Danube water levels 2018 and similar topics - plus tips and info

[brokermartinplom]

In conflict to everything I have read. We are departing 16 Sept Passau - Budapest - Passau. Bike Barge. I am anticipating major issues. Hope I am wrong. Above few posts stated

 

29-Sept (today) Danube levels are falling after some relief from last weekend's rain. The two critical areas in Germany, Pfelling and Straubing are falling and nearing the levels of last week. In Austria the levels are falling fast so maybe the Vienna to Buapest could become unpassable again.

[gnome12]

In conflict to everything I have read. We are departing 16 Sept Passau - Budapest - Passau. Bike Barge. I am anticipating major issues. Hope I am wrong. Above few posts stated

 

29-Sept (today) Danube levels are falling after some relief from last weekend's rain. The two critical areas in Germany, Pfelling and Straubing are falling and nearing the levels of last week. In Austria the levels are falling fast so maybe the Vienna to Buapest could become unpassable again.

How big is your barge? If is anything like the one I used in the Netherlands a few years ago it has fewer than 20 cabins (mine had 14) and probably a fairly shallow draft. I think it is much less likely to have problems than a river cruise boat which is much bigger.

 

 

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[brokermartinplom]

No such luck - big.

 

75 cabins. 3 stories of rooms. 150 passengers max. 110 metres long. 11.4 metres wide. Depth, draft 1.7 metres which seems a lot

[gnome12]

No such luck - big.

 

75 cabins. 3 stories of rooms. 150 passengers max. 110 metres long. 11.4 metres wide. Depth, draft 1.7 metres which seems a lot

Sorry. You're in river cruise territory. Unfortunately, you are very unlikely to find anyone with any experience on the particular barge you are on. Good luck!

[steamboats]

http://www.doris.bmvit.gv.at/fahrwasserinformation/pegelstaende/

 

This is just covering the Austrian part of the Danube river. Here´s an Hungarian website covering the Danube river starting in Ingolstadt (although that´s not a navigable part of the Danube river):

 

http://www.hydroinfo.hu/en/hidinfo/duna.html

 

You can see that Budapest got a bit less than 40 cm within a day.

 

 

75 cabins. 3 stories of rooms. 150 passengers max. 110 metres long. 11.4 metres wide. Depth, draft 1.7 metres which seems a lot

 

There are no barges on the Danube river. And these measurements are the regular ones for a river cruise ship (either 110 m or 135 m length).

 

steamboats

[G.M.T.]

Same story as yesterday, warm, sunny, no rain, river levels falling.

 

 

But there is hope on the horizon, starting tomorrow we are awaiting 4 days (could be longer, but 4 fay forecaste tend to be good) of wait for it RAIN and a good amount.

 

 

So keep your fingers crossed or press the thumbs or whatever your country does for good luck.

[steamboats]

At least it´s raining since last night (started out with some thunderstorms). But it´s not supposed to last very long.

 

 

steamboats

[G.M.T.]

Water, water, every where,

 

And a few drops for my booze;

 

Water, water, every where,

 

But not enough to cruise.

 

 

Apologies to Samuel Taylor Coleridge, if he is reading this.

 

 

It rained overnight and still raining along the Danube, the two critical points Pfelling and Straubing levels are on the rise, probably still need a couple of days to make them passable.

 

 

It has been raining along the Alps and in southern Germany so the River Inn will soon have increased volumn of water. This will not help upstream from Passau, but downstream (i.e. Venna - Budapest) this should have a positive impact.

 

 

All we need s 5 days of rain to start with.

[Upset traveller]

I left Budapest yesterday for home (plane!)

 

All the boats seem to be moving now

[Ceilknits]

I left Budapest yesterday for home (plane!)

 

All the boats seem to be moving now

 

This sounds reassuring...we still have one month to go, so doing a rain dance

[Ceilknits]

Water, water, every where,

 

And a few drops for my booze;

 

Water, water, every where,

 

But not enough to cruise.

 

 

Apologies to Samuel Taylor Coleridge, if he is reading this.

 

 

It rained overnight and still raining along the Danube, the two critical points Pfelling and Straubing levels are on the rise, probably still need a couple of days to make them passable.

 

 

It has been raining along the Alps and in southern Germany so the River Inn will soon have increased volumn of water. This will not help upstream from Passau, but downstream (i.e. Venna - Budapest) this should have a positive impact.

 

 

All we need s 5 days of rain to start with.

 

Love your poem! We still have a month to go...hope it starts to rain. Ironically, we live in Florida, and it rains here every day during the summer!

[waterbug123]

I left Budapest yesterday for home (plane!)

 

All the boats seem to be moving now

 

That is good news. Hope it continues that way for the next few weeks at least!

[txislandlvr]

Mother nature can be real fickle at times. Hot weather and limited rain along the Danube. Just one year ago me, my family and friends watched in horror as Mother Nature dropped 51 inches (or 1300mm) of rain on our town. Too much in one place, not enough in another.

 

Our cruise starts saturday, we leave for Europe in 36 hours. About a week ago one of our group members (we are a large group) asked if anyone was ready to go even if the cruise was cancelled. At least 8 of us said yes. So we have packed bags and provisions that will work if we are ship based or land based moving between cities either with the cruise or on our own. Europe is a wonderful place with a lot to see and do. Planes, trains and other means of transport are readily available. While I would like to take my first river cruise on the Danube, our group is ready to come, vacation, have fun and not worry about those things we can't control and focus on those that we can, and make the most of our time there.

 

I am sure this is highly stressful for the ship crews and even more so for the office based staff trying to coordinate everything. My prayers go out to you that Mother Nature finds a way to smile on you and drop a bit of rain on central Europe. Several have commented or hinted at the ruination of a trip of a lifetime - the trip of a lifetime is what you make of your vacation, not what others make for you. So go, pack an extra suitcase of patience and adventure, and ENJOY!!

 

What an excellent attitude! I will remember this whenever I feel the slightest bit of frustration. Thanks for taking the time to write this.

[okanagan annie]

40cm in Budapest?? 8 inches??

[okanagan annie]

Correction: 15 inches??

[gnome12]

40cm in Budapest?? 8 inches??

Where did the 40cm come from?

 

Rainfall is usually measured in mm (millimetres) and snow in cm(centimetres), at least here in Canada. Even 40mm of rain in a short period of time can be quite a bit.

 

Sorry, didn't look at your username or location originally, but my point is still that rainfall is likely in mm.

Edited August 30, 2018 by gnome12
Added last sentence

[Megpat]

Megpat - Were you able to sail into Budapest?

We are in Passau and hoping for the best.

Yes. We did sail into Budapest but I understand there were some speed limits due to low water levels.

I am a but envious that you are on Scenic Amber as that is the ship we originally expected and it is better than the two ships we ended up with.

Have a great time!

[okanagan annie]

I am from Canada. Read post #255 which reports 40 cm of rain fell in Budapest!

[gnome12]

I am from Canada. Read post #255 which reports 40 cm of rain fell in Budapest!

This does not give amounts of rain, it gives changes in the water level. That is caused by rain over a potentially large area feeding into the river above Budapest.

 

Everyone has been saying that things can change quickly. When I look at that information now, it shows a drop of 24 cm in Budapest from the previous day.

[G.M.T.]

I am from Canada. Read post #255 which reports 40 cm of rain fell in Budapest!

Post #255 did not indicate 40 cm of rain fell B UT that the Danube level rose by 40 cm.

 

Budapest would have been serious flooded if it got 40 cm in a day, it's average rain fall is 600 mm or 60 cm.

[paysonfa]

AmaCerto arrived in Budapest this morning. We were an hour or so late due to slower speed needed for low water and an hour spent at one lock. Ama has been amazing with problem solving. They combined one of the 4 morning tours so nothing was cancelled. 7 day Nuremberg to Vienna. All nites spent on the ship and only inconvenience was bus needed from Nuremberg to Passau due to low water, They offered bus tours to Nuremberg and Regensburg for people who wanted original tours and alternate tours for passengers who didn't want the long bus ride.

[BequiaPT]

What an excellent attitude! I will remember this whenever I feel the slightest bit of frustration. Thanks for taking the time to write this.

 

 

newly single: everyone's circumstance is different; some people

are able to make do and move around, for some of us it is more

difficult, which is why we want/need a full cruise. The cruise

lines must be struggling, but let us not judge

those who find themselves unwilling or unable

to adjust to a certain degree.

[G.M.T.]

We have had 12 hours of continous heavy rain in and around Passau and along the Danube and more forecaste for the next two days at least.

 

 

Yesterday, at the beer festival we were at, it rained so hard that water started to flow under under the beer tent, people were amazed when their sandled feet became waterlogged. Walking home with quelching sandles was fun after some really good beers.

 

 

This morning the ex-lawn (now only grass and weeds) looked more green that brown.

 

 

River levels are rising. I have a feeling that the end is nigh.

[Malekin]

Thanks for this report! Hopefully by “the end is nigh” you mean end of the low water levels and not The End via biblical deluge.

 

I was worried about my cruise next week being canceled. Now I wonder if I should order a kit for an ark...

[pinotlover]

Sailing along on the S.S. Beatrice up the Danube. We passed the Iron Gate this afternoon. Captain expecting no problems as we head to Budapest. We haven’t seen any rain yet, but welcome all that Germany can put into the river.

 

Up from Bucharest, on Wednesday, we had as little as 25 cm clearance between our hull and the river bed!