We talk a lot on this blog about some of the best news stories, the top destinations, and the many amazing landmarks you can see if you decide that you’d like to try a river cruise. But the thing is, even if we convince you that you want to try this kind of holiday, if you never have before, you might be a bit overwhelmed about where to go.

Obviously if you’ve got an idea in your head of “that’s the place for me, I’m really interested in those destinations” then you’re sorted. But if it’s just the idea of river cruising in general that has you hooked and you aren’t sure of the next step, my own advice would be to go for the Rhine.

For me the Rhine River epitomises everything that’s great about cruising on rivers. You’ll get the benefits of the incredible natural scenery, something that’s proven by the fact that the Upper Rhine Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the few natural sights in Europe with this classification.

You also get the history of the castles lining the banks, and then the mix of smaller towns and larger cities with Cologne, which is still one of those tourist destinations you don’t immediately think of when travelling giving it a certain mystique.

It’s the classic river cruise and there’s a reason why it’s one of the more popular options you can book with river cruise lines. Of course you might prefer something a bit different and there are plenty of options.

Wine lovers would love river cruises either on the Douro or in the south of France, but if you’re more intrigued by cultures more removed from our own then a Yangtze or Mekong river cruise are two stunning options.

But for me, if you want to give an authentic, traditional river cruise a try for the first time to see if you like it (and you will), the Rhine can’t be beaten. Do you agree?

By Ian Lewis
Google