River cruise fall or Christmas

Danube in the early fall, then stay in Budapest another week to do Hungarian vineyards.

Seven-time river cruiser, we absolutely love these cruises. One thing we really like, and that a lot of people don't take advantage of, is the occasional opportunity to wander off on our own either before or after the day's planned excursions and mingle with the locals (we can't seem to get away from the Rick Steves mentality). That being said, a couple pieces of advice. First, Cruise Critic is the site you want. It has reviews and forums on all the major cruise lines and itineraries. Second, Youtube has lots of stuff comparing lines, showing itineraries, etc. Third, compare apples with apples. Some lines are a lot more inclusive than others. For example, the company that advertises the most (begins with V) does not include gratuities in its fare, nor will they pick you up at the airport if you didn't book your flight through them, and you pay extra for the drink package. Others include some or all of these in the fare. We've stuck with one company, so can't really compare ship-board experiences

Regarding a cruise for the Xmas markets-
One of the questions to answer is the timing of your dockings. Folks have complained that the ships arrived before the markets opened, or there wasn't enough time to shop, or the ships left before the markets' Xmas lights came on, which are a real treat.
I have only done the markets on my own, so can't evaluate the cruise experience . I found it very easy to plan my own trip, so we could move at our own pace.
In either case, you have a magical adventure in your future!

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/germany/christmas-markets-germany-austria-ideas-for-2026-requested

Since you and I are a "bit older", we both probably have enough "Tchotchkes". The Xmas Markets are more for people who are still accumulating such things. They have charming wooden stuff, etc. But I think that you might enjoy an Autumn cruise when there is still enough daylight and it is not so freezing cold. The slanted light at that time of year makes excellent photos. If you go early enough in the Fall you can visit the Harvest Markets and enjoy Wine Tastings, etc. There also will be more Locals out and about! Bon Voyage!

We've been river cruising since 2013. We have 2 booked for later this year. Have been on all the lines many times. The Xmas Market Cruise on the Danube on Tauck is def the best bang for your buck as they are totally ALL INCLUSIVE - airport/hotel transfers, all tips, all excursions, gifts & surprises along the way, unlimited top shelf alcohol, beer, wine. PLUS - no single supplement in the Category 1 rooms. We LOVE the Xmas Markets and go on a river cruise every other yr.

The Fall cruises are also amazing - we love going in October. We love all 3 rivers you mentioned - just depends what you are looking for as they offer very different experiences.

If Tauck is more than you can spend, I'd recommend Avalon or AMA - but know they are NOT all inclusive, so you will have things to pay for along the way.

Everyone raves about Viking, but it is one of our least favorite lines.

The most budget friendly is Gate1, it is very average, but a good price and you're still in Europe. I don't know about single pay/supplements on Gate1.

It is interesting that you are considering a river cruise while you are still fit, and I am considering a river cruise for that time when my fitness isn’t what it currently is.

That aside, then is the time. My comment in the first post probably provided no help. In much of Europe, certainly in Central Europe, September and October (Fall) are ideal months to visit as far as climate (cool and dry) and crowds. Here our outside cafes start moving inside around the first of October, but many stay open until November. It just depends on the weather. Here September can be a tad warm some years, not bad but people forget that August is often criticized for its heat but September is just the next day after August. But sites like https://weatherspark.com/ let you compare the weather in different cities over a prescribed period of time. So, you could chart each stop along way on one graph that also shows the odds of the temps being higher or lower than the average. Maybe the Rhine you want earlier in September and the Danube could wait a few weeks? Don’t know, didn’t look.

Or Christmas markets. Some love the heck out of those. Nothing wrong with that as a plan. But because of the time of year, there will be less to see or do other than the markets. For winter breaks maybe the shorter city stays of the river boat is not a detriment. Still, when someone has seen Paris or Vienna or Budapest in the Summer and they are considering a return, then the winter is the time to go. They are different cities in the winter. No, not shorter days; longer lights… and the lights create a whole new and beautiful world.

It’s probably not just about the time of year. It’s the schedule of the boats. Where do they stop and for how long and what interests you at the stops. What are your interests? The few cruises I have looked at didn’t spend enough time in the places that interested me the most, but that sometimes was okay if those places were at the start or the end so I could add a few days. I noticed that a lot of the cruises start and end in spectacular places, but the in-between lacked a lot for my interests.

You mentioned the vineyards; to see as you float by or to visit? If it’s to visit maybe a cruise line has a trip that focuses on that? Or maybe you look at a cruise that starts and / or ends in wine country and you do an extension. That was sort of my point on my first post. I know a good vineyard guide here and the vineyards are just outside of the city. The trip out, the accommodation at some of the vineyards are beautiful, the tasting and sometimes the special meals all make for special experiences for those into the subject.

Finally, the boat experience has to have a lot of value to you because just as transportation its sort of an expensive way to get around.

”Since you and I are a "bit older", we both probably have enough "Tchotchkes". The Xmas Markets are more for people who are still accumulating such things”
I guess I’m on the opposite opinion because I’m almost 70, went to six cities’ Christmas Markets last December, and you can see by my post Pat linked in her comment that I am planning to go back for even more this next December. I went for the evening ambiance, and it was amazing! I brought home the gluhwein Christmas mugs but am not a shopper, so just a few small items came home with me.

I’ll throw in a comment - not trying to talk you out of a river cruise - just an awareness, but this is something that took it off my list of options when I was planning my December trip & looking at land tours, river cruises & traveling independently. My priority was attending the Christmas Markets for a quick browse in the afternoon & enjoying their atmosphere fully in the evening. Other activities in the cities were during the morning & afternoons. I wanted us to be able to stop back at our hotel room a block away for a quick break if we were cold, or tired, or just wanted to leave off a package. And I didn’t want us to need to be thinking about scheduled time of departures and missing the best time of day at the markets. All of those reasons were my tipping point to just travel by train and book a hotel room less than 5 minutes away.

I do agree with Kathleen that you will have more daylight to enjoy the Fall beauty, plus the weather will be warmer, compared to a December cruise. It’s just a matter of what sounds the most fun to you for your daytime & evenings..

I have visited the Christmas Markets in Vienna and Munich several times. I enjoyed them, though they do get repetitious. What I most liked were the hand crafted items to give as gifts. For our trips, I did all of the planning, room rental, car rental etc. I did the driving. I was the "tour director".

I will be traveling with the Warden, so it would be two persons for the room. She is quite a bit younger than I, and she likes to walk. Worked well before, but now, not so much.

I will be 79 in the fall. I have two artificial hips and an artificial knee. I still walk and climb stairs without a cane or assistance, I just get tired a lot faster and can't go the distance I once did. The idea of "pulling up"to a market seemed a good idea. She would do a river cruise, but to take an organized trip following a flag bearing tour director would not go over well at all.

Just trying to find options.

Thanks for the excellent replies.

I get it. In warm weather I could be happy sitting on the top deck with a drink admiring the view of the city. In the winter, what will I do? Like the folks at the begining of this video: https://www.ispot.tv/ad/720d/viking-cruises-budapest-to-nuremberg Winter can look like this: https://youtube.com/shorts/c26PxRpmNes?si=ZjGHrHNdEadFXYEl

Mr E, just as an aside, I have a "bit" of experience with winter weather. At my place here in northern Wisconsin, I currently have about 3 feel of snow on the ground. My property is plowed with a front end loader. Two weeks ago the air temperature was -35°.

I attended the Austrian Christmas markets in 2017, 2019, 2023 and 2024. The weather was cool and there was snow which was beautiful. I actually like winter travel as there are generally fewer crowds and often better prices.. Also, I am quite fair skinned so I easily sunburn in warm weather. My wife on the other hand, loves the warmth. She and our 25 year old sun are going to Hawaii next week. I'm happily staying home with the dog.

Guess I'm unusual, but that is just me.

Just to clarify a few things that we disagree with that some of you mentioned above - as we have been river cruising since 2013 and we are currently in our mid 50s. We don't consider ourselves old or unfit. We are very well traveled - on our own, on river cruises, on land tours with Rick Steves tours, land tours with Tauck, etc.

River cruises are NOT only for old people who aren't 'fit.'

We find the cruises we take have VERY active excursions to choose from. You can take biking excursions, hiking, castles, cathedrals, wineries, Abbeys - all types of fitness levels, experiences, etc.

We typically go with Tauck now, there are NO umbrella/flag carrying guides. We have been on all the lines - Viking, AMA, Avalon, Uniworld, Scenic, Gate1.

We love the fact that we can unpack once and still travel and explore and see lots of areas in 1-2 weeks on a RiverCruise. We don't have to deal with hotels, transportation, tickets for places, etc -

Now we do tend to extend pre and post cruise, so we do end up on some trains and hotels on our own - but we enJOY that aspect too.

As far as the Xmas Markets at night on a RiverCruise . . . it is true that you are typically back on the boat for dinner and then cruising. BUT - it does start getting dark over there in Dec between 3-4, so we do see the lights come on. Also - while the markets are stunning at night, the shopping and 'seeing things' are MUCH easier during the daylight hours. We always extend 3-4 days PreCruise and 5-6 days PostCruise, so we have ample time to be in the Xmas Markets at night. When we spend the money to fly to Europe, we always stay a minimum of 2 weeks, so if you do a 7 night Xmas Market Cruise - I encourage you to add on another week and see some markets on your own and enJOY the nighttime lights, etc.

As far as the Xmas Markets are only for those who 'accumulate things' - while you can buy things, you certainly don't have to. We enJOY the ambiance, concerts, cathedrals, palaces, abbeys, FOOD, Gluwein, people, decorations, and the towns. The markets go back centuries- they are quite an amazing experience. We go every other year and never tire of them.

My view: best experience will be a cruise on Rhine and Moselle in late September / early October (end of summer vine season). For fall colors you can also travel until end of October / very early November.

Mark is probably correct for seasonal aesthetics. Sounds hard to beat. But it would be torture for me if the boat didn't stop for vineyard tours.

Still couldnt do the winter cruise, i am an old fart and I need deck chair time.

***ONE MORE DUMB QUESTION:* **

I attended parochial grammar and high school. This necessitated I wear a tie every day all day. Then I had a job for 37 years that also required a tie. I retired, then taught college for 12 years, AGAIN a tie and sport coat/suit. Needless to say, I will never again wear a tie or sport coat or suit.

On a river cruise, what is the appropriate attire? If a coat or tie is expected at dinner, then this river cruise question is mute. ChinaLake67 above remarked how enjoyable her cruises with Tauk were. I went to their site and indeed, they looked marvelous. There were exquisite formal dinners with lovely place settings and fine food. Everyone was wearing a suit and tie.

I just cannot do that. I wholly agree that their presentation is beyond the ordinary, but the necessary attire is a bridge too far for me.

Do any of the River Cruises have guests in relaxed clothing at meals?

You will see all types of dress on all the cruise lines - but, thankfully, they have gotten MUCH more casual over the yrs. Dinners on the boat are resort casual, no shorts. Mostly pants with light sweaters, golf shirts, button ups. Rare to see a tie or sport coat. I never take a dress/skirt. We pack for practicality. We look nice and respectful, but not fancy. Now, some love to dress up and you may see that, but it's certainly the minority. IF you choose a cruise that has a special dinner in a palace or castle - you have to go by the rules for that palace or castle. My husband does not pack a sport coat to only wear once. If a tie is 'required,' he will pack a tie - but lately, when we get our cruise papers, it says 'optional,' so he takes a button up and that's it. On our last cruise on the Seine, only about 20% of the men had on coats and ties. About 35% had a sport coat. Most just had a button up. We are going to Holland and Belgium with Tauck on a RiverCruise to see the Tulips in April and we do have a dinner in a palace - our paperwork says 'optional' sport coat, so my husband is NOT bringing one. Most of us don't have time to change clothes from being out in town all day and most wear what they had on all day. Many will only change their shoes. There is another restaurant on board (Arthurs - excellent) and it is super casual.

If you LOVE wine - you will LOVE Tauck as it flows freely all day long - and their wine list at the bar is great and at dinners they have great regional wines. The Savoring France and The Douro are very WINE intense cruises.