Is Thurgau Travel worth it?
By Richard Jasinski·Updated 10 November 2026
No verdict of ours: the facts Thurgau Travel publishes on its own website, read 10 November 2026, topic by topic, each with a link to the page it came from.
Is Thurgau Travel worth it?
It depends on what you want. Thurgau Travel, a Swiss family-run company founded in 2001, includes full board and luggage service and often sells excursions as a package; its 2027 Rheinzauber Holland fare starts from CHF 1’390 per person.
What is Thurgau Travel?
Thurgau Travel is a Swiss river cruise operator founded in December 2001, family-run since its founding and owned by the Kaufmann family; it sells river cruises in Europe, Asia and the Amazon. Source
Which ships does Thurgau Travel sail?
Thurgau Travel says it has 19 ships on over 50 waterways in more than 25 countries; it calls MS Thurgau Gold its flagship, its newest ship MS Thurgau Avanti starts its maiden voyage on 19 May 2027; it also sails MS Swiss Pearl (built 2013) and MS Voyage (built 2004), sells Douro cruises on MS Douro Spirit and MS Douro Queen and calls RV Mekong Discovery its exclusive ship on the Mekong. Source
How many guests are on board?
Thurgau Travel carries a maximum of 180 guests in 82 cabins, 4 junior suites and 4 suites on its 135 metre new build MS Thurgau Avanti and 133 guests on MS Swiss Pearl. Source
Which rivers does Thurgau Travel sail?
Thurgau Travel sells river cruises on the Rhine (Rheinzauber Holland), the Danube, the Rhône and Saône, the Seine, the Douro, the Moselle (on MS Thurgau Avanti from 2027), the Oder, Weser, Ems and Oder-Havel canal in Germany, the Mekong and in the Amazon area from September to February or March. Source
How large are the cabins?
Thurgau Travel says its suites and cabins on the middle and upper deck have a French balcony (a floor-to-ceiling panoramic window that opens) or an Infinity balcony with a lowering panoramic window; MS Thurgau Avanti has 82 cabins, 4 junior suites and 4 suites. Source
What does the fare include?
Thurgau Travel's fares include full board with a welcome cocktail, a one-off high tea, a light lunch buffet and a gala dinner, vegetarian menus (vegan on request) and luggage service at embarkation and disembarkation; a coach transfer (MS Edelweiss), a drinks package and an excursion package with audio guide can be added. Source
Are shore excursions included?
Thurgau Travel: Often sells its excursions as an excursion package bookable with the cruise; on Rheinzauber Holland some excursions are in the package and bookable in advance, some are optional and bookable only on board and some are alternatives bookable on board. Source
What does a sailing cost?
Thurgau Travel sells Rheinzauber Holland, departing 17 February 2027 and returning 25 February 2027, from CHF 1’390 per person; the cabin is not stated. Source
How much is the deposit?
Thurgau Travel asks a deposit of 20% of the package price within 14 days of the written booking confirmation; the balance is due at the latest 30 days before departure. Source
Is your money protected?
Thurgau Travel takes part in the Garantiefonds der Schweizer Reisebranche (the Swiss travel industry guarantee fund), which it says secures the amounts you pay in connection with your booking. Source
What happens if the water is too high or too low?
Thurgau Travel says that if water levels affect a booked river cruise it tells guests early and personally about any changes. Source
What if your mobility is limited?
Thurgau Travel has two specially equipped cabins and lift access between the middle and upper deck on MS Thurgau Avanti, which it says make the ship comfortable for guests with limited mobility; its terms say you must be able to leave the ship on your own in an evacuation. Source
Can children come?
Thurgau Travel sells a family sailing on the Rhône, Familienzeit auf der Rhône. Source
When is Thurgau Travel not the fit?
The limit below is published by Thurgau Travel on its own website.
- Thurgau Travel: not the fit if you cannot leave a ship unaided: its terms say that in an evacuation you must be able to leave the ship on your own. Source
What do reviews say?
Its figures per platform, read 10 November 2026, each from a listing under the line's own name; a whole-company profile is marked. Figures are never added together.
- Thurgau Travel: Google: 4.4 out of 5 from 181 reviews; Trustpilot (whole company): 4.6 out of 5 from 1,004 reviews, newest 8 November 2026. Read 10 November 2026.
Thurgau Travel at a glance
Its card, as on every Uncompromised Travel river cruise page: what it sells, why to choose it, what to ask for and the limits it publishes.
Thurgau Travel
- Best for
- Swiss river voyages on its own ships
- What it sells
- Sells river voyages on 19 ships across more than 25 countries, on rivers including the Rhine, Danube, Moselle, Rhône, Saône, Seine, Douro, Elbe, Mekong and Ganges.
- Why choose them
- Founded in December 2001, it sails 19 ships on over 50 waterways in more than 25 countries. Google: 4.4 out of 5 from 181 reviews; Trustpilot (whole company): 4.6 out of 5 from 1,004 reviews, newest 8 November 2026. Read 10 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for the excursion package with audio guide when you book, as most excursions are sold that way.
- Not the fit if
- you cannot leave the ship on your own in an evacuation, as guests must be able to do so and must tell Thurgau Travel before booking if not.
- Published price
- from CHF 1'390 per person, Rheinzauber Holland on MS Thurgau Gold, 9 days, departing 17 February 2027. Read 10 November 2026.
- Money protection
- Garantiefonds der Schweizer Reisebranche (Swiss travel industry guarantee fund).
- Website
- thurgautravel.ch
Is Thurgau Travel worth it?: the questions people ask
How many guests are on board with Thurgau Travel?
Thurgau Travel carries a maximum of 180 guests in 82 cabins, 4 junior suites and 4 suites on its 135 metre new build MS Thurgau Avanti and 133 guests on MS Swiss Pearl.
How much does a sailing cost with Thurgau Travel?
Thurgau Travel sells Rheinzauber Holland, departing 17 February 2027 and returning 25 February 2027, from CHF 1’390 per person; the cabin is not stated.
What does the fare include with Thurgau Travel?
Thurgau Travel's fares include full board with a welcome cocktail, a one-off high tea, a light lunch buffet and a gala dinner, vegetarian menus (vegan on request) and luggage service at embarkation and disembarkation; a coach transfer (MS Edelweiss), a drinks package and an excursion package with audio guide can be added.
Are excursions included with Thurgau Travel?
Thurgau Travel: Often sells its excursions as an excursion package bookable with the cruise; on Rheinzauber Holland some excursions are in the package and bookable in advance, some are optional and bookable only on board and some are alternatives bookable on board.
How much is the deposit with Thurgau Travel?
Thurgau Travel asks a deposit of 20% of the package price within 14 days of the written booking confirmation; the balance is due at the latest 30 days before departure.
What happens if the water is too low with Thurgau Travel?
Thurgau Travel says that if water levels affect a booked river cruise it tells guests early and personally about any changes.
How do I compare prices like for like?
Ask for a written quote for the same dates, the same river and the same cabin type, with every inclusion listed: excursions, drinks, gratuities, wifi, flights, transfers and hotel nights. The price lines above give what each line publishes and on what basis.
Can I book directly?
Yes. Each card links the line's own website; ask for a written quote that lists what the fare includes.
Where can I check these facts myself?
Every line on this page links the page of the line's own website it was read from, read 10 November 2026.
Is any company on this page paying to be here?
No. No company on this page is a partner of Uncompromised Travel; none paid to be on it.
Read next
Built to answer the question in the main heading. What is shown: what the line published on its own website, read on 10 November 2026, with links to the pages read. Google and Trustpilot figures are shown where the listing carries the line's own name, from the Uncompromised Travel river cruise lines table. No score and no verdict. No company on this page is a partner of Uncompromised Travel. How this site earns · How we work.