Base in Wachau Valley

Posted by david p. (HTX) on 03/30/25 01:19 AM

Hi all,

I am planning the third stage of a two week visit to Austria in May. This community has been helpful with planning stage 1, central and southern Burgenland, and stage 2, the Salzkammergut, so I am reaching back out with travel and planning advice for the Wachau Valley. My partner and I are looking for a base and also advice on biking along the river.

We will be coming from the west, Salzburg. Melk seems logical as a base and as a start for a biking tour but doesn’t seem to have the charm of Weissenkirchen or some of the other cities along the river, so we are looking for recommendations where to base ourselves and start a biking tour.

I’m also unclear how to best bike the area. I see recommendations to ride the south side of the river and other recommendations to ride the north side and then return on one of the several boats along this part of the river. We have a full day and ideally we would like to ride along the river between Melk and Krems, so any help here would be appreciated as well.

Thanks!

Posted by wmt1

03/30/25 09:05 AM

2411 posts

We have a full day ...

Do I understand correctly: You will arrive in Melk (or wherever you chose your base), stay overnight, do the next day your bike trip. returm to Melk, stay overnight again, continue your visit to Austria. Or do you plan to stay longer in the Wachau area?

Posted by david p. OP

HTX

03/30/25 11:35 AM

11 posts

wmt1,

Our current plan is to arrive in the Wachau late afternoon, overnight, ride and overnight again, see the Abbey, and then head toward Vienna. We have flexibility in our schedule for more time in the Wachau if necessary.

Thanks.

Posted by Susan and Monte

Granite Bay, CA

03/30/25 03:31 PM

1994 posts

I'm curious, if you have found a bike rental option to pick up your bike in Melk? Then will you drop the bike in Vienna?

Posted by david p. OP

HTX

03/30/25 05:57 PM

11 posts

Susan and Monte,

We have a rental car and want to rent bikes wherever we decide to overnight and then take a leisurely full day ride between Krems and Melk returning to where we started.

Posted by Susan and Monte

Granite Bay, CA

03/30/25 08:28 PM

1994 posts

Thanks for that info!

We are planning to ride Passau to Vienna in June with another couple, but I now have an injury that will likely prevent me from riding, but our friends would like to still do a couple days ride. We are considering changing our trip to a driving trip instead. So, that is good info since I know they really do want a bike trip for at least a couple days. I wasn’t sure they could pick up bikes at other locations.

Posted by wmt1

03/31/25 03:17 AM

2411 posts

There is no real need to return with your bikes where you have started from. Biking from Melk to Krems is about 25 miles. I doubt that you will backtrack biking on the very same day.

There is a bike rental which has several outlets. E.g., you can pick up your bikes in Melk and return them in Krems (or somewhere else on the route).
https://www.nextbike.at/niederoesterreich/en/locations/

For returning from Krems to Melk you have different options. I discourage trying to go by boat. It is slow and you don't see more than you have already experienced. Not to talk about that in the afternoon most boat trips go downstream to Krems.

First of all, you can always go by regular trains from Krems to Melk, especially if you stay longer in Krems. It is worth, having a beautiful old center and the famous Art Mile with its museums.

Alternatively, you can take bus #715 from Krems to Melk. This bus line travels along the north (left) embankment of the River Danube.

If you want to leave Krems already in the afternoon, you could catch the scenic Wachau Valley Train at 4:15pm. The train runs from Krems to Emmersdorf, from where you have a 10 minute bus ride to Melk.
https://www.wachaubahn.at/en

Posted by Emily

Vienna, Austria

03/31/25 11:51 AM

5636 posts

I would bike the southside from Melk until Spitz. I would take the small ferry across at Spitz. Then I would continue on the north side until Krems. That said, the most interesting part, in my opinion, is Spitz to Krems on the bike.

That said, I think the best place for a base would be Weissenkirchen or Duernstein.