River cruises are among the fastest growing vacation choices. But because of a fear of the unknown, and a slightly higher price tag, many people have yet to experience one. However, once you begin researching your options and hearing feedback from those who have vacationed via river cruises, you quickly realize that the positive far outweighs the negative. If you want to incorporate a scenic, relaxing adventure into your vacation, honeymoon, anniversary, or family reunion, you need to consider trying a river cruise, and here’s why!

You’ll experience the best of both worlds

An ideal vacation is unique to you as the traveler. You might be itching to explore fresh places, eat and drink exotic foods, and experience each wonder of the world! Your significant other, on the other hand, might envision their vacation as reading a good book in tranquility, surrounded by natural beauty. River cruises accommodate both of these preferences, and many more! If you want to bustle, river cruises offer you the excitement of a unique destination every single day. And unlike ocean cruises, there are few-to-no days spent solely traveling. If the pace of experiencing a different culturally rich city every day is too busy for your ideal vacation, river cruises still have you covered. Most river cruise ships are very peaceful, with enough amenities to go around. Rooms are small enough that families with kids are typically discouraged. But that doesn’t mean the rooms aren’t quality! Plus, with some corner rooms, you may not even need to walk to the spacious main deck to experience the comfortable life on the river.

Luxurious and hassle-free

Cruises have a connotation of being cramped and overcrowded. Rooms are often barely big enough for the bed! It can be stressful just thinking about it. River cruises, however, are not like this at all. The entire boat needs to be smaller to travel on rivers, so the profit-game of “how many people can we squeeze onto this boat?” is less prevalent for river cruise companies. Instead, river cruises make their money on providing superior service, amenities, and atmosphere. The comparison is staggering. Yes, it does show up in the price tag, but the best part is that most river cruises are all-inclusive. From the Champagne, to the guided tours, to room service; everything is included. Just climb aboard and enjoy luxurious, hassle-free paradise.

An opportunity to discover new cultures

Often the best vacations that people take are ones which expand their understanding and respect for other cultures and ways of life. Visiting new places are amazing, but often they are limited to one or two countries, just when you have whet your appetite for more. River cruises, specifically in Europe, allow you to visit multiple countries and various distinct cultures, all in one trip. You could be in the Netherlands one day, Germany the next, and experiencing Romania before you know it.

All this, without having to navigate the unknown!

The point above sounds stressful to anyone who has ever had to drive or fly multiple-leg trips. The great thing about river cruises is that you can do all of this while never having to say some prayers of safety for your luggage, pull over to try to ask for directions in German, or get caught late at night with no clue how to get to your hotel. Just move towards the river, and your river cruise bliss will be waiting. River cruises take all the stress out of traveling and exploring, without removing any intrigue.

Low-key and relaxing

One of the biggest problems about vacations is that they often end up being more stressful than relaxing. Sometimes seeming more stressed than staying at home! River cruises are a great solution. The atmosphere on these cruises are peaceful, relaxing, and even meditative. There are rarely children on river cruises, since most of the boats need to be smaller than those used for ocean cruises. Also there rarely are parties or noisy late-night guests. Activities on river cruises typically wrap-up by midnight, and on many cruises you can get up early to get a guided tour of the port city you arrived at last evening. If you’re not a morning person, you can rest assured that you will sleep in serenity.

Everyone’s vacation preference is different. Itineraries for river cruises accommodate a variety of different preferences, lengths, and themes. Europe in particular has become a wonderful place to go on a river cruise, but they exist almost everywhere in the world. Most river cruise companies have informative websites, with 360-degree pictures of their ships, itinerary maps, and other information. If you feel overwhelmed, a travel agent is a wonderful resource to provide an experienced perspective and advice for choosing the best river cruise for your travel appetite.