Your Version of Wine Country Means Driving.
Theirs Means Waking Up Already There.
France, Spain and Portugal, from the water — the Seine through Normandy, the Bordeaux vineyards along the Garonne, and the Douro Valley’s terraced hillsides between Porto and the Spanish border. A river cruise docks in the middle of each town instead of a distant port, and the ship itself never carries more than a couple hundred people.
Where Do You Want to Go?
When to Actually Go, and Why
May–June and September–October are the strongest windows.
Warm, comfortable weather without the peak-summer crowds or heat. River cruising has one wrinkle ocean cruising doesn’t: water levels. A hot, dry July or August can drop rivers low enough to force itinerary changes, while a wet spring can occasionally push them the other way. The shoulder seasons dodge both problems.September and October are the best months specifically for the Douro.
Late September brings the vindima — the hand-harvest of port wine grapes on the valley’s terraced hillsides — and the Douro’s mild southern climate keeps its cruising season running from March into late November, longer than colder rivers further north.Plan further ahead than you would for a resort.
These ships hold roughly 130–200 people, not thousands — popular sailings in the strong months routinely sell out 10 to 12 months out. If a specific week matters to you, that’s the real reason to start now rather than in the spring.Three Lines Worth Comparing
None of these are interchangeable — each suits a genuinely different kind of traveler.
Viking
The largest, most recognized name in river cruising, with the broadest reach — Europe, Egypt and Asia. Elegant, understated ships built around history, art and architecture. The safest first choice if you’re new to river cruising.
AmaWaterways
Family-owned, with a genuinely unique stateroom — most cabins pair a full step-out balcony with a second French balcony, a design no other line offers. Strong culinary program and real active excursions, not just optional add-ons.
Avalon Waterways
Panorama Suites where the entire wall slides open into an open-air balcony — Avalon’s alone. Excursions are split into Active Discovery and Classic tracks at the same port, so two travelers on one trip can each do their own thing.
Ship sizes, cabin categories and included excursions vary by itinerary and season — ask Charley for what’s actually sailing France, Spain and Portugal on your dates.
Every Line Above Does Something Well
If you want more room to move and real flexibility in how active each day is, AmaWaterways or Avalon are both genuinely good choices — not runners-up. But when clients ask us directly which one to book, we point most of them toward Viking, for two reasons that matter more the longer you’ve been traveling: how close the ship actually gets you to where you’re going, and what you come home having learned.
You Won’t Be Walking Far
River sailings dock in the center of town, not at a marina you need a shuttle to leave. No tender boats, no long walk from ship to shore — you step off, and you’re already there. Viking’s ocean ships carry around 930 guests, small enough to reach ports the larger mainstream ships simply can’t get close to. Less time getting to the good part of the day, more time actually in it.
You’ll Come Home Having Learned Something
This looks different on each of Viking’s three products, and it’s worth knowing the real difference rather than assuming it’s all the same program. On the ocean ships, Viking’s Resident Historians — a faculty of actual historians, not entertainers — give university-style lectures on the art, architecture and history of where you’re headed, plus roundtable discussions and daily office hours if you want to ask real questions. On an expedition sailing, it’s the onboard scientists and expedition staff briefing you on the place itself before you’re standing in it. On the rivers, it’s a real, knowledgeable local guide on a guided tour that’s already included at every stop — not a lecture hall, but the same idea: you understand what you’re looking at, not just photograph it.
Viking Sails Three Ways
Viking is adults-only (18 and over), with a guided excursion included in every port. Choose the kind of cruise you’re curious about to see current sailings through Doylestown Travel.
Small ships in the middle of town
Longships carry 190 guests or fewer and dock in the heart of each town, so you step off the ship and you’re already there. Sailings across Europe, including the Seine, plus Egypt and Asia.
Explore Viking River Cruises
The same understated style, on the open sea
Ships carry about 930 guests — small by ocean-cruise standards — with a veranda in every stateroom, no casinos, and a shore excursion included in every port. From the Mediterranean and Northern Europe to full world cruises.
Explore Viking Ocean Cruises
Antarctica and the Arctic, in comfort
Purpose-built ships for the polar regions, with researchers and educators aboard for onboard learning — in the same adults-only atmosphere as the rest of Viking’s fleet.
Explore Viking ExpeditionsWhatever cruise line you’re drawn to, whatever the occasion — tell Charley about it.
Hearing your ideas and figuring out, together, how to actually make them happen is genuinely the best part of this job — not a sales pitch, just a real conversation about where you want to go.
Our Preferred Partners
