Why is a Christmas river cruise through Europe one of the most-searched travel experiences? Gliding past snow-dusted villages, stepping into centuries-old Christmas markets and waking up every morning to a new fairytale port out your window is genuinely that good. Our travel advisors work closely with Avalon Waterways and Globus to offer guests exclusive access to savings and planning support you simply cannot get booking on your own. Whether you want the full river cruise experience or a long weekend in Paris in December, we have 2026 departures ready to book — and right now, couples can save up to $1,500 on select Avalon Waterways sailings.
Why an Avalon Waterways Christmas River Cruise Is Different
Taking a cruise along the Danube, Rhine or Main river allows you to visit numerous Christmas market cities in one trip. Avalon’s Suite Ships® make the journey as memorable as the destination — every Panorama Suite® features a wall-to-wall panoramic window that opens into an Open-Air Balcony®, with Comfort Collection beds facing the river. At 200 square feet, suites run about 30% larger than the industry standard.What's included on every Avalon Waterways sailing:
- All onboard meals including four-course à la carte dinners with regional wine and beer
- Complimentary sparkling wine with breakfast
- Avalon Choice® excursions at every port (Classic, Active or Discovery)
- Complimentary Happy Hour nightly in the Panorama Lounge
- 24-hour specialty coffee and tea at the Club Lounge
- Starlink Wi-Fi and the AvalonGO app
- Adventure Host for active excursions and onboard fitness programming
- Avalon Fresh® menu options with farm-to-table and vegetarian selections
Panorama Lounge
THE MAGIC OF A LONG WEEKEND WITH GLOBUS IN PARIS
Paris for a long weekend in December is festive boulevards, the Christmas market near the Trocadéro and iconic museums with fewer crowds. Globus’ Independent Paris City Stay puts you at Le Méridien Paris Arc de Triomphe with daily breakfast, a Seine River cruise ticket, select guided sightseeing and a Local Host. The GlobusGO app puts your schedule at your fingertips where you'll find excursion details, meals, activities, sailing times and more.
Why book through our agency?
We work directly with Avalon and Globus and we can access promotions and preferred inventory as well as provide crucial trip coordination — flights, pre-cruise hotels, timing — that you won’t get booking direct. When something changes, you have a person, not a hold queue. We help you choose the right sailing at the right price. Book now and save up to $1,500 per couple on select 2026 Avalon Waterways Europe river cruises.
Featured Itineraries:
Bratislava, Slovakia
6-Day Christmastime from Budapest to Vienna
Departs November 24, 2026,
aboard Avalon Impression
Budapest, Hungary to Vienna, Austria
Panorama Suite from
$4,017 per person
Christmas Market
8-Day Christmastime
on the Romantic Rhine (Northbound)
Departs December 15, 2026,
aboard Avalon View
Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam, Netherlands
Panorama Suite from
$5,579 per person
Strasbourg, France
5-Day Christmastime in Alsace & Germany (Southbound)
Departs December 16, 2026,
aboard Avalon Tranquility II
Frankfurt, Germany to Basel, Switzerland
Panorama Suite from
$3,424 per person
Nuremberg, Germany
7-Day Christmastime on the Danube (Eastbound)
Departs December 17, 2026,
aboard Avalon Impression
Nuremberg, Germany to Vienna, Austria
Panorama Suite from
$4,575 per person
Paris, France
4-Day Independent
Paris City Stay
Departs December 12, 2026,
Roundtrip Paris, France, from
$799 per person