Europe River Cruises vs Rail Travel
What is the best way to travel Europe, River or Rail?
Our Founder & CLIA Australasia cruise champion Jeff Leckey has travelled extensively in Europe for many years and compares the most popular Europe itineraries by rail or river cruise
Amsterdam to Budapest
THE most popular European trip for Kiwis and Aussies is the iconic journey between Amsterdam and Budapest. A journey steeped in rich history and culture. Visit UNESCO recognised historic areas, renowned museums, vibrant nightlife and experience distinctive local cuisines along the way
Travel from the Dutch Golden age to the legacy of the Austro-Hungarian empire, with so much to see and do on this popular route, no wonder it is high on the list for lots of Kiwis
Jeff & Ruth in Vienna with the famous Johann Strauss memorial
River Cruise Amsterdam to Budapest
Often known as Magnificent Europe, this river cruise is by far the most popular option for value, inclusions & ease of travel. A journey that usually covers 15 days and is pretty much All-Inclusive.
Your river ship is both your floating hotel and your transport. All your main meals are included throughout the trip, usually with meal-time drinks. Included sightseeing options at each destination along the way, plus some opportunities to experience "one of a kind" inclusions that you just won't get access to travelling independently.
15 day River Cruises from Amsterdam, to Budapest are often under the NZ$600pp per day mark, which is pretty amazing for an All-Inclusive style holiday visiting some of Europe's iconic cities and landmarks
Active travellers are well catered for, with most ships carrying complimentary bikes for guest use. Plus there is often a choice of excursions styles, from leisurely guided strolls to escorted bike tours, hikes & even kayak options at some destinations. You still get to design the river cruise holiday your way, to suit your travel style, by personalising your excursion choice, you can be as active or as relaxed as you wish
Health & Wellness are also well catered for with many ships offering morning yoga, or pilates classes and there is always a fantastic choice of fresh healthy food options
Rail Trip Amsterdam to Budapest
Europe has an amazing rail network which actually allows you to make this same iconic journey Amsterdam to Budapest, using a mix of trains and hotels along the way. Great for independent travellers who want to arrange everything themselves. Things to keep in mind are the European trains are busy, you will need both tickets and seat reservations, plus you need to manage all your own luggage on and off trains.
To allow a similar comparison to the river cruise, a Rhine & Danube Rail trip with hotels along the way would take around 13 days. This allows for a 2-night stay in Amsterdam, 2-night stay Cologne, 3-night stay Nuremberg, 3-night stay Vienna and a 2-night stay in Budapest.
To make a fair comparison we included the trains for transport, hotels with breakfast each day in good city locations and some basic sightseeing in each destination
Price wise in the off season you would be budgeting around NZ$450pp per day
On top of this you would have to add your individual trains seat reservations, daily lunches and dinners, plus meal time drinks throughout the journey.
Best Value River or Rail?
In our personal opinion, having experienced both ways of travelling this journey, a River Cruise wins hands down.
Why? Dragging suitcases on and off trains and navigating the cobbled streets of old European cities with luggage to find our hotels was a bit of a buzz killer on our rail trip. Plus arriving in cities and having to plan each day of sightseeing to make sure we didn't miss out on any of the highlights, soon totted up a big bill for tours and entrance fees, that ate in to our travel budget.
River wins on the relaxation scale too! We all lead busy lives, so having everything taken care of on the river cruise meant we could just relax straight in to holiday mode. We hit all the best highlights, enjoyed some amazing adventures we wouldn't have even known about travelling on our own and still managed to keep up our active lifestyle, with great bike trips and scenic hikes that were a real highlight. Taking the guided bike tour of Vienna from the river cruise was such a highlight and we saw things we had completely missed on our previous rail trip there
Don't be put off by the total cruise price. Break it down per day and think about how much all those included extras would cost you if you bought them on the ground in Europe. You may pay a little more upfront but you end up saving big time on your overall trip
Cost Comparison Amsterdam to Budapest:
All-Inclusive River Cruise from approx NZ$600pp per day
Rail & Stay from approx NZ$450pp per day with meals, drinks, sightseeing & entry fees additional
Note approx costs for comparison purposes are based on similar off season dates for travel in November
When to find the Best River Cruise Deals
River Cruise ships are fairly small, anywhere from 90 -190 guests so they tend to book out early. Watch out for Early Bird offers as these are often the best deals and can include air credits, generous pre-purchase discounts or room upgrades. If specific travel dates are not so crucial, then also look out for deals in the quieter season months of October and November. The Christmas Markets sailings also offer a different vibe and can often include some great offers.
Here is a another strange but true trip! Travelling up the rivers instead of down can often mean better availability and sharper prices