Ditch Christmas at home and take this festive holiday instead

Christmas river cruises are the ideal way to immerse yourself in the festive season, complete with Christmas markets, carols, mulled wine and more.

Escorted holiday brand Titan Travel is offering two fabulous Christmas cruises in 2024, along both the Rhine and Danube rivers – why not join them this year and take all the stress out of the festive period? No Turkey timings, no train travel chaos and no squeezing too many relatives into your spare rooms.

Instead, Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service picks you up for your Christmas holidays from your home for your flight. Upon arrival, you’ll be transferred to your ship where you can enjoy a welcome cocktail reception before dinner as your ship sets sail. And no, you don’t need to eat a single Brussels sprout on Christmas Day if you don’t want to.

You’ll be cruising with Amadeus River Cruises: MS Amadeus Imperial on the Rhine features a newly-designed atrium, a fitness centre, expansive sun decks, café, restaurant and bar, while MS Amadeus Cara on the Danube is a newly built ship complete with an open-air terrace and spacious accommodation. Select excursions and visits are included along with all meals onboard plus complimentary quality wines at dinner.

We’ve taken a look at what you can enjoy on your Rhine and Danube Christmas cruises 2024 with Titan Travel this year…

Rhine Christmas cruise

Your Rhine Christmas cruise starts in the historic city of Koblenz, at the confluence of the Moselle and Rhine rivers. It boasts numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites and is one of Germany’s oldest and most pedestrian-friendly towns with over 2,000 years of history.

Fittingly then, a walking tour (all included in the price of your holiday) takes in the iconic Schängel Fountain (watch out – this statue of a little prankster sporadically spits at passers-by!) and the Memorial of Emperor Wilhelm.

Afterwards, feel like royalty yourself as your five-star ship sails through the scenic Middle Rhine Valley, famed for its vineyards, medieval architecture and the Lorelei Rock. The latter, according to German legend, is named after a beautiful woman who was rejected by her lover and jumped off the cliff, transforming into a siren who sang to passing sailors luring them to death. Maybe…ignore any music you hear as you pass here on your Rhine River Christmas cruise…

Arrive in Speyer on Christmas Eve to explore the Romanesque Imperial Cathedral, the Baroque Church of the Holy Spirit, the Old Gate, and the medieval Judenhof on an included walking tour. Enjoy a traditional German Christmas market before heading back to the ship for carols, Christmas tree decorating and a gourmet Christmas dinner – and perhaps a visit to Mass at Speyer Cathedral if you fancy it.

On the Big Day itself, enjoy Christmas on the Rhine as you dock in Strasbourg for an extended city tour and boat cruise uncovering the Alsatian city’s landmarks, comprising Petite France, known for its medieval charm and 500-year-old half-timbered houses.

Spend Boxing Day in Mainz, with free time to explore its baroque palaces and quaint Old Town. Don’t miss the fascinating Gutenberg Museum, displaying artefacts related to the printing revolution, and then refuel with a festive gala dinner back onboard.

Your final day includes a walking tour of Cologne’s cobbled streets, lively squares – including the Alter Markt and the Heumarkt – the iconic cathedral and Old Town, concluding with a glass of Kölsch, the city’s most popular beer, and free time to pack in that last bout of souvenir shopping.

Danube Christmas cruise

Your five-star Christmas river cruise begins in picturesque Passau. Join a guided sightseeing walk to soak up the Italianate baroque and Gothic architecture before sailing to Linz and its Christmas market. What festive trinkets will you pick up here? (Presents for yourself totally encouraged…)

Raise a glass to Christmas Eve in the wine-growing town of Melk; the impressive Baroque abbey here was once a fortified Roman post and then a castle before the Benedictines took over in 1089. There’s more boozy merriment to come on your Danube Christmas cruise thanks to an onboard glühwein party – hello tasty spiced mulled wine – and Christmas celebrations. There’s also the opportunity to attend Christmas Mass in Dürnstein.

Check if Santa has been on Christmas morning in Vienna and then strike out on a sightseeing tour, passing Baroque church Karlskirche and Vienna’s splendid opera house – just one of the city’s musical accomplishments. After all, Strauss, Mozart, Beethoven and Haydn have all called Vienna home over the years.

Work off the Christmas indulgence on a Boxing Day tour of Bratislava, Slovakia’s capital. Expect sweeping views from Bratislava’s 13th-century castle – it overlooks the countryside where Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia converge – before sailing forth on your Christmas Danube cruise and tucking into a captain’s gala dinner.

Your last full day of this Christmas cruise 2024 is in Linz, a former European Capital of Culture where there’s a walking tour and free time. Don’t miss the cathedral: the largest church in Austria boasts a renowned nativity scene, striking stained-glass windows and great views from the top of the tower. After the climb, treat yourself to some Linzer torte – a traditional almond cake with red currant jelly and spiced with cloves and cinnamon. It’s deemed the oldest cake in the world!