Vienna Hydrofoil Trips

So long as you accept that Johann Strauss over-romanticized a little when naming his "Blue Danube Waltz" (okay, alot), then taking a cruise along the river is a fabulous way to explore this majestic capital.

At Talking Cities, we offer a variety of river cruises along the Danube, all of which can be booked online. Alternatively, of the established leisure carriers plying their trade on the Danube, DDSG Blue Danube Schifffahrt GmbH remains the most successful with a selection of 1-day, 2-day, sightseeing, charter and theme trips.

In summer, two of the most popular are the "Grand Danube River Cruise" and "Hundertwasser Tour". Both board from Schwedenplatz, with the first leg of the cruise taking in some of Vienna’s most significant buildings, namely, Ruprechts Church, the Ringturm, the Rossauer Kaserne and Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s industrial masterpiece (where the tour of the same name ends).

The second leg, from Reichsbrücke back to Schwedenplatz, takes in the natural beauty of the area, along with unforgettable views of Vienna’s tallest buildings - the 202m Millennium Tower, the Danube Tower and UNO-City.

In addition, DDSG offer "Wachau" river cruises (between Melk and Krems), a Sunday cruise from Vienna to Dürnstein, hydrofoil trips to Bratislava and Budapest (return tickets are available) and a special 2-day cruise to Budapest (with sightseeing in the historic Hungarian city of Esztergom).

For a full run-down on what’s available, check out DDSG’s "programme" page at: http://www.ddsg-blue-danube.at/en_fahrplan.htm (here, you can also download timetables for each service).

If you’re arriving in Budapest first (before travelling on to Vienna), then Hungarian company MAHART Kft offers a twice daily hydrofoil service between each city from April to early November. Departing at 8am and 1pm (during high season) the journey downriver takes approximately six hours, 20 minutes. Some services also make a brief stop in the Slovak capital Bratislava (when ordered in advance i.e. for tour groups).

As with flights to Budapest/Vienna, there’s a luggage allowance in place for each passenger (20 kgs), with excess baggage charged at a rate of €1 for each additional kilo.

Tickets cost around €99 (for a return fare) with a 50% reduction for Hungarian citizens and children aged 6-15 years. For information and reservations in Hungary, telephone MAHART on: 484 4027 or visit www.mahartpassnave.hu (in Hungarian, English and German).