At a glance
- River cruises are more casual than ocean sailing, so you don't have to pack as many formal outfits
- European weather is unpredictable, so be prepared for both hot and cold days
- River ships tend to have smaller cabins, so you should avoid oversized suitcases
When you book a Rhine River cruise, you’re not only packing for the ports you’ll visit on your sailing, but your time on board, too. With this in mind, we’ve put together this expert guide to help you decide what makes it into your suitcase. You’re welcome.
The essentials
As you’ll join your river ship in central Europe (Rhine River cruises typically travel between Basel in Switzerland and Amsterdam in the Netherlands, or vice versa), you must pack all the documents that you will need to show at the airport or Eurostar terminal.
You’ll also need to pack any prescription medicine as well as an adaptor or two to charge your phone, laptop, et al as cabins tend to be fitted with European 220-volt sockets.
It’s not a bad idea to pack a small stash of Euros – handy for purchasing drinks and souvenirs ashore and for tipping local guides too.
Other essentials include sunscreen (on a Rhine River cruise you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors) and, if you’re a light sleeper, earplugs – you never know if your neighbours might be noisy!
What to wear: shore days
One of the highlights of a Rhine River cruise is being able to explore a new city and destination almost every day. As it’s likely you’ll be covering a lot of ground on foot, often on quaint, cobblestone streets, the most important thing to pack is a pair of comfortable shoes – be it a pair of trainers, light trekking shoes or sturdy sandals. All of which means if you’re planning on treating yourself to a brand-new pair of shoes for your Rhine River cruise holiday, be sure to break them in first.
Keep in mind that the weather in Europe – even in the height of summer – can be unpredictable. Our advice is to pack layers, and lots of them: think a lightweight rain mac, umbrella and a warm jacket, as well as a wide-brimmed hat or baseball cap and your usual summer clothes, to ensure you’re comfortable while away from your river ship. A rucksack or day bag can also be useful for carrying reusable water bottles, battery packs, travel-sized hand sanitiser, a small foldable umbrella and other items during port visits, particularly if you’re planning to shop ashore. And, of course, if you’re not a fan of taking photos on your smartphone, don’t forget your camera.
One more thing: passengers are required to take their passports with them when disembarking for the day in each new port. To this end, consider packing an anti-theft, cross-body bag to secure valuable items such as your passport, phone and credit card.
What to wear: ship days
How you spend your time onboard is entirely up to you. You might choose to relax with a book on deck (there’s usually a cosy library onboard should you forget yours) or take a refreshing dip. River cruise lines like AmaWaterways, Emerald Waterways, Uniworld, Scenic and A-Rosa all offer pools of some sort or Jacuzzis, so throw your swim stuff into your suitcase too. You’ll also find small gyms onboard Scenic’s fleet and some others, meaning you might want to bring your exercise clothes or whatever you normally wear to work out.
Time onboard Rhine River ships is leisurely, so it’s fine to wear relaxed clothes that you feel comfortable in. Casual dress is also welcome at night – Rhine River cruises are nowhere near as formal as ocean cruises, thereby allowing you to rock up for dinner in denim should you so desire. That being said, if you do want to make an effort and dress up a little in the evening, you won’t be alone. While it’s true that you won’t see anyone in formal gowns or dinner jackets onboard a Rhine River cruise ship, a good number of guests embrace the chance to slip into a cocktail dress or collared shirt.
Toiletries
Good news: you can leave your shampoo and shower gel at home as every river cruise line under the sun offers complimentary, refillable containers of the aforementioned. The more luxurious cruise lines also provide conditioner, body lotion and shower caps in the bathrooms, which, word of warning, are often on the small side when compared to those you’ll find in staterooms on mega ocean ships.
Personal items that you will need to bring include deodorant, perfume or aftershave, your toothbrush and toothpaste – as well as any preferred medicines, skincare products, shaving cream and razors, should you need them. But don’t panic too much if you accidentally leave these items at home. You can always purchase replacements in the sundry store onboard or, a much cheaper alternative, in whatever city you happen to be visiting.
Technology
Clothing, accessories and toiletries aren’t the only things you’ll need to pack for your Rhine River cruise. Evening entertainment is low-key – typically a pianist tinkles away – so you may want to pack some tech (think an iPad or tablet) to keep you entertained after dinner. One caveat: as Wi-Fi can be weak on river cruises – even in mainland Europe – take the time to download any books, newspapers or movies you may want to read/watch in advance of your Rhine River cruise.
Last word
People tend to fall into two camps when packing: the kitchen sink traveller, and the travel-as-light-as-possible passenger. While on a week-long Rhine River cruise, you won’t get away with hand luggage only, as you can see from above, you don’t want to be lugging an enormous suitcase either. For one thing, airlines often have specific weight restrictions for checked luggage (usually 23kg). For another, river ships are much smaller than their oceangoing counterparts, with cabins starting at around 150 square feet.
To ensure you are able to stow your case (or cases if you are travelling with a companion) under the bed, so as to keep everything, err, shipshape, pack clothing that can be mixed and matched to create multiple outfits – and preferably in a slim suitcase or soft duffle bag.
Happy packing!
Learn more about Rhine River cruises
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