Transportation to Passau, Germany

Getting to the Baroque Premier Departing Port for Danube Cruises

Feb 13, 2008

Getting to Passau for Danube cruise vacations is easy by car or using public transportation such as Inter-City-Express (ICE) trains from cities in Germany and Austria.

Passau on the German-Austrian border is famous for the confluence of three rivers (Danube, Inn, and Ilz), the largest Baroque cathedral in Germany, and the largest pipe organ in the world. Passau is also the most popular departure port for vacation cruises on the Danube River (Donau).

Passau is in the far southeast of Germany but transportation links are reasonably fast and efficient. Although there are no airports near Passau, the high-speed railway line from Frankfurt am Main to Vienna in Austria passes through the town while Autobahn A3 passes just south of the town.

By Car to Passau

The Autobahn A3 from Cologne via Frankfurt am Main, Nuremberg / Nürnberg, and Regensburg passes to the south of Passau before continuing into Austria (Linz and Vienna). From Munich, take the A92 via Munich Airport and Landshut to the junction with the A3 near Deggendorf.

More pleasant country roads follow the flow of the Danube – the river is seldom seen from the autobahn itself. The drive from Passau to Linz along the south bank of the Austrian Danube is particularly picturesque.

Parking in Passau’s old town is limited and time restricted. It is best to leave the car at the hotel or park in a parking garage at the edge of the old town.

High-Speed Inter-City-Express Trains to Passau

Passau is on the high-speed railway line that links Frankfurt am Main and Vienna. Luxury, high-speed Inter-City Express (ICE) trains run on this route roughly every two hours.

The ICE trains to Frankfurt am Main Hauptbahnhof (Main Station) take around four hours and stop en route in Plattling (30 minutes), Regensburg (1h), Nürnberg / Nuremberg (2h), and Würzburg (3h). Many trains continue to Frankfurt International Airport and on to Cologne (Köln) and further destinations.

From Passau to Vienna on the ICE train is three hours with a stop en route in Linz (1h10).

Regional Trains to Passau

Many regional trains also pass through Passau. Although slower than the ICE, regional trains can be significantly cheaper and on short distances, the time differences can be negligible. In addition, discount tickets such as the Bayern Ticket and Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket may be used on regional trains only.

The regional trains are available amongst others to Plattling (36 min) and Regensburg (1h40). Only regional trains are available to München / Munich (2h15) and run mostly every two hours – more frequent connections require transfers at either Plattling or Regensburg.

German discount tickets are not valid on regional trains into Austria but the slower trains are cheaper than the ICE. Regional trains run to Linz (90 min to 2h) and Vienna (5h).

Flying to Passau

The closest airport to Passau is Munich Airport (München Flughafen / MUC) with its huge number of cheap flights to mostly German and European destinations.

Passau is around 160 km (100 miles) from Munich Airport. Driving time is around 90 minutes. From the airport, take Autobahn A92 towards Deggendorf and turn southeast onto Autobahn A3 when reaching the Danube.

Public transportation is slightly more complicated. From the airport, take bus 635 to Freising (18 minutes). Direct trains run from Freising to Passau every two hours. Alternatives require transfers in either Plattling or Regensburg. Total journey time varies from 2h20 to three hours.

Many international, and especially intercontinental, passengers will enter Germany at Frankfurt International Airport (FRA). It will often be both faster and cheaper to take the ICE train from Frankfurt to Passau rather than taking a connection flight to Munich. Many direct trains are available with more options requiring an easy transfer at Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof. Total journey time is just over four hours.

The copyright of the article Transportation to Passau, Germany in Germany Travel is owned by Henk Bekker. Permission to republish Transportation to Passau, Germany in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.