Getting to the Wachau Valley from Vienna

You can reach the Wachau from Vienna by train, by car or on a Wachau tour from Vienna that collects you in the city. Doing it yourself means joining up a train, a boat and a walk. Here is how each piece works, and what it costs in 2026.

By train to Melk or Krems

The two railway stations for the valley are Melk at its western end and Krems at its eastern end. Melk Abbey says there are regular trains to Melk from Vienna and St. Pölten, and from Melk station you walk to the abbey in 10 to 15 minutes. From either station, regional buses 715 and 720 run along the valley.

Journey times and platforms change with the timetable, so check the ÖBB timetable for your date before you set out. If you would rather not plan connections, the bike day includes your train from Vienna to Krems and back.

The ÖBB Wachau-Ticket: train, boat and abbey for €88

If you want to see the valley from the water and visit Melk Abbey without a tour, this combined ticket covers the three pieces in one purchase.

• Prices for 28 March–1 November 2026: adult €88, adult with a Vorteilscard €77, child 6–14 €49, under-6s free.
• Valid: on two calendar days, 36 hours from the start of your journey, on any ÖBB train except night trains.
• Buying it: from the ÖBB ticket shop, the ÖBB app, ÖBB travel agencies or on +43 5 1717. You cannot print it at home: print it at an ÖBB ticket machine in Austria.
• Cancelling: full refund before the first day of validity, none after.

The boat runs a reduced timetable before 25 April and after 4 October, so check the sailings for your date before you buy.

The DDSG boat between Melk and Krems

DDSG Blue Danube sails three ships between Krems and Melk, up to four times a day in each direction. The main season runs daily from 25 April to 4 October 2026; from 28 March to 24 April and from 5 October to 1 November the timetable is reduced. Fares depend on how far you sail.

Children up to 9 sail free and 10 to 15-year-olds pay half. Over-60s get 20% off from Sunday to Friday, and students 20% off. A return ticket is valid for one day and you can break the journey. Buy at the piers or in DDSG's online shop, which lets you print at home.

In the main season, the 11:00 boat from Melk reaches Spitz at 11:40, Dürnstein at 12:30 and Krems at 12:50. Upstream is slower: the 10:15 from Krems reaches Dürnstein at 10:45, Spitz at 11:45 and Melk at 13:20.

The Wachaubahn along the left bank

The Wachaubahn is a heritage railway that has run for more than a hundred years, since 1909. It connects Krems with Emmersdorf, opposite Melk, on a raised line with views across the World Heritage landscape.

You can buy tickets online or on the train, in cash or by card, and seat and bicycle reservations are free. DDSG also sells a combined boat and Wachaubahn ticket from €44.20.

River ferries between the banks

Three ferries cross the Danube inside the Wachau, so you can switch banks without going back to a bridge:

• the cable ferry from Spitz to Arnsdorf;
• the cable ferry from Weißenkirchen to St. Lorenz;
• the ferry from Dürnstein to Rossatz.

Check the ferry's own hours before you rely on it, because low water can change them too. The bike day uses a ferry crossing near Weißenkirchen to reach the wineries of Rossatz-Arnsdorf.

Driving and parking at Melk Abbey

From Vienna you drive the S5 to Krems, or take the B3 towards Melk; from Linz you take the A1 to Melk. The B33 follows the right bank past Aggstein. For Melk Abbey, set your navigation to Stiftsstraße, 3390 Melk, and follow the STIFT MELK signs to the abbey car park.

Parking is free when you buy an admission ticket: validate your parking ticket at the ticket office in the first courtyard. You can also leave free within 15 minutes. On midsummer night, 20 June 2026, expect slow traffic on the valley roads.

From the pier to the abbey on foot

The Melk pier is at Hafenspitz, Donaustation 9B. Allow about 30 minutes to walk to the abbey:

1. Follow Fährstraße from the pier.
2. Cross the green lift bridge.
3. Walk through the pedestrian zone of the town centre.
4. Take the stairs up to the abbey, or Wiener Straße if you want to avoid steps.

Where each tour starts in Vienna

If joining up the train, the boat and the walk sounds like more than you want to plan, a tour does it for you. Each one starts in one of these places.

Where the piers, stations and villages sit is on the Wachau Valley map. Planning the whole day yourself? Read the Wachau Valley without a tour or the Wachau Valley by bike.