Hi
We have decided on doing a Rhine river cruise which will go from Basel to Amsterdam (or vice versa).
The dates in May are 300/person more than the one on June 20. I am guessing this is because the tulips are in season in May.
I usually avoid June , July , August due to crowds, but am wondering how bad the crowd would be in June. Saving 600 is very appealing. We will probably add time on in Brussels/Ghent at end of tour.
Thoughts on May vs June?
Thanks
Posted by
Twin Cities of MN
6364 posts
We did one starting at the very end of August. We never had weather that was too warm and actually, it would have been nicer if it had been slightly warmer for the middle Rhine when you want to be on top of the boat looking at the scenery. The cities that we visited with the exception of Rudesheim were not very crowded. If it were me, I think I'd do June to save the money. You will obviously have AC on the boat so that's not a concern. I guess, it would depend on whether you think you could handle city tours of a couple hours when it might be pretty hot. I also think crowds in the cities are less of a concern when you have a tour guiding you around.
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
Why do you think crowds are less of a concern when you’re being led around in a group?
Posted by
Twin Cities of MN
6364 posts
Tim, I personally, hate crowds and employ all strategies to manage/avoid them. A tour guide, has necessary tickets, knows the sights and particular viewpoints and has experience navigating thru groups of people. (This is one of the reasons why when I am traveling independently that a tour might be annoying to me) A guide might also know special places/viewpoints that the casual tourist may not be aware of. The river cruises tend to get to the particular city during the night and can be out and about in the morning before many of the tourists, too. In no way should folks think I am promoting tours. In my life I have gone on exactly two tours. One to DC as a 16 yr old and the Rhine cruise. I enjoyed the cruise and some day may do another, but for now, for the most part, I travel independently and for Europe, generally shoulder or even off season. This October we are doing a RS tour in Rome (with independent travel on both ends) In addition to just wanting to try out a tour, we thought in a busy place like Rome with so much history, that a guide would be helpful with both logistics and providing history and context.
Also, I should add that weather is a crap shoot, especially these days. You can look at averages, but you can still get wild swings.