Danube water levels 2023 and similar topics - plus tips and info

[notamermaid]

It is July, time to have a look at what the river did at Pfelling gauge in June:

 

The month started on a good level but without rain, the level went gradually down. This led to a real low, too low for the large river cruise ships. Just like on the Rhine, the wide-swept rain gave a good rise around the 22nd. But while the Rhine kept the level high enough for river cruise ships the Danube went back down relatively fast and to the official low water line (even below). The level went back up a little at the end of the month (lock operation will have played a part in all this, not quantifiable by me of course) but is still too low.

 

June is an early month to have low water levels one may think so it is a good idea to have a look at previous years - if such data is available. It is of course and for this gauge easy to retrieve:

 

 

We see that in 2021 June was a good month without problems whereas in 2022 the river struggled for a few days, falling below 290cm. Last year the month ended on a better level than it has this year and we may rightly wonder what July will bring. As of now things are not looking bright. Hopefully this latest weather system bringing rain, now in the area, will help.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[notamermaid]

Pfelling gauge at 279cm. Which is better than yesterday but only brings us closer to where we were on the 3rd. The trend does not suggest anything of significance for an improvement beyond 290cm. And it is doubtful whether it will actually get to that figure.

 

notamermaid

 

[pepcab]

Just got confirmation from Scenic that we will be skipping our embarkation port in Nuremburg and get bussed from the airport there to Passau. They will bus us in to do the excursions though and they are paying for the transfer from the Nuremburg airport to Passau. Our cruise is from July 10 to the 17th

[notamermaid]

1 hour ago, pepcab said:

They will bus us in to do the excursions though and they are paying for the transfer from the Nuremburg airport to Passau.

Quite a bit of work to organize this logistically, but the companies are used to this of course. From Nuremberg to Passau - that is a fair distance so will cost the company quite some extra euros.

 

Hope all goes well and you have a great cruise from Passau.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

To put the low water stretch on the map for you - here is the enlarged map with gauges (German "Pegel"). Straubing to just before Vilshofen is the notorious bit. The green marker at Bogen is Pfelling gauge:

 

Regensburg gauge has dropped to orange, meaning into its zone of statistical low water.

 

notamermaid

 

[BGW1]

Our cruise fom Engelhartzell to Constanta went without a hitch. Water levels looked good all the way and also on the Delta.

The guide was saying that they expect levels to drop a couple of meters over the next month. 

Now on our return leg so hoping levels stay good. 

[rcaruso]

I just saw today one of the Scenic ships, Scenic Jewell just squeak by and make it to Vilshofen.  Viking has been in Passau and up to Vilshofen for an hour or so and then back to Passau.  Passau is really hopping.  Ships in the winterhafen, Racklau, along the old town and also Lindau.  We have not received a letter yet from Viking regarding of July 18 Grand European, however, I expect to get an e-mail next week.

[notamermaid]

Pfelling gauge: 276cm. After more favourable figures during the night (280cm to 285cm).

 

Shall we have a look at Budapest?

 

notamermaid

 

[Daisi]

17 hours ago, notamermaid said:

To put the low water stretch on the map for you - here is the enlarged map with gauges (German "Pegel"). Straubing to just before Vilshofen is the notorious bit. The green marker at Bogen is Pfelling gauge:

 

Regensburg gauge has dropped to orange, meaning into its zone of statistical low water.

 

notamermaid

 

 

Is it possible to get a link to that map? It will be very helpful for our cruise to keep an eye out.

 

Thanks, and I understand if you can't post the link.

[notamermaid]

5 hours ago, Daisi said:

Is it possible to get a link to that map?

Here it is. Hover over the dot and the figure comes up. Click on the dot and you are taken to its respective data sheet:

https://www.pegelonline.wsv.de/gast/karte/standard

 

notamermaid

 

[Daisi]

Thanks @notamermaid, really appreciate it!

 

[lawump]

Currently sailing on the Viking Var; just left Budapest a few hours ago and currently (as I type this) sailing for Vienna.  We were told at the welcome briefing that we will not be able to sail from Passau to Regensburg.  There is only a 1% chance of rain along our trip for the entire week according to the ship’s hotel manager.  So, unless something unexpected happens, we’ll be bussed to Regensburg.

[gers]

On 6/29/2023 at 6:11 PM, BluebonnetTexan said:

I hope you will report back on how your cruise went. We are looking at this one for 2024 or 2025, but it might have to be late summer. Thus I’m curious how often this segment experiences low water levels as compared to the west of Budapest. Maybe you can ask the some of the staff about typical conditions? I’ll try to follow the info at the site helpfully posted by @notamermaid, too. 

BlueonnetTexan, we just arrived back home after a wonderful River cruise with Viking from Bucharest to Budapest.  The water levels were fine and there was never a mention of low water levels on the Danube as far as we went.  Mind you the ship was continuing as passengers were embarking for the cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam.  Many of our cruise friends were continuing, as fifty of us left the ship in Budapest.

[deec]

Gers, we are doing the European Sojourn this fall and there is so little reviewed about the Bucharest to Budapest portion...Do you have an suggestions that would make our trip better?  Did you do the pre-extension in Transylvania?  Was there much free time that I should plan something in Bucharest?  We are doing the Snagov Monastery & Mogoșoaia Palace excursion on the last day of the pre extension?

 

I know this is WAY off topic but I am looking for current information and the Roll Calls are quiet quiet for this itinerary.

 

[CastleCritic]

26 minutes ago, deec said:

Gers, we are doing the European Sojourn this fall and there is so little reviewed about the Bucharest to Budapest portion...Do you have an suggestions that would make our trip better?  Did you do the pre-extension in Transylvania?  Was there much free time that I should plan something in Bucharest?  We are doing the Snagov Monastery & Mogoșoaia Palace excursion on the last day of the pre extension?

 

I know this is WAY off topic but I am looking for current information and the Roll Calls are quiet quiet for this itinerary.

26 minutes ago, deec said:

 

Well if you'll accept more general reviews of that section than Viking specific, both @RobInMN and I did reviews of doing it on AMA back in May.  I only crossed paths with a Viking ship once but I know there is a lot of overlap.

 

Know that the Transylvania part is likely to be a LOT of bus riding.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 8, 2023 by CastleCritic

[BluebonnetTexan]

@gers and @CastleCritic - thanks for the info. I'll definitely be reading those reviews. 

 

@deec - I hope you post a review when you go. I always enjoy the info you provide on the Viking Ocean boards. 

 

[gers]

3 hours ago, BluebonnetTexan said:

@gers and @CastleCritic - thanks for the info. I'll definitely be reading those reviews. 

 

@deec - I hope you post a review when you go. I always enjoy the info you provide on the Viking Ocean boards. 

 

@deec thank you.... When the dust settles and the laundry is done I will sit down and start writing one!

 

[notamermaid]

6 hours ago, deec said:

I know this is WAY off topic but I am looking for current information and the Roll Calls are quiet quiet for this itinerary

Not off topic at all, any port, itinerary and Transylvania extension is interesting and perfectly placed in this thread.

 

It is by the way not untypical to have low water in Bavaria and not low water in Bulgaria (yet). That is according to the authorities. Cannot remember which website that was where I read that (sorry!).

 

Pfelling at 269cm. Budapest has picked up a little: 160cm, but forecast does not look too favourable, after a further minimal rise it may fall to below 150cm. I have had a look at the thread for 2022. In August several people reported embarking or disembarking their ship in Komarno instead of Budapest. But I cannot say at which water level that was, I did not track that exactly. The situation was much worse than it is now - Pfelling gauge was below 235cm when people posted.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Pfelling at 257cm. Not looking too good. It is Sunday, no forecast issued. Gauges further upstream suggest no rise today or tomorrow. Rain of note forecast for Wednesday. Should give a noticeable reaction of the river, hopefully at Pfelling, too.

 

A bit of info in German, but if you are interested it may lead you to have a look at English info elsewhere, the new "Hungerstein" at Bogen (Pfelling) from 2018:

https://www.bogen.de/freizeit-und-tourismus/kultur/sehenswuerdigkeiten/hungersteine-bei-pfelling

 

notamermaid

 

Edited July 9, 2023 by notamermaid
added link

[deec]

Castle Critic...thank you so very much for the great review!  AMA sounded wonderful...Viking loyalty is not concrete!   I especially like that there is more than one choice of included excursions.

 

I am looking forward to our cruise in Eastern Europe and believe the East to West direction will be historically interesting!  I appreciate getting the longest travel day at the beginning of the trip.  The anticipatory excitement seems to help with the jet lag.

[CastleCritic]

1 hour ago, deec said:

Castle Critic...thank you so very much for the great review!  AMA sounded wonderful...Viking loyalty is not concrete!   I especially like that there is more than one choice of included excursions.

 

I am looking forward to our cruise in Eastern Europe and believe the East to West direction will be historically interesting!  I appreciate getting the longest travel day at the beginning of the trip.  The anticipatory excitement seems to help with the jet lag.

No problem, if there is a particular port you are interested in to see how the day went, just ask and I can pull up the itinerary for that day on my phone still (as well as the 2019 trip from vilshofen to Budapest though that was a wine cruise so there are a few strange days).  Though AMAs web site has all the excursions listed correctly.

[UDChE89]

3 hours ago, deec said:

Castle Critic...thank you so very much for the great review!  AMA sounded wonderful...Viking loyalty is not concrete!   I especially like that there is more than one choice of included excursions.

 

I am looking forward to our cruise in Eastern Europe and believe the East to West direction will be historically interesting!  I appreciate getting the longest travel day at the beginning of the trip.  The anticipatory excitement seems to help with the jet lag.

I have some information east of Budapest on my review of my Viva cruise last year.  Happy to answer any questions.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2875826-viva-ms-thomas-hardy-danube-cataracts-trip-report-23082022/

[notamermaid]

Pfelling gauge at 243cm.

 

Budapest level is going down again and may see a figure of below 130cm on 12 July.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Pfelling gauge at 248cm. Trend shows a little tick upwards but even the best case scenario does not indicate more than 275cm within the next 36 hours.

 

notamermaid

 

[WSR]

My wife and I will be on the Viking Var from Friday, July 28 in Regensburg to Friday, August 4th in Budapest.  Based on what folks are experiencing so far, should we expect to be bused from Regensburg to Passau?  We also have extensions on both sides of the cruise in Prague/Nuremburg and Budapest!  

 

This is our first cruise and are looking forward to it very much!!  Any tips would be appreciated!