Difference between Rhine cruise summer/winter

[hugueys]

Beside the obvious temperature (weather), daylight hours, and Christmas Markets, what do you think the biggest difference is?

 

 

Leaving Nov 26 Basel to Amsterdam for our first river cruise! :)

[DrivesLikeMario]

More crowds in the summer. Although we didn't experience too much of a problem with them in August, I would never go again in that month due to the heat.

[Floridiana]

It was unusually hot summer north of the Alps and along the Danube, maybe much cooler next year. Maybe hot in July and cool in August, maybe hot in June and cold in July or not hot anywhere along the Rhine.

[Di Princess]

Beside the obvious temperature (weather), daylight hours, and Christmas Markets, what do you think the biggest difference is? Leaving Nov 26 Basel to Amsterdam for our first river cruise!

 

Hi, Hugueys,

 

We leave 23 November to fly to Prague for 3 nights pre-cruise and then 7 nights on the Viking Var, Nuremberg to Koln and 2 nights post-cruise in Koln. I just wonder if NotaMermaid or the other German poster guy knows about the weather on the Rhine in late November.

 

When I lived in Pirmasens, Germany (near the French border), I remember that I froze to death all year long (for 2-1/2 years). :eek: However, that was 58 years ago. Times they are a changing'.

 

I think the rainy season is starting there so I think the rivers will be fine for cruising; however, I wonder if there will be snow. :confused::confused:

[notamermaid]

Big difference: landscape! When I look out of my window this morning I cannot imagine being on a river cruise in November. It looks grey and very uninviting although the foliage is still green. Come November almost all this will have gone and the trees are barren, not the fir trees of course. On sunny warm days November is ok but on the typical damp and cold days it is not nice ...

 

Without tourist crowds you might find the occasional shop or restaurant being closed and many lovely Italian ice cream parlours close for the season or at least change their menu.

 

It gets cold sometimes reaching freezing point, often the first snow appears in Bavaria in November. The Rhine area is warmer therefore snow is unlikely, or when it does snow it usually melts quickly.

 

The water levels rise but flooding is not likely.

 

Di Princess, the forestry hilly region around Pirmasens is certainly bit more grey in November than other parts of Germany, expect the Rhine to be a bit more pleasant. :)

 

On public holidays shops are closed. The Christmas markets start traditionally after Totensonntag ("Sunday of the Dead") which is either the second to last or last Sunday of November. Some markets open a few days earlier but are closed on that said Sunday for the day only.

 

A note on the weather: on your journey from Basel to Amsterdam or vice versa you go through four countries with varying typical weather conditions. So be sure to allow for snow in Lucerne, sunshine in Koblenz and rain in Amsterdam, with fog in varying amounts anywhere in between. Or on untypical days, the other way round.

 

One great feature of November: you are likely to see all the sunsets when out and about and they can be spectacular. :):)

 

Public holidays for Germany: http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/germany/

 

Quite a good site for Christmas markets: http://www.germany-christmas-market.org.uk/

 

For the other three countries just roam around the internet a bit.

 

If you are looking into a river cruise (those that have not booked yet) I would look at one that finishes before the 3 November or that starts after the 24 November. Although I am sure the crew and especially the chef will make it a great experience on any day in the year. :)

 

notamermaid

[Hoyaheel]

For me, I think the light is a big thing. We didn't really do much daylight sailing (but we only ended up on the Rhine, didn't sail all of it) but I chose the cruise specifically for Christmas Markets. If I were to do the Rhine and want to see the famous gorges & castles, I'd want to make sure I did that in a season when days are long and the daytime sailing is scenic.

 

(we actually loved seeing the Franconian vineyards in early December - could really see the architecture of the vineyard when the vines weren't leafing! So no, it wasn't verdant and green, but it was appealing to us nonetheless!!)