Has anyone done this just for a day, from Vienna? I ran across this idea last night and don't quite know how it would work. Apparently the most scenic part is around Krems, and you could rent a bike at one town and leave it at another, then train back to Vienna.

I'd love to hear from somebody who did this.

~Liz

try searching this site - I think there are several previous posts about this - Rick Steves also has some detailed info about this in his book that covers the area.

I have ridden the boats between Melk and Durnstein and Krems and seen the lovely bike paths along the river - and with the boats you can rent a bike from them and cycle between bock docks. For more info on 'the best stretch of the Danube and a link to the Melk-Krems boats: http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id33.html. This is a great day trip even sans bikes - take a train from Vienna to Melk - about 45 mins or so and then visit the uber famous and splendid Melk Abbey and look at this neat pastel-hued old town and traipse down to the Danube boat dock and ride the boats thru the wondrous Wachau Valley - with vineyards often clinging to the rocky sides. Stop off at a cutesy little wine town like Durnstein (the ruined castle above the town was where Richard-the-Lion-Hearted was once jailed when kidnapped for ransom returning from a Crusade) and then to Krems, a much bigger but still really nice Danube wine town. Then take a train from Krems (or Durnstein) back to Vienna. You can mix in biking as i said with the boat ticket - or you can rent bikes in Melk and ride to Krems as you say.

Here's a recent trip report about biking from Vienna to Melk; on tripadvisor:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...rt-Vienna.html

look on this website -
this boat firm offers combi packages including bike rentals train and boat cruise.

www.ddsg-blue-danube.at

this a very popular thing to do- excelent and well marked bike paths - best done going downstream Melk direction Krems-

Here we do not consider Dürnstein a " cutesy " wine town.
It is a historic village - about 300 total population and one real street- pedestrian zone as non resident autos must park outside in adjacent parking areas. The castle from 1100s and one above it a little older , a beautiful Church and many old 14- 15 th century buildings.

Thanks so much, all!

I wasn't having much luck searching here, or googling. This looks like the perfect thing for a beautiful early fall day.

~Liz