Life can sometimes become too much of a race to get to the next thing. River cruising, especially in Europe, can help you slow the pace and be in the moment. And that moment might be going into city centers on the Rhine or taking in the nigh lights in Budapest.

Small ship cruising is one of our favorites. How else can you unpack once and have the sites of Europe or French Polynesia or South American or . . .  at your doorstep (or in this case, gang plank)? From ancient civilizations to modern cities, all giving you a “taste test” for your next journey. Don’t even get us started talking about the food.