What to Pack for a Danube River Cruise?

​On a Danube River cruise, you’ll have the chance to see a large portion of Europe. Many great cities line the river, inviting cruisers to explore their culture, dining, art, history, and architecture. In addition, other sites and sights await, ensuring every moment along the Danube is memorable. 

River cruises, becoming a more and more popular  means of travel around the world, offer a convenient way to see it all. Essentially, you won’t have to pay for unexpected travel expenses, like flights, tours, hotel rooms, or anything else that pops up, since river cruises are often all-inclusive. On most cruises, you’ll be staying in your on board suite the entire time. That means there’s no need to continuously pack and unpack to get to your destinations. It can not only save you money, but luggage space too. 

Outdoor dining aboard a Uniworld Danube River cruise ship

Prepare for the diverse Danube

Packing for a European river cruise on the Danube is one of the most important parts of getting ready for your journey. The river covers a lot of ground as the European Union’s longest river. It also visits more countries than any other river in the world. The Danube runs through or along Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine. The river is massive, at just over 2,800 km in length. Comparatively, the distance from North to South in the United States is close to 2,600 km.

What we mean to say by all this is that the Danube features a wide range of cities, countries, and peoples along its course. With all that diversity also come different climates -- something one should be prepared for when taking a Danube River cruise. Here, we’ve listed the most important things to pack so you won’t have to worry, or make unexpected purchases, on your voyage.

Pack for every occasion with layers

Couple wearing layers on a Danube River cruise

When cruising the Danube, you can be faced with bright, sunny weather one minute and chilling rain the next. Because of this, it’s great to pack in layers that can easily be added or taken off. While walking around a city can get quite warm, when you get back to the ship, cool river breezes will leave you wanting a light jacket or sweater. We recommend packing either of those, along with thinner layers to go underneath. 

Most of our cruise lines offer umbrellas or rain gear for guests, so you’ll have one less thing to pack. Be sure to check with one of our cruising experts before your European river cruise to ensure you bring just what you’ll need.

Don’t overdress for your Danube cruise

As with many things nowadays, dress codes are relaxing and casual clothing has become the predominant way to dress for the majority of occasions. Danube cruises are no exception -- on board most ships, you’ll want to be dressed practically for whatever adventure awaits. We typically recommend our guests bring along a dress or a nice pair of trousers paired with a button-up, polo, or blouse for any nice dinners on the ship. When in doubt -- and whatever you choose to wear -- smart casual is a good, flexible option to take on anything the day may bring.

Small bags for big adventures abroad

One of the most practical items to bring along with you is a small zippered cross-body bag, or even a “fanny pack.” It’ll help you lug your wallet, phone, personal items, boarding pass, or map around when you’re on any Danube port excursions. Having a secure, no-fuss bag is an essential, though we don’t recommend carrying around anything larger than your average purse. As an added bonus, these can help prevent pickpocketing if you end up in a crowded area of town. 

Dressed smart casual for a Danube cruise excursion in Vienna

Bring interchangeable clothes to get the most bang-for-your-buck

Most of our cruise lines feature laundry rooms or services, so you won’t need to pack as many clothes. To help you get the most out of the clothes you do bring, we recommend packing clothing separates that can easily be worn with other items in your wardrobe. Going with a color scheme is one of the most popular ways to do this, so you’ll never have to worry about mismatched items. 

​Aside from these major things, packing as light and as organized as possible is always the way to go when traveling Europe. It’ll help you navigate smaller hallways, rooms, and elevators. Always be sure to consult one of our European cruise experts to ensure you pack accordingly for your voyage and the time of year. We hope these tips will help you make the most of your Danube River cruise experience, and wish you the best travels!