It’s all about the way you travel when it comes to some of this year's biggest European travel trends. River cruising continues to be popular with the estimated number of travellers going from 100,000 to 500,000 in the last eight years.

I recently took the Avalon Tranquility II’s inaugural cruise from Frankfurt, Germany to Basel, Switzerland and all I can say, it was the epitome of civilized travel.

Unpacking once into a surprisingly spacious stateroom where you can kick back and watch the world float by was pretty amazing.

With fantastic food and good stops along the way, it just doesn’t get any better.

It’s important to note that river ships are not floating senior citizens homes.

Longer itineraries will likely have a higher amount of retirees on board due to the time commitment, but that doesn't mean it's not a great experience for younger folks as well.

In fact pack your walking shoes because these trips are not for the sedentary set.

Once you factor in the cost of doing a similar trip on your own, accommodation, meals (including wine with dinner), excursions, entertainment and transportation, the value proposition is excellent.

Due to infrastructure restrictions like the height of bridges and size of locks, the ships plying the rivers of Europe will never be larger than 135 metres long, 11.4 metres wide and a hair more than six metres high.

That translates to an average of 140 people on any given ship.

Those used to large ship cruising can say goodbye to long lines to embark, disembark or simply enjoy a meal.

These small ships also provide easy access to the destinations, where you can wander into town from the dock at your leisure. www.avalonwaterways.com 

Eurorail’s Global Pass

Big changes in train travel this year as Eurorail’s Global Pass now includes Poland, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro as part of their journey.

If you’re planning to travel across Europe by train, you’ll be able to add great, historic cities such as Warsaw and Krakow as well as some of the most beautiful and fascinating countries in the Balkans to your itinerary.

As of this year, children aged 11 and under are able to travel for free when accompanied by at least one person traveling with an Adult Pass. And if you’ve ever dreamed of island hopping through the beautiful scenery of the Greek Islands, the brand new Eurail Attica Pass gives you access to six ferry crossings consisting of two international trips between Italy and Greece, and four domestic trips to Greek islands.

Which islands you visit and for how long will be totally up to you, but this new pass will give you access to 26 islands including Crete, Kos, Lesvos, Rhodes and Santorini.

Liberation Route of Europe

2015 is an important year for military history themed travel as destinations around Europe mark seventy years since the end of the Second World War. I visited the Liberation Route in Holland last September and highly recommend it. The newly created Liberation Route of Europe reconnects the main regions through which Allied forces moved from the United Kingdom to Berlin at the end of the Second World War. In the Netherlands for example, the Liberation Route focuses on 85 historical locations in three regions, which played an important role in the final stages of the war.

The growth of celebrity chef shows and home cooking programs on TV is making us all more aware of the creative side of mealtimes and cultural cuisine and has travellers looking for the chance to dine in local people's homes. Eatwith.com is the foodie version of Airbnb, pairing travelers with homes cooks at their holiday destination. The firm launched in Israel and Spain and has added 21 new cities less than a year after it launched in 2013.

For those looking for a destination other than London and Paris, there are many amazing options.

Prague and Budapest are very popular this year with Transat offering flights now to both cities direct from Toronto. Direct flights mean a lot less hassle and often cheaper fares. They are both stunning, walkable cities with amazing food and not overly expensive. Westjet is starting service to Scotland from Toronto and Halifax at the end of May.

A less known option is Pilsen, one of this year's European Capital's of Culture and one of the largest cities in the Czech Republic. Dating back to 1295 and standing on the confluence of four rivers, Pilsen has oodles of history and charm, making it a worthy winner of the coveted title. It has a charming centre, and is seeing its rundown industrial areas revitalised, with artworks popping up in unlikely spaces.

The Hidden City project, a free app, takes you on unusual sightseeing tours devised by locals including a student, an immigrant and a second world war veteran. Exciting events run throughout the year: circus, theatre and light festivals; live music in baroque buildings; and exhibitions of art, architecture and puppetry.