My 80 year old parents are contemplating a Rhine/Mosel river cruise in either the end of August or early October. Can someone advise on the weather in that part of Germany during those times? They are tending towards the October dates in hopes that leaves will have begun to turn color. Understanding there are no guarantees does anyone have thoughts on the optimal time?
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
I believe Rick's Germany book has a chart in the back with average temperatures and days of rain for several parts of Germany. For Bavaria, and maybe other parts, October is the least rainy month. I was in Bavaria in October 2007, and never saw a drop of rain. I was on the Mosel in November 2008 and it rained one day out of 4.
Posted by
Paradise
7072 posts
October's weather is generally more comfortable for travel. After September, things slow down somewhat, but nearly all sights will still be open; Burg Eltz is open daily through Nov. 1, Rheinfels Castle until Nov. 6; the WW II museum in Remagen is open daily until Nov. 15. Your parents might enjoy the wine festival in Boppard on October 2, 3, and 4, with fireworks on the 3rd. By "river cruise" do you mean a multi-day tour on a cruise ship with staterooms, or a day cruise? If they are ambulatory, can manage a staircase or two, and are reasonably healthy, they would probably find it quite easy to travel this area on their own with the help of a taxi here and there. I could send my 84-year-old father there without any concern. The villages tend to be small and the train stations tiny and easy to negotiate. Trains serve the towns hourly or better, and the day-cruise boat docks are generally easy to reach from the town center.
Posted by
NYC area
2981 posts
Hi Lois, I'd go with October. We stayed 4 nights along the Mosel Oct. '07. 1 day was overcast out of 4. Actually, we've been to Bavaria in October many times. It's our favorite time of the year to travel. Our "usual" experience is very little rain and comfortable temps, meaning 60's to 70's during the day and chilly at night. They may well see the leaves turning color. We did in Oct. '07 along the Mosel and on our other trips. www.worldisround.com/home/pja1/index.html Paul
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
August will likely be cooler than Lancaster, October will likely be about the same. We had about a week of cold, wet weather in October last year, otherwise it was pretty mild.
Posted by
OP
Lancaster, PA, USA
43 posts
Thanks to those who answered. It was most helpful and confirmed their thoughts for an October cruise.
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12314 posts
I like October. As long as it's early October, the weather should still be nice, decent days with cool nights. I don't normally plan for color. We visited Neuschwanstein about the 15th of October (still crowded there) and my pics have a nice variety of fall colors (it had just turned cold a day or two earlier).