Danube River Bike Tour Reviews (page 6)
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★★★★★ Bernice Thill September 5, 2022First Trip with BikeTours.com A+
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
This was our first trip using Biketours.com. We were so impressed. The planning was easy and the company provided many maps and additional information to help navigate each area. The bikes were in great shape, well-suited to the type of riding we were doing along the Danube River. They were comfortable to ride and the addition of saddle and handle bar bags gave us enough room to carry extra clothes/rain gear and lunches/water. The logistics worked smoothly--our luggage arrived on time and usually before we reached each of our hotels each night. We loved this trip so much, we'll be looking into other trips Biketours.com offers. Loved everything about this adventure!
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Charles Honaker September 2, 2022
Best vacation ever
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
My daughter and I actually repeated this 10 day bike tour from a few years ago and were not disappointed. The daily 25-30 mile leisure rides down the Danube at our own slow pace allowed us to see so much of the small towns along the way, stops at many food and drink kiosks directly on the bike trail , an occasional boat ride with bikes to shorten the ride and enjoy on board snacks and drinks, and then check-in to very nice upscale small hotels in the afternoon. We would have a meal at the hotel or neighborhood and explore the area. The huge breakfast buffets were a great way to start wash day. I’m over 70 but would do it again tomorrow if given a chance. My daughter’s hotel room was usually adjacent to mine. I have booked with bike tours for 10 years and never disappointed. This year Taylor handled all the booking and was unbelievably prompt at responding to email questions and arranging special requests pertaining to hotels , meals , bikes, extensions in Passau, Enns, and Vienna and transfers from airport to a “ start hotel”. Thank you Taylor. We hope to go again somewhere with Bike Tours.! You all are phenomenal and a real pleasure to deal with. Charles R Honaker
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★★★★★ Charles Honaker September 2, 2022
Best vacation ever
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
My daughter and I actually repeated this 10 day bike tour from a few years ago and were not disappointed. The daily 25-30 mile leisure rides down the Danube at our own slow pace allowed us to see so much of the small towns along the way, stops at many food and drink kiosks directly on the bike trail , an occasional boat ride with bikes to shorten the ride and enjoy on board snacks and drinks, and then check-in to very nice upscale small hotels in the afternoon. We would have a meal at the hotel or neighborhood and explore the area. The huge breakfast buffets were a great way to start wash day. I’m over 70 but would do it again tomorrow if given a chance. My daughter’s hotel room was usually adjacent to mine. I have booked with bike tours for 10 years and never disappointed. This year Taylor handled all the booking and was unbelievably prompt at responding to email questions and arranging special requests pertaining to hotels , meals , bikes, extensions in Passau, Enns, and Vienna and transfers from airport to a “ start hotel”. Thank you Taylor. We hope to go again somewhere with Bike Tours.! You all are phenomenal and a real pleasure to deal with. Charles R Honaker
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★★★★★ Gary Grellman August 31, 2022
Our 2022 Cycling Adventure
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
Overall, we had a wonderful time and have mostly positive, if not effusive, things to say about the trip. The upgraded accommodations met and, in a couple of instances, exceeded our expectations. The premium bikes were in excellent condition and performed exceptionally well. For the most part, the route description was accurate and helpful (with a few exceptions as noted below). The luggage transfer from hotel to hotel was seamless. Our bags were always at each hotel when we arrived at the end of the day's ride. The staff was exceptionally helpful when we decided not to ride one day because of particularly inclement weather. They transferred our bikes to the next hotel while we took a taxi.
Minor Critiques:
1) The meeting with the staff member at the beginning of the ride was not helpful. Firstly, he seemed rushed and came across as if he wanted to get the briefing over with as quickly as possible. He only spent 5 minutes with us. He gave us confusing instructions on how to get out of Passau and was not able to answer questions about how to use and reset the odometer.
2) The directions on how to bike to Ottensheim were incomplete which caused us to unnecessarily cross the river twice.
3) There were two different sets of directions to Hotel Schatzkammer. Furthermore, one incorrectly stated that the bus would pick us up in Grein at 4:35 pm. The actual pickup time is 4:00 pm. We almost missed the bus because of this.
4) The odometer on one of the bicycles did not work.- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Donna Schultz August 27, 2022
Ship needs better ventilation in dining room.
· · Danube Experience Bike and Boat Passau-Vienna-Budapest-Belgrade-Iron Gates-Passau
We booked trip 3 years ago. It was cancelled twice. We are fully Covid vaccinated and boosted. The crew wore masks for the first 5 days. On day 7, my husband got Covid. The only place for exposure was the dining room. All the passengers ate together in a dining room that did not have good ventilation. There was no options for open air dining or room dining. We lost 4 days while he recovered.
After waiting so long for trip, it was disappointing there was not adequate controls to avoid virus spread.
After he got sick. I noticed at least 6 other people that were also coughing. No one was ill at beginning of trip.
We will not go on another bike boat trip that does not take precautions to reduce virus spread. There should be changes in table spacing, air flow & circulation, better air filtration, & open air dining option.
The boat was Swiss Crown.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- I have been on inn to inn tours. This was first bike boat tour
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia
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★★★★★ Cynthia Ord August 21, 2022Loved everything about this tour (except the rental bikes)
· Vienna to Budapest 5-nights (Active)
I recommend the Vienna to Budapest 5-night tour, especially as an inter-generational adventure. We were a group of two 30-somethings and a 72-year-old dad, and it was a great fit for all of us. This is really a premier section of the full Eurovelo 6 cross-Europe route. I was especially impressed with bikeways and great signage all along the route. We were impressed by the variety and quality of the hotels, and the destination town or city at the end of each day was well-chosen. It was such a treat to go exploring each evening after getting off the bikes!
Squeezing it all into the four-day sporty/active itinerary, however, was challenging on heavy cruiser-style rental bikes, so I'd advise either slowing it down or bringing your own bike.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Hungary, Slovakia
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BikeTours.com staff reply from kirsten August 22, 2022
Hi Cynthia!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this tour! We are happy to hear it was a great fit for your group. Your pictures are fantastic and really capture the joy of your adventure! Seeing those smiling faces is why we do what we do. Thank you again for choosing to travel with us!
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★★★★★ Scott McCormick August 14, 2022Amazing, awesome time
· Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
Really great trip that we would love to do again or extend to other parts of Europe.
A normal day for us:
* Wake up and drop bags at front desk
* Get a casual breakfast
* Ride bikes and take breaks as needed
** We usually went about 15-20 miles/hour
** Took anywhere from 4-6 hours
* Check into hotel & explore
* Usually pretty tired, so not a lot of late nightsYou're following the eurovelo 6 trail the whole time which is well marked. Very little chance you get lost, but there is a eurovelo 6 app which you can use if you're worried. Or just get lost. It's Europe, you'll be fine.
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★★★★★ Debby Schlesinger August 12, 2022First and most certainly NOT the LAST Bike and Boat trip.
· · Danube Delights: Cycling and Cruising in the Footsteps of Royalty
Food: Excellent with varied choices each evening. Sack lunch items provided for along the ride.
Routes: Being my 1st Bike/Boat trip, I signed up for "Easy" rating. Very manageable. Appreciate electric assist. bikes. Route review each evening prior to next day's ride much appreciated. Beautiful routes through scenic areas.
Accomodations: Small rooms, (as stated), but adequate. Appreciated a variety of areas to relax, besides room. (Top deck, "Open Air" Spa pool on top deck, Lounge).
Convenience/Service: Excellent. Assistance with bikes: loading/unloading, set up, fine tuning. Tour director (George) ALWAYS available for questions. Servers were excellent, friendly, & considerate. Bikes/equipment available were of excellent quality. -
★★★★★ James Sinnott August 8, 2022
Everything I had hoped for!
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
What a great way to see a beautiful part of the world. I had wanted to do this fr nearly 50 years and the E-bikes made it possible. The accomodations were great and bike friendly. Food was always well prepared and tasty. My wife has a very strict vegan diet and all the facilities were aware of it and most helpful. My brother fell and cracked his wrist and the hotel was most helpful and got us to great care. (Note to biker: do not try to take pictures with a phone in the right hand and then try to brake with just the left hand....a go-pro would have been worth it) We extended in Vienna and enjoyed tours there and a day to Budapest.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- one now but 50 years ago my wife and I biked through Southern Norway
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Jason Hartford August 7, 2022
Memorable trip well organized
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
We had a great experience with Bike Tours. Positive: good communication pre trip and the night before. Good pre-trip description of the hotel locations, hotels, and what to expect from the bikes. Night prior, very good review of what to expect. We rented the premium bikes and glad we did--worked very well. On the tour, very good ideas of what to see, and the distance between towns seemed to be well thought out with the first and last legs the shortest. Hotels were great. A diversity of new and classic and all had more to them than what I expected. Often ate at the hotel restaurants which were very good.
On the negative side, not much. Directions into and out of town accurate except the last leg going into Vienna -- on that one Google maps was much better.
We will definitely do another trip with Bike Tours and even this exact one-- it was memorable and fun and want to experience it with more friends.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- first
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Azmina Karim-Bondy August 5, 2022The title is good and descriptive
· Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest
Cycling is a great way to see the country. Having the self-guided books were great and the tour representatives were very responsive. However, we found sometimes the instructions in the booklets were not as clear as they could be and sometimes did not have the correct information for our trip. Overall, though we had a great experience, the hotels were good, the luggage transfer worked well and we saw some wonderful sights!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
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★★★★★ Matt F August 5, 2022
Loved it!
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
This was a fantastic way to see Austria. The hotels were excellent and the food was to die for. No problems at all with bikes, luggage, navigation, or reservations. Stunning views that change with each leg of the trip and excellent opportunities to see some off-the-beaten-path sights. Very much recommend.
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★★★★★ Francisco Perches August 5, 2022Land and Water
· Danube River and Black Sea
A magic journey with an intimate touch with the wonders of the geography, ancient and actual cultures, nature, tastes and spirit of its people is what for me mean this Bulgaria-Romania exciting highly recommended and safe bike tour.
Francisco ( Mexico ) -
★★★★★ Bryan Lee August 5, 2022
A great way to cycle tour along the Danube through Austria.
· · Danube Delights: Cycling and Cruising in the Footsteps of Royalty
A great way to cycle tour along the Danube through Austria. Plenty of riding through beautiful, historic, picturesque towns and countryside during the day and to come back on board for the 5 star accommodation at night. Just enough exercise to not feel guilty going back for seconds at their magnificent buffets.
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★★★★★ Rena Benor August 5, 2022
Bike Paradise
· · Danube Delights: Cycling and Cruising in the Footsteps of Royalty
We absolutely loved the boat trip! Service was A++! Every single thing was taken care of! We did not have to do a thing! The bikes were taken off and on to the boat, the food was amazing! Such high quality of food, lovely waiters and waitresses! Our Host, George, was wonderful! Very friendly and helpful! We were prepped the night before on the bike course. The goodbye party was incredible and so fun!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Brian Bronson August 4, 2022
Far exceeds expectations
· · Danube Discovery: Bike and Boat through Enchanting Capitals
What a deal. 8days 7 nights w attentive staff. Amazing biking. Great food. Fun times. Would love to do it again w other friends. Highly recommend for a wonderful time on the Danube.
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★★★★★ John McNeiece August 4, 2022
Trip of a lifetime
· · Danube Experience Bike and Boat Passau-Vienna-Budapest-Belgrade-Iron Gates-Passau
We had been anticipating this trip for two years and it lived up to all our expectations and more. Riding bikes in 6 different countries over 14 days was amazing! The bikes were great. The boat was perfect. The staff was nothing but helpful and professional. We are already planning a follow-up tour. The folks at biketours.com did a great job with all the details!
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★★★★★ Gary Hirschkron August 4, 2022
Gorgeous Trip!
· Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest
Absolutely glorious!
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★★★★★ Hugh Larkin August 4, 2022
2 Bucket list items completed
· · Danube Discovery: Bike and Boat through Enchanting Capitals
We have wanted to do a bike & boat tour as well as a bike tour along the Danube for many years (we previously did multi-week self-supported bike tours). In 2019, we thought we would be doing the latter for 2020, but a virus shut down everything. Even after the shutdown, BikeTours.com kept us informed and motivated about bike touring once a normalcy to life returned.
In late 2021, when we could see travel was resuming, we began to look at various tours offered and found the Passau-Budapest-Passau boat & bike tour that fit very nicely into our developing "2022 grand Europe tour".
BikeTours personnel quickly responded to all questions we had which made the booking extremely easy. And they and the tour operator provided us all the booking info before we departed for europe over a month before we were to experience this event.
Once in Passau, and aboard ship (we were able to board early), we were able to unpack and relax. Our rented e-bikes were like new and were pre-adjusted to our heights. Instructions regarding operation and charging were clearly given.
At all times, the crew was very courteous and helpful, which was extremely appreciated as we were the only "native-english" speakers onboard. The food was excellent and plentiful, and we appreciated the vegetarian options provided.
Every day's itinerary was clearly provided, including detailed maps. The bikes worked wonderfully and provided us an opportunity to try an e-bike. We enjoyed the extra guided excursions into Bratislava and Vienna.
Disembarking the Prinzessin Katherina was also painless. Before reaching Passau, the crew made taxi arrangements for us and many others. Hard to beat service like that!
Overall, we had a wonderful tour. Plus we ticked off 2 b-list items. We are now wondering what will be our next BikeTours.com tour!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 12 (2 weeks to 4 months long)
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
