What levels on the Rhine

Hello! This will be our first time doing a river cruise. We are looking at going on the Rhine in March 2017. Can you please tell me if there are normal issues with water level at that time of the year? We are pretty flexible on dates to travel, but the March cruise does work best. We are looking at Viking. We have had a few issues with Caribbean cruises and my husband will not go on one of those again. I'm hoping for no issues with this one. I've read about flooding in April and May. Thanks for any help! This is for our 20th anniversary.

this should help you

http://rivercruiseinfo.com/content/river-levels

I will defer to our resident Rhine maiden, but in my mind March is too early. Even Tulip Time cruises are better in mid-April.

Hello khenry,

and Thank you hostjazzbeau.

This is the opinion of the resident Rhine maiden. ;)

I tend to find river cruises in March a bit early and personally would not book one. The weather is unpredictable to cool, you can get anything from snow (rare in the valley) to 20 degrees in the afternoons (uncommon). It is anything inbetween. Mind you, this year we have had snow in the second week of April. March is prone to flooding, but then April is also. In general, though, there is a greater likelihood of flooding at the end of March. Impossible to predict as it all depends on the snow in the mountains during winter and the onset of snow melt.

Blooming starts in March, but Spring is better enjoyed in April and May. Daylight saving time begins on the last Sunday in March giving you more daylight sailing in April.

Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are bank (or rather: church) holidays in France and Germany. Shopping is very restricted to non-existent on those days and visiting churches wil be restricted as well.

If you have your mind set on a specific place, it is best to check when Easter is in 2017. Almost all museums are closed on Mondays.

Now I have the pleasure, hostjazzbeau of recommending to khenry your stickies on river cruising at the top of the title page of the river cruising forum. :)

notamermaid

Conditions can vary from year to year, obviously...so 2017 is anyone's guess. We did the Rhine the last day of March into the first week of April in 2014 and the weather was for the most part, great. Spring was in full force and temperatures were very pleasant - much better than New York at that time. Water levels were fine too. But I don't think that I would have wanted to chance it any earlier. And no guarantee that it would be like that again.

The Rhine is a great itinerary. Look at all cruise lines that are available; there are all kinds of options available to you for a special occasion such as this.

Thank you for the responses. So it looks like March is not the best time to go. My other options that work for us with our schedule and finding grandparents to keep our kids will be in June, July, and August. Is there a best time to go around those months (drought, weather, etc)?

Thanks for all the help!!!

Of the three months I would go for June. July and August are also nice, but a little hotter. In July and August you have more German holidaymakers as the children are on holiday. Holidays in Germany are spread over six-weeks-periods from end of June to beginning of September. That is not a great disturbance, do not assume places will be swamped with families. It is fine, just a bit busier in the high season everywhere. France is on holiday mostly end of July and all of August.

As regards drought: that gets more likely the further you go into summer. The temperature in July and August (not so much in June) can reach 35 Celsius. Higher than that is a rare occasion, perhaps one or two days per year. But the average temperature is rising so who knows what June in 2017 will bring.

notamermaid