Cheap River Cruises

There are river cruises available to suit all budgets. And with so much included – on-board accommodation, meals, entertainment and WiFi – you’ll find that river cruises offer excellent value for money compared to the equivalent hotel-based holidays. Most river cruises also include flights from the UK and airport-to-port transfers in the ticket price and some also include free added extras such as drinks and shore excursions. To compare what’s included with each river cruise line, click here . 

Budget river cruise lines

If you’re looking for a cheap river cruise, there are some lower-cost river cruise lines which you should check out first. These budget three- and four-star cruise lines deliver a good level of service.

• Riviera Travel – Enjoy included flights and transfers, shore excursions in every port of call and delicious five-star cuisine. Drinks packages are available to purchase to make your river cruise all-inclusive.

Cheap river cruise destinations

To keep costs down when selecting a river cruise, look for destinations that are fairly close to home. The waterways of Holland are a great choice for first-time river cruisers. Travel in springtime and you can experience the beauty of the Dutch bulbfields, as well as finding lots to see and do in Amsterdam.

Budapest is another good place to join a river cruise – head down the Danube, visiting imperial cities such as Bratislava and Vienna. Alternatively, you could head to Cologne and sail along the romantic Rhine where you’ll enjoy spectacular scenery dotted with castles, churches and vineyards.

Short river cruises

River cruisers on a budget should look out for short-duration river cruises. The cheapest river cruises in Europe tend to last between three and six nights. 

No-fly river cruises

Heading to Europe by coach or Eurostar can be the cheapest way to start your river cruise. The prices you’ll see on this website usually include flights, but if you’d like a quote that includes rail or coach instead, then speak to our concierge team who will be happy to arrange this for you.

Winter river cruises

December can be a wonderful time of year to take a European river cruise. As well as saving money compared to a summer river cruise, many winter river cruises also visit the Christmas Markets of Europe’s most beautiful historic cities.