8 Expert Tips for Making a European River Cruise Affordable

River cruising also has the reputation for being expensive. Not to worry—we talked to major experts in river cruises to get their top tips for anyone wondering how to bag a bargain.

Opt for off-peak season.

Don’t underestimate the savings you can find by opting for a sailing outside of high season. “If you’re considering a European river cruise, bear in mind that the peak season is between May and September,” says Colleen McDaniel, Editor-in-Chief at Cruise Critic. “This means bigger crowds and higher prices.

To cut costs, book later in the year, when there are fewer crowds and lower fares.” And to prove her point? Consider the fact that sailing on Viking Cruises’ Rhine Getaway in July 2025 will set you back £3,296 per person, but choose the November 2025 sailing, and you’ll pay just £2,305.

Consider lesser-known river cruise lines.

Yes, operators such as Viking Cruises and Avalon Waterways have big advertising budgets so they might be the first names which come to mind in the world of river cruising, but they’re also some of the most expensive lines to sail with. “Consider budget-friendly, lesser-known river lines such as CroisiEurope and Vantage Deluxe World Travel,” says McDaniel at Cruise Critic.

To prove our point? Book the 8-day Romantic Danube sailing offered by Viking Cruises for July 2026 and you’ll pay £3,295. But the comparable 8-day Budapest and the Pearl of the Danube cruise offered for the same month by CroisiEurope, a France-based cruiser popular with Europeans, costs just £1,687.

Don’t bother splurging on the cabin.

Trust us: On a river cruise, the main thing you’ll be doing inside your cabin is sleeping, which is why splashing out on a huge cabin is a false economy. Jenny Cookman, founder of the River Cruising blog, suggests opting for cheaper cabins on the lower deck. “You’ll still have a fixed window (there are no inside cabins on river ships), and you can always head to the lounge or sun deck to enjoy the views,” Cookman tells us.

But don’t take our word for it. Book a spot on Viva Cruises’ Summer in the Netherlands sailing, for example, and double cabins on the upper Diamond Deck start from £2,576, but opt for the lower Emerald Deck (on the same sailing) and you can bag a double cabin from just £1,843.

Book early, especially for themed cruises.

Never underestimate the popularity of Christmas market cruises. “I’m hosting an upcoming Christmas Markets voyage on the Danube River and the sailing is around 80% full already [in the spring],” says Matthew Spencer, a cruise consultant with The Cruise Specialists.

For further proof that the early bird catches the worm, consider this: Passengers considering Emerald Cruises’ 15-day Christmas Markets of Europe sailing in December 2025 will find a minimum fare of £7,837 (the cheapest accommodation is the Horizon Deck Panorama Balcony Suite). Book the sailing which departs a year later, in December 2026, however, and fares currently start from £5,275.

Ditch the drinks (packages).

While some river cruise lines include unlimited drinks as standard, many offer drinks packages. Emerald Cruises’ packages start from £17 per day for non-alcoholic packages and £32 for ones including alcoholic drinks. TUI River Cruises’ drinks packages start from £28 per day. You have to ask yourself just how much you plan to drink each day, and that might not pay off.

Our top tip? Consider bringing your own booze, or better yet, buy local bottles when you’re ashore. “Keep in mind that almost all river cruise lines, including those which sell drinks packages, will allow you to bring a couple of bottles of wine onboard,” says Spencer at The Cruise Specialists. “Remember that delightful, local Riesling you sampled on your Rhine river cruise excursion? Bring a bottle back with you and enjoy it as the vessel takes you to the next beautiful port, enjoying both the scenery and savings.”

Choose a cruise line that doesn’t include excursions as standard.

This might sound like a false economy, but cruise lines that include excursions in the fare often charge premium fares for doing so. If you prefer exploring on your own anyway, it makes sense to select a river cruise line that sells excursions separately, or sells packages of excursions.

One example is Amadeus River Cruises. Book the German Riverscapes from Passau to Trier sailing, and you can purchase one of three excursion packages (comprising between seven and nine excursions), or book individual excursions, such as a £30 walking tour through the historic German town of Regensburg. The sailing costs from £1,727 for a 9-day cruise, a fantastic price point for sailing of that length, and one that reflects the fact that excursions will be bought à la carte.

Try a taster cruise before you commit to a longer one.

Not sure whether you fancy being seduced by France’s Seine or delighted by Portugal’s Douro? Before splashing out on a long and expensive cruise, consider a short 2 or 3-day taster cruise. These are offered by a a few river cruise lines.

Riviera Travel offers a range of three and four-day sailings (their most popular short itineraries include a 4-day Paris and the Seine sailing for £1,259) while Viva Cruises offers a 3-night Taster River Cruise through the Netherlands for a wallet-friendly £1,055.

Bag a group discount.

Always ask if the cruise line if the price is cheaper for larger groups—those discounts are more common than you might imagine. Riviera Travel, for example, which operates river cruises throughout Europe, offers a free place to one passenger when bookings are for 8 or more, and an additional 10% discount on sailings for groups of 10 or more. Get a group of family and friends together for the cruise of a lifetime, and the savings can come. Unlike Riviera Travel, not all cruise lines will list discounts for groups on their websites, but almost all will offer them for 8 or more people if you ask.