Reasons to take the train
There are many reasons travellers might opt to join a river cruise by rail rather than air. Anxiety UK estimates that around 10 per cent of Britons have aviophobia. Meanwhile, others have heart or respiratory conditions that make flying ill-advised. Increasingly, passengers are also more conscious of their carbon footprint when travelling.
For many, however, it’s simply a question of comfort and convenience. From airport queues to being sat between two armrest encroachers, there are plenty of small annoyances that put people off flying. In comparison, the Eurostar offers a more streamlined experience. There is slightly less waiting around than at an airport, and no specific weight limits on your two pieces of luggage.
All of this makes it clear why Riviera Travel strives to give guests the option to join many of its river cruises by train. Its team works tirelessly to provide a wide range of regional connections across the UK, so you can find an option that suits you well.
How does it work?
One of the benefits of travelling with Riviera Travel is how much is included in your fare. On a European river cruise, you can expect full board dining, all-inclusive drinks, free Wi-Fi, accommodation aboard a five-star ship, complimentary excursions and more.
That extends to return flights or, on select routes, return train travel from the UK. A broad selection of stations are available when you’re booking online, and if yours isn’t, you can get in touch with Riviera Travel directly, and its experts may be able to request it for you.
Note that a supplement applies to select regional stations (e.g., £30 from Oxford). You can see the full list here.
It's also worth knowing that Riviera Travel can arrange upgrades to Eurostar Premier if you so wish. Perks include exclusive lounge access in London, Paris and Brussels, more spacious seating and a unique onboard menu.
Without further ado, here are five European river cruises you can join without setting foot in an airport.
The Seine, Paris and Normandy River Cruise
Departures: Rail journeys depart 16 June, 21 August and 4, 18 and 25 September. There are also 15 dates available from April to October 2027.
Duration: Eight days
Itinerary: You’ll arrive in Paris by train before boarding your river ship. From there, you’ll sail the Seine, visiting Les Andelys, known for the ruins of Château Gaillard, followed by the medieval city of Rouen and the charming town of Caudebec-en-Caux.
Then it’s on to Bayeux, with the chance to see D-Day beaches. Honfleur, gateway to the Côte Fleurie, is next, before final stops at Vernon and Giverny. The cruise ends back in Paris, where you’ll catch the train home.
Highlights: With a rating of 4.8 out of 5 based on feedback from more than 750 passengers, this French itinerary is packed with memorable moments.
History enthusiasts will find plenty of intrigue at Château Gaillard, a fortress built by Richard the Lionheart, while the British Normandy Memorial overlooks Gold Beach, one of the five main landing sites on D-Day.
Art lovers, meanwhile, will relish time at Claude Monet’s garden in Giverny, which the artist once called his most beautiful masterpiece. Here, you’ll find the famous lily pond that inspired his Les Nymphéas oil paintings.
For foodies, excursions to family-owned farms introduce Normandy’s culinary traditions, from local cheeses to calvados and cider. Guests can see long-established production methods in action and sample the region’s signature flavours.
Springtime in the Netherlands: Amsterdam and the Tulips River Cruise
Departures: Train departures from 2-9 and 25-30 April 2027.
Duration: Five days
Itinerary: After travelling by rail from the UK, you’ll arrive in Zaandam, where you’ll board your five-star ship. The cruise begins with a visit to Zaanse Schans, known for its storybook windmills, followed by the former fishing town of Huizen.
Next comes Keukenhof, often called the Garden of Europe. The journey continues to the harbour city of Enkhuizen, before reaching Amsterdam. After exploring the Dutch capital, the cruise ends in Zaandam.
Highlights: The Dutch waterways are at their very best in spring, in no small part because Keukenhof is open. The garden park opens its gates for just eight weeks a year from late March to early May. It’s home to a staggering seven million blooms, including roughly 800 varieties of tulips. Riviera Travel times its itineraries so you see the full kaleidoscopic effect.
The Zuiderzee open-air museum is another standout excursion, with a collection of 140 historic buildings offering the chance to peer back through the centuries. Riviera’s guided walking tour of Amsterdam is just as compelling, revealing landmarks including the former home of Rembrandt and the house where Anne Frank penned her diary.
Enchanting Rhine and Yuletide Markets River Cruise
Departures: Rail departures on over a dozen dates throughout December 2026.
Duration: Five days
Itinerary: Your train journey whisks you through snow-dusted landscapes to Cologne, where you're welcomed aboard a ship decked out in seasonal finery.
A scenic sailing through the UNESCO-listed Rhine Gorge brings guests to the chocolate-box towns of Rüdesheim and Bonn. Then it’s back to Cologne to take in its Christmas markets before heading home to the UK.
Highlights: Sailing through the Rhine Gorge, where time-worn castles crown hillsides and cliffs rise steeply above the river, is an experience that stays with many guests. Out on the ship’s deck, steaming mugs of spiced Glühwein in hand, you’ll hear the legend of the Lorelei, the siren said to have lured sailors on the Rhine to their doom.
That said, for many passengers, the Christmas markets of Rüdesheim, Bonn and Cologne are the main attraction. Beneath soaring spires, stalls overflow with music boxes, wooden nutcrackers and handcrafted figurines, along with gingerbread, baked apples and brandy-spiked coffee. Old town halls transformed into giant advent calendars and towering trees illuminated with thousands of lights complete the scene.
Rhine Cruise to Switzerland
Departures: Rail departures span May to October in 2026 and 2027, with over 50 dates to choose from, so you can find one to fit your schedule.
Duration: Eight days
Itinerary: A train journey brings you to Cologne, where your river ship is moored. From there, you’ll cruise through forested landscapes that inspired Brothers Grimm fairytales to the 2,000-year-old city of Koblenz.
The route continues through the Rhine Gorge to Rüdesheim and on to Speyer, known for its UNESCO-listed cathedral. Next up is Strasbourg, followed by opportunities to explore the Black Forest or follow the Alsace Wine Route.
A tour in Lucerne and a rail journey through the Bernese Oberland make for a breathtaking crescendo, before you head to Basel to begin the trip home.
Highlights: Wine lovers will find lots to savour on this itinerary, with aromatic bottles of Riesling and Pinot Blanc waiting in the cellars in Strasbourg. The Alsace Wine Route, meanwhile, is lined with sun-dappled vineyards and quaint wine villages celebrated by oenophiles around the world.
Travellers of all stripes will also appreciate the immense natural beauty of the landscapes along this route. The ruined castles of the Rhine Gorge and the dramatic tableaux of the Black Forest are literally the stuff of legend, while the journey through Switzerland reveals Alpine scenery framed by snow-capped peaks.
Lyon, Provençal Rhône & the Camargue River Cruise
Departures: You’ll find at least one or two rail departures each month from May to October 2026 and April to October 2027.
Duration: 11 days
Itinerary: A rail journey through the French countryside brings you to Lyon. From there, you’ll sail the Saône River to Mâcon, with a visit to the Abbey of Cluny. This is followed by Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy, before heading back towards Lyon en route to Ardèche Gorges.
The journey continues through a series of famous locks towards Provence. Avignon, known as the ‘City of Popes’, awaits, followed by the Pont du Gard aqueduct and the quintessentially South-of-France town of Uzès.
Then come the wetlands of Camargue and Arles, along with Les Baux-de-Provence in the Alpilles. Orange and Châteauneuf-du-Pape are the grand finale before returning to Lyon to catch your train.
Highlights: Lyon, generally acknowledged as France’s gastronomic capital, is a haven for foodies, while Mâcon has been a hub for viticulture since Gallo-Roman times. Standing in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, surrounded by vast vineyards celebrated for their unique terroir, is equally rapturous for oenophiles.
Nature lovers will also find plenty to marvel at. The Ardèche Gorges is known for its dramatic grottos and natural sculptures, not least the Pont d’Arc, a 500,000-year-old natural arch. Nearby caves contain prehistoric artwork dating back millennia, and lavender farms are typical of this part of France.
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