Trafalgar River Cruises vs Avalon River Cruises

Compare the ships, onboard inclusions, pricing, shore excursions and popularity of river cruising with Trafalgar River Cruises and Avalon River Cruises, to see which is the better fit for your next journey.
Trafalgar River Cruises

Trafalgar River Cruises

12 Reviews

Why should we cruise with Trafalgar?

We asked Trafalgar why you should cruise with them, here's what they said...

We are the world’s leading and most awarded travel brand spanning all seven continents of the globe. From the iconic to the unexpected, our guests connect to the real depth of the places we go. You'll break bread with the locals at our exclusive Be My Guest experiences and unlock the local secrets of our Travel Directors and Local Specialists. Everything is taken care of, so you'll travel with true ease and get the real thing - without worrying about a thing.

We consider how we can positively impact the communities we engage with. Through our read more JoinTrafalgar initiatives powered by TreadRight, guests don't just leave footprints on the ground, but leave a lasting legacy for the betterment of locals and the future of their communities. It’s 72 years of destination experience and feedback from over 5 million happy guests that fuels our innovation to continually delivery simply the best holidays.

What rivers do Trafalgar explore?

Africa Asia Australia & NZ Canada & Alaska Egypt & Jordan Europe South America UK & Ireland More...

Trafalgar snapshot

Total No. CruisesTotal No. River Cruises
32
DeparturesDepartures
509
Average cruise lengthAvg. cruise length
10 days
Average cabin price per dayAvg. price per day (by cabin type)
River View
$713
Balcony
$866
Suite
$1,045
DeparturesNo. of Ships
DeparturesAll-Inclusive Level

Our thoughts...

The low down on Trafalgar from our expert team of advisors at Global Journeys...

Over 250 coach tours around the world, and one of our clients most popular touring companies, Trafalgar is part of the Travel Corporation, which includes under its umbrella the sister brands of Insight Vacations, AAT Kings, Uniworld, Luxury Gold, Contiki & Costsaver. With a worldwide presence, Trafalgar welcomes guests from around the world so you'll enjoy the company of many nationalities aboard your coach. Sitting between Insight and Costsaver, Trafalgar pride themselves in touring innovation, introducing 'Insider Experiences' (where you get to know and dine with the locals) and travel styles to suit those that prefer smaller groups or those read more that prefer a more leisurely itineraries. Look out for Trafalgar's 'Early Payment Savings' where you can enjoy significant savings on your trip if you book and pay early, as well as further savings if you're a past passenger on any of their aforementioned sister brands.

Who are we likely to meet on a Trafalgar river cruise?

A broad international mix of couples, friends and solo travellers seeking an easy-going European river cruise with Trafalgar's familiar guided touring style and strong focus on local experiences.

Do Trafalgar river cruises suit solo-travellers?

Yes. Solo travellers are welcome and can book their own stateroom, and a single supplement applies.

How inclusive are Trafalgar's river cruises?

Fares include accommodation, all onboard meals, house wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, tea, coffee and water, WiFi, daily included onboard and shore experiences and shipboard crew gratuities.

Are there any extras to pay on top of the price shown?

Additional costs include premium drinks, optional experiences, massage treatments, serviced laundry and gratuities for the Experience Director, Experience Manager, drivers and Local Specialists.

Do Trafalgar include shore excursions?

Daily included shore experiences are part of the fare, including Trafalgar's Be My Guest and MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences. Additional Optional Experiences are available for purchase.

What types of excusions are available?

A combination of included and optional sightseeing is offered. Included experiences cover key destination highlights and local encounters, while Optional Experiences provide additional cultural and sightseeing choices for an extra charge.

Are there any onboard activities or entertainment?

Onboard activities include local entertainers, culinary demonstrations, Captain's wheelhouse visits, nautical talks, games, wellness activities and use of the fitness area. Complimentary bikes and Nordic walking sticks are also available for exploring ashore.

What are the cabins like on Trafalgar's river ships?

All staterooms have river views. On Trafalgar Reverie and Verity, accommodation ranges from 151-square-foot Classic and Deluxe Staterooms to French Balcony Staterooms and 214-square-foot Riverview Suites, with ensuite bathrooms and daily servicing.

Recent Trafalgar reviews

Egyptian antiquities 3
, NSW, Australia, Oct 2024
This tour is a great way to see the wonders of ancient Egypt. The Valley of the Kings excursion was a highlight for us, plus the (optional but worth the $$$) trip to Abu SImbel. Cairo and its traffic are chaotic but the Marriott was an excellent respite. Internal flights were OK, but the security setup at airports can be challenging so make sure you read more allow lots of time before departure. Georgie and GJ were very helpful prior to our journey.
Awesome Egypt 1
, NSW, Australia, Sep 2023
This was a very well planned and executed trip, allowing us to experience a great array of both monuments and everyday Egyptian life. I particularly enjoyed being able to cruise the Nile and experience the changing panorama of landscape, village life and the abundant bird and animal life. My accommodation was fine, although some others in the group read more Sid they had encountered some problems. The ubiquitous presence of insistent hawkers and vendors everywhere was definitely intrusive and unwelcome….this was the only downside for me. The tour guide was a qualified Egyptologist and provided us with fantastic background and information about every place we visited, which made the whole tour that much more enjoyable. If you enjoy history and the natural world this is a great experience…sorry should add, and enjoy very hot weather!! 🥵
Amazing tour through Egypt 1
, NSW, Australia, Sep 2023
Egypt was breathtaking and Insight only made it better. Our guide, Wael (an Egyptologist) was engaging and a joy to listen to. The earpieces we used were not the cheap ones and we never lost connection. I loved everything about our trip from being met at Cairo airport and being escorted through the airport to the drivers, all the staff on our ship sailing read more the Nile, our magnificent tour guide, Wael, who stayed with us the entire trip, the accommodation at Marriot Cairo ( an experience in itself) and of course the temples and pyramids of this incredible country. Highly recommend.
Splendour of Egypt was great except for pickup at Cairo airport. 2
, NSW, Australia, Dec 2022
The tour itself was great. There were many highlights especially for those who love the buildings, culture and art of Ancient Egyptians. The Nile cruise was wonderful and food good. There is one hitch. Transfers at Cairo airport, the pickup is not at the Arrival Hall but at the area before the Immigration. For travellers especially jet lagged travellers read more who after after 21 hours flight from Australia can easily not notice it. Insight informed travellers that the pickup was at Arrival Hall or outside depending on Covid restrictions. I had before the trip, enquired with my advisor to confirm the pickup point. Sadly she said there was no reply from Insight. It was a dent in my holiday because I was not informed of the pickup point, walked pass it and had to take local taxi and paid US 30 dollars!!!
Visiting Egypt with Trafalgar! 1
, Houston, Texas, USA, Dec 2021
There is so much to see in Egypt. The great pyramids at Giza, the Sphinx, the Valley of the Kings, Abu Simbal, the temples at Luxor and the Avenue of the Sphynxes. We also visited some smaller temples I hadn’t heard of before which were so very beautiful. I expected to see wonderful sights and learn a lot but the trip was so much more than I ever expected. Thank you!

Trafalgar's most popular trips this month...

12 Day Wonders of Ancient Egypt (Winter) (Trafalgar)
Wonders of Ancient Egypt (Winter)

12 Days Cairo to Cairo

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9 Day Best of Egypt (Winter) (Trafalgar)
Best of Egypt (Winter)

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12 Day Splendours of Egypt (Winter) (Trafalgar)
Splendours of Egypt (Winter)

12 Days Cairo to Cairo

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7,875pp
9 Day Best of Egypt (Trafalgar)
Best of Egypt

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12 Day Wonders of Ancient Egypt (Trafalgar)
Wonders of Ancient Egypt

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Avalon River Cruises

Avalon River Cruises

469 Reviews

Why should we cruise with Avalon?

We asked Avalon why you should cruise with them, here's what they said...

One of our favourite sayings that describes Avalon Waterways is ‘the possibilities are as wide open as the views’. From Europe to the Galapagos and Asia, you can cruise in relaxed luxury with Avalon Waterways, with choices as unique as you. Avalon offers you a range of choices from excursions, dining options, activities that help you tailor your experience.

Just imagine gliding away down the world’s most spectacular rivers, all while enjoying a unique vantage point from your own private oasis. Our floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows in our suites read more blur the line between where the world ends, and your suite begins; allowing you to experience the world less seen from the comfort of your bed. This is river cruising from a unique point of view.

What rivers do Avalon explore?

Asia Europe Nile

Avalon snapshot

Total No. CruisesTotal No. River Cruises
192
DeparturesDepartures
3,136
Average cruise lengthAvg. cruise length
12 days
Average cabin price per dayAvg. price per day (by cabin type)
River View
$738
Balcony
$981
Suite
$1,110
DeparturesNo. of Ships
DeparturesAll-Inclusive Level

Our thoughts...

The low down on Avalon from our expert team of advisors at Global Journeys...

Avalon Waterways have been cruising the rivers of Europe and Asia since 2004 and its parent company was founded in Switzerland nearly a century ago. Avalon's modern luxury river ships, with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors, are a firm favourite amongst our past clients, and some of their itineraries are our biggest sellers. Avalon don't usually include Fly Offers with their cruise fare, so you'll need to book flights separately, but consequently their prices are cheaper than other luxury all-inclusive operators - and they offer some great Earlybird discounts too if you get in early. As part of the Globus Family group of Brands, you can also read more secure further discounts the next time you decide to travel by coach with either Globus or Cosmos.

Who are we likely to meet on a Avalon river cruise?

Travellers seeking relaxed river cruising with flexible dining, included sightseeing and a choice of classic, active and immersive experiences. Solo travellers are also well catered for.

Do Avalon river cruises suit solo-travellers?

Yes. Around 10% of Avalon guests travel solo, and Avalon regularly waives single supplements on selected European and Southeast Asia sailings.

How inclusive are Avalon's river cruises?

Fares include accommodation, all onboard meals, a substantial choice of shore excursions, WiFi, selected alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, fitness activities and onboard entertainment.

Are there any extras to pay on top of the price shown?

Gratuities for the onboard crew are included in the cruise fare for Aussies and Kiwis, but not for North Americans. Optional excursions and activities, laundry, premium food and beverages outside the included offering and transfers will cost extra.

Do Avalon include shore excursions?

Yes. Avalon includes a generous choice of shore excursions in your cruise fare, with most itineraries offering a selection of Classic, Discovery and Active experiences at no extra charge. Some cruises include up to 28 ways to explore across the journey, while additional optional excursions are also available to purchase.

What types of excusions are available?

With Avalon Choice, you can explore in a way that suits you. Get moving with Active excursions, try something hands-on with Discovery experiences focused on food, culture and local life, or keep things classic with sightseeing that brings the destination’s history and landmarks to life. You can also head out on your own with complimentary bikes, e-bikes and other gear available on selected cruises.

Are there any onboard activities or entertainment?

Included onboard activities and facilities include live music, trivia, themed events, movies, fitness centres, yoga and stretching classes, an Adventure Host, lounges, a library, Sky Deck areas and whirlpools or plunge pools on selected ships.

What are the cabins like on Avalon's river ships?

All staterooms are exterior-facing. Around 80% are Panorama Suites, featuring wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling Open-Air Balconies and beds positioned to face the river views. Deluxe Staterooms and larger suites are also available, depending on the ship.

Recent Avalon reviews

It was fine 0
, OR, United States, Sep 2026
The Rhine water level was too low for us to sail the entire time we were supposed to. The alternative lodgings, for the first two days were pretty bad. Their food was mediocre, BUT when we got on the boat it was wonderful!! Simona was a delight and the food was excellent! We could not sail the last scheduled night but those accommodations were very nice.
Things didn’t go according to plan 0
, Australia, Aug 2026
Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to do this trip due to severe drought and Danube water levels dropping so low no cruise ships could sail anywhere. I was afraid that Avalon would claim force majeure and not offer any compensation at all. To give them their due they offered refund for the cruise portion of the trip if I chose to do the trip and read more just use ships at three different locations as hotels and coach everywhere to maintain our on land itinerary. This wasn’t appealing at all given that I’ve just finished a coach tour with Trafalgar, so I’ve opted for a full refund instead. Tracey was great to deal with from initial booking to the very end handling cancellation and refund. I would be delighted to book another tour with both Avalon and Global Journeys in the future. Thank you Tracey!
River Cruise through South of France 0
, ON, Canada, Oct 2025
We greatly enjoyed our river cruise. The staff on Poetry II were top-notch. We thank those who were especially helpful, like Matheus in reception, Marya in the dining room, and Carmen in housekeeping. Some really went out of their way to help me when I got sick during the cruise, such as Adrian who was super-accommodating in adjusting local tour arrangements, read more and Margarida who diligently served me a special medicinal drink using a very effective Portuguese recipe. This was a very positive experience and we look forward to joining another Avalon river cruise in the not too distant future.
The river of gold 0
, New Zealand, Oct 2025
Absolutely loved the cruise. Lovely new ship with great room and bathroom. Staff were fantastic - without fail friendly and helpful. Food was really good with plenty of variety, choice and local dishes. Really appreciated "compulsory happiness hour" with generous free drinks. This in contrast to another cruise line who I found over advertised and read more underdelivered. Ditto the included excursions - not just one ("not another dreary war memorial!") but a choice of three. Great dilemma to have. Good crowd - and never heard a complaint!
Avalon River Cruise 1
, Australia, Sep 2025
The ship, the crew, the food, the Cruise Director were fantastic. Interaction with the Global team was also first class and happy to recommend you to our friends. xox

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