Top 3 autumn river cruises for you to book with Riviera Travel

Riviera Travel is known for river cruising - it's practically in the name after all - and we are spoiling you with three handpicked autumn river cruises to book for the perfect autumn escape.

After all, we can all agree that it's disheartening when summer has been and gone, so what better idea than to book a cruise and sail somewhere new to take your mind off it all?

So transport your mind to the glittering Danube, the wonderful Seine and even the longest river in Africa, the Nile, all onboard a stunning Riviera Travel ship of course.

It's not too late to book a getaway and all the holiday inspiration you need is right here...

Autumn river cruising - The Blue Danube

Hitting all the hotspots, from Vienna to Budapest to Salzburg, 'The Blue Danube river cruise', spanning eight days and departing throughout August and September from £1,299pp, itinerary is the ideal autumn river cruise with buckets of culture to absorb.

Popular for banks lined with castles and fortresses, the Danube also houses musical hotspots, such as Vienna, famed as the home of Strauss and plenty of other memorable composers.

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On day one you'll fly into Budapest and get a sneak peek of what you will explore on your final day (try not to dive into one of the thermal pools!) - take your time to familiarise yourself with your new home, either MS William Wordsworth, MS Thomas Hardy or MS Emily Brontë.

Wake up the next morning, draw back your curtains and wave hello to Esztergom. Your overnight sailing brings you to what was once a royal capital during the medieval period, and today is one of Hungary's oldest towns. Take part in the guided tour of the 100-metre-high Esztergom Basilica and admire the tallest building in Hungary that houses countless religious artefacts.

Bratislava is your next port of call and explore Slovakia's capital city with a guided tour from your Riviera destination experts.

Start at the stunning Old Town that has benefitted from a careful restoration - look up to discover the impressive 17th-century castle that overlooks the down and Danube.

Other destination highlights include Durnstein, iconic for housing the very castle where Richard the Lionheart was held prisoner after his crusades in 1192 as well as the golden castle, Melk Abbey.

Make the most of a day in Vienna, where you can enjoy a host of cultural delights - from art to architecture, from music to history.

The disappointment of finishing your cruise will be masked by finishing up in Budapest. Explore steaming thermal baths as well as Castle Hill, which houses several museums, two churches and a theatre - what else could you want?

Nile river cruising - Wonders of the Nile: Cairo to Aswan

Imagine 15 days of pure exploration, ticking off your bucket list faster than you can say 'I love cruising' - Riviera's Wonders of the Nile cruise delivers exactly this.

Be transported back to a time when the majestic Pharaohs ruled and countless famous names visited - from Napoleon to Alexander the Great.

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Not only do you get to visit the incredible Pyramids at Giza as gaze as the majestic Sphinx, but you also delve further and tour the 'Step Pyramid' - aka the oldest stone structure in the world!

Feel like a VIP with guided tours of rarely visited sites like the enchanting city of Amarna which was actually created by the pharaoh Akhenaten and Nefertiti.

There are countless ports of call on this cruise - well, 17 to be exact.

Embrace the historical value that Old Cairo possesses with a visit to the 'Hanging Church' that is built over a gatehouse of Babylon Fortress with its nave suspended over a passage.

Not only is it precariously placed, but this church is one of the oldest in Egypt, dating from the 9th century.

Abydos is an intriguing port of call, housing the Great Temple of Seti I as well as being a place of pilgrimage for pious Egyptians who wanted to be buried as close as possible to the important tomb of Osiris.

Other highlights include crossing the Nile to the West Bank for the Valley of the Kings, visiting the impressive Temple of Karnak as well as the Temple of Luxor - you'll be temple-d out!

Europe river cruising - Cruise the Heart of Europe

The perfect solution to your Europe explorations - cruise across the heart and delve into a plethora of key cities and quaint towns with this itinerary.

With 14 ports of call, you can experience countless new ways of life within your journey from Cologne to Budapest.

Koblenz and Boppard bring you both cultural old towns and a picturesque quayside to explore - plus you can journey through the iconic Rhine Gorge where you will pass the famous Lorelei rock, which legends say enchanted sailors to drown, as the river narrows.

- READ MORE: Riviera Travel reveals 2023 European river cruise programme -

History buffs will be enthralled with a city walking tour in Mainz, known as a key Roman city as it houses the biggest amphitheatre north of the Alps as well as a couple of stunningly decorated churches - you can't go wrong.

Is it even a cruise if you don't visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site? Riviera has got you covered as you journey to Bamberg, a beautiful tiny town in Europe - did you know that in the 11th century this town was planned to be as fabulous as Rome? Although this dream never came to life, Bamberg features an array of memorable architecture in the form of churches, cathedrals and a grand town hall.