Wachau region public transport pass?

There are several options. Are you traveling alone or with others? Do you plan to also take the boat?

I'll be travelling alone, from Vienna and back. Not planning on taking the boat.

What about getting around by bike? My preferred way to see the smaller villages and wineries...

I don't cycle, I'm afraid. I did find something called the Wachau-Ticket, which looks as if it covers boat and bus but not rail. Am I correct?

Is this what you saw?

http://kombitickets.railtours.at/combitickets-summerdreams/austria/wachau/wachau-ticket.html

It actually covers boat and train, but not bus.

The local buses are very cheap and you buy your ticket directly from the driver.

My suggestion would be to take the train from Vienna to Melk; you can search www.oebb.at for fares and schedules; take the WL1 bus from Melk to Krems train station, stopping at Weissenkirchen and Durnstein along the way. Weissenkirchen has less tourists and a better wine scene; Durnstein is the classic Wachau town with the castle ruins (have an apricot dumpling at the Richard Lionheart hotel). The WL1 bus schedule is here:

http://www.n-mobil.at/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/WL1.pdf

Then take the train from Krems back to Vienna. This is a regional train, so you can buy those tickets at the station. Again, check www.oebb.at for schedules.

Thanks very much for the recommendations.

The Lonely Planet Austria book says that there is a day pass for bus and boat and gives the address of the VOR website, but I can't find anything about it on that site.

OK, I've now been there. It turns out that there is a ten-euro day pass that you can buy on the bus that gives unlimited travel on the bus routes along both sides of the river between Krems and Melk, and also the ferries across the river, but not the boats along the river. As you suggested, I stopped at Duerrnstein and Weissenkirchen - definitely worthwhile.