Vienna to Budapest (Classic)

“No fault of your operator, we arrived in Vienna in midst of Storm Boris, and historic Danube flooding. While the tour operator did great job trying to accomodate for ever changing conditions, we only managed to cycle 3 of 6 days... Flooding made sections impassable, including last couple days. What we did see while cycling was not particularly scenic. And I'd heard that the Vienna/Budapest ride was not the best of sections to ride along the Danube, but my experience was limited. Bratislava was definitely worth a stay over and Budapest is a city we enjoyed very much throughout our extended stay (5 nights).” Less

“We really enjoyed our self-guided bike trip to Budapest. All the logistics were handled without any hitches. Our luggage was always waiting for us at our hotel each night. The bikes we rented were near new and well tuned and very easy and pleasant to ride. We relied on the Radreise Freunde app for maps and points of interest. Apart from a few bugs in the navigation, it worked great and the EuroVelo 6 was clearly marked.

The only negatives worth noting are that parts of the EuroVelo 6 were not paved which required us to ride on some buys roads which was unpleasant, or ride on gravel paths or even muddy tracks (for short periods). Each town we lodged in was charming in its own way. But there was not much to see in between destinations. So each day it was about biking and getting to our stop. One note to bikers, the EuroVelo from Vienna to Budapest is not shaded. We had a week of very hot weather and the sun was very intense so plan accordingly. Other than that the routes are flat and easy to ride, even with some of the longer distances.

We had once instance, in Gyor, where our hotel was not a "usually contracted hotel" and was 10kms out side of the centrum that required biking through some busy industrial areas and roads to reach our hotel. And we would have had to ride back into Gyor another 10kms the next day to start the ride had we not insisted on the tour operator driving us and our bikes to the start of our ride. Most unfortunate was we did not get enough time to explore Gyor which was the nicest stop on the tour.

The tour coordinators were all very responsive to our needs and helped with any coordination issues we had prior to, and during our tour.” Less

“We did the Passau-Vienna ride a few years back and wanted to keep going! This ride is a bit different, but still well worth the trip. Days are not difficult. Even the first (longest day) was not a problem for any of us. Flying into Vienna, we had time to settle in before the meeting with the vendor to go over travel documents and receive our bikes. Note that tourist tax is still due at check in, we were notified by this so no surprise. Some had to share a double bed as they didn't have enough two single rooms at the hotel in Vienna even though we requested one. The remainder of the hotels all had our rooms with two beds. Upon receiving or travel documents and bikes, there were a number of issues (bikes too big, squishy front suspension forks, lack of locks, no cycling computer) with the bikes that were addressed and fixed either on-site or in the next 24 hours. Two bikes were a bit too big and the riders used them for the first leg and got their smaller bikes in Bratislava. Apart from that, all 12 of or bikes worked well for the duration of our ride. All hotels met or exceeded expectations. Breakfasts all surpassed the standard continental breakfasts here in the states. We purchased the dinner package as well and all meals were filling and complemented the destination. One of our riders was a vegan and most places were able to deliver him a suitable meal. Only real issue was upon arriving in Bratislava, we were told by our hotel that they didn't have rooms for us, and that the company booked us other rooms elsewhere. I it was a bit of a challenge getting there as it involved bringing bikes up flights of stairs, but the substitute hotel was nice, returned to the overbooked one for our dinner. With the exception of one day, our bags were at the hotel before us. The ride was a bit different each day. Though it doesn't follow the Danube entirely like the Passau-Vienna ride, you do get some time along the river. Most of the towns were what you would expect traveling through the European countryside. A nice church, or castle here or there. Bike trails part of the time, trails that paralleled roads and then roads. Most of the terrain is in good condition with the exception of a section of the bike path before Esztergom which took some time to get through. Few hills or changes in elevation. The busy roads were the chief complaint from the group. Not many during the beginning but the last two days of the ride were a bit stressful for some. If you are comfortable with road riding, you will be fine. Often times, away from the capitals, we encountered clerks, and wait staff that didn't speak any English so have a good translation app or patience to communicate. Most of us liked this we really felt like travelers and not tourists. Navigational materials were excellent. The app that the company provided was helpful with keeping us on trail the whole time, and the printed maps were additionally helpful. I would recommend this ride if you have already done there Passau-Vienna ride and are looking for more. Off to plan the next one!” Less