September is perhaps the best month of the year to take a European river cruise with a perfect blend of weather and lighter crowds than the summer high-season.
Busy season: June-October
Shoulder season: March-May, September-December
Avoid: January-March
The Main River of southern Germany connects the Danube River to the east with the Rhine River to the northwest. As the Rhine’s largest tributary and the primary artery between two of Europe’s longest rivers, cruises that include the Main River are usually a bit longer - between 7 days and three weeks, crossing central Europe.
Make sure that you know what to expect in whichever season you choose to plan your cruise of the Main River:
The cruising season starts in March and runs through December, though the most popular time to visit is either during the warm summer months or during the festive Christmas Markets of December.
Located right in the center of the European continent, the best time to cruise the Main River is also the best time to cruise the Danube and Rhine Rivers.
Ehrenfels Castle on Rhine River near Rudesheim (Krissy Ferriter)
Summer river cruising on the Rhine, Main, and Danube June to August
Hot sunny days perfect for relaxing on the river or participating in the array of activities and tours that you will be enjoying your river cruise. The temperatures reach their peak in August, with some days and nights that are hot - if you like warm but not hot weather, plan to travel in June or September.
Springtime along the Main River - from March to May - is a cooler, rainier season, but if you don’t mind the damp weather it can be a good time to secure some deals. Just beware that heavy snowmelt or rain might cause your itinerary to be modified if the riverboat can’t clear low bridges along the route.
Take a quiet moment in Passau (Juergen Sack)
Fall shoulder season for European River cruises is in autumn (October-November), when temperatures begin to fall. This can be a beautiful time to see the leaves change color along the river valley while enjoying pleasant (though occasionally chilly) temperatures.
If you don’t mind colder temperatures and hope to experience one of the most festive times of the year in Germany, consider taking a Christmas Market cruise in November or December. While you won’t be able to do some of the summertime activities, you won’t be disappointed as you explore the vibrant plazas and diverse Christmas Markets in each town along the way, bringing to life centuries-old traditions.
Our agent Jessica was very helpful with the whole process and always responded in a timely way to all of our questions.
K Van
1 day ago
Chern was very patient snd helpful.
CaBaba
2 days ago
Cruse ship was great. Fantastic food and service. Cruise itinary got changed so not what we expected, but not an major issue. Japan portion was great. Drivers/guides arranged by 80 Days were great. Hotels were mostly ok. Did not know that most hotels outside of major cities do not allow shoes to be worn in the hotel. again a minor inconvenience. Overall a great trip. Adventure Life communications were timely and much appreciated as far as changes/requests.
Peter Goff
3 days ago
We were a group of three that initiated our research by independently searching for the best agency to help us in the somewhat complex experience of traveling to the Galapagos. We chose adventure life because they were the most responsive in the website provided the most comprehensive overview of the trip. Their reviews were also very good.
Adventure, life splits up its booking process in two parts. First Jeff, the booking agent helped us decide which experience best suited are interests. We chose a small 14 to 16 group sized yacht. Once the booking was made with Jeff, we were handed off to Coleene, who oversaw the complex process of assembling all of the necessary documents and making sure we had everything we needed to make the trip go smoothly. The adventure, life website, then becomes your personal place of reference for all things related to your trip from door to door. It’s a lot of information to assemble, especially for three travelers, but the website makes it easy and Colleen‘s gentle reminders kept us on track. In all, from the beginning, we had four months from the time we started our research till the time we departed. We felt that was, a good amount of preparation time and don’t think it would be wise to do it in less than four months. Mostly because I think you have more options with that amount of time. There were others on our trip that took six months and more from the time they started planning.
The trip itself was outstanding. We ended up on an excellent yacht (Galapagos Angel II) with a great group of guests that we were able to connect with and put together a really nice google photos album to share.
Jed
1 week ago
Mary was very helpful. Quick to reply with helpful information and closure on arrangements.
