You'll probably be better off in March. Pick some cities and search the average weather by month. I just searched Prague and the link says it gets downright cold in November. As in heavy coat. Not good for the old folks.

You aren't going to come close to getting the pricing you want. Airfare alone will be $800 to $1200.


I'm close to booking aa AMA Waterways Prague to Budapest cruise for myself and aged mother (turned 86 today).

Here is a sample price for AMA, http://www.amawaterways.com/europe-river-cruises/romantic-danube-2012

They seemed to have the most bang for the buck. I liked the local tours, which offers a slow walker's tour in every port.
Mom doesn't move so fast anymore.

If that's a hard budget, I would rethink your plans.

A 4 person cabin is also very hard to find and not so cheap.

We took a Grand Circle riverboat cruise, Vienna to Amsterdam, with most of it in Germany, in March, 2007. The weather was cool, but really very nice. I think this type cruise is a good one for an 86 yr. old. Very relaxing. She can walk into the port and see as much or as little as she wants. Our cabin for 2 was comfy but smaller than on cruise ships. I don't know the size of a cabin for 4, but it might be a bit snug. But if your budget is firm, go for it.

I think a river cruise is a good choice. Now regarding the weather. This year early March saw record low temps in Europe(well below freezing with huge snowfalls). But by the time I went to Amsterdam in late March, the weather was great ... with daytime temps in the 60s. Last November was warm; this November who knows? If you're going late in March, then I agree it's probably fine. If you're going early in November, then ditto.

I am not aware of any 4-person cabins on river ships. You will have to get 2 cabins; river cruise cabins barely accommodate 2. And your budget is really low if they include airfare, so be aware that you will get what you pay for, though prices are going to be lower in the off-season than in high season regardless of the cruise line.

Took my 78 year old mom on a 7 day cruise on AMA cruise line in late November 2011, we went from Budapest to Nuremberg, Germany, and it was fantastic. My mom has bad knees, and couldn't do lots of walking, but we found that there were plenty of cabs, so provided you're comfortable not being with the entire group the whole time, it's really easy to customize your day trips to suit her energy level/mobility level. If you have any interest in seeing the Christkindl markets, November/December is a great time to go, and the river cruise (generally, and specifically this one as well) was perfectly suited for her. The cruise we took was a specific Christmas Markets cruise, but there was ample sightseeing beyond just the markets - although the markets were a highlight. Definitely get 2 cabins, and if you wait to book until September, you may be able to get really reduced prices - we got 2-for-1 pricing on our cruise.