Budapest Danube Flooding June 2013: Cruises Cancelled, Transport Changes

We would like to kindly inform our Budapest river cruise guests that the Danube city cruises in Budapest will be cancelled from June 7 (Friday) and June 14 (Friday) 2013.

If you have booked your cruise with us online, we will be happy to re-schedule your cruise for the upcoming dates. Other options are to re-issue your cruise ticket as a Gift Voucher (valid until Dec 31, 2013) or to refund your river cruise fee. Please note that we can only manage online bookings placed on our website, not all Budapest city cruises.

Budapest Flooding 2013 Update

Cruises completely resumed, all is well and shiny: all Budapest cruises run from June 15, 2013

ALL CRUISES RESUMED: JUNE 15, 2013

Cruises are not running, may be resumed on June 14, 2013.

June 11 Tuesday update on Budapest Flooding:

Cruises Cancelled in Budapest Flood

No Cruises are allowed on the river Danube in the city of Budapest on June 11, 12. We assume the cruise ships and boat rides in Budapest will most probably be resumed on June 14 or June 15, 2013. Please contact us for further details if you are interested.

By the midnight hours on June 10, 2013 the water level of the river Danube has been decreasing to 8.71 meter from the peak of 8.79 meter. At 4 am in the morning on June 11 the water level was at 8.64, and at 11 am (local Budapest time), the water level is at 8.53 m. This means that the flood water levels are quickly on the decrease. Cruise ships will be resumed in Budapest when the Danube water level gets back to 6.7 meter (670 cm), which is the highest allowed water level for boats, ships in Budapest, Hungary.

Budapest Public Transport

The public transportation of Budapest has been affected by the Danube flooding. You can download the 2013 Budapest Flooding June map of changes (English and Hungarian info) here. Most importantly:

• The public transport in Budapest is approx. 90% as usual, not affected by the flooding. Only the riverside traffic is changed by the flood. Downtown Budapest streets approx. 20 meters away from the river are completely normal, no changes in routes or frequencies
• M2 metro line cars do not stop on Batthyany Square metro station on the Buda side.
• Margaret Island is completely closed down: no traffic, no walking, complete closure for pedestrians and cars too
• Streetcar 2 (tram 2) runs a shortened route from Kozvagohid stop to Eotvos Square stop only, due to the flooding of the  underpass at the Chain Bridge (the rails of the streetcar go under the bridge which is now flooded). Every third tram will run only to Március 15 Square during peak hours. Streetcars heading to Eotvos Square will wait a few minutes at Marcius 15 Square
• Streetcar 4 and 6 running on the big ring road (grand boulevard) do not stop at theMargaret Bridge stop, just go across the bridge
• Streetcar 19 and 41 (tram 19, 41) run on a diverted route on Krisztina korut, due to the flooding of the  underpass at the Chain Bridge on the Buda side at Clark Adam Square (the rails of the streetcar go under the bridge which is now flooded). The new route of the streetcar 19 and 41 is the same as that of the Streetcar 18 (Krisztina korut street and Szell Kalman Square)
• the suburban train from Szentendre to Budapest leaves from the Margaret Bridge, does not go to Batthyany Square

More details about Budapest public transport changes during the Danube flooding on the BKK official website.

Past News of Budapest Flooding June 6, 2013

Unfortunately the level of the river Danube will reach its peak by the upcoming Saturday on June 8, 2013 due to the spring rains.

Blue Danube / Murky Danube in Budapest

Please note that at this time of the year the color of the river Danube is especially greyish, greenish, brownish because of the torrential rain, landslides, and lots of soil and other washed away materials traveling in the waters of the major European river, the Danube. By the time the river gets to Hungarian soil, it is already disturbed by the extra burden of the consequences of the heavy rainfalls.

If you want to enjoy a really beautiful cruise during the flooding, we strongly recommend taking a Budapest evening cruise or a sunset cruise, or even a late night cruise at 10 pm, when the color of the river is simply blackish and orange with the many illuminated buildings.

 

Budapest Public Transport Affected by Flood

Please anticipate some traffic problems in the city of Budapest along the river Danube. Tyipically, the riverside streetcars are cancelled for the flood days (like the tourists’ favorite Streetcar Number 2 running along the Pest side of Budapest).

Budapest Public Transport company (BKK.hu) issued its press release regarding the changes due to the Danube river flood. Its D11, D12, D13 ship routes are not running from June 4, Tuesday 2013.

Affected streetcars along the river Danube are as follows:

• Streetcar number 2  (Pest side riverside streetcar)
• Streetcar number 19 (Buda side riverside streetcar)
• Streetcar number 41 (partially riverside streetcar)

Budapest Danube Photo Gallery

We think that Budapest is beautiful all the time, even if there is flood. What does the river Danube look like after the spring rains gather and cause landslides and city floods? In Budapest flooding is well managed. Here are some photos to give you an idea. The photos were taken by tourists and local residents.

Central Eastern Europe Flood Alert

Not only Budapest is on the flood alert, but even more so Prague, where the Vltava river is reaching critical heights. Prague city centre is endangered by the potential heights of the flood. According to BBC news:

“Emergency operations are under way in Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic to deal with record levels of flooding in some places.”

Also in Prague (Czech Republic), the Associated Press says:

Thousands of people have had to be evacuated from their homes across the country, mainly in the north and the south. In Prague, authorities have ordered the evacuation of the parts of the city’s zoo located by the river. Also patients from a Prague hospital have been moved to a higher ground.

Luckily Budapest, Hungary is doing OK, but several countryside settlements along the river Danube in Hungary are affected each year by the floods in June.