RIVER CRUISES: world's best for wine lovers

There’s something especially relaxing about gliding through a vine-covered landscape on the smooth waters of a river or canal. Lewis Nunn highlights five great options to combine your love of the grape with a superb boat-based escape

- Lewis Nunn

The river cruising market is dwarfed by the giant that is the ocean cruising industry, but prior to lockdown in March 2020 it was enjoying a steady growth – almost 233,000 travellers hit the rivers of Europe in 2018, according to Cruise Lines International Association: a 10.4% year-on-year increase. And once lockdown begins to ease, river cruising has an opportunity to capitalise on the reluctance of many diehard cruise lovers to embark upon an ocean voyage on a ship containing hundreds if not thousands of holidaymakers.

As the typical river cruising vessel has a much smaller capacity than an ocean liner, health and safety procedures can be easier to manage, and the lower number of passengers may help customers feel more reassured. Also, a river cruise operator can often arrange medical attention on shore more quickly than a cruise liner that may be mid-Atlantic if and when a passenger falls ill. In July, the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office updated its warning against all cruise ship travel, changing it to permit river cruises.

The appeal of a European river cruise to wine lovers is obvious, with many of the most popular itineraries taking you through the heart of some of Europe’s most scenic wine regions. And seeing vineyards from the river can provide a fascinating insight into how the topography shapes the wine in the glass. What river cruising offers is complete destination immersion – but at leisure, with someone else always doing the driving. It’s just a case of choosing which river, and which wine region you want to explore...

France: the Garonne