Which Danube Cruise Krems to Melk?
Sep 12th, 2009, 12:33 PM
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Which Danube Cruise Krems to Melk?
Does anyone have any input which might help me decide between the DDSG and the Brandner cruise boats from Krems to Melk?
I know that DDSG has an All in One ticket from Vienna that covers train, boat, and abbey, but the pictures of the Brandner boat look a bit nicer.
Also, I am going in October when there is only one boat per day. So far, only Brandner lets me make a reservation for that day; DDSG doesnt seem to allow reservations when using the all in one ticket.
Any information or opinions would be appreciated!
I know that DDSG has an All in One ticket from Vienna that covers train, boat, and abbey, but the pictures of the Brandner boat look a bit nicer.
Also, I am going in October when there is only one boat per day. So far, only Brandner lets me make a reservation for that day; DDSG doesnt seem to allow reservations when using the all in one ticket.
Any information or opinions would be appreciated!
Sep 12th, 2009, 01:33 PM
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Brandner and DDSG have similar schedules and their docks are close together. Obviously their routes are the same and price is similar.Thus in those instances not much to choose.
Physically, your observation is correct, the Brandner boat , the Austria usually used ,is more recently renovated and is nicer in my opinion.
Both boats have open top decks if weather permits to allow good viewing of the sights. Both boats have in door seating also and offer snacks.
To my knowledge the all in one ticket is valid on either boat.
You actually receive vouchers good to redeem the boat trip and Melk admission.
In October reservations are not really needed.
These boats are good sized and can take several hundred passengers.
Look at the schedule .
the boat trip Melk to Krems is at least 1 hour faster as it goes downstream. You may wish to consider this in your planning.
It is possible to make this tour in either direction.
Melk Abbey and this cruise make a very nice dsay of sightseeing.
October will see some chanin of foliage colors and probably the grape harvests may still occur in some areas of the Wachau that you pass.
Physically, your observation is correct, the Brandner boat , the Austria usually used ,is more recently renovated and is nicer in my opinion.
Both boats have open top decks if weather permits to allow good viewing of the sights. Both boats have in door seating also and offer snacks.
To my knowledge the all in one ticket is valid on either boat.
You actually receive vouchers good to redeem the boat trip and Melk admission.
In October reservations are not really needed.
These boats are good sized and can take several hundred passengers.
Look at the schedule .
the boat trip Melk to Krems is at least 1 hour faster as it goes downstream. You may wish to consider this in your planning.
It is possible to make this tour in either direction.
Melk Abbey and this cruise make a very nice dsay of sightseeing.
October will see some chanin of foliage colors and probably the grape harvests may still occur in some areas of the Wachau that you pass.
Sep 12th, 2009, 01:43 PM
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Thank you, Molker, for all that information.
The reason I am considering Krems to Melk is because of the once a day schedule in October:
The trip from Melk to Krems is only at 1:30, and it seems that would be quite a rush to take the train from Vienna and then tour the abbey and town and be ready to return by that time.
I also noticed that the Brandner line lets you request specific seating in the reservation. Does anyone have any first hand experience with the boarding/seating process on either of these boats?
The reason I am considering Krems to Melk is because of the once a day schedule in October:
The trip from Melk to Krems is only at 1:30, and it seems that would be quite a rush to take the train from Vienna and then tour the abbey and town and be ready to return by that time.
I also noticed that the Brandner line lets you request specific seating in the reservation. Does anyone have any first hand experience with the boarding/seating process on either of these boats?
Sep 12th, 2009, 02:16 PM
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We took the DDSG from Melk to Krems in June of this year. However, when we got to the dock in Melk, we told them we wanted to spend a couple of hours in Durnstein, a wonderful little wine village. They told us we needed to change our tickets for the Durnstein-Krems part to another line. They changed it without charging us. It must have been Brandner, I don't know. We liked both boats and did not need a reservation. If it's possible to stop off at Durnstein in October, by all means do it. It didn't allow us time in Krems but I understand that Durnstein is much more interesting than Krems.
Sep 12th, 2009, 05:55 PM
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arindasue, we did a day trip to the Wachau Valley (Melk & Krems) in late April of this year. Just to give you an idea of timeframe, we arrived at Melk train station at 10am. We started our self-guided tour of the Abbey at 10:30am, and it took us 90 minutes to finish.
The Abbey Gardens was not open yet at that time of year (opens May 1), so we didn't tour it.
We ate lunch in town, then headed down to the cruise dock around 1:15pm for our 1:50pm cruise to Krems. The town itself isn't that big. Unless you like to browse shops and buy souvenirs, it won't take you long to see the town.
I thought we had enough time to see everything we wanted & eat lunch; however, if the Abbey Gardens were open, we would need at least another hour.
The Abbey Gardens was not open yet at that time of year (opens May 1), so we didn't tour it.
We ate lunch in town, then headed down to the cruise dock around 1:15pm for our 1:50pm cruise to Krems. The town itself isn't that big. Unless you like to browse shops and buy souvenirs, it won't take you long to see the town.
I thought we had enough time to see everything we wanted & eat lunch; however, if the Abbey Gardens were open, we would need at least another hour.
Sep 12th, 2009, 06:44 PM
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It looks like the gardens will be open, and now that I look at the time frame, I think you are right and we can work it all in at the earlier time.
There are trains that arrive in Melk at 9:30 or even 9:00. The abbey opens at nine, so that should leave us plenty of time to see the gardens and the town.
Yk...Do you remember which cruise line you used? Was it difficult to get a seat on the upper outside deck?
Molker...I do think the 2 hour boat ride will be preferable to the three hour trip.
jrjrollins...we would love to stop in Durnstein, but since both lines only have one cruise per day in October (and at the same times) I don't think that will be possible. We'd be stranded!
Did any of you take advantage of the railway's combination ticket for the train/boat/abbey?
There are trains that arrive in Melk at 9:30 or even 9:00. The abbey opens at nine, so that should leave us plenty of time to see the gardens and the town.
Yk...Do you remember which cruise line you used? Was it difficult to get a seat on the upper outside deck?
Molker...I do think the 2 hour boat ride will be preferable to the three hour trip.
jrjrollins...we would love to stop in Durnstein, but since both lines only have one cruise per day in October (and at the same times) I don't think that will be possible. We'd be stranded!
Did any of you take advantage of the railway's combination ticket for the train/boat/abbey?
Sep 12th, 2009, 10:53 PM
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I assume that you have looked to the Austrian Rail schedule
www.oebb.at
several trains from Vienna - leave at 8:20 arrive in Melk 9:27 or leave 8:44 arrive 10:02
The Abbey is about a 15 minute walk from the station. Either provide sufficirnt time to tour the Abbey , gardens ( remember this is the end of the season for plantings and this is less interesting) Melk itself needs little time as the main street consists mainly of tourist souvenir shops, a few cafes and restaurants.
The walk from the Abbey to the boat docks takes 15 minutes without stops.
Thus you have a good amount of time to see most everything without a rush.
Either Brandner or DDSG stops in Durnstein. This is a nice visit and perhaps they sill harvest grapes nearby.
No need to worry about rejoining a boat trip to reach Krems.
Durnstein has a small train station 5 minutes walk from the village center.
Trains about 1 per hour to Krems - their arrival to co ordinate with the train to Vienna- you simply walk a few steps to the Vienna train an easy transfer.
Again the schedule on the oebb website.
The journey Durnstein to Krems is a very short one. You miss very little not taking the boat for this short distance. The train ride is mostly through the wine gardens , so something more to seeincluding views to the Danube.
Alte Klosterkeller is a very nice place - opens at 15:00 on weekdays 12:00 on weekends.
However they will close for the year near to the end of October and may not be open. Several other places in Durnstein to eat like Alte Presshaus or Sanger Blondel.
The upper open deck can be windy and cool especially this late in the season. Loook to sit in the relatively covered area near to the navigation deck on either boat.
As this is the end of the season, I do not believe you will find them crowded at all except perhaps on the weekend.
www.oebb.at
several trains from Vienna - leave at 8:20 arrive in Melk 9:27 or leave 8:44 arrive 10:02
The Abbey is about a 15 minute walk from the station. Either provide sufficirnt time to tour the Abbey , gardens ( remember this is the end of the season for plantings and this is less interesting) Melk itself needs little time as the main street consists mainly of tourist souvenir shops, a few cafes and restaurants.
The walk from the Abbey to the boat docks takes 15 minutes without stops.
Thus you have a good amount of time to see most everything without a rush.
Either Brandner or DDSG stops in Durnstein. This is a nice visit and perhaps they sill harvest grapes nearby.
No need to worry about rejoining a boat trip to reach Krems.
Durnstein has a small train station 5 minutes walk from the village center.
Trains about 1 per hour to Krems - their arrival to co ordinate with the train to Vienna- you simply walk a few steps to the Vienna train an easy transfer.
Again the schedule on the oebb website.
The journey Durnstein to Krems is a very short one. You miss very little not taking the boat for this short distance. The train ride is mostly through the wine gardens , so something more to seeincluding views to the Danube.
Alte Klosterkeller is a very nice place - opens at 15:00 on weekdays 12:00 on weekends.
However they will close for the year near to the end of October and may not be open. Several other places in Durnstein to eat like Alte Presshaus or Sanger Blondel.
The upper open deck can be windy and cool especially this late in the season. Loook to sit in the relatively covered area near to the navigation deck on either boat.
As this is the end of the season, I do not believe you will find them crowded at all except perhaps on the weekend.
Sep 13th, 2009, 06:47 AM
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arindasue, we did the combo ticket via DDSG, which is the cruise line we took. This was a weekday at end of April. When we got to the ship at 1:30pm (1:50pm departure), most of the upper deck was full already. Since there was only 1 cruise/day, I guess that's why it was so crowded. We didn't want to sit on the upper deck actually, because there is no shade. Instead, we snatched the few seats at the tailside on the lower deck that's OPEN to air, but with an overhang to shade us from the sun.
You can read about our day trip here:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...omment-5648348
You can read about our day trip here:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...omment-5648348
Jan 4th, 2014, 07:26 AM
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Have a closer look to the schedules- both DDSG and Brandner have trips Melk- Krems and Krems- Melk.
Melk - Krems is a faster trip as it goes downstream with the river current helping travel speed.
Both firms have similar schedules and landing docks very close to each other.
Melk - Krems is a faster trip as it goes downstream with the river current helping travel speed.
Both firms have similar schedules and landing docks very close to each other.
Jan 4th, 2014, 07:33 AM
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The journey Durnstein to Krems is a very short one. You miss very little not taking the boat for this short distance. The train ride is mostly through the wine gardens , so something more to see including views to the Danube.>
It is short enough that I walked Durnstein to Krems - through lovely vineyards that molker talks about - nice paths and side lanes with lovely views all around - so if not in a hurry take a stroll - though it may be about five miles if I recall.
It is short enough that I walked Durnstein to Krems - through lovely vineyards that molker talks about - nice paths and side lanes with lovely views all around - so if not in a hurry take a stroll - though it may be about five miles if I recall.
Jan 4th, 2014, 08:54 AM
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Regarding DDSG vs. Brandner. They travel practically neck to neck between Melk and Krems. The Combo "ticket" is not all tickets. The real ticket part are the train part. The Melk Abbey and the boat part are vouchers for which you have to convert to actual tickets. The boat voucher is converted to a DDSG or Brandner ticket at the ticket booth next to whichever boat you end up taking.
Jan 4th, 2014, 11:43 AM
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Some info from Pal above is quite out of date.
Formerly, train service in this area was provided by the National rail carrier OBB.
Some years ago this line was acquired by the state of Lower Austria. Now limited train sightseeing is confined mostly to summer season and this just several times per day.
The best way to transfer from Durnstein to Krems , other than by boat, is by the frequent ( about 1 bus per hour ) Line WL 1 bus service.
The best stop in Durnstein for tourists is the east end of the village , just next to the parking lot and close to the Stockingerhof Pension and Winery.
Service to Krems terminates at the krems Train station.
This is also a good place to begin sightseeing in the main area of Krems.
Service takes about 15-20 minutes. You can buy a ticket from the driver - just several euro.
With limited sightseeing time - the walk - about 10 kilometers time can be better used elsewhere.
The bus route follows through the vineyards near to the Danube anyway.
Formerly, train service in this area was provided by the National rail carrier OBB.
Some years ago this line was acquired by the state of Lower Austria. Now limited train sightseeing is confined mostly to summer season and this just several times per day.
The best way to transfer from Durnstein to Krems , other than by boat, is by the frequent ( about 1 bus per hour ) Line WL 1 bus service.
The best stop in Durnstein for tourists is the east end of the village , just next to the parking lot and close to the Stockingerhof Pension and Winery.
Service to Krems terminates at the krems Train station.
This is also a good place to begin sightseeing in the main area of Krems.
Service takes about 15-20 minutes. You can buy a ticket from the driver - just several euro.
With limited sightseeing time - the walk - about 10 kilometers time can be better used elsewhere.
The bus route follows through the vineyards near to the Danube anyway.
Jan 5th, 2014, 06:07 AM
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Perhaps the above poster should read things more closely or express himself better . Buses that act like trains?
I recommended "the best way to transfer from Durnstein to Krems.. (about 1 bus per hour) is the line WL1 bus service."
latest info January 2014
No mention, as asserted, about a train 1 per hour in recent postings for years.
This is not the first time that this writer does not seem to read and comprehend posts.
Perhaps he reads a posting from September 2009 now long out of date - things change- yet attempts to use this - poor attempt.
If this above writer had visited in the past few years, he would have found the Durnstein train station building to be closed and the bus service a regular and good conveyance..
I recommended "the best way to transfer from Durnstein to Krems.. (about 1 bus per hour) is the line WL1 bus service."
latest info January 2014
No mention, as asserted, about a train 1 per hour in recent postings for years.
This is not the first time that this writer does not seem to read and comprehend posts.
Perhaps he reads a posting from September 2009 now long out of date - things change- yet attempts to use this - poor attempt.
If this above writer had visited in the past few years, he would have found the Durnstein train station building to be closed and the bus service a regular and good conveyance..
Jan 5th, 2014, 10:03 AM
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http://www.ddsg-blue-danube.at/eng/c...ses_wachau.php
nice map of the Wachau Valley, IMO one of the most gorgeous river valleys in Europe - right up there with the Mosel in Germany!
nice map of the Wachau Valley, IMO one of the most gorgeous river valleys in Europe - right up there with the Mosel in Germany!
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