I Loved My German Christmas Markets River Cruise

I can not say enough positive things about the time I have just had onboard my German Christmas Markets river-cruise. I was joined onboard by 18 of my wonderful clients, and the feedback has been the same from everyone (so much so, I launched my next group trip onboard). This is on the Danube sailing on the 6th December 2024. We will be enjoying the festivities in Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna. The team onboard has been so attentive, probably the most personal I have experienced on any cruise, and nothing is too much trouble. The food sublime (I did a post dedicated to this on my social media pages, it was that good). The German Christmas Markets are something else, and I am so glad I've experienced them for myself as being honest, I love being around them in the UK but am not overly impressed with the produce avaialble to buy. The authentic markets are something else and I was really surprised with how good the food and drink prices are too. .

I sailed on the MS Oscar Wilde which is classed as a 5* ship on a River Cruise on the Rhine. We arrived in to Cologne after a very early start and got onboard at lunchtime. Cologne has three Christmas markets, the prettiest of them I think is the one with the ice rink. The cathedral is worth a visit as well. The ship was decked out in all it’s festive finery with an amazing gingerbread village as a central feature in the main bar. It was my first time sailing on a River Cruise, and I loved it! The ship has everything you need, including two dining locations bar/lounge area. Gym, spa, small library, access to 24/7 tea and coffee, a hot tub, ample sun deck space, and a putting green! We stayed in a standard Ruby Suite, which is on the middle deck, and I was very impressed. There is plenty of storage space and a floor to ceiling window to make the most of the scenery as you glide by.

On our first morning on the Rhine was glided through the Loreley Rock. It is a stunning part of te river and is often used in the brochures to show how beautiful the Rhine is. There were castles everywhere and we were been blessed with a gorgeous mornings weather

Our second Christmas market was Rüdesheim and all I can say is wow! I had such a magical afternoon exploring this beautiful small town on our included walking tour with Edwin, our fantastic guide. We then headed off to sample some of the wonderful array of food and drink on offer, and of course enjoy some shopping. We also went up the mountain on the gondola, but it stopped half way up (not the most pleasurable of experiences) as the winds were really picking up. Eventually we got up to the top but decided to walk back down as the winds had continued. I do recommend doing this as it is only 10 euros round trip but not when it is windy!!

This market is beautiful. It felt authentic, and the prices were amazing and was my most favourite of all the locations we experienced. Rüdesheim is known for winemaking, especially Riesling wine, and the centre is full of cobbled streets and so much character. I will visit here again. Highly recommended!

We also stopped at the cities of Koblenz and Bonn. Both have so much history. The markets in Koblenz were spread out over the many different town squares that make up the city and these were much more food focused compared to Rüdesheim.

I was very impressed with Bonn! What a beautiful city and one that has never been on my radar before. I only had a few hours this morning to explore but it is a city steeped in history. I want to come back and spend more time here as we only had a morning.

As you can most likely tell, I loved this experience and am already excited for December 2024. If you would like to know more about how easy a river cruise is, or want more information on my Danube trip next December please do not hesitate to get in touch!