Luxury cruises
Rhine, Danube and Douro: a new town every morning, no sea days, everyone back for dinner.
River cruising is the quiet solution to a lot of family planning problems. Nobody gets seasick, the ship docks in the middle of town, the walks are flat and short, and children see castles, Christmas markets and chocolate shops rather than open sea. On a dedicated family departure there are activities for them too.
For grandparents travelling as a couple, the standard sailings are elegant and well paced, with excursions included and the scenery drifting past the window at lunch.
Highlights
Planning figure for a typical week in a veranda suite. Final price depends on sailing date, ship, suite and availability.
Start PlanningUniworld's dedicated family departures in school holidays are the ones we recommend.
Any of the three; Viking is adults-only, Uniworld and Scenic welcome families on selected dates.
Best cruise lines here
Boutique river ships with lavish interiors and dedicated family sailings in the school holidays.
All-inclusive discovery yachts with helicopters and a submersible, plus a well-regarded river fleet.
Calm, adults-only ships with Scandinavian design and an excursion included in every port.
How to choose
Derived from our own ratings of the lines above, not from brochures.
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises is river; Scenic is yacht-style; Viking is mid-size. Smaller ships reach the smaller harbours in European Rivers; larger ones carry more for children and more dining choice.
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, Scenic and Viking keep it relaxed. Ask us which suits the party before anything else.
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises rates highest with us for families here; Scenic and Viking are effectively adults-only. Children's facilities vary more than brochures suggest; we will say which ships really have them.
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises and Scenic lead on food in our experience of European Rivers sailings.
Cruise ideas
Planning figures per person.
Budapest to Passau on a dedicated family departure: castles, chocolate and no sea days.
In pictures
Licensed photographs of the ports and the ships we would put you on, not brochure renders.
Land & sea
A long flight deserves a soft landing. We build the nights before embarkation and after disembarkation into the same plan: the hotel, the transfers, a day or two on land, all booked by the same specialist.
Alpine chalets in winter, a Provençal house in summer.
Chalet weeks with doorstep skiing and quiet evenings.
Doorstep skiing, a chef, and a boot room that is warm.
The Three Valleys from the front door.
A catered chalet, a private instructor, and evenings already handled.
Ski school, a nanny, and the Three Valleys from the door.
Connecting suites, different activity levels, dining that works for everyone, and transfers that suit grandparents and toddlers alike. The best family suites go first, so start early.
Further reading
Our own planning notes: who a ship suits, how many cabins to book, when to go.
Crowds, buffets, seasickness, feeling trapped, dressing for dinner, children underfoot and the price. What is true of a 3,000-guest ship is mostly untrue of a 300-guest one. Here is what we tell first-time guests.
Our shortlist of the luxury ships that work when grandparents, parents and children travel together, and the ones we would not recommend.
What a connecting suite actually is, why there are so few, how to get a pair, and the alternatives when they are gone.
Good to know
A dedicated family departure, usually with Uniworld in the summer holidays. Ordinary river sailings are adult-oriented and children can find them slow.
Generally very well: no tenders, short walks, and the ship docks in town. We check lift access and cabin layout before recommending a specific ship.
Don't spend thirty hours comparing forty ships, cabins, dates, flights and hotels. Give us five minutes and we'll narrow it down to what is worth considering.