Main River Cruises
Quick Search Search 1,574 river cruise Departures along the Main river
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6 Days Frankfurt to Nuremberg
Operator: Avalon River Cruises
6 Days Nuremberg to Frankfurt
Operator: Avalon River Cruises
8 Days Frankfurt to Prague
Operator: Avalon River Cruises
8 Days Frankfurt to Nuremberg
Operator: Uniworld River Cruises
The Main River
Where does the Main River start & finish?
The Main River originates from two sources: the Red Main and the White Main, which merge near the town of Kulmbach in Germany. The river flows westward, ultimately joining the Rhine River at the city of Mainz. The Main spans a total length of approximately 525 km's (326 miles).
Architectural Timeline
Cruising the Main River offers a journey through architectural history. From the medieval structures in Bamberg to the modern skyscrapers of Frankfurt, you'll witness an evolving skyline as you sail along.
Beer & Smoked Fish
The Main passes through Bamberg, known for its smoked beer (Rauchbier) and smoked fish. Many cruises offer culinary excursions that give you a taste of these local specialities, something some of us might pass on!
Art & Culture in Würzburg
This city along the Main is home to the Würzburg Residenz, a baroque palace with the world's largest ceiling fresco. An excursion here is often a highlight, offering a glimpse into the opulence of 18th-century German nobility.
From the North Sea to the Black Sea
The Main River is that it is part of the Main-Danube Canal system, which makes it possible to travel by river from the North Sea to the Black Sea. What's surprising is that this ambitious idea dates back to Charlemagne in the early 9th century. The modern canal was only completed in 1992, fulfilling a concept that was over a thousand years in the making.
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Discover Must Do Experiences and Highlights
Miltenberg
Step into a storybook and journey through rich medieval history with a visit to Gothic St. Jakobus Church, Miltenberg Castle with its panoramic views, or Miltenberg's vibrant Market Square.
Würzburg
Marvel at iconic landmarks such as Marienberg Fortress with its sweeping city vistas or UNESCO-listed Würzburg Residence. Perhaps even sample a drop of vintage from the surrounding Franconian wine region.
Rothenburg
With its half-timbered houses and cobblestone streets, Rothenberg is a Bavarian medieval gem. Visit the Crime Museum, or explore the Marktplatz, Gothic town hall and iconic clock tower.
Bamberg
Visit Bamberg's Old Town Hall and find yourself in the middle of a bridge! Admire the fusion of architecture at Bamberg Cathedral, or wet your whistle with some 'Rauchbier' - a smoke-flavoured beer.
Nuremberg
Integral to our modern history, Zeppelin Field and the Palace of Justice are some noteworthy WWII sites to visit during your time in Nuremberg. Or choose to explore more medieval marvels at Nuremberg Castle.
Latest Reviews What our clients are saying about their journeys along the Main river
Cabins were adequate, with a reasonable ensuite and over the top room service (2x daily) - sign said to reuse towels unless on floor, but this was ignored and wet towels changed every day. The bad points far outdated the good. Number one is the noise in the dining room, which was unbearable - we left one night and skipped dinner on two occasions because of the noise. Lounge was too small to hold all guests and was noisy, either from loud music or too many people, so we avoided all entertainment, except the Zittar player, who was very good. Other entertainment was quizzes of various sorts, golf putting, singing, etc -very unsophisticated. Seats in lounge were mostly uncomfortable. Lounge also had cold water on tap (still and sparkling) and basic coffee machine (using UHT milk and OK if you add a double espresso to anything). Drinks were bar prices and packages from about $20 per day per person.
Front deck was poorly furnished with old seats and not very comfortable. Pool was OK, but small (converted to cinema at night, with mostly uninteresting movies). Sun deck was closed for nearly half the cruise due to low bridges/high water levels.
Guided tours were in big groups (30 plus), so like cats being hearded around. They have gentle walking group, but no faster walking group, so saw much more walking around independently. Little time is spent at most locations (full day only in Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest), and a lot of time is spent on the boat. No day tours by bus included, unlike on other cruises. Some day trips available at extra cost, but very expensive. Active program is aimed at those who don’t exercise very often and are slow. Bike tour guides were good, but too slow eg 5 hours to do 35km. Passengers were mainly native English speakers, with most from Australia.
Information about bus returns to boat was hard to obtain unless you went on the guided tour (always told “tour guide will tell you”) and sometimes plainly wrong. People were left in Budapest for two hours on a hot day, when they had expected to be taken back to the boat after the bus tour around town. Best the tour guide could say was “get a taxi” when there was public bus that dropped you opposite the boat and was free for over 65s. No maps provided for towns (allegedly for environmental reasons, but they had paper cups in lounge), but you could get them at information centres (but not told where they were). Would definitely not do another river cruise like this.
You could do as ...read more much or as little as you wanted in regards to tours and exploring on your own. We made some nice friends - tour was predominantly Australian, with a few Kiwis and Americans thrown in.
My only big disappointment was that we paid for a room with a french balcony, so that we could enjoy the views and fresh air. We spent the majority of the days, when the boat wasn't sailing (which was a lot), in darkness, because another boat was nearly always tethered to our side of the boat. And apart from a 1/2 day, it was always on our side of the boat. I don't recall this being mentioned when we booked. This got worse as the cruise went on, as many days were spent in port while the sailing was done later in the evening. Yes, you can go on deck, but we wanted to be able to chill out in our rooms by ourselves occasionally, and enjoy the view. I'm not sure that I would do another cruise because of this.
We also missed out on the Amsterdam canal cruise, due to Mardi Gras, which couldn't be helped, but still disappointing. A highlight was the boat sailing up and down the Danube River at night, so that we could see the very pretty lights of Budapest. Overall, we had a lovely time and experienced lots of lovely and interesting places! I also couldn't fault the staff - they all did a great job.
