River levels

[Hirst, Salisbury]

American friends are shortly to embark on a Rhine cruise (never really fancied it myself) and I noticed that following recent heavy rain the water level is unusually high for this time of year. Has anyone had their river cruise seriously impacted by either high or low water level and did your river cruise become a coach tour instead?

Jenny

[annie, Glasgow]

American friends are shortly to embark on a Rhine cruise (never really fancied it myself) and I noticed that following recent heavy rain the water level is unusually high for this time of year. Has anyone had their river cruise seriously impacted by either high or low water level and did your river cruise become a coach tour instead?

Jenny

Hi Jenny

Not personally. However a forum member posted 2 years ago how her river cruise became a coach tour. I recall it was June as well.

I was in Dresden 2 years ago and river cruises on the Elbe were cancelled - you could see the river bed in places. The previous year, my hotel had been flooded.

Annie

[Lizzie, Lymington]

American friends are shortly to embark on a Rhine cruise (never really fancied it myself) and I noticed that following recent heavy rain the water level is unusually high for this time of year. Has anyone had their river cruise seriously impacted by either high or low water level and did your river cruise become a coach tour instead?

Jenny

Hi Jenny,

River levels can be very unpredictable in Europe. My Sister In Law has recently returned from a River Cruise on the Duoro in Portugal, due to high water levels, it became a 'coach tour' and they were unable to sail at all. She had really looked forward to it & planned it a long time ahead, so she made the 'best of it' !!

We used to hire cabin cruisers on many French Rivers and had 'water problems'. On the first occassion, one of the lockkeepers told us to get back to the Boatyard at Angers as fast as we could as the river levels were dropping dramatically & they were, we made it, others were stuck and had to be found and transported + all luggage etc... back to the Boatyard.

In Burgunday, we were marooned for four days, using the Boat as a Hotel as the river levels were too high to leave, there was a + point we got to see towns by car that we coud not have reached from the River, one of them a favourite, Vezelay, lovely place.

Finally the River Lot, again France, awful weather, much like some of France is suffering now. We were moored to the Pontoon but the River levels rose so quickly we were swept over the Pontoon and on our way to a Field! Luckily, we were woken by the appalling weather & my husband and his very able friend were able to tie us to a tree until the morning! We had to pack up and abandon the Boat & move into a Hotel!! There were trees hurtling along the raging River! Did it stop us cruising No!

Having said all this, most of our River cruises have been calm & without such incidents!

I am sure they will enjoy the Rhine, I took my Mother some years ago and we both loved it.

[Cooke, Ashby]

Apparently river levels n France are high enough to prevent some boats going through. The news did not mention the Rhine.

[annie, Glasgow]

American friends are shortly to embark on a Rhine cruise (never really fancied it myself) and I noticed that following recent heavy rain the water level is unusually high for this time of year. Has anyone had their river cruise seriously impacted by either high or low water level and did your river cruise become a coach tour instead?

Jenny

This may be useful:

Dierk's page - Cologne river Rhine floods

or this:

River Levels | rivercruiseinfo

Annie

[Hirst, Salisbury]

Our friends booked this cruise about 6 months ago. They first mentioned a trip along the Rhine a few years ago and I gently told them that it could be a bit 'iffy', but they were determined to do it. I really hope they'll be lucky because they've been so enthusiastic, but they're pretty much 'glass half full' people so I think they'll make the most of it anyway. Fingers crossed.

[Hirst, Salisbury]

Thanks Annie; the second of your links was one that I used. It would be particularly bad luck if the water level reached that of 1983!!

Jenny

[Hirst, Salisbury]

I am sure they will enjoy the Rhine, I took my Mother some years ago and we both loved it.

Hi Lizzie, I know what you mean. I have travelled along the Rhine several times - but not on a boat - and it is beautiful.

Jenny

[Neil Down, Southampton]

It is certainly one of the drawbacks to river cruising; the river levels can be too high so the ship/boats cannot go under the bridges or too low so that there is not enough water to float them all the way. Coaches are used as a secondary measure.

With the flooding being so bad this year throughout France and Germany I would imagine that for the near future and possibly longer any cruise traffic using rivers which flow through France and Germany will be affected in those countries and any countries further downstream.. ....Neil

[Embarco, Oadby]

Last October we were delayed in Seville for 24 hours after heavy rainfall the day before affected the river passage, but the next day the river trip was lovely. Our worst delay was in the 2007 floods when we were on our own boat. We were stuck in Henley for nearly 3 weeks. I have often fancied living in Henley, so for this time I got my wish, with river views on both sides of the boat.

[1fifthavenue, birmingham]

not quite related but if you look at All by Paris on facebook there are some incredible pictures of the seine which isn't far off flooding the city!

[ilovesunshine, east yorks]

We are going on a cruise a week on Sunday. Hope the rive levels are ok by then. I was doubtful about choosing a river cruise but hope it doesn't turn into a coach tour.

[Neil Down, Southampton]

We are going on a cruise a week on Sunday. Hope the rive levels are ok by then. I was doubtful about choosing a river cruise but hope it doesn't turn into a coach tour.

We will keep our fingers crossed for you but just in case I would take a Sandwich Box and a Thermos Flask as a precaution ... .....Neil

[ilovesunshine, east yorks]

We will keep our fingers crossed for you but just in case I would take a Sandwich Box and a Thermos Flask as a precaution ... .....Neil

Egg sandwiches it is then, or shall I pack up some SCONES?

[Neil Down, Southampton]

Egg sandwiches it is then, or shall I pack up some SCONES?

As we say in Kernow.....Proper job me Bucko. .....Neil