Answer :

river travel was probably 99% better than car or train or bus travel is because it doesn pollute the air. The only way to travel better than river travel is walking or bicycle travel. I say it was better because now most of all travel ways are somehow harming the earth, other than walking or bicycling. River travel used to be the fastest way to travel besides horses. 
A couple advantages i can think of would be there is no need to make roads. Another would be that it would be more comfortable to sit on a boat then the other ways of travel. 
A couple advantages i can think of would be there is no need to make roads. Another would be that it would be more comfortable to sit on a boat then the other ways of travel.