Highlights on this, Europe's second longest river, include the scenic Wachau Valley, Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava. Music lovers like this route for the many opportunities to attend concerts in the major towns. In 1992 the German government's completion of this water link between the Main and Danube Rivers was the consummation of an idea first pursued by Charlemagne. The 106-mile long canal connects 2,200 miles of waterways across 15 countries, from the North Sea to the Black Sea, opening the area for a wide variety of cruises. The Danube-Main Canal and the connection between the Rhine, Moselle and Main Rivers give a huge array of itinerary options.
Cruises here are five to seven nights long.
These flow through the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. The appeal of this trip ranges from the fine cuisine of Lyon to the Roman ruins in Arles. These trips are seven nights between Honfleur and Paris, where river boats dock at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Stops include Claude Monet's gardens at Giverny and D-Day Beaches. Uniworld and Viking River Cruises offer combination packages of cruises on the Rhone and Saone and on the Seine, transferring passengers between the different ships by bus.