Getting to Passau, the top departure port for Danube riverboat cruise vacations in Germany and Austria is easy by car or cheap on public transportation (train or bus) from Frankfurt or Munich Airport.
The Bavarian city Passau is right on the German-Austrian border at the confluence of the Danube, Inn, and Ilz Rivers. Passau in Germany is the most popular departure port for luxury riverboat cruise vacation cruises on the Danube River (Donau). Getting to Passau is easy by car or train, which is fortunate as the town has many splendid sights making it worth arriving a day early for cruise vacations and stay in a local old-town hotel. The Passauer Dom is the largest Baroque cathedral in Germany but even more impressively has the largest pipe organ in the world.
Getting to Passau in Germany
Passau can easily be reached by car or train fro most parts of Germany and Austria. Passau is a stop on the fast high-speed Inter-City-Express (ICE) trains that run from Frankfurt (Hauptbahnhof and often Airport as well) to Vienna via amongst others Nuremberg and Regensburg. Good rail connections are also available to Munich. The Autobahn A3 passes near Passau allowing for fast driving times.
→ The nearest airport to Passau is Munich Airport (MUC) but intercontinental passengers may well prefer to take the train from Frankfurt International Airport if direct flights are not available to München.
Private airport shuttles are available but best reserved in advance. The transportation cost for a transfer from Munich Airport to Passau is rather expensive (€400 to €500!) making it worth comparing service providers. Welcome gives online quotations for private airport transfers without first requiring personal details or flight numbers. The convenience, especially when traveling with luggage, small children, or in a group, might be worth the splurge but public transportation to Passau is much cheaper.
Traveling by Car to Passau on the German-Austrian Border
Passau can easily be reached from all parts of Germany on the Autobahn A3 that passes just to the south of Passau. The Autobahn A3 is a very important highway that runs from Cologne via Frankfurt am Main, Nuremberg / Nürnberg, and Regensburg to Passau before continuing into Austria (Linz and Vienna).
Drivers arriving from Munich (München) should take the Autobahn A92 via Munich Airport and Landshut to the junction with the A3 near Deggendorf on the Danube.
The Danube River is seldom seen from the Autobahn itself and generally, it is not worth using smaller roads next to the river when driving in Germany. However, the riverside road downstream from Passau to Linz goes through a beautiful part of the Danube Valley and is well worth the slower travel compared to the autobahn.
Passau is by far the most popular departure point for luxury Danube riverboat cruise vacations. As a result, most cruise lines offer safe parking in Passau for passengers of Danube riverboat cruises. Many Passau hotels offer similar services that may include delivery of the car to the ship at the completion of the cruise.
Travel on High-Speed Inter-City-Express Trains to Passau
Passau is on the German Railways high-speed railway line that links Frankfurt am Main and Vienna. The exceptionally comfortable Deutsche Bahn Inter-City Express (ICE) trains run on this route roughly every two hours.
ICE trains from Passau to Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (Main Station) take around four hours and stop en route in Plattling (30 minutes), Regensburg (1h), Nürnberg / Nuremberg (2h), and Würzburg (3h). Many ICE trains continue to Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) and on to Cologne (Köln). Nürnberg, Frankfurt, and Cologne are very important railway hubs with trains available to all parts of Germany.
From Passau, Deutsche Bahn ICE trains continue into Austria reaching Linz in just over an hour and terminating in Vienna (Wien) only three hours after leaving Passau.
Passau’s train station (Bahnhof) is at the edge of the old town across the road from a large shopping center. It is an easy fifteen-minute walk from the station to the Passauer Dom and old town.
For public transportation options to Passau, check train timetables to Passau at Deutsche Bahn and cheap long-distance buses at Flixbus.
Save by Traveling to Passau on Regional Trains
Passau may also be reached on regional trains, which are cheaper than ICE trains, and on shorter distances often only marginally slower. By using regional trains only, passengers may use the Bayern Ticket and Germany Day Ticket (Quer-Durchs-Land), which allow for huge savings especially when traveling in small groups (and after 9 am on weekdays, anytime on weekends).
From München Hauptbahnhof (Main Station) and Munich Airport (MUC), only regional trains provide public transportation to Passau. Trains run generally hourly with the direct trains from Munich to Passau taking 2h15 and around 2h30 including a transfer if traveling from the Airport. More connections are available but require transfers — having a coffee at the station while waiting for the direct train may be a more sensible option.
The special German discount tickets for regional trains are not valid for travel into Austria but once again regional trains will be cheaper. Austrian railways also have some discount tickets for regional trains although not as extensive as in Germany. Regional trains from Passau into Austria go amongst others to Linz (90 min to 2h) and even as far as Vienna (5h).
See trains to Passau online at Deutsche Bahn – check the “only local transport” box for trains and buses that allow for Bayern Ticket savings. (The slightly cheaper Regio-Ticket Donau-Isar is valid for travel to Passau from München Hauptbahnhof (but not from the Airport) but it is only valid on the trains while the Bayern-Ticket is valid on trains, trams, and buses in Munich as well.)
Flying to Airports near Passau in Germany
There are no significant airports near Passau. The closest airport to Passau is Munich Airport (MUC) but intercontinental travelers may often find taking the train from Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) faster than transiting by air to Munich. Trains from Vienna Airport (transfer at Wien Hauptbahnhof) take around three hours but flights to Munich Airport are more frequent and usually cheaper too.
Fly to Passau via Munich Airport (MUC)
Munich Airport (München Flughafen / MUC) is at around 160 km / 100 miles the closest airport to Passau in Germany. Munich Airport has the largest number of European destinations of all German airports and a growing number of intercontinental arrivals too. Low-cost airlines fly to Munich Airport and cheap fares are thus often available from popular European destinations.
The driving time from Munich Airport to Passau is around 90 minutes. From Munich Airport, take the Autobahn A92 towards Deggendorf and follow the Autobahn A3 to Passau when reaching the Danube River.
Train Transportation from Munich Airport to Passau
Public transportation from Munich Airport to Passau takes around 2h20 minutes and always requires a train transfer. The basic train option, usually available hourly, is:
- Regional Express train (RE22) from München Flughafen Terminal 1 (usually towards Regensburg but always away from Munich) to either Freising (10 minutes) or Moosburg (20 minutes). At either of these stations,
- Change to Regional Express train RE3 for Passau Hauptbahnhof (1h40, around 8 stops).
Deutsche Bahn usually recommends changing at Moosburg but it makes no difference in travel time or price. Personally, I would use Freising, which is a much larger station with more facilities (and more transportation options to the airport if needed). At both stations, the second train RE3 to Passau usually departs from the same platform around 20 minutes after the arrival of RE22 from the airport.
The Bayern Ticket is valid on the bus and train but do note its restrictions such as traveling after 9 am on weekdays, or any time on weekends. Buy the Bayern Ticket at an airport vending machine or online from Deutsche Bahn. See timetables at Deutsche Bahn – use MUC as a shortcode for Munich Airport. The maximum price if traveling during Bayern Ticket hours is €29 (€41.50 first class) and add €10 (€22) for each additional passenger up to €69 (€129.50) for five traveling together. The Bayern Ticket is valid on almost all buses and trams in Bavaria.
It is also worth checking if Flixbus has a long-distance bus or coach service from Munich Airport to Passau — direct connections take 2h to 2h30. Buses are often spectacularly cheap with special deals very common.
Private airport shuttle bus services are also available but tend to be (very) expensive. Compare online services as fares and especially cancellation conditions can vary widely. Welcome gives online quotations for private airport transfers without first requiring personal details or flight numbers.
Transportation to Passau from Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
Travelers arriving at Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) may find traveling directly from here to Passau on the ICE trains faster than catching a connecting flight to Munich Airport. Traveling time is just over four hours and usually requires no transfers. Even if a transfer is required at Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, it will be simpler than the travel arrangements needed to travel by train from Munich Airport to Passau.
Flexible train tickets in Germany are fairly expensive. Booking a few days in advance offers good savings while a few weeks in advance could be fairly cheap. However, savings tickets are linked to specific trains — delays for whatever reason, other than Deutsche Bahn’s ault, require buying a new full-price ticket.
Rail & Fly is a good option if available from the airline for traveling from Frankfurt airport to Passau.
By Fast Train from Vienna Airport (VIE) to Passau
Traveling by train from Vienna Airport (VIE) in Austria to Passau can be as fast as three hours on InterCity Express or RailJet trains. Trains are frequent so avoid any connections requiring more than one train transfer (especially when traveling with luggage).
The two simplest options are :
- Flughafen Wien to Wien Hauptbahnhof and then directly to Passau, or
- Wien Airport to Linz and then transfer to the direct train for Passau.
Travel from Vienna to Passau is on high-speed, long-distance trains so regional train deals such as the Einfach-Raus-Ticket are not valid (except if preferring to take around 6 hours with multiple transfers). Check timetables at DB or ÖBB.
Passau has a lovely location and an interesting old town worth exploring. Its huge cathedral (Dom) claims to be the largest Baroque church in Germany and its organ is the largest pipe organ in the world. Hotels in Passau are often priced pleasantly low making it worth arriving a day early before departing on luxury Danube Riverboat holiday cruises.
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