Timing of Rhine or Danube River Cruise?

[Sapphire73]

Trying to schedule our first European River Cruise for sometime between August 1st and mid-November, 2015. We are unable to go in May, June or July. We were thinking that places may be less crowded in the autumn than in August. But I also read that it tends to be rainy in the autumn months.

 

If you were planning a European river cruise for sometime in August, September or October, when would you choose?

 

I have been reading the river cruise threads off and on for 6 months now and used this forum a great deal when planning a cruise to Alaska in 2009. Lots of great info but now we are getting closer to the time when we need to pull the trigger on an itinerary, time, and cruise line.

 

Thank you.

[travelfirst]

I think August may be too hot.

I went on the Rhine Getaway river cruise with Viking this past November 17th and the weather was fine then.

[nana541]

Just a heads up I checked my Sept 2015 sailing on Avalon and it is listed as Sold Out! So I would not delay in booking your preferred itinerary. It is not unusual at all for River Cruises to be booked 18 months or more out, we booked ours in Feb 2014 for a Sept 2015 sailing.

 

September seems to be a very popular month and books fast, October and November seems to have more availability and is at a lower cost too...

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Edited May 25, 2014 by nana541

[Ozjohnno]

We cruised Amsterdam/Budapest in early September 2011 and the weather was pretty good but weather being what it is it's never a certainty.

[beesKate]

We travelled the Rhine/Main in early September and it was rather warm some days (especially in Prague) and I think we had 1 day of rain. We travelled the Danube in October, it was definitely cooler then and needed jackets... some days were beautiful, some had rain (maybe 1/2 a day total), and we had a little blustery wind when we sailed the Wachau valley. When we booked out next one, we asked the cruise director and she recommended September. This time of year works great for us, we got a little autumn color in October too.

[remydiva]

September would be my choice and i have done May ( first choice), August, Sept and December

[Sapphire73]

It looks like we will need to travel in late August/early September or late October/November in 2015. In another thread, notamermaid mentioned that after All Saints Day (November 1st in 2015), some places might be closed for the winter. I am wondering how much that might impact a cruise along the Rhine or Rhine and Moselle?

[notamermaid]

Hello Sapphire73,

 

it is me again and I did not want to alarm you. :o I mentioned the winter closures in case you found something specific you might want to see only to find out later booking that the option is not available on let's say the sailing with xy company on 10th November... The aerial cable car at Koblenz only runs at the weekends in winter for example. Closures will mostly effect only small places and attractions.

 

The Viking Rhine Getaway itinerary - from what I have read by CC members - is virtually the same, safe some Christmas market visits, throughout the year.

 

notamermaid

Edited June 11, 2014 by notamermaid

[rogerdawhip]

I have traveled on a river cruise in each of the months you mentioned. My favorite was August. The temps were in the 80s but this was cool to me being from Arizona. My second favorite was late November. The costs are lower and we had beautiful snow as we cruised.

[Sapphire73]

I have traveled on a river cruise in each of the months you mentioned. My favorite was August. The temps were in the 80s but this was cool to me being from Arizona. My second favorite was late November. The costs are lower and we had beautiful snow as we cruised.

 

Good to know. November may work best for us. Thanks.

[Sapphire73]

Hello Sapphire73,

 

it is me again and I did not want to alarm you. :o I mentioned the winter closures in case you found something specific you might want to see only to find out later booking that the option is not available on let's say the sailing with xy company on 10th November... The aerial cable car at Koblenz only runs at the weekends in winter for example. Closures will mostly effect only small places and attractions.

 

The Viking Rhine Getaway itinerary - from what I have read by CC members - is virtually the same, safe some Christmas market visits, throughout the year.

 

notamermaid

 

Thank you. Appreciate your further input on this.

[FuelScience]

We've scheduled Vantage's Switzerland & the Heart of the Rhine & Moselle, arriving in Amsterdam on July 31. The trip includes the Moselle and Luxembourg as well as the Rhine. We chose this itinerary because we wanted to do the Moselle Valley again after seeing it on Viking's Cities of Light a couple of years ago. It's also a little longer (ends in Basel on August 14).

 

We'll see how hot it is in August on the Rhine!

 

FuelScience

[Hydrokitty]

We've scheduled Vantage's Switzerland & the Heart of the Rhine & Moselle, arriving in Amsterdam on July 31. The trip includes the Moselle and Luxembourg as well as the Rhine. We chose this itinerary because we wanted to do the Moselle Valley again after seeing it on Viking's Cities of Light a couple of years ago. It's also a little longer (ends in Basel on August 14).

 

We'll see how hot it is in August on the Rhine!

 

FuelScience

 

We have this trip booked with Vantage for 2015.....I can't wait to read your review!!!

[FuelScience]

We have this trip booked with Vantage for 2015.....I can't wait to read your review!!!

 

Opps! Sorry, ours is in 2015 as well. There will be a review, but it'll be a while before it appears!

 

FuelScience

[Hydrokitty]

Opps! Sorry, ours is in 2015 as well. There will be a review, but it'll be a while before it appears!

 

FuelScience

 

OK, when are you going? We leave on August 28, 2015.

[Hydrokitty]

OK, when are you going? We leave on August 28, 2015.

 

 

Just reread your post and you're leaving one month ahead of us!! Darn, I keep waiting for someone on CC to be booked on the same trip as we are! But I still can't wait to hear about it. Is this your first trip with Vantage? If not, where else have you gone.

[FuelScience]

Is this your first trip with Vantage? If not, where else have you gone.

 

This will be our first Vantage Cruise. We've cruised three times with Viking (Paris to Prague, Budapest to Nuremberg, and Netherlands and Belgium). We liked this itinerary and decided to give Vantage a try.

 

FuelScience