Most Amazing European River Cruise to Christmas Markets Ever
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Two friends and I went on this unforgettable European river cruise through Bavaria to visit the famous Bavarian Christmas markets back in December 2019.
If you saw my post on visiting the Swiss Alps, this is what we did next!
We had the best time! This trip was one of my favorite trips ever, and I would love to do the whole thing again!
It was like one of the backpacking trips I took in college because we covered a ton of ground in just a little time. But this was great because instead of repacking every night and dragging our luggage on trains, boats, and planes, our luggage just floated along with us! And every night, we headed back to our luxurious little boat home to sleep! Read on to hear about our European river cruise experience!
I meant to finish this post ages ago, but life happened and I never got it done. It seems a shame not share it, though!
This was the last big, carefree trip I went on before COVID hit and the world shut down. COVID wasn’t even on my radar then.
But now that the world is opening back up and cruises are starting again, I thought someone might need this information!
It’s July, but everyone needs a little Christmas in July, right? Grab a blanket. Turn on a Hallmark Christmas movie and some gluhwein and cuddle up because we’re going on a trip! We’re going on a European river cruise down the Danube!
Why did I choose U by Uniworld for my European river cruise?
U by Uniworld has developed a new cruising concept targeted toward Millennials and active travelers (though there is no age limit!) and offers some of the most outstanding European river cruises on the market.
There are fewer early morning excursions and more late-night entertainment experiences.
Their trips are affordable but still luxurious. They focus on cool, interactive spaces rather than the traditional, stodgy decor you sometimes see in riverboats.
Most ports include active excursions with local guides so that you get a feel for the destination.
This cruising concept is such a fun experience and exactly what I wanted!
But you don’t have to be young to love this concept, just young at heart
European River Cruise: The Boat
Y’all, these boats are cool!
U has two boats, the A and the B. We cruised on the A, but they’re very similar. They’re sleek, black, and super chic. The boats stand out in port, so you won’t have trouble finding your boat! They really are the coolest boats on the river!
The A cruises the Danube for amazing Bavarian and Eastern European adventures!
What the boat has to offer:
The Lobby
As soon as you step into the lobby, you can tell that the boat is going to be chic!
And at Christmas, the decorations are beautiful!
The front desk staff is super helpful and ready to help you make reservations on the boat and for excursions.
And there is a little shop where you can buy souvenirs. I was impressed with the shop because they actually offered some high-quality local goods! We were in Germany, so I went home with some German Wusthof knives for my parents for Christmas!
Dine
The Dining Room, Dine, is such a neat space!
You can dine with your party or choose a bigger table to share with new friends!
There is a huge buffet as some of the meals are buffet-style.
Mugs
Off of the dining room is a drink station called Mugs.
It is open 24/7 for specialty coffee and tea. It also has an ice maker and water.
You make your own coffee and tea, but the coffee machine is super cool!
You can pick pretty much any specialty coffee, and the machine makes it right there in front of you!
We used the drink station about 20 times a day.
U Lounge
We spent a lot of time in the U Lounge.
The boat hosts most of its nighttime activities here, and it serves as a meeting and hang-out spot during the day.
There’s a full bar!
Don’t miss its famous neon heart!
The heart is a mandatory Instagram stop. And you can see all the games and cards provided by the boat in this pic available to use while cruising!
I didn’t get a good picture of the U Lounge during the day, but you can check it out at the U website! It has a whole different vibe.
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- U Lounge Neon Heart
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- U Lounge Hang Out
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- U Lounge Day
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- U Lounge Bar
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- The A Gingerbread House
The Ice Bar
The Ice Bar’s roof pops up when in use to create a glassed-in room!
The Rooftop Lounge
I had to borrow this picture from the website because I took hundreds of beautiful pictures of stunning scenery passing by from the Rooftop Lounge but did not get a single picture of it! And it’s pretty spectacular! Check it out on the U website!
Think long benches, lounge chairs, and (on a Christmas cruise) warm blankets and hot beverages!
Other Amenities
The boat has a gym, laundry room, and treatment room for spa services.
Of course, I only went into this room to take a picture!
Use of the gym and laundry is free!
Our Room
Our room was different than the regular rooms on the ship because we had a three-person room. Our room was great, but the rest of the rooms were a bit fancier. The bathrooms were nice with marble vanities and Bee Kind bath products.
The triple room had a set of bunk beds and a lofted bed. There was storage space under the lofted bed, so we had plenty of room for our luggage (and we had a lot).
Each bed had its own safe, storage space, outlets, and touch screen TV with ship announcements and Netflix. You could push a button to lower a blackout screen and control your own mood lighting!
What's included in the U European river cruise?
- breakfast and dinner
- lunch (if cruising during lunchtime)
- wine and beer during meal times (yasss)
- dedicated U Guides
- Wifi
- airport transfers
- bicycles
- guided shore excursions
- use of laundry room
- fitness classes
- onboard activities
- use of the beverage station
Before I left for the cruise, I knew what the price included. But I was still super surprised by what we got!
If you’ve ever been on a traditional ocean cruise, you know that there is an upcharge for everything. And it just wasn’t like that on U!
Food
I knew meals were included (and they were delish!). But I was surprised when I was handed a glass of champagne when I boarded. We also had a departure party with champagne!
Gluhwein and Christmas cookies were available all day in the U Lounge, and afternoon snacks and late night snacks were available every day in the U Lounge. Breakfast and dinner were always included, but lunch was provided as well when cruising during lunchtime.
Guides
The included U Guides were also excellent! They lead at least one excursion for free at every stop! They usually took us on a tour of the city and pointed out places of interest and restaurants we might want to check out later and give some history of the place. We always went!
The U Guides lead the included onboard activities. (I think the only activity you had to pay for the entire time was a paint party.)
And they provided commentary while cruising. It was super fun to head up to the deck and hear about what you were passing!
Excursions
The Food
The food and dining experience on U cruises is different than traditional cruise dining.
U focuses on providing local, farm-fresh ingredients whenever possible. They often use local recipes representative of the food in port.
Sometimes when I cruise, I feel as if I missed out on the local cuisine, but I didn’t feel that way at all on U!
The dining experience was less formal and more communal than traditional dining.
Breakfast was a massive buffet with made-to-order options, and dinner was either family-style or buffet-style. I wasn’t sure about sitting with strangers and sharing food at first, but it was super fun. We made friends fast this way!
U served themed craft cocktails in the bar and rotating local craft beer options (which I loved!).
We already talked about all the snack options!
Pro tip: Don’t miss dinner the last night! The dessert party at the end is super fun with lots of dancing, music, and flying sweets!
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- breakfast
Onboard Activities
The onboard activities are targeted toward a younger crowd, so many of them center around nightlife.
We loved the 70s themed party, tequila karaoke (tequila shots included), and dance party with a DJ. They also brought local musicians on board.
In the daytime, we tried out German lessons and trivia!
You could also try out a paint party, mixology classes, and yoga.
Going Onshore
As I said, this was a Christmastime cruise, so we were mainly there to check out the world-famous European Christmas markets! And we did! We also took some city tours and learned some history and about the local food!
We usually did the free U Guide-hosted walk around the destination in the morning and got the lay of the land.
In the afternoon, we usually did an extra, purchased shore excursion. These were amazingly affordable (compared to what I’ve done on traditional cruises)! They ranged from 20 euro to 80 euro (for a fancy symphony night). And they usually included a snack or drink (or both) too!
I’ll have to make a post just about the Christmas Markets because we saw and bought and ate so much! This post would go on forever!
Our European River Cruise Itinerary
We did a lot in a short amount of time! I’ll try to give you a summary! Here’s the itinerary provided by the boat for our European river cruise!
Day One: Arrival in Regensburg, Germany
We arrived in Regensburg, Germany, just before dark and made our way to the boat.
And this isn’t the stressful arrival you’re used to in traditional cruising, waiting in lines of people for hours to hear your number called to board. We walked right on and were greeted with cold champagne!
You can start boarding the boat in the afternoon, and there’s no stop time because the boat will dock there overnight. So passengers trickled in slowly throughout the day. It’s nice not to have to worry about missing the boat!
After a quick orientation meeting, we got settled into our rooms. I went to sleep, but my friends went on a night walk with the U Guide and said they had a lot of fun at a local pub. (Jet lag hit me hard this trip!)
Day Two: Regensburg, Germany
We toured the town with our guides in the morning. (You could also choose to travel to Munich for the day.)
Then we headed out on our own to our very first Christmas Market! And it did not disappoint!
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- on the Danube
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- Regensburg market
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- Regensburg
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- Regensburg city
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- gothic cathedral
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- medieval Regensburg
Pro tip: Regensburg has more than one Christmas Market, but my favorite was the Romantic Market mentioned below! Check out this guide to all the markets!
Regensburg isn’t a huge city, so it doesn’t boast a mega-market like Munich or Vienna. But I think Regensburg’s market might have been my favorite!
Everything was just so adorably quaint and Christmas-y! And it’s tucked into the courtyard of a castle, so the setting is beautiful!
I noticed that you saw a lot of the same mass-produced souvenirs in all of the Christmas Markets. And, don’t get me wrong, I bought some of it! But you could find local and handmade souvenirs in the smaller ones that I wanted! Regensburg had some of the best!
We tried gluhwein here for the first time! It’s warm, mulled wine traditional to Bavaria and other parts of Europe at Christmastime. And it tastes like Christmas in a cup!
Don’t miss: Regensburg is the only place I saw flaming gluhwein! They sweeten the gluhwein with extra sugar, spike it with rum, and light it up! So fun!
Pro tip: You usually pay a small deposit for the gluhwein mugs. At the end of the night, you can turn in your mug or keep it for a souvenir!
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- German sausage
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- market booth
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- cheese booth
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- castle grounds
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- gingerbread
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- open fire
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- tasting German liquer
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- market drinks
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- potato cake with applesauce
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- castle
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- market fun
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- spaetzle
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- fire pit
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- gluhwein
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- flaming gluhwein
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- warming station
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- gluhwein booth
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- Regensburg after dark
Day Three: Passau German
We went hard in Passau with double excursions!
We started the morning with a guided tour of the city full of snacks and fun and grabbed a Bavarian breakfast (beer and sausage). Then we hiked up to a castle. We tried Bavarian chocolate and a traditional, herby Bavarian liqueur! We even tried snuff because it’s popular in the region. We fit in some architecture and history along the way too!
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- cathedral in Passau
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- Bavarian chocolate
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- Bavarian Christmas scene
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- Danube
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- tour guide
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- Passau
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- ruins
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- castle ruins
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- Passau from above
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- view of Passau
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- castle Passua
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- bridge Passau
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- Passau
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- the village “imbecile” in Passua
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- chestnuts roasting on an open flame
In the evening, we walked to Ilz–a nearby village. The sunset walk was beautiful, and when we arrived, we found a band playing Bavarian Christmas songs, gingerbread cookies, and, of course, gluhwein.
Here, we learned about German Christmas traditions. Did you know Germans have Santa, but they call him St. Nicholas? And he brings presents before Christmas on St. Nicholas Day. Then they have the Christ Child (who always has a lot of curly, blonde hair) who delivers gifts on Christmas Eve. So kids get presents twice!
But they also have Krampus, who kidnaps bad children and stuffs them in a sack. Then he beats them with switches and walks around town at night in scary costumes and chains. So that’s terrifying.
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- Ilz village
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- small chapel
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- Ilz
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- walk to Ilz
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- Germany
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- Ilz, Germany
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- the Christ Child
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- Ilz fog
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- Ilz sunset
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- blue Danube
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- Passau bridge
Day Four: Melk, Austria
On day four, we visited Melk Abbey in Melk, Austria.
Melk is a pretty small place, and the Abbey is pretty much its only attraction.
The Christmas Markets were closed while we were there because we arrived on a weekday. We did do some shopping in its adorable little shops!
The Abbey is pretty spectacular, though! I don’t have many pictures because you can’t take photographs inside, but it was beautiful. My favorite room was the library with winding staircases and secret doors! And the views from the hill it sits on are amazing!
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- Melk Abbey entrance
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- Melk Abbey courtyard
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- view of Melk
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- outside Melk Abbey
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- town center
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- Melk Restaurant
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- Austrian apricot liqueur
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- Abbey views of Melk
Don’t miss: Stop by the little gift shop in the Abbey. It’s small, and you might walk right past it! But they have this unique liqueur made in small batches on site by the monks in the Abbey. They even use medicinal herbs from the gardens onsite. It was a huge hit when I brought it home!
Pro tip: Melk is famous for its sweet apricot liqueur. Make sure you try some! I brought some liqueur-filled chocolates home for stocking stuffers!
Cruising the Wachau Valley
When we left Melk for Vienna that afternoon, we all headed up to the Rooftop Deck with our blankets and warm gluhwein to listen to our guides narrate our trip through the Wachau Valley.
The Wachau Valley is one of the most beautiful stretches on the Danube and full of charming shoreside villages! It was magical to watch the sunset in the valley and the lights turn on in its villages! We even went through a lock on the way. I thought it was pretty cool to watch the water fill it up and raise the boat!
We arrived in Vienna after dark. The view of the city was beautiful from our boat! And the next morning, we woke up to swans floating around outside!
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- cruising the Danube
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- Danube river cruise
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- Blue Danube
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- village on the Danube
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- lock on the Danube
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- Wachau Valley
Day Five: Vienna, Austria
We went on a guided tour of the Vienna Christmas Market and the city of Vienna.
The Christmas Market in Vienna is one of the largest and most famous in Europe! Here’s a picture of me trying out some apricot gluhwein unique to Austria.
We stopped by many historical sites, including the Spanish Riding School where Vienna’s famous horses live and the Vienna Opera House.
Don’t miss: Vienna is a very inclusive city! Look for the rainbow sidewalks and cute, inclusive couples on the crosswalk lights!
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- Vienna Christmas Market
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- Christmas Market Vienna
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- heart gluhwein stall Vienna
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- Austrian Parliament
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- horses Vienna
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- cathedral Vienna
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- inside cathedral Vienna
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- Austrian Christmas Market snack
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- Vienna famous streusel
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- streusel
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- Vienna from boat
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- swans in Vienna
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- Vienna Christmas Market Gluhwein Booth
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- Pride sidewalk
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- inclusive couple crosswalk
Pro tip: You can purchase tickets to see the famous horses in the Spanish Riding School, but you need to buy them in advance!
Don’t miss: Don’t forget to visit one of Vienna’s famous strudel cafes for some apple strudel! Check out this list if you need help picking one! We stopped by the Mozart Cafe!
Schonbrunn Palace
That night we went to Schonbrunn Palace for an after-hours tour included in the price of the cruise! It was super fun to have a tour guide all to yourself in the empty castle!
The lavish 18th-century palace was a summer vacation home for members of the Habsburg Dynasty for generations. Check it out and reserve tours here.
Of course, we had to do some shopping in the Christmas Market in front of the castle. It was one of my favorite. Save some of your souvenir budget for this market if you’re in Vienna because it has more high quality, local crafts and products than other locations!
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- Christmas Market Schonbrunn Palace
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- Vienna palace
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- inside Schonbrunn Palace
Day Six: Bratislava, Slovakia
We toured the city of Bratislava, Slovakia and visited its Christmas Market.
We went to the top of Bratislava’s UFO Tower for amazing views of the city and a drink in its restaurant/coffee shop!
The tour of Bratislava was especially interesting because Slovakia was, until pretty recently, a communist country. Our tour guide was local and told stories of her childhood in communist Slovakia.
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- Christmas tree Bratislava
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- Bratislava nativity
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- Bratislava ice rink
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- Danube Bratislava
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- view of Bratislava
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- from UFO Tower
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- Bratislava from UFO Tower
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- Kaley at lookout
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- Bratislava
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- market Bratislava
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- gingerbread Slovakia
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- living nativity
Approaching Budapest by Night
One of my favorite experiences on the cruise was sailing toward Budapest at night.
The views of the city and the lights reflected on the water were amazing!
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- Fisherman’s Bastion Budapest
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- night Budapest
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- Hungarian Parliament
Day 7: Budapest, Hungary
Budapest is such a fun city! It’s full of art and culture and food!
We spent a couple of extra nights in Budapest before we flew home, so we had time to do a lot!
I did have some favorite stops, though, so I’ll share those with you!
Of course, we had to try traditional Hungarian food like Chicken Paprikash. I think that one of the best places to do this has to be Budapest’s famous Central Market! It’s Budapest’s oldest and largest indoor market. Its floors are full of produce, souvenirs, and traditional food stands.
Pro tip: Hungary is famous for its paprika, and Central Market is a great place to pick some up!
Don’t miss the Christmas Market if you go during the holidays.
You have to stop by one of Budapest’s famous and historical baths for a swim or treatment!
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- Budapest from ferris wheel
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- train Budapest
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- Holocaust memorial Hungary
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- Strudel shop Budapest
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- Hungarian strudel
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- city of Budapest
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- ferris wheel Budapest
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- Hungarian coffee
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- Millenium Monument
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- Millenium Monument
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- ice rink near Vajdahunyad Castle in City Park
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- chicken paprikash
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- Budapest
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- St. Stephen’s Basilica
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- inside St. Stephen’s Basilica
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- ceiling St. Stephen’s Basilica
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- Budapest
Budapest's Famous Ruin Bars
Don’t miss Budapest’s famous Ruin Bars if you go! We visited on our last night!
Budapest was hit hard during World War II. Some parts of the city were never fully rebuilt.
Someone had the brilliant idea to turn some of these ruins into bars, and they are so fun!
The bars are usually multi-level and a combination of indoor and outdoor spaces. The bar we visited had tons of smaller bars inside. There was a tiki bar, craft beer bar, hookah bar, cocktail lounge, and more!
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- budapest bar
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- ruin bar
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- craft beer bar
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- bar
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- buda lovin pest
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- ruin bar
Getting There
We drove to Regensburg from the Swiss Alps. Check out that post here!
We got caught in a snowstorm, and it took us about three hours longer than we expected. That was okay because U cruises don’t have a set arrival time!
The easiest thing to do would be to book a flight into the closest airport U lists on its website and let U book your airport transfers. They’re included!
So what's the final verdict on our European river cruise?
Would I go on another European river cruise? Absolutely! Would I sail with U by Uniworld again? Absolutely!
Their new cruising concept is terrific! And the value was better than expected.
I was surprised by how much personal attention we got from the staff!
And I was surprised by how well we got to know our fellow passengers. I still keep up with friends from the cruise!
The small boat was great because there were never any lines! And you could walk right into the cities from the ports!
U was female-traveler and single-traveler friendly!
If you get the chance to go, do it!
Want to read more?
- Check out this post on our stay in the Swiss Alps on the way to the cruise!
- Don’t know what to pack? Check out this post for winter travel packing tips.
- Love cool hotels? Read about the awesome TWA Hotel!
- Find a fun article on my Pinterest travel board!
- Want a change of pace? Check out a different category on my blog!
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