1st time in Europe land or cruise?

[foxrunner]

We received as well as half the world a mailing from Viking Cruise line advertising European river cruises. This got me thinking if I'd want to RCL Med Sea cruise, river cruise, or do a land vacation as a way to see Europe. My wife went to Spain in high school and I've never been. It would most likely be the two of us as the lads are both in College next year. So the question is does anyone have input on how to best take a European vacation. We are history buffs and walk many miles a day, so were active and like physicality. A bike tour would also be considered. Thanks!

[Ampurp85]

I have done 3 river cruises and plenty of land only trips around Europe. I would say it really depends on your travel style and what you wanted to see. I did a backpacking trip from Ireland to Scotland, then I did a cruise a few years later. I liked the cruise better because I got to spend time in places I would have never gone being a solo traveler at the time. With Spain I would suggest, imho, doing a cruise. If you don't truly speak the language or like to party I feel like you spend more time lost than enjoying yourself...it could just that I am directionally challenged so who knows. Keep in mind how long you will be docked at any given port. When we went to Italy I heard a bunch of people complaining that they had to leave the Vatican early because of ship boarding times. We spent a good 6 hours alone there and were in a small guided tour. If you love history you might not want to be in such a rush to breeze past it.

On the other hand if you just want to focus on 1 awesome thing in various parts of the country, I would definitely suggest a cruise. You get the added bonus of having a floating hotel full of people who may be knowledgeable about hidden gems, vacation hacks and precious foresight. 

[Quilter620]

The first question to ask is if you have any food restrictions. If the answer is yes...then opt for a cruise. If no, then it really comes down to the itinerary. Write down a list of must see sights and would like to see places and compare whether a land tour or cruise will allow you to see the most if your list. I highly suggest looking at Rick Steve's tours if you do not opt for a cruise.

[SMOKEY0202]

i have done Europe sailings and truly feel they are rewarding in so many aspects. there is so much to do and explore in each port plus all the activities on the ship.  you could do both by opting for a pre/post cruise option that you way you experience both desires.  look at itineraries of which is one you really like then research what you would want to do in each port and as your pre/post cruise.  i would work with a really good travel agent because person can guide you and assist in all your planning to make a memorable trip.  if you do a cruise out of  Civitavecchia port then you could experience Rome as a pre/post cruise since commute to port is about a hour away.  other benefit is you can explore Rome at your own pace instead of as a shore excursion with a time restraint.

[JLMoran]

I think one way to look at cruising Europe is that it's a "sampler platter"; you get a taste of a whole bunch of cities and countries, letting you figure out which countries truly appeal to you and that you want to see more of another time. As others here already noted, if it departs from a major city port like Civitavecchia, Venice, Barcelona, etc. and you were already interested in that port / region, then that's a chance for pre/post extended stay to really explore.

I look at river cruising as the next stage of that -- now you're focusing on a smaller geographic region but still getting a sample of a handful of countries with more time and attention in each.

I would say, though, that if you want to do a Europe cruise and have a chance to see either a lot of ports with few sea days or more "boutique" ports, then you need to be ready to sail on a smaller / older vessel that reaches those ports and offers the variety.

[ChessE4]

19 hours ago, foxrunner said:

We received as well as half the world a mailing from Viking Cruise line advertising European river cruises. This got me thinking if I'd want to RCL Med Sea cruise, river cruise, or do a land vacation as a way to see Europe. My wife went to Spain in high school and I've never been. It would most likely be the two of us as the lads are both in College next year. So the question is does anyone have input on how to best take a European vacation. We are history buffs and walk many miles a day, so were active and like physicality. A bike tour would also be considered. Thanks!

My family took a Med cruise, and we were excited to see so many historical sites.  However, I had already spent 5 weeks in Spain as a high school student learning Spanish.  I was content with the cruise because I wanted to find out where I should go next for a land trip.  I know now that I'd like to go to Italy for a couple of weeks...  Whatever you choose, have a great trip.

PS.  My friends tell me that river cruises are like bus trips (land vacations) except the ship is better than a bus!!

[foxrunner]

21 hours ago, Quilter620 said:

The first question to ask is if you have any food restrictions. If the answer is yes...then opt for a cruise. If no, then it really comes down to the itinerary. Write down a list of must see sights and would like to see places and compare whether a land tour or cruise will allow you to see the most if your list. I highly suggest looking at Rick Steve's tours if you do not opt for a cruise.

No food restrictions, although I do eat too much. Thanks!

[ellcee]

On 1/25/2020 at 2:45 PM, foxrunner said:

.So the question is does anyone have input on how to best take a European vacation. We are history buffs and walk many miles a day, so were active and like physicality. A bike tour would also be considered. Thanks!

I’ve been to a few European countries on land tours. 
1. know the exchange rate and figure out your cash before you go. Shop around through different banks to get the most for your money. Speak to them at least a month before for info for what you need to do. Also check your credit cards/bank cards for what they offer. 
 

2. Do your research on weather. I thought I understood Rome in June. I did not. (Hottttttttt)

3. learn a few language basics. So many countries understand a little to a lot of English. If you know a few basics such as hello, goodbye, thank you...people are happy to help. 

[GregD]

I agree with what @JLMoran said about the cruise being a “sample platter” you will get to see a small portion of a country/city. 
 

I have traveled in Europe on land a bit. I’m lucky that I have close family who live in Luxembourg so I spent an entire summer with them once, and then some other multi week visits as well. I like land because you have the opportunity to spend a few days in each place you visit to really see the city etc. You also have the opportunity to go to some smaller off the beaten path places that are truly amazing. Public transit is very good in Europe so getting around is a breeze if you don’t have a car. I have taken the TGV a few times and the prices are decent and the ride is nice. 
 

What we would do is is a hub and spoke kind of trip. Stay in a central location, then do day trips out from there, then move to the next place and repeat. For instance on our last trip we spent a few days in Paris and toured around there. Took the train to Luxembourg to meet up with family and toured around there. Then drove to Cannes, stayed there and took day trips to near by areas and into Italy etc.

I think you have to ask yourself how much you want to see. With the cruise you will have some time constraints (need to be back on board) but you may see more places/countries. With Land, you can spend a longer time in each place, but will require some more planning on your part and could cost more as you factor in food, lodging etc. 

As @ellcee said as well, learning a bit of the language will go a long way too. Even if it’s bad, if you attempt to speak some rudimentary phrases, I found that servers, shop keepers are nicer. For instance, I had a waiter try to scam me in Paris. He heard us speaking English before he approached our table. I speak enough French to have read on the menu that the tip is included in the price. He tried to tell us that it wasn’t. He was a little surprised when I asked him in French that the menu stated the tip was included, so which way was it.