With protests making headlines in France and low water disrupting European river cruises, how do we know when it’s time to change our travel plans?
River cruising is generally a safe way to explore Europe, but even the best-planned vacations can be affected by circumstances beyond our control. This autumn, low water on the Rhine and Danube has forced changes to cruise itineraries, while political demonstrations in France have raised questions about what travelers might encounter on shore.
For those with upcoming trips, it’s understandable to wonder whether they should go ahead as planned.
Recently, a client asked me whether they should reconsider a planned stay in France before their river cruise. They were considering Italy instead, concerned that traveling shortly after the French elections might mean protests and disruptions.
I understood their hesitation. France has been making headlines for political unrest, and nobody wants to spend a long-awaited vacation worrying about whether their plans will fall apart.
But I also found myself thinking about everything they might miss.
France is one of my favorite places in the world. I love its cities, its food and the feeling that there’s always something interesting waiting around the corner. The thought of skipping it because something might happen made me a little sad.
What Is It Actually Like to Travel in France Right Now?
Around the same time, Ralph Grizzle, the founder of River Cruise Advisor, was traveling through France. He spent time aboard a hotel barge in Alsace before continuing south to cruise the Rhône.
In Strasbourg, Ralph encountered large groups of protesters and a significant police presence. Demonstrations delayed a scheduled sightseeing excursion, but the cruise manager arranged for guests to take it the following day.
Beyond that inconvenience, Ralph found bustling cafés, beautiful streets and a country that continued to welcome visitors.
His experience, which he detailed in France’s Waterways Tell Two Very Different Stories This Autumn, illustrates an important distinction: What we see in the headlines doesn’t always reflect the entirety of what travelers are experiencing on the ground.
And that’s one of the advantages of traveling with a cruise line. Cruise companies routinely manage unexpected disruptions, whether from changing water levels, transportation strikes or problems at individual ports. While they can’t solve every problem, an experienced crew and cruise manager can often make adjustments that would be more difficult to arrange independently.
That doesn’t mean every disruption is minor. Some Rhine and Danube passengers have faced substantial itinerary changes this year, including ship swaps and long motorcoach transfers. Meanwhile, the Rhône has experienced far fewer low-water navigation problems, demonstrating just how much conditions can vary from one river to another.
Should You Stay or Should You Go?
Ralph’s recent travels reminded me of something he wrote in March 2020, as COVID-19 was beginning to disrupt travel around the world.
In an article titled Should You Stay? Or Should You Go?, he reflected on his own tolerance for risk and whether uncertainty should keep us from experiencing the world.
Reading that article today is particularly interesting because we know what happened next. Within weeks, the travel industry had come to a near standstill. The concerns travelers were expressing were entirely justified, and postponing or canceling became the necessary decision for many.
Obviously, political demonstrations and low water are not comparable to a global pandemic. But the underlying question is familiar: How much uncertainty are we willing to accept in exchange for the experiences travel brings?
I don’t think there’s one right answer.
Some travelers are comfortable with the possibility of a missed port or an unexpected itinerary change. Others have spent years saving for a particular vacation, have limited time to travel or simply don’t want to deal with those uncertainties.
And sometimes, the risks are serious enough that changing plans is absolutely the right decision.
Being cautious doesn’t make someone a less adventurous traveler. But I do think it’s worth distinguishing between an inconvenience and a genuine safety concern, and between something that could happen and something that is actually happening.
When Should You Change Your River Cruise Plans?
Before deciding to cancel or postpone a river cruise, I think it’s worth looking beyond the headlines.
Is there an official travel advisory for the destination? Are demonstrations affecting the places you’ll actually visit? Is your cruise line operating its planned itinerary, or have significant changes already been announced?
It’s also important to understand what your travel insurance covers. Many travelers assume that concerns about political unrest or low water are sufficient grounds for canceling a trip, but standard travel insurance policies generally don’t cover cancellations simply because you’re worried about potential disruptions. Cancel For Any Reason coverage may provide more flexibility, depending on the policy and when it was purchased.
And don’t underestimate the value of asking your cruise line or travel advisor what’s actually happening. An itinerary change affecting one ship or one stretch of river doesn’t necessarily mean every cruise in the region will encounter the same problems.
We can’t eliminate every uncertainty, but we can make better decisions when we understand the risks.
The Risk of Missing Out
I would never encourage someone to ignore a legitimate safety concern or take a trip they’re uncomfortable with.
But I also wouldn’t want the possibility of something going wrong to be the only reason someone misses a place they’ve dreamed of visiting.
When my client asked about changing their plans from France to Italy, I understood why they were considering it. And when they ultimately decided that Italy is the better choice for them, I respected that.
Still, knowing what Ralph has experienced in France this month, I can’t help hoping they would have given it a chance.
Travel has always involved a certain amount of uncertainty. We do our research, prepare for what we can and trust that we’ll be able to handle at least some of the unexpected.
I would hate to look back someday and realize how much of the world I missed while waiting for the perfect time to see it.
