Has anyone cruised in October in Europe?

We are thinking of going on the Oct. 4 or 14th, 2015 Great Rivers of Europe cruise on Grand Circle. I am a bit concerned that it may be too cold that time of year, especially in Amsterdam. Has anyone ever done it? How was it?

Dennis

Although it seems that there is no longer "typical weather" anywhere, I think that early Oct. is usually a wonderful time to be in Europe. The leaves are changing color and it's harvest time for the grapes. The real hot weather is over and it isn't cold yet.

I agree with you joanne2. Great time to be in Europe. As this is a long cruise, I believe, if you are used to warm weather, BereanCrusier, you might prefer Oct. 4th. Oct. 14th gets you close to November which can make the evenings chilly and get the night temperatures down to zero Celsius at times.

notamermaid

October is a great month for Europe IMO. We also enjoy November.

Less boats on the river, fewer tourists so less crowded overall, better hotel pricing for pre and post.

We cruised on Viking Sun from Basel to Amsterdam in October a couple of years ago. We had a misty day in the Black Forest and cool temps for part of the trip but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Note the clothing folks are wearing in the video.

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I agree with you joanne2. Great time to be in Europe. As this is a long cruise, I believe, if you are used to warm weather, BereanCrusier, you might prefer Oct. 4th. Oct. 14th gets you close to November which can make the evenings chilly and get the night temperatures down to zero Celsius at times.

 

notamermaid

Thanks, notamermaid. The only reason I would choose Oct. 14th over the 4th would be the $300 price difference, but maybe it would be worth $300 for the slightly warmer weather.

We cruised on Viking Sun from Basel to Amsterdam in October a couple of years ago. We had a misty day in the Black Forest and cool temps for part of the trip but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Note the clothing folks are wearing in the video.

 

[YOUTUBE]OZhOGbsyKNM[/YOUTUBE]

Thanks, gymnast46 for the very beautiful slide show. I did notice the warm clothing the people were wearing - even a few parkas!

We cruised GCT in shoulder/off season several times. My preference is to need a fleece and waterproof layer rather than have to deal with summer heat. An added benefit is lower crowds and less expensive fares.

Are you a first timer on GCT? If so, there are several "loyalists" here that can answer most questions. Great Rivers is an excellent itinerary. We really enjoyed it and it hooked us on River cruising and GCT. IIRC, there were really only three day time cruise days. The castle area of the Rhein, a segment of the Main-Danube canal, and a day on the Main while an optional tour took place.

Thanks, notamermaid. The only reason I would choose Oct. 14th over the 4th would be the $300 price difference, but maybe it would be worth $300 for the slightly warmer weather.

There is no guarantee of that.

We have been in Europe several times in October and in the same trip, had temps that ranged by 40 degrees, in cities a 2 hour drive apart.

We cruised GCT in shoulder/off season several times. My preference is to need a fleece and waterproof layer rather than have to deal with summer heat. An added benefit is lower crowds and less expensive fares.

 

Are you a first timer on GCT? If so, there are several "loyalists" here that can answer most questions. Great Rivers is an excellent itinerary. We really enjoyed it and it hooked us on River cruising and GCT. IIRC, there were really only three day time cruise days. The castle area of the Rhein, a segment of the Main-Danube canal, and a day on the Main while an optional tour took place.

No, we are not first timers with GCT. We did the Paris to Normandy trip a few years ago and loved it.

We were on Viking grand European last October 22. temp in Budapest 22 Celsius about 72F. As we went North a bit cooler but only needed a sweater and light jacket. Temp in 10 to 15 range into November.

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We cruised last year the 2nd half of October from Basel to Amsterdam and our weather was beautiful if not even a little warm. We were expecting some cooler temperatures, but it was 80 degrees Fahrenheit a few days which surprised us. I would definitely say that this is a great time to go. We are going on another river cruise in November which will be a little cooler but that will be just fine with me!

We cruised in July and it was unseasonably cold and wet in Germany. I believe I heard that it never gets very cold in Amsterdam, but don't quote me.

Hubby and I agreed that being chilly and damp is still better than walking around Florence in 100 degree F temps.:eek:

I think October will be gorgeous.

Thanks, notamermaid. The only reason I would choose Oct. 14th over the 4th would be the $300 price difference, but maybe it would be worth $300 for the slightly warmer weather.

Could not be worth $300 to me because the weather in the first two weeks in October is usually much nicer than the second two weeks. Also Daylight savings time in Europe ends by the last week and it's worth having that extra hour of daylight for touring by going earlier.

Traveling in Europe in October can vary. It could be warm or cold. Often it rains. The prices in October are discounted for a good reason. September or June are better. I prefer traveling in Europe in the spring. Weather is good. Fewer cold days with more sunshine. I enjoy sitting outside on the top deck. However, if you are trying to save money, the fringe season cruises may be a deal for you. Bring an umbrella and rubber soled shoes. If you cruise in October or any cold month, book cabins without verandas or french balconies.

The best reason to go to Europe in October is fewer crowds. The second best reason is that it is not hot. We took a Baltic cruise last Sept. and several days were wet and chilly - probably not much different than the rest of Europe in October. It was not bad at all and I also would much rather take a rain coat and fleece than be hot, crowded and miserable.

We are thinking of going on the Oct. 4 or 14th, 2015 Great Rivers of Europe cruise on Grand Circle. I am a bit concerned that it may be too cold that time of year, especially in Amsterdam. Has anyone ever done it? How was it?

 

Dennis

We cruised from Amsterdam to Budapest October 13, 2012 with a few extra days in Amsterdam. For us, October was a great time to go. Our weather ranged from upper 40's at night/early morning to as high as upper 60's perhaps low 70's a few of the days.

We did get a substantial amount of rain in Amsterdam. It didn't change anything we had planned but we were glad we had raincoats and umbrellas with us.

Seeing the changing of the leaves at this time of the year is an added bonus.

The best reason to go to Europe in October is fewer crowds. The second best reason is that it is not hot. We took a Baltic cruise last Sept. and several days were wet and chilly - probably not much different than the rest of Europe in October. It was not bad at all and I also would much rather take a rain coat and fleece than be hot, crowded and miserable.

You got that right.

We cruised last year on Viking's Grand European Tour in November and was very happy. We did have to layer our clothing a few times but what we enjoyed was the fewer boats and tourists in ports. We were only tied up once to another Viking ship. I think we will cruise in the fall again.

The weather is always a crap shoot in Europe.

The first time we sailed the Danube, we left home on October 2nd. Got to Budapest to find 28 degrees C weather. My husband had packed a pair of shorts, so he was OK. The weather stayed that way through Bratislava, and Vienna - getting a bit cooler in Durnstein and Melk. Then it started to rain. And, it go cooler --> much cooler.

By the time we got to Prague, we were 10 degrees C. I dragged my DH into the Marks & Spencer on Wenceslas Square so I could buy a warmer coat. It was snowing - and 6 degrees C the morning we flew out of Prague.

So - hope for the best - plan for the worst - and enjoy!!!

Fran

Thank you all for this great information. We will be going from Amsterdam to Budapest the first half of November on our first river cruise. We will have visited Iceland and Norway, all the way up around the North Cape, so we will be prepared with layers and heavier shoes, rain jackets and umbrellas. Glad to read that November is better for fewer people and river boats. We od have a French door room and hoping to enjoy views from it even if we don't open the door. Very excited!! m--