DDSG Blue Danube

Danube shipping company in Austria. In the Wachau it links Krems/Stein, Dürnstein, Weißenkirchen, Spitz, Emmersdorf and Melk with the boats MS Dürnstein, MS Austria and MS Wachau, which carry bike racks.

A shipping company almost two centuries old

DDSG stands for Erste Donau-Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft, the first steamship company on the Danube, founded in Vienna on 13 March 1829. A year later its steamer Franz I was already running the line between Vienna and Budapest, and around 1880 it was the largest river shipping company in the world. In 1991 it was privatised and split between cargo and passengers, and in 1995 the current DDSG Blue Danube Schiffahrt GmbH was born, which began sailing in 1996 with four boats. Today it belongs to the Verkehrsbüro group and to Wien Holding, the City of Vienna's company. Since 2024 it has nine boats, after taking over part of the Brandner fleet, and in 2023 it carried more than 310,000 passengers.

What it does and where

It works in two areas. In Vienna it runs trips from Schwedenplatz along the Danube Canal and the main river, evening departures, cruises with music or brunch and day trips to Bratislava or Dürnstein. In the Wachau, the valley of vineyards and monasteries declared a World Heritage site, it runs the regular line between Krems and Melk and brunch cruises from both towns.

The Wachau line sails daily in 2027 from 20 March to 1 November, with high season from 24 April to 3 October. From Krems to Melk, upriver, it takes about three hours: the MS Dürnstein leaves daily at 10:15 and the MS Austria on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays at 11:00. In the opposite direction, downriver, the journey is faster. With low water the timetables change, and the company announces this on its website.

For those arriving from Vienna without a car there is the ÖBB Wachau-Ticket, from €77, which combines the return train in second class, the boat between Melk and Krems in either direction and entry to Melk Abbey.

Bikes, children and dogs

On the Wachau line bikes board without booking for €3 (€1.50 for a child's bike aged 10 to 15), although space is limited and groups must give notice. Many cyclists on the Danube path do one stretch pedalling and another by boat. Bikes are not admitted on the Vienna lines.

Children aged 0 to 9 travel free with their family and those aged 10 to 15 pay half. Dogs do not pay, but must wear a lead and muzzle for the whole trip. The website links an accessibility statement.

Tickets, cancellation and languages

Tickets are bought on its website, by card, PayPal or mobile payment, at the sales points in Vienna and the Wachau, by email or by phone on +43 1 588 80 500; the head office answers Monday to Sunday from 9:00 to 17:00 on +43 1 588 80-0. Regular lines can be cancelled free up to two weeks before; after that 20% is charged up to 24 hours before, 50% on the last day and everything if you do not show up. The return ticket is valid for the same day and can be passed to another person. The website is in German and English.