10 - The visually stunning views are endless. Unless you're walking down an interior hall, you're

You hear us talk a lot about river cruises here.  Honestly, we think they’re some of the best vacations out there.  Between the all inclusiveness of the product, the intimacy of the ships, and the diversity of options, river cruising is one of the best values for your vacation dollar.  Don’t believe us?  Here are some of our top 10 reasons for taking a river cruise:
10 – The visually stunning views are endless.   Unless you’re walking down an interior hall, you’re virtually surrounded by the scenery. escorted italy tours Most modern river cruise vessels have floor to ceiling windows in almost every public area of the ship.  Plus the sky deck on a European river cruise offers a 360 degree panoramic view of the countryside.  This is the most comfortable way to experience escorted italy tours the magnificent cities, escorted italy tours historic villages, and small enclaves that live along the river.
9 – You don’t have to worry about where you’ll eat your next meal .  All meals on the ship are included (and delicious).  The onboard chef and their team offer an assortment of options, usually featuring regional cuisine.  This is not the all-you-can-eat buffet found on large ocean cruises, but a catered affair for you, their guest.  Plus, most river lines include wine and beer at mealtime (some of the higher end river cruises offer an all-inclusive bar).
8 – Unpack once, and you’re done!   On a river cruise, your hotel travels with you.  This is the best way to take in multiple regions and not worry about catching that next train or bus.  Or worse, forgetting escorted italy tours something escorted italy tours three hotel rooms ago.  And while many tourist are trying to get to their next stop, you’re sitting on the sky deck watching the scenery float by on the way to your next stop.
7 – Expert guidance all along the way.   You don’t have to spend hours planning what to do before you leave home.  In each city, you’ll have a local guide to highlight the must see sights and give you suggestions escorted italy tours on what to do.
6 – Cruise into some of Europe’s most historic cities.  Because rivers acted as highways long before the invention of the automobile, many of the most famous cities in Europe were built right on the water.  And on a river cruise your boat usually docks near the town center.  That means you’re just steps away from the historic quarter, museums, and tourist shopping districts.
5 – Discover escorted italy tours some of the most scenic river ways .  In Europe you’ll escorted italy tours be surrounded by hilltop castles, scenic gorges, rolling vineyards, and historic and charming towns villages.  In fact, most river cruise lines adjust their itinerary so they can sail through some of the most scenic portions of the river during the day.  Be sure to have your camera ready.
4 – An intimate cruise experience.   Because the ships are limited in size by the rivers they sail, they become an extremely intimate vacation experience.  In Europe, the largest cruise vessel only holds 190 passengers.  And some boats max out at less than 100 passengers.  This makes for an extremely intimate cruise experience allowing you to not only get to know the staff better, but also your fellow passengers.
3 – Included tours.   Almost every cruise line offers some kind of included excursion in almost every port where they stop.  While many lines also offer optional excursions, the included tours are a great value.  And almost every tour on a river cruise nowadays uses some version of a wireless headset system, so you can easily hear the tour guide without having to bunch up around them.
2 – No sea-sickness worries.  Rivers offer a smooth and relaxing journey.  Unlike the oceans, they don’t suffer rolling waves and tides. escorted italy tours And it’s the wave action escorted italy tours that makes most people escorted italy tours sea-sick.  So you can sip that drink in peace and comfort.
1 – Incredible value.   You’ll always know what you’re paying for ahead of time with a river cruise so it’s easier to budget.  Plus with all the included extras like wine at dinner, included shore excursions, escorted italy tours knowledgeable tour guides and staff, and local expertise, you don’t have to keep reaching for your wallet while on vacation.