Anyone gone on any European river cruises?

[thewayne]

My wife and I are considering one for our tenth anniversary, going probably late June/early July. Any experiences you'd like to share? Cruise lines to recommend or avoid? Must-see cities?

We were originally going to do 2-3 weeks touring about, starting in London then going to Belgium and then running amuck, but starting a new job last November blew apart our plans. Now I definitely need a vacation and am planning on taking 2-3 weeks leave without pay to do it.

We're considering France, Germany/Czech, or Amsterdam down in to Germany.

Comments

[moiraj.livejournal.com]

If you head to Germany, if you have the opportunity to visit Rothenburg ob der Tauber, take it. It's amazing. Part of it involves a very well-preserved medieval town that will blow you away. Yes, there are a ton of tourists, but it deserves to have a ton of tourists. I went on a bus tour with a bunch of people far more well-travelled than I, and I kept hearing "Mon Dieu!" - they were all French Canadians - as we drove around. When I win the lottery, I'm going back for a few weeks. Gorgeous buildings, fantastic restaurants, and amazing hotels. I was sucked in by the Torture Museum, which I want to force on people who have a romanticised view of the past when no one was ever cruel to anyone.

http://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/rothenburg-ob-der-tauber-d-ba-rot.htm

[thewayne.livejournal.com]

That sounds pretty awesome! I'll have to see if any of the cruises go near it. I can't tell if it has a near-by river, it might have to be a destination for another trip by itself.

I went through a torture museum once at the AZ renaissance faire, I don't think I need to go through another one. I'm sure this one is much more authentic and realistic, but one is enough.

[moiraj.livejournal.com]

Well, it's not just about torture. It's real name is the Museum of Criminal Justice or something like that, so it talks about laws, and some of the punishments were weird. Like they would take the roof off a man's house if he "let" his wife beat him, because if he couldn't defend himself against his wife, he shouldn't be allowed to protect himself (or his family) against the elements. Or something.

But it is disturbing.