Hello,
shortening my previous post.
Has anyone done a Wachau Valley DIY tour in July and enjoyed it? Train from Vienna to Melk, boat ride on the Danube to Duernstein, bus to Krems, train back to Vienna is my plan. Hoping to sample local wine, see the abbey, views, and castle ruins. Plan to have lunch in Alter Kloster Keller Duernstein which looks quite nice.
I have two tweenagers in tow, if any one has done it and has any tips to make the trip more exciting for them.
Thank you!
My advice would be not to go by boat, but by bus from Melk to Dürnstein and Krems. The boat is slow, and you are tied by its schedule. Taking the bus adds much more flexibilty. The view is the same as the street runs directly along the river.
Most exciting for the teenagers would be walking up to the ruin in Dürnstein and climbing further up to the very top of the rock. If the weather is good, you/they will have a magnificent view.
I usually dont respond on subjects where my experience is singular (did it once) and / or mover than 5 years ago. Too much changes with time. But, the fact that on a hot July day (today Melk will hit 96F), I would rather be on the boat than on the bus hasnt changed. It was a great ride, wonderful views and little cooling from the evaporation off the river, room to move about and point and laugh; and while the bus may be faster and more efficient, the trip was about more than that for me. https://youtube.com/shorts/g7tUzBPg2FQ?si=szBdSUpQ_39UhvrF Your plan seems to be a bit of the best of everything. I like it. But either way, you will have a blast.
EDIT: Check me on this, its been quite a few years, but I believe some (or all?) of the ships have a restaurant onboard.
There are only 4 boat departures from Melk to Dürnstein per day (11am, 1:50pm, 2:35pm and 4:25pm).
To have lunch in Dürnstein you need to catch the 11am boat. This implies that you have to start your visit of the abbey in Melk at the earliest time possible, i.e., at 9am. This requires to get on the train in Vienna about 7:45am.
For the "Alter Klosterkeller" in Dürnstein you will need a reservation.
By the way, modern busses have A/C.
... but I believe some (or all?) of the ships have a restaurant onboard.
Yes, that is true, and they have all A/C now, too.
Nevertheless, I would always prefer a real restaurant over one on a ship (or train). In this case in particular because of the short time frame available. (In Austria eating in a restaurant is usually a slowed down procedure, often frowned upon by American tourists, used to the habit to get their check presented the very moment of swallowing the last bite of their meal.)
Should you want to go to a more elegant place for lunch in Dürnstein, this is the top restaurant (also regarding the prices): https://www.richardloewenherz.at/en/
But beware, they have very restrictive opening and kitchen times. If you are late you won't be served.
Another way to explore the Wachau Valley is doing the trip the other way round, i.e., Vienna - Krems - Dürnstein - Melk - Vienna.
An alternative to bus or boat is the private, scenic Wachau train: https://www.wachaubahn.at/en
When doing it this way, you should arrive at least at 4pm at the abbey in Melk to have enough time to visit it.
Thank you, this information is really helpful! Especially that there are only 4 boat departure times from Melk!
If I were to take the 11am, how to I guarantee passage (a spot) since I'm sure it is very popular?
I was thinking of buying the Einfach Raus ticket so I would be buying a separate boat fare (and separate Abbey admission) for 4 people if that makes a difference. Is it just first come, first served to line up for the boat? How much time should we budget from walking down from the Abbey to the dock?
Thank for you also for the tip about the Wachau train, and busses! since we are taking a 5+ hour train from Krakow to Vienna thought a boat ride would be fun to change the pace.
I really appreciate the help! Haven't been to Austria since 2003 and very excited.
I've done it more times than I can remember. I also have teenagers.
I find the boat boring, to be honest. My favorite mode of transportation is bicycle. It is easy to set up an account with NextBike and grab a bike and go from their many stations in the Wachau. The bike route from Spitz to Krems is particularly pretty. That said, with a group of four, it might be easiest to just rent a car. That way, you can go up to the castle ruins of Aggstein, which will probably be a highlight for your kids.https://www.ruineaggstein.at/en/
Mang in Weissenkirchen is the perfect lunch spot if you are on the bike. In Duernstein (if you don't do Aggstein), then you must go up to the fortress ruins. I suggest reading some of my posts about riding bikes in the Wachau.
Thank you. I'm looking into the bike option! I understand you can rent a bike in Melk for the day and return it in Krems. I think my kids would really like this option (I would prefer the boat :)
”I find the boat boring, to be honest.”
That boat ride convinced me I would be a terrible candidate for a river cruise tour! ; ). Have fun on the bikes & have a strudel as a reward afterwards.
