With all the options you have for a river cruise in Germany, deciding on one may be a challenge. Would you like to sail the Danube? What about the Elbe? There’s also the Main and the Moselle. The Rhine is another excellent option.
Each route offers a unique experience in Germany. Let's start with the 8 day Danube river cruise, one of the most popular routes to sail. Not only do you visit Germany, but many others as well such as Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Austria. River cruises in the Danube start or end in Germany, allowing you to easily explore more of the country pre- or post-cruise. German cities or towns visited may include Passau, Regensburg, Nuremberg, and Kelheim.
If you've already visited Germany on a Danube river cruise or are looking to see more castles, then consider sailing the Rhine River. While the Danube flows west to east, the Rhine's direction is south to north. Villages, cities and towns visited in Germany may include Speyer, Heidelberg, Rudesheim, Cologne, Dusseldorf, and Koblenz. Other countries along the Rhine are Switzerland, France and Holland.
Those wanting to stay in Germany can cruise the Main River as the course of the river is exclusively there. Visit Nuremberg, Bamberg, Wurzburg, Rothenberg, Wertheim, and Frankfurt.
The Moselle River is another route that stays in Germany. Although part of the river is in France, all port of calls are in Germany. They include: Trier, Bernkastel, Cochem, Koblenz, Braubach, Rudesheim,Heidelberg, Miltenberg, Wurzburg, and Bamberg.
Last, but not least, cutting through northeastern Germany on its way to the North Sea is the Elbe River. Terraced vineyards and villages dot the course that starts in the Czech Republic. When sailing in Germany, visit Bad Schandau, Dresden, Meissen, Torgau, Wittenberg, Dessau, and Magdeburg.