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Water Levels On The Rivers Of Europe

When all is said and done, there is no way to accurately predict whether your river cruise will be affected by low-water or high-water levels for river cruises in Europe. But in general, high water occurs in the spring while low water occurs in heat of the summer, usually August. The summer of 2018 saw record low water levels for river cruises in Europe on the Danube. However, contrary to the conventional wisdom, I saw record lows on the Rhine in November of 2015. While high or low water can impact your river cruise, in 50+ river cruises, I’ve never experienced a major disruption because of high water or low water. I should add that I did not river cruise in the summer of 2018. In the comments below, some readers say their dream vacations were disappointing because of low water levels for river cruises in Europe. Others had their trips scuttled altogether because the river cruise companies could not operate due to high or low water levels for river cruises in Europe. My hope is that this page will serve as a useful forum for sharing information about the conditions on the rivers and how the cruise companies are handling adverse water levels for river cruises in Europe.– Ralph Grizzle

Whether a river has high or low water levels is something you’re unlikely to consider when planning your river cruise – until it happens to you.

Unlike ocean cruising, river cruising is all about narrow margins. Low bridges make the air draft of a ship – how much of it sticks out of the water – critically important. Most river cruise ships have collapsible upper deck railings, removable furniture, and even navigation bridges that lower completely into the floor.

Being aware of water levels for river cruises in Europe can greatly enhance your travel experience.

Understanding water levels for river cruises in Europe is vital for ensuring a smooth and enjoyable journey.

Monitoring water levels for river cruises in Europe is essential for a trouble-free adventure.

What’s under the keel – or hull – of your river cruise ship also makes a difference. In some cases, there can be less than a foot of water under the keel. River cruise ships have incredibly shallow drafts to begin with, and river cruise operators construct their ships as efficiently as possible. They’re the high-performance sports cars of the cruising world.

Understanding Water Levels for River Cruises in Europe

Understanding the significance of water levels for river cruises in Europe can help travelers make informed decisions.

Unfortunately, low water and high water conditions can exist – and they can throw a real wrench into an otherwise flawless cruise.

For current updates from river cruisers currently on the rivers (or from those who have returned recently) be sure to see the comments at the bottom of this post.

In fact, keeping an eye on water levels for river cruises in Europe could save your trip.

The Rhine is perhaps the most dependable river when it comes to being able to continue navigation due to low water. I felt the boat scraping the bottom of the Rhine in Rudesheim in November of 2015, but we made it past. See Is AmaWaterways The Champion Of Low Water?

Water levels are unpredictable. In many cases, the cruise line may only find out on your actual sailing, or a few days beforehand, that a particular stretch of water isn’t navigable.

See related article: Low Water Levels Continue To Affect River Cruises; Plus Why This Happens In The First Place

Water levels aren’t uniform. That is to say, if there’s low water on the Danube, the entire Danube isn’t affected. In 2014, water levels were too low for many ships to pass between the German cities of Passau and Regensburg. In past years, the stretch heading across the Austria-Hungary border has been problematic.

History isn’t a good indicator of high or low water. In June of 2013, Passau was hit by the worst flooding – and the highest water levels – since the Middle Ages. In 2018, the Danube was so low that many cruise ships terminated their journeys in Passau.

What happens if high/low water levels affect my sailing? River cruise lines will typically attempt to keep your itinerary as operational as possible. Generally, when high/low water levels hit, three options are available to cruise lines:

I’m not sure if I should cancel my river cruise because of high/low water levels. What do I do?

Unless you have travel insurance that covers cancellation, do not cancel your river cruise over high/low water. Wait for the cruise line to either pull the plug or offer alternatives. If your sailing commences in a few weeks, cancelling your sailing will result in you losing all monies paid. If you wait for the cruise line to pull the plug, offers typically include the ability to switch to another sailing at no cost; the offer to complete your cruise as scheduled at a discount or rebate; or the offer to cancel with minimal or no penalties. Of course, such offers are determined by the cruise line, but typically favor the guest.

Curious as to what the current conditions on the rivers of Europe are? A reader has provided us with a map showing the water levels on rivers in Germany. From reader “Sabine” see this link: https://www.wetteronline.de/pegelstaende?gid=HES

We have found the Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde (BFG) to be helpful. The organization published maps like the one below and forecasts. Find BFG’s 14-day water levels forecasts here and the six-week forecasts here.

It’s advisable to check the latest updates regarding water levels for river cruises in Europe before you travel.

August 12, 2022 map data © OpenStreetMap-Mitwirkend Sourced from Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde

To see what our readers had to say about how their trips were impacted by low water levels, click here.

Additionally, understanding how different seasons affect water levels for river cruises in Europe will enhance your planning.

In summary, staying informed about water levels for river cruises in Europe is crucial for a rewarding travel experience.

2,271 Responses

  1. Looking forward to your updates FRED and JIM.we sail A to B on 10/25. This site has been very helpful. Thanks

  3. I will be posting updates once we are on the river. Information on this site has been a big
    help with our planning.

  4. On Titan Budapest to Cologne 15 days. Arrived 21. Should have stopped at Passau but motored on to pass felling a critical stretch on Danube due to river levels dropping. Cruise amazing and weather has been kind. Once we pass it should be clear sailing.

  5. Hi
    On a Titan tour Budapest to Cologne 14 days. Started 21st. Due to stop at Passau but carried on as river levels are dropping. Getting pass felling critical stretch on the Danube around 12. Get through this and should be clear sailing up to Cologne. Partial cloud and dry. Nice temperature and enjoying the trip. Looking forward to Regensburg.

  6. FRED We are sailing Viking Amsterdam to Basel October 14. Would like to hear from you about your experience. Hope it is good for you. Also any suggestions about excursions and restaurants. And comments about Basel hotel/ restaurants? Thanks Jim

  7. I am on the Rhine now going from Basel to Antwerp. Water levels are fine and we are told there should be no issues.

  8. Sailing on Scenic Crystal from Basel to Amsterdam. No problems whatsoever. Great weather so far but a bit rainy as we approach Amsterdam. Hoping for a decent day tomorrow when we sail through the Rhine Gorge .

  9. Sailing on the Viking Eir starting Oct 7, Amsterdam to Basel. We would appreciate hearing from anyone that is on the Rhine before then. We have been watching the comments on this page and conditions seem to have improved quite a bit. We are getting excited about the trip.

  10. Changing the subject, I am wondering what plug I will need to charge my phone? Or is there a USB outlet? I am sailing with Scenic Oct 4th.

  11. Wow, that’s so good that you guys enjoyed yourself so much. Thank God for the water levels rising for everyone. Viking does a absolute fabulous job all the way around. Always going beyond your expectations and proving they will do better.

  12. Just arrived in Budapest from Regensburg, great trip with Emerald.
    No water level issues, thankful for the recent rain.

  13. We left Amsterdam on September 13th on a Viking Amsterdam to Budapest river cruise. We are about to dock in Melk, Austria and have had smooth sailing all the way through. Weather has been quite cool and rainy, but we welcomed this as we were hopeful that it would improve water levels. The crew has been amazing and we are fortunate enough to have Dominic, the most fabulous program director. We are very grateful to this website and all the positive posts, as they made the decision to go ahead with our trip easier. We are so glad we did, as Viking has exceeded all our expectations. Good luck everyone.
    Linda and Mike

  15. Don’t know about the Po river but we have just successfully completed a week from Budapest to Regensburg on the Danube. Program director said last night it is the 1st time they have completed the journey without issue for 3 to 4 months. Will say the weather has been excruciatingly bad. Program director states that temperatures the whole week have been around 30ﾟ below normal. Pack your long underwear! It has been COLD (30’s in the morning, 40’s in the afternoon) along wirh daily 25 MPH winds and 5 days of rain.

  17. Does anyone know how is the Po River right now? Showers are expected in the coming week. I have a cruise with Uniworld on the Po River.

  21. Hi, we are doing the same cruise October 12, can you please post water level updates? I hope you have a great trip!

    Shelia

  23. We are on the Emerald Sky, sailed from Mainz on Sept 18, now heading up the Moselle. Ship and crew have been delightful! No problems with river levels. Weather has been cool with showers mixed with sun. Great trip so far!

  24. Isn’t that a great trip? We did that cruise 3 years ago. Headed back to Budapest next month for the trip to Bucharest. Have fun.

  25. Peggy, I agree with you that lost luggage sucks but that it’s the airline’s responsibility and not Viking’s. We are headed on our 2nd cruise 10/17, Budapest to Bucharest. Did the Amsterdam to Budapest cruise in September 2019. Loved it! We also had Viking do our air but we upgrade to Business. This doesn’t stop the airlines from canceling some flights, which is what happened a couple of months ago with Swiss Air flights back to the US. Then the American flights Viking booked when Swiss Air canceled got a bit crazy sending us all over the East Coast on our way from London to NY. 3 different changes sent in a week. Emailed Viking and they changed it all to Lufthansa direct to NY from Frankfurt. We have had nothing, so far, but great experiences with Viking including air. I will say that based on all the issues we’ve seen this summer with luggage and flights in Europe, both my wife and I will be packing 3 days of clothing in carry ons just in case. Along with anything we can’t afford to lose! And I normally don’t do a carry on, just a backpack. Not this trip, gonna be extra careful. We did have to do a ship swap mid cruise last trip due to low water but am hoping lower Danube is ok next month when we head out.

  26. Sailing from Amsterdam to Basel on Oct 6. We’re watching all the posts and getting excited for the trip. Third time with Viking and we’ve always had a wonderful experience.

  27. 9/19 Viking Baldur sailing into Wurzburg tomorrow, headed to Amsterdam from Budapest, no water issues on the Danube or Mainz canal. It has rained several times during the week. We have been advised this is the first time since early June that the Baldur has been able to reach Amsterdam.

  28. No water problems a to b on scenic Jade .will be one of the first ships to do the sightseeing trip in Budapest after the accident 4years ago.great trip so far although weather could have been better.

  30. So sorry to hear about your luggage ordeal. I hope it has sorted out so you could enjoy your trip.

    We just completed our Basel to Amsterdam run on Viking Sigrun last week. No issues whatsoever with the cruise–all was good, logistics-wise. Had an amazing time!

    Amsterdam Schiphol Airport on Sept 15th though–what a ZOO! I guess it was so bad that the president of the airport resigned that day! We found out from the cab driver the day before and went to the airport 4 hours early which really helped.

    Too late for this advice for you Angela, but for others packing for the trip–go carry on only! So much easier. I bought clothes at Goodwill and chucked whatever was displaced with souvenirs!

  33. I’m on the Rhine right now; just left Mannheim on my way to Basel! A little rain everyday but water levels have been fine. No changing of itinerary at all. Been a great trip!!

  34. We just finished the cruise from Basel to Amsterdam and there was no problems with water levels. You will be fine. Have fun!

  36. Sorry to hear about your frustrating experience, but I wouldn’t advise not going on your ship without your luggage. After a myriad of airline problems, some due to Viking scheduling errors and including missing a day of our trip, we arrived in Budapest with no luggage. We had a few days clothing and our prescriptions in our carry on luggage which helped some, but we didn’t get our lost luggage until 9 days later. We had to shop for clothes in Vienna. Viking will wash your clothes for free nightly if you ask but we didn’t know this until a few days in. The company isn’t very forthcoming but we do know they were working behind the scenes to track the location of our luggage. So, my recommendation is, ask, ask and keep asking, in a pleasant manner, and also, get trip insurance. It’s not a pleasant situation, but we didn’t let it spoil our trip. In fact, trying to see some humor in it gave us the opportunity to get close to a lot of staff and fellow travelers.

  39. Sorry for your problems. We traveled last fall to Düsseldorf and did not get your luggage until back in states. I have to defend Viking if the airline does not find your luggage there is nothing Viking can do.

  40. Thank you for the updates. You’ve given us some positive news and calmed some concerns. While we know the water level goes up and down maybe with the cooler weather and rain water levels will be high enough for a hassle free trip. Thanks.
    Steve

  42. Now approaching Nuremberg….no problems…..lots of rain the last few days and it’s coming down now.

  43. How do I comment here? We are sailing from Basel to Amsterdam on Oct. 4 – Viking Hermod. Looks like rain is happening and the river is good. Now hoping for some sunny days on our cruise!!

  46. We took the Viking ship Sigyn Sept 6 – Sept 13 and made it all the way. It was a wonderful cruise. The best!

  47. It is frustrating indeed to have lost luggage. However, your advice to stay at the airport until they find your luggage is pretty bad advice for anyone traveling internationally. I had a friend who just flew to Paris for a Rick Steves tour and her luggage never made it, period. It was not found until 3 weeks after she returned home. So, staying at the airport would completely ruin your trip. I am also not quite sure why you think Viking is the problem. They have no control over your luggage. It would be like blaming your travel agent. The problem is with the airlines. It is always wise to have enough stuff in your carry-on to be able to deal with luggage problems. Large airports, like Schipol in Amsterdam, are notorious for losing luggage. Last month Heathrow lost thousands of bags. Likewise, flight changes are airline issues. I hope you can just enjoy your trip as Viking usually does a phenomenal job on their river cruises. We leave on our Viking trip on the 24th to do Zurich to Paris. We did the Grand European last year and are hoping for another great trip. Good luck with your trip and your luggage.

  48. We will awake in Budapest tomorrow morning. Perfect cruise all the way through from Amsterdam, we were very fortunate no ship changes or bussing.

  49. We will awake in Budapest tomorrow morning. Perfect cruise all the way through from Amsterdam, we were very fortunate no ship changes or bussing.

  50. My luggage was lost in Amsterdam for 3 days on a previous Viking cruise. Viking was wonderful. They had me put clothes I needed cleaned at my door at night and they were washed and at my door in the morning.
    I now take 2 days worth of clothing in my carry on and placed a tracker in my luggage. I also take a picture of all checked luggage.

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