Greetings all-
Our trip to Austria and Italy is coming up soon. We leave May 23rd not that I am counting the days or anything!
Has anyone taken a day cruise up/down the Danube?
We, (dear spouse and I, late - 50s in good health, decent shape ) love hiking, eating good food, exploring so if there is a way to hop off and poke around areas of interest that would be a real plus.
Dining off the beaten path would also be of interest. Any suggestions?
Thank you !

Yes and you should consider the boats that ply the Wachau Valley between Melk and Krems, just west of Vienna.

Take a train to Melk, visit the Uber famous Melk Abbey and then hop on one of the frequent ships that go down the vineyard-strewn Wachau Valley, stopping at such gem wine towns as Duernstein - where in the now ruined castle above town Richard-the-Lion-Hearted was once jailed for ranson after being nabbed returning from some Crusade.

You can take trains back to Vienna from Duernstein or nearby Krems, a larger but still comely Danube town.

If into biking the boats offer bikes that you can ride between boat docks - and this is one of Europe's primo cycling venues.

That sounds great!
Thank you. Any suggestions for dining?

Completely agree with Palenque!

Sightseeing cruises Wachau - DDSG Blue Danube GmbH

GRAND WACHAU VALLEY CRUISE KREMS - EMMERSDORF KREMS - MELK MELK - DÜRNSTEIN MELK - KREMS. SMALL WACHAU VALLEY CRUISE KREMS - DÜRNSTEIN KREMS - SPITZ ...
http://www.ddsg-blue-danube.at/engli.../e_lwac_fp.asp

Here is the major boat company site.

And no i know didilly about restaurants!

Thank you very much!
This is just what we were looking for to step off and explore.
Guess we are on our own in the dining aspect.
J

Numerous Danube cruises exist.

One that is not interesting is the one that is the Vienna City cruise leaving from by Schwedenplatz or by the Reichsbrucke.
Those Melk- Krems or krems - Melk are the most intersting .
These provided by 2 firms DDSG and Brandner - little difference between them as They depart and arrive at most of the same docks and have similar schedules.

A good bargain is the Combi ticket that you can buy anyday at Viennas Westbahnhof-
Various possibilities - the most popular is the one with the train ticket Vienna to Melk - a ticket for the tour of the Abbey - then a boat down the Danube to Durnstein or Krems and a train back to Vienna.

www.ddsg-blue-danube.at

www.brandner.at

train schedules look to www.oebb.at

walk from train station Melk to the Abbey about 15 minutes
walk Abbey to boat dock in Melk also about 15 minutes.

In Melk - the Abbey has a restaurant near to the entrance- smoking and non smoking sections
in the village

Post hotel is good

In Durnstein some good places to dine

Alte Klosterkeller - a fine terrace with views over the wine gardens to the Danube - they open weekdays at 3 PM

www.alte-klosterkeller.at

Sanger Blondel Hotel - a fine family run hotel and restaurant - a fine garden and flowers - no view to the Danube

Hotel Richard Lowenherz ( Richard Loinhearted - fine dining terrace over looking the Danube anfd indoor dining also-
check the 2 above for serving times.
www.richardloewenherz.at

Schloss Durnstein is nice with a fine terrace but expensive.

Near to the boat dock in Krems

Kloster Und -

www.moerwald.at

late stein

www.late.at

from boat dock and restaurants to the train station is about 3 kilometers - taxi is good to take for this.

This makes Durnstein more convenient as a regional train takes you from the village directly to the Krems station in about 10 minutes . about 2 euro

This trip mixes history , wine , scenery and makes a great day.

An alternative is renting abike in melk and making the trip to Krems along the Danube bike path - 35 kilpmeters-
bikes available from DDSG ticket or via

www.leihradl.at

www.alter-klosterkeller.at

correction of the above website

Molker-
Thank you so much for all the suggestions.
This points us in the right direction with lots of options.
We are really looking forward to seeing this part of the world.
Happy Trails!!

Trains to Melk depart from Vienna West Bahnhof i believe

but trains back to Vienna from Durnstein or Krems go into the secondary Frans-Joseph (sp?) Bahnhof. If you want to go back to the Westbahnhof take the shuttle train from Krems to St Polten, on the mainline to the West Bahnhof.

Do not go via St. Polten from Durnstein as mentioned above . The regional train fromn Dürnstein is co ordinated with the train back to Vienna Franz Josef Bahnhof- in fact the Durnstein train comes into Krems normally on the same or adjacent track - a 50 meter walk and you are on the Vienna train direct without a need to change in St. Polten.
This is the way the locals go for good reason . This train to Franz Josef Bahnhof allows direct connections to the UBahn lines U-6 and U-4 for easy return to city center in just a few minutes or find the streetcar D just outside that returns the traveler along the Ringstrasse at many stops.

For most everyone as or more convenient return than the Westbahnhof.
In addition the Westbahnhof is mow in the midst of renovation.

Thank you for the heads up with train travel.
We are renting an apt just off the U-1 I believe..

Returning to Vienna Franz Josef Bahnhof - the first train stop in Vienna is Heiligenstadt . This is the end station for the U-4 - the U-4 will connect in 5 stops to the U-1 at Schwedenplatz easily done and well signed to guide you.