Esztergom; ticket reservations are not necessary.

From April to October, ferries also operate on Lake Balaton, the largest freshwater lake in Europe. On the lake, Balaton Shipping Co. offers cruises, fishing, yachting and entertainment programs day and night. (2 hours by express train from Budapest).

Within Poland

From Gdansk, excursion boats offer daily service to the Baltic Sea resort of Sopot, one of Poland’s most fashionable, with long stretches of sand. Boat service is also available to Hel (and back), a former fishing village, now resort with a fine windswept beach on the Baltic and popular for windsurfing on the south seaside. Hydrofoil service links Gdynia and Hel with the Russian port of Kaliningrad.

The Dunajec River Gorge, winding its way along the Polish-Slovak border, offers visitors a quiet river rafting trip and a perfect perspective of the Pieniny Mountains. Operating May to October, the trip starts in Katy (30 miles by bus from Zakopane) and ends at the spa town of Szczawnica. (Customized trips organized in Zakopane include transfers, the river trip with guide and visits to a timber church and castle.)

Excursion boats ply Great Masurian Lakes (over 2,000 in the district) during summer months, also a popular time for canoeing and kayaking among the lakes’ channels. The local shipping company, Zegluga Mazurska, operates lake and canal cruises.

Ferry service are also available from Gdansk and Swinoujscie to Denmark and Sweden.

Within Slovakia

Danube River cruises through Central Europe stop in Bratislava, coming and going between Vienna and Budapest; while local vessels offer excursions to Devin Castle, or Hainburg in Austria, or the Gabcikovo Dam.