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The cruise ends in Rousse, where you can venture further into Romania to Bucharest, which is known as the "Little Paris of the East" for a city tour and Christmas Market. Another highlight of the cruise is Krems, where the group will visit Göttweig Abbey and get exclusive access to the chapel in the inner courtyard to see the nativity scene. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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Ornaments, trinkets, decorations, and all the rest will boost your holiday spirit, helping you return from your trip with truly special festive memories. There are also Festive Time on the Romantic Rhine itineraries that don't include the land-based post-cruise days if you want a shorter trip. Travelers looking to explore all of the Old World historic charm of Belgium will want to book Uniworld's Belgian Holiday Markets cruise. The seven-night cruise visits Belgium and the Netherlands, with port days in iconic cities like Ghent, Bruges and Antwerp. Viking offers Danube Christmas Delights river cruises from late November through mid-December in 2024 and 2025. In Rüdesheim, you can choose to take part in a coffee and hot chocolate tasting, marvel at one of the largest mechanical music box collections in the world, enjoy a wine tasting or explore the city on your own.
Night Cruise With 3 Nights Prague Pre-Cruise
Plan A Cruise To The Christmas Market In Natchez This Holiday Season - Southern Living
Plan A Cruise To The Christmas Market In Natchez This Holiday Season.
Posted: Fri, 28 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Sometimes it’s smarter to book an independent tour or go as you please for the day. 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. We were so impressed with how organized and well thought of this trip was. We enjoyed our trip so much; our tour manager Bart was absolutely incredible. We absolutely loved the door-to-door service and can't wait to travel with you again.
The River of Kings – The Danube
If you want to enjoy a glass or two of seasonal cheer with your holiday shopping, Dusseldorf is a great river cruise Christmas market pick. Experience Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, and Germany (including the iconic capital cities of Budapest, Bratislava, and Vienna). Peruse some of the best holiday markets in Europe, including Regensburg and Salzburg. Taking place on the cobblestone Vorosmarty Square, this handcrafts-only market is a great place to find one-of-a-kind gifts.
Day 3
Follow their lead because they likely know who has the best treats. Packing for a river cruise in the middle of winter was the most challenging part of the trip for me. Not only did I have to buy winter clothes since I live in Florida, but I needed to make sure I brought enough layers to keep me warm. The more desirable balcony and suite rooms often sell out first, followed by rooms with only upper windows.
Other options include a gondola ride christmas market combo as well as a guided bike tour of the Rheingau German wine region and Christmas markets. This river cruise also gives you the opportunity to visit Linz, where you can find one of the most beautiful Austrian Christmas markets at Hellbrunn Palace. It also stops in Passau, where a walking tour brings you to St. Stephen’s Square and its baroque cathedral in the heart of Old Town. At Passau Christkindlmarkt, you can find cute little Bavarian-style model houses, cookie cutters, and olive wood products from Assisi. Here, we list the eight best Christmas markets river cruises to take in 2024, along with tips to get the most out of each sailing and highlights not to miss.
When should I arrive at the embarkation port?
Sail aboard a ship designed for viewing the enchanting riverside vistas, through panoramic windows, from the sun deck, or from the comfort of your private, river-view cabin. Onboard meals, prepared by European chefs, include a choice of regional specialties and traditional favorites. Some river cruise lines offer pre-cruise extensions that you can bundle with the cruise booking and allow you to arrive early at the embarkation port. These extensions include a hotel stay, and some include a few meals and a guided tour, plus transfers from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the ship.
Visit the foreign travel advice site for the latest travel updates. Take a look at our latest sailings below and find your perfect Christmas markets river cruise for you. If you can’t find exactly what you are looking for, don’t hesitate to give our Cruise Concierge team a call and they will help you handpick your perfect Christmas Markets voyage. Always a popular choice, a Christmas Market River Cruise is the perfect way to see a host of Europe’s world famous Christmas markets.
Save the more conventional souvenirs for later in your trip, especially if you've got a souvenir budget you don't want to overspend on. Fares include meals, drinks during meals and happy hour, Wi-Fi, a library, excursions, bike rentals and a fitness center. Gratuity is not included for hotel stays and meals during the land portion of your trip. The best way to know the times of each market you're visiting is to do a quick internet search close to the time of your river cruise.
She also added extra excursions for us on the few free days/afternoons we had and she made all these extras look easy to organize and treated every one as if it were the first time she had ever done so. She was always enthusiastic and looked forward to everything on our itinerary.Everywhere in Switzerland is eye candy. The beauty of the lakes and mountains make this trip special and the added bonus was the Glacier Express. We never thought we'd want to endure a slow 8 hour train trip but along with the beauty, Siobhan provided activities and team building exercises that made the time fly by. Numerous destinations on river cruises across Europe could hold the title of best European Christmas market, from Germany to Hungary and beyond.
CroisiEurope cruises are also more affordable and offer closed-loop cruises where you start and end in the same destination, which is not something that most other river cruise lines offer for Christmas market cruises. 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. First we want to start off by saying our guide, Siobhan was one of the best guides we have ever had and Gate 1 is lucky to have her. Granted Switzerland has a lot to offer travelers but she made the experience even better with her knowledge, friendliness, concern and positive delightful attitude and personality.
Onboard gratuities and group transfers to and from the airport are also included. All your meals, one excursion per destination, gratuities, Wi-Fi, butler service and transfers are also included in your cruise fare. Alcoholic drinks are only included with the Premium All-Inclusive Package, which can be selected at booking. Cruising aboard any of the vessels included in the Christmas Markets River Cruises we represent, you enjoy special holiday meals and seasonal drinks. Meals and sightseeing are included in the price, making 2023 and 2024 Europe Christmas Market River Cruises a great value. 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.
One thing not to miss here is the extra-charge excursion to a local winery, where you will celebrate the year's harvest and vintage. Day four brings the group to Mannheim, Germany, where you can enjoy a funicular ride to Heidelberg Castle or tour the town of Baden-Baden where the Christmas market is not to be missed. Each ship in the Riverside Luxury Cruises fleet is all-suite and comes with butler service. Ships offer an indoor pool and a Jacuzzi to use before or after your trips ashore. You should always carry some cash with you for the Christmas markets. While many of the vendors will take credit cards or Apple Pay, others only want cash.
The seven-night cruise sails between Budapest and Giurgiu along the Danube River. The midpoint of the cruise will bring you to the decision to visit either Ghent, which is one of the oldest cities in Belgium, or Bruges, known for its medieval architecture and beautiful canals. The cruise also visits Antwerp, where you can explore the various Christmas markets that are spread throughout the city. Your trip ends in Brussels, with a whole day to explore the cute squares and charming markets and try local fare.
Sometimes, these are included in your vacation package, but it's courteous to tip a little extra for exceptional service, especially around the holidays. Staff are working extra hard to keep up the festive cheer, and they may be away from their families during this special time of year. While cash is always appreciated, you can even consider bringing small gifts from home to share your own traditions with the wonderful cruise ship staff you'll interact with each day. The cruise then departs for Germany, where you will be able to explore the Christmas markets in Cologne and Rüdensheim on days three and four. Day five is when travelers can enjoy Mainz and see the Gutenberg Museum or travel further on a bus to Heidelberg to explore Heidelberg Castle.
Derek is definitely in my top 3 favorite Gate1 tour guides (to date) he kept the walking pace at a good rate, his knowledge and history of each place we visited was top notch! All in all, the 11 day affordable Germany, France, Switzerland & Austria departing March 12, 2024 did NOT disappoint. Germany is the undisputed heartland of Europe's festive holiday market scene and Cologne is undoubtedly among the best European Christmas market destinations. It has seven holiday markets in total, with the most famous held against the magnificent backdrop of the city's UNESCO-listed Gothic cathedral.
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