NEW YORK (CNNfn) - If you're tired of working for the man every night and day, it's time to go rolling on the river.
A river vacation gives you an opportunity to get in touch with your inner Huck Finn. Climb aboard a boat and you get to see the good side of a city — or a country -- while floating by clogged highways and crowded bus terminals  .
Your vessel can range from a whitewater raft to a luxury cruise ship and you can visit some of the world's most sophisticated cities or venture into the most primitive jungles on the planet. And once you board the ship, your "hotel" does all the moving.
Your choices abound — heck, the earth is made up mostly of water, right? From the Amazon to the Yangtze, from the Colorado to the Volga, a river runs through it, over it and under it.
Current Affairs
Travel writer Alison Gardner, author of Travel Unlimited: Uncommon Adventures for the Mature Traveler for Avalon Travel Publishing, said ship-based tourism is the fastest growing vacation category for the over-50 traveler.
"You're involved with the environment," she said. "You're at an interesting angle that you can't see standing on the land. You really sense the power of the environment. It's a relatively easy way to engage with the wilderness without dealing with the ruts in the road." 
Gardner said she took a two-week expeditionary cruise on the Amazon River in South America, traveling more than 3,000 miles through the dense jungle. Of the 60 passengers, she was the youngest person on board — and she was 52 years old. The tour included excursions to local villages and evening lectures about a variety of topics from knowledgeable speakers.
This contrasts with the typical cruise experience, Gardner said, where "you tend to see everything out the window of a cruise ship."
If you're not the jungle type, how about Europe, which is overflowing with rivers and canals? In her book, Gardner describes how barges and canal boats can give travelers a view of past and present cultures, with a nice view of nature as well. She notes canal barging features fewer passengers and a slower pace than river cruising, with the average barge cruise covering 30 to 50 miles per week.
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Water, water everywhere
Uniworld, based in Encino, Calif., offers several river-based tours that are designed to take passengers into the heart of European countries, not just the harbors.
The company, which started 26 years ago with one ship, now has a dozen vessels of varying sizes.
"We really offer something a cruise ship can't," said advertising director Mike Feinstein. "A cruise ship can't go through the continent the way a river boat can."
The Yangtze River in China is another popular location and several companies, including Uniworld, organize cruises down the world's third-largest river. 
"China is hot, hot, hot," Feinstein said. "Everybody wants to go there."
Tammy Yam, a sales representative at China Silk Tour in New York, said the company's Yangtze River cruise is one of the most popular tours. Travelers may want to get there sooner rather than later, she said, as construction of the massive Three Rivers Gorge dam is slated to be completed in 2008.
Americans who don't want to leave the United States certainly have a choice of rivers, starting with the mighty Mississippi River, which has rolled through the imaginations of novelists and composers for generations.
Go with the flow
If you think a river tour is right up your tributary, dip your paddle into cyberspace and see what deals are available. There are plenty of companies willing to hook you up with a tour. Here are a few samples of what's out there:
- Uniworld offers a 9-day cruise of Portugal and Spain along the Douro River. The package covers meals, live entertainment and offshore excursions. Prices start at $1,998, airfare included.
- China Silk Tours has a 14-day Yangtze River vacation that offers stops at the Great Wall and the Summer Palace. The tour costs $2,650 per person, airfare included.
- The Delta Queen Steamboat Co. has a special two-for-one deal. The 7-night tour runs Dec. 9-16, taking travelers for an "Old Fashioned Holidays Vacation." The trip from New Orleans stops at such locations as Vicksburg, Natchez and Baton Rouge and two can travel for $2,085.
- Grand Canyon Expeditions Co. offers trips on the Colorado River that takes travelers through the Grand Canyon. An 8-day motorized boat trip costs $1,933 and includes meals, beverages, camping equipment and transportation to and from Las Vegas. There are also trips on oar-powered boats called dories.
American citizens traveling to other countries may want to check the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs for information about health, safety and other conditions overseas. 
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