Smart Travel: European river cruises provide inside biew of countries

Linda and Dr. Don Overend are principals in The Travel Group, a full-service travel agency.

Ocean cruises can take travelers around the edges of countries but there is a different kind of cruise that shows the voyager the countries from within.

Canal, river cruises

There are canal cruises on barges carrying as few as 12 passengers through the canals and locks that lace France and some other European countries.

These are quiet, luxurious and restful but each cruise takes in only a few miles of the countryside.

More expansive cruising, however, is available on the major rivers of most of the countries of Europe.

River cruises can go as far north as Holland and Belgium on the Rhine or Hamburg, Germany, on the Elbe and as far south as Padua on the Po river in Italy and Constanta, Romania, on the Danube.

Because commerce and civilization in the Middle Ages of Europe developed along the rivers, the cities and towns along these waterways are sites of culture and history, of art and architecture, and of modern commerce.

Smaller ships

The river cruise ships are small, usually with no more than 200 passengers and many as small as 70 passengers. They must be able to navigate the tortuous rivers and locks along the way and the boats' shallow draft, usually about three feet, floats them over shallow water.

Even though they are small, they rival the luxury and quality of their big ocean sisters.

Cruise providers

The top-of-the-line river cruise companies are Peter Deilmann Cruises and the ships of Abercrombie and Kent.

Their ships such as the Mozart and L'Abercrombie are resplendent in polished rosewood, brass and fine art.

The cabins, though small by ocean cruise standards, are beautifully furnished and equipped with either picture windows or French doors to the deck.

Spacious lounges, libraries and bars are on board and the dining rooms serve the finest of European fare and wines. On the decks are pools and sun decks to watch the splendid scenery along the leisurely pace along the rivers.

There are daily stops with sightseeing led by local, English-speaking guides and often to legendary cities and quaint villages off the beaten path.

Some of the names of these places, Avignon, Viviers, Tangermunde, Malczyce, Ghent and Esztergom, are a feast for the imagination as well as the eye. And all this is on smooth rivers with continuous scenery.

Safe travel option

In this time of security worries, these inland sites are unlikely places for any dangers and are in countries that have been free of terrorist actions.

The season for river cruises starts in late March and ends in October and, like most cruises, they offer good value because accommodations, meals and transportation are included in the fare.

Additionally, most river cruise lines also provide air fare at prices that are unavailable to the public.

If Europe is in the travel plans for this summer, consider the luxury, comfort, safety and adventure of a European river cruise.

After all, the best way to see a country is from the inside and, in this case, the riverside.