Brand New to River Cruising.

[CDNPolar]

9 hours ago, screwsmcernst said:

Here is my next question...

 

We will be sailing late November to early December.  We will be sailing down the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel.  Then we will be staying in Zurich and Lucerne.  I know weather can be very fickle, but I was wondering what the general weather conditions are along the Rhine during that time frame?  Rainy? Cold? Snow? Sunshine and warm-ish?  

 

In this time frame, you must prepare for every weather condition.

 

We find that traditional weather patterns are not dependable now.

 

My brother and wife went last year at that time and they packed for moderate weather conditions and had to go off ship to buy warm jackets, hats and gloves.

 

Look at the advance forecast about two weeks before leaving and pack accordingly is what we do.

 

We love to travel in this time frame that you are going and we have very lightweight items that we always have as a back up.  We take lighter jackets, but we have wool under layers that we can pop on if necessary.  Layers are the key.

[screwsmcernst]

On 7/23/2024 at 9:06 PM, gnome12 said:

Just a bit of a directional correction. You are sailing UP the Rhine, from near the mouth towards the source. (I know on the map it is down, but the river doesn't flow that way.)

Thanks for the correction.  I just assumed it came down from the mountains and out the mouth into the North Sea. 😃 

 

[Canal archive]

You’ll get used to the technicalities - if you want to. It is just a tad weird so up to the start (source) and this one is more straight forward down to the end (where it meets the sea). There are loads more but you soon get to understand the language of the rivers. A river flows away from its source which could be just the smallest trickle out of the earth becoming the magnificent Rhine or Danube. Enjoy whichever cruise you choose.

[sharkster77]

10 hours ago, screwsmcernst said:

Thanks for the correction.  I just assumed it came down from the mountains and out the mouth into the North Sea. 😃 

 

That's exactly what the Rhine does---from the Alps to the North Sea, flowing downhill.  You will be sailing uphill, toward the mountains.

[Canal archive]

Weird isn’t it? takes a bit of getting your head around. 

[sharkster77]

4 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Weird isn’t it? takes a bit of getting your head around. 

In the US, almost all the rivers flow E to W, W to E, or N to S.  Very few go south to north.  There is one in Florida I believe that flows to the north (St. John River??)

 

Another strange one to us is living in New England, we go north to ski.  When daughter was attending university in upstate New York, they would go south to the mountains to ski.  Guess it just depends on where the hills are.

Edited July 26 by sharkster77

[Host Jazzbeau]

I can never wrap my head around Egypt:  Upper Egypt is in the South, because the Nile flows S to N.

 

We always get better gas mileage driving from NY to Alabama than coming home.  I tell DW that's because on the map we're going downhill to Alabama and uphill back to NY!

[notamermaid]

About the weather. In "the South" it tends to be colder, that is Switzerland on this itinerary. But all in all I agree with this:

On 7/24/2024 at 11:24 AM, CDNPolar said:

In this time frame, you must prepare for every weather condition.

 

We can have let us say maximum 18 Celsius when it is a freak warm day. But I would say prepare for mild frost overnight and up to 10 Celsius in the afternoon. This means on a dry day the valley is pleasant, on a wet day depending on temperature you get a bit of snow or ice or rain. The further North you get on the itinerary the milder, warmer but potentially rainier (in the Netherlands) the weather will be. When it is 6 Celsius in the valley an excursion into the hills can get you to an area where it is almost Zero Celsius. Take good foot ware.

 

notamermaid

 

[Daisi]

Here in Canada, about 1/2 or our rivers flow north. I just never thought of rivers not flowing in all directions. Learned something new, thanks @screwsmcernst

[Canal archive]

Jazz pretty sure DH has tried that one on me driving to and from Scotland.

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, Canal archive said:

Jazz pretty sure DH has tried that one on me driving to and from Scotland.

You have to use paper maps to make it work.  But if you use paper maps, you could be cool [like a pirate]:

 

[screwsmcernst]

12 hours ago, sharkster77 said:

That's exactly what the Rhine does---from the Alps to the North Sea, flowing downhill.  You will be sailing uphill, toward the mountains.

So I was right about the flow, but I keep forgetting that we are going from Amsterdam to Basel.  Originally, we thought about going the other way.  Silly me.  😃

 

[Canal archive]

Wait for it tah dah I’m old enough to have lived through paper maps - gps and now point your phone to where you want to go (whatever it’s called) I taught my Girl Guides how to map read with paper maps by getting them to find the most off the wall name for a place and plotting a route to or from it. Don’t go there I quickly realised that most of what they considered off the wall was extremely rude, who’d have thought there were so many suspect place names in the U.K. well there are and they are just around the corner. 
Most rivers in Europe are also protected by an Ancient Greek or Roman deity so play the game of guess who’s head is on the apex of the bridge portal your passing under so don’t upset the river Gods!