Recent studies in the travel industry have shown just how the demands of the typical holidaymaker have altered over the years. Once upon a time, it was all about sun and sand but now, culture has entered the picture. In other words, city breaks are in, and beach holidays are out (or have become less popular, anyway).
This is one of the reasons why more and more people are taking to Europe during their annual leave. It might not boast the highest temperatures, but for sightseeing few continents in the world beat it.
However, most people travelling around Europe do so on one of the umpteen budget airlines that are available. While this can free up one’s budget for other areas of the trip, one could also argue that there are much more inventive ways to inject a bit of magic into a European getaway. No, we’re not talking about upgrading to a business class flights – but instead relying on a completely different method of transport. Cruise ships.
Most people associate cruises with holidays that take you around the world, or a large part of a continent. While these are rightfully popular, it’s worth mentioning that there are “short-haul” options that can make city breaks even more appealing. For example, these Viking river cruises mainly concentrate on a couple of cities; including combinations like Paris to Prague, Budapest to Amsterdam and Frankfurt to Nuremberg.
Let’s take some of the above combinations and look at just how they can be made into a holiday. Firstly, Paris to Prague. This features two of the most prominent destinations in Europe from a tourism point of view and with said trip lasting just twelve days, it means that there’s plenty of time to admire the route. The route will present the opportunity to stop over in other places, with Germany featuring heavily, but the fact that you start with a romantic city and finish with a more vibrant one just adds to the overall getaway.
Perhaps the power of a cruise holiday can be highlighted through the Frankfurt to Nuremberg route we mentioned. Even though these two destinations are in the same country, it doesn’t take anything away from a cruise ship experience. Instead of just having clouds for scenery, suddenly you’re coasting down the Main River and seeing all of the famous sights that Germany has to offer. Think Old Towns, think ruins – think every stereotypical tourist attraction that the Germans have become renowned for. A cruise ship not only allows you to visit the main ones, but also see everything around them.
In summary, we’re trying to show that there’s a different way to tour Europe that doesn’t involve the budget airlines of this world. Admittedly, it might be somewhat more expensive, but when you consider all of the additional sights you will cast your eyes on, as well as the perks of being on-board a cruise ship, it certainly makes for an inventive city break.
