Danube river cruises

In Europe, the Danube river is regarded as the greatest river that is lush with immense natural charm as it flows via the central as well as southeastern sections of the continents before meeting the Black Sea. One of the areas to best explore the river is Austria, but many people avoid that and think of mountainous adventures. However, it is worth to take up one of the Danube river cruises to perfectly enjoy the charm of not only Austria, but also of the river’s highlights that resides along the mountains and valleys via which the river runs. These highlights are not only restricted to the scenery and sites, but also include the cultural excursions to explore the real life of the locals.

As a matter of fact, almost full of Austria is taken over by the river Danube that is fed by over 40 other rivers such as the Wien at Vienna, the Mur at Graz, and the Inn at Passau. The strong Danube emerges in the West Germany’s Bavarian foothills and meanders for some 1,788 miles before emptying into the Black Sea and forming the Romania’s Danube Delta. Here, are some of the best tour operators offering the various deals for the Danube river cruises.

Viking River Cruises

This has been chosen by Travel Weekly as the best river cruise operator as well as the most honored cruise line. Sailing on the entire length of Danube, this is the largest line of its kind. There are 7 Danube river cruises offered by this line, which take a tour of Austria featuring various journeys, prices, multi-day packages, and multi-country thrills. In this nation, the halts include right from the lavish Vienna capital holding many great edifices as well as public squares to Passau where there resides several faultless cathedrals as well as storybook castles besides the snowy peaks. You are also taken to the stunning Wachau Valley – a Heritage site holding not only the river course, but also the scenic villages and apricot groves. Address: Viking River Cruises, 5700 Canoga Ave., Woodland Hills, CA 91367; Phone: 1-877-668-4546; Web: www.vikingrivercruises.com

Smolka Tours

This traditional travel agency is an expert in offering Eastern European river cruises via its 9 tour packages throughout the year. This is the choice if you want to experience the music and story of Austria including the Mozart symphonies. Look for a river cruise that offer ‘Sound of Music’ palace weekend at a UNESCO World Heritage Site close to Salzburg. You can also go for an Opera Cruise that is scheduled for four times to tour the passengers from Passau to Vienna along with the route towards Mel and Bratislav boasting the great Baroque Benedictine Abbey. Address: Smolka Tours, 39 Avenue at the Common, Suite 200B, Shrewsbury, NJ 07702; Phone: 1-800-722-0057; Web: www.smolkatours.com

AMA Waterways

This winner of the “Best River Cruise” in 2009 Readers’ Choice Awards survey of the Porthole Magazine specializes in river tours. There are seven tours offered by this agency along the Austria’s Danube right from no less than 12-day cruise to the 23-day trip of the Grand Danube. It also schedules for two 11-day Christmas cruises that take the passengers to the legendary Christmas markets of Vienna and Linz. Address: AMA Waterways, 21625 Prairie St., Catsworth, CA 91311; Phone: 1-800-626-0126; Web: www.amawaterways.com