Bike Tour Reviews Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Self guided from EUR € 769
Self-guided:
Daily: Apr 01- Oct 07, 2023
Description:
This is the 'Classic' version of the Danube Bike Path tour. For 5-star hotels in different towns along the way, please also see the Upscale Lodging version of this tour. For a sportier break featuring longer cycling distances on a more compact itinerary…
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★★★★★ Jenny Hager 1 month agoGreat trip for young teens and adults!
Our group of six, ranging in age from 13 to mid-thirties to mid-sixties, had a great time doing the Danube Classic in August 2023.
Throughout the planning process, BikeTours staff was helpful, courteous, and prompt - even when I kept making changes to our hotel and bike requirements.
Although the local tour operator - Radius Tours or Radreisefreunde - failed to show up for our scheduled bike fitting on the day before we starting riding, they provided good bikes and fabulous support van service. I would use them again.
We ordered support van service for the week. Our driver, Ernst, transported our luggage each day, followed us along the route as closely as he could, and provided suggestions on routes and places to stop. When the weather turned rainy or when we encountered the very rare hill that was too much of a challenge for a couple of us, he was there to give us a lift and put our bikes on the trailer. He arrived on time every morning no matter if we planned to start early or late and made sure we made it to our destination at the end of each day. His English was limited so it helped that one member of our group spoke some German. But we think we would have been able to communicate well-enough even if none of us spoke German. He was kind, cheerful, and courteous.
Riding along the Danube is easy - except on the very rare occasion when you have to get up a hill to reach a couple of the hotels. We ordered e-bikes for my thirteen year old nephew and for the adults who didn’t have a chance to get in shape before the trip, but two of us had traditional bikes. Those on e-bikes had no trouble reaching those hotels, but those of us with traditional bikes had to get off and walk - or be rescued by our driver.
Riding along the Danube is also very safe and lovely. Most of the time, you ride on a paved dedicated bike paths and quiet roads through towns and countryside. Sometimes the dedicated bike path runs next to busy roads but we felt safe. Sometimes you have to navigate through light traffic. The route is very well marked with signs. There are bridges and cute bike ferries that enable you to cross from one side of the river to another.
We chose the upgraded (Category A) hotels. They were all quite different, but all were clean and comfortable. All of them served breakfast. Some do not serve dinner, and it is important to know that before you finish riding for the day so that you can make arrangements - especially if your hotel is slightly out of town or up a hill. Based on other reviews, we did not choose the included dinner option at those hotels that offered it, so we were able to order from the menus.
We ordered twin beds for everyone on our trip. In Austria that seems to mean that you get a king-size mattress but two twin-size duvets. This arrangement worked fine for our group but might feel awkward if you’re not expecting it or if you are rooming with someone you don’t know well. SHOW MORE
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Abdulla Alhebsi 4 months ago
First bike trip
Perfect trip in perfect time, highly recommended.
Started from Passau to vienna. Will be good to book extra night in Passau- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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BikeTours.com staff reply from jan May 26, 2023
Very cool pics! Thanks for your business.
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★★★★★ Ara 9 months ago
Real unique experience!
The Danube 7 night classic
An extraordinary experience of enjoying the outdoors, the gorgeous and changing scenery, passing through and stopping to discover quaint little towns, friendly people... all at the same time, staying active!
We appreciated the local agent contact and support. The partner bike company in Europe were very accommodating. We asked for some deviations from the package and they were cheerfully provided - Thank you, Kirsten Hollister and Luka Manjgaladze!!
One interesting surprise was The Schloss at Aschach hotel. Although a very unique place with some history, it was contrary to our expectations for overnight accommodations. Although Louisa (the owner's Mom) was so gracious and such a friendly hostess!
The bikes were great! While my wife, who loves biking, chose the manual bike and had absolutely no trouble with it, at 65 years old, I picked the e-bike. Was it necessary? I don't think so, but I'm glad I did. It awarded me the added comfort and ability to focus on enjoying my surroundings, rather than worry about how long do I need to peddle and possible achy old bones at the end of the day :)
Thank you BIKETOURS -
★★★★★ Stephen A 10 months ago
Quiet roads and beautiful scenary
What a great way to see the sites along the Danube! Starting out the last week of September, the bike trail was very quiet. I enjoyed the solitude and how easy it was to just stop along the way and take in the sites. While the trail was nearly empty, the agricultural fields were busy with harvest activities.
Logistically, everything worked great. The accommodations were all nice and directions to them clear. My bag arrived at every stop.
I would take another tour with BikeTours!- What was the date of your tour?
- September/October 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ James Davidson 11 months ago
Our Danube Cycling tour - Sept 20-29
Before I get started I wanted to thank Penelope for all her help and assistance.
We had a fabulous time. We flew into Vienna and took the train to Passau
where our hotel shuttle picked us up at the train station. The Hotels that
were set up for us were great although there were some minor snafoos along the way.
The bikes were delivered along with maps and itenerary for us with path suggestions
hotel locations and contact information.When we got to our hotel in Ashach, the hotel looked closed and the hotel door was locked.
There was no note on the door as to what to do. We called the contact number and was
told how to check-in remotely but we had to wait until someone walked out of the
door to be able to go in. The placed still looked closed, no lights, etc, but we
did find our room keys at the front desk. Just a little weird but we got through
it.We ride a lot at home so 20-25 miles isn't a lot of distance for us so we opted
for the 7 day ride (6 actual days riding). We realized that riding some days
at 40+ miles, although easy to ride, really wasn't enough time to stop and smell
the roses! Our fault for picking this plan but I would suggest to others that
riding 8 days would give you more time to see the sites.We didn't think a lot of things through, like riding through the Wachau region on Sunday
when everything was closed! Bummer. Beautiful but not a lot open that day. I guess
that is why they ran the Wachau Marathon on that day. Being an ex-marathoner, it was
fun to see all the runners.We had an issue with the brakes on my bike and we were directed by the Eurobike contact
where to go for the repair in Kremms. It didn't cost a lot and not enough to be reimbursed,
just some time lost.The hotels really were marvelous and directions to them couldn't have been better.
Our ride day into Vienna was raining and cold so when we got to our hotel, they
were sorry for us as we shivered and had a coffee in the bar, so they upgraded our
room! Score!The path is fabulous on both sides of the Danube. There were "Donauradweg" signs everywhere,
maps of the path and areas, path suggestions into and our of the towns if you wanted to
get off the main path. Guesthouses and cafes along the path were great. We had a fabulous time
and would suggest it to anyone else who might want to ride this route.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 20, 2022 - September 29, 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- This is the only 'tour' but have ridden many 400-500 mile week long cycling events in the United States
- 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
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★★★★★ Brianna Oehm 11 months ago
First solo trip & first bike trip!
Absolutely would recommend this tour for anyone! I went in April which was a bit chilly, but had the trails to myself. I felt very supported by the staff if I needed, but was independent the whole time. Fairly flat and easy trail, but the mileage added up throughout the week. Hotels were easy to find and lovely to stay at!
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 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, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Brianna Oehm 11 months ago
First solo trip & first bike trip!
Absolutely would recommend this tour for anyone! I went in April which was a bit chilly, but had the trails to myself. I felt very supported by the staff if I needed, but was independent the whole time. Fairly flat and easy trail, but the mileage added up throughout the week. Hotels were easy to find and lovely to stay at!
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 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, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Susan and Roger Kelly August 4, 2022
Awesome trip.
Loved it but more km than we expected. Would have appreciated personal contact when we arrived but there was some confusion. Otherwise it was a beautiful way to experience Austria.
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★★★★★ Pattio October 22, 2019
Danube recycle
A delightful way to see the Danube. Many exceptional views of castles and cathedrals along the way.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 4-11
- How many tours have you completed?
- Four
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Cyllene October 9, 2019
Fabulous trip!
We thoroughly enjoyed our experience. There were a couple of directional issues, but we got to our destination each day & enjoyed every mile we pedaled.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 19-26, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ cruzinrx October 4, 2019
Take your time and savor every moment of this scenic ride
I visited the Wachau wine valley on a day tour last year and just had to come back to see more of this trail and I was not disappointed. Such spectacular scenery with mostly dedicated bike trails and even the special bike ferries! As a solo female traveler, I felt very safe the whole time.Very clean, no graffiti, no weirdos living in the bushes. Although the mileage for this bike tour was considered "average", I really would not have minded even shorter riding days. So many places to stop and see along the way...beautiful churches, architecture, cute towns (Melk, just wow!), abbeys, monasteries, museums, coffee and beer breaks. On the longer riding days (60+km), I had to be careful not to spend too much time in one place so I could make it to my hotel before daylight ran out. Signage for the route was clearly posted however it is easy to get distracted by the scenic views. It is advisable to study the map ahead of time and watch for the bridge if you want to cross the river to see a particular monument. Be aware of adding the extra dinner package. You have to select from a special limited menu and it's the same 3 choices no matter what city/hotel you are in. If I were to choose from the regular menu, I would have picked other foods and it would have been significantly cheaper. Overall, I would do this ride again. My advise for future travelers, is to take your time and savor every moment of this beautiful ride.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 18
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ pennworld September 29, 2019
NICE
Nice trip. Only drizzled one day. September is the time to go. Not many people on the path. Could have used shorter segments as there was not enough time to see most things off the path. Hotels were very nice with excellent breakfasts.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 5-13
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Calgary Couple September 28, 2019
Great bike trip!
The bike path along the Danube is excellent. It's near impossible to get lost as the "R1" or "R6" are clearly marked the entire way. I have to agree that this is a "mostly flat" route but when leaving the river and heading through villages, it can be a bit hilly (and we are regular, avid cyclists). We did struggle twice trying to find our hotel (and came across others experiencing the same problem) and needed to use our phones and google maps to find them. Perhaps the tour company could consider more detailed instructions than "turn right at the statue". We never did see that statue!! But that's part of the adventure too! We found two of the hotels a bit far out from the main city area (Aschach and Krems). We prefer finding little cafes or family owned establishments when on this type of trip and do not like eating in the hotel restaurants. In Aschach, there was no meal available at the hotel and after cycling in the POURING rain for 4 hours, we had to either get back on the bike or walk 2 km back to the village to find dinner. The hotels themselves, however, were great. Luggage transfer was excellent. The bikes were good and we never had any problems with them.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 8
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Jackie1234 September 23, 2019
Danube trip
Very scenic, well thought out tour of what has been described as the most popular cycle route in Europe. I picked this tour among other choices because the last day was short, allowing extra time in Vienna and the cations overnights stays.
The (upgraded) hotels were fantastic, breakfasts wonderful. The accompanying maps & books were complete, though directions to popular city attractions would have been helpful (Goggle Maps with cycle directions will be your friend if you want to make side trips) Bikes were in excellent condition, though i found the seat initially uncomfortable (and I ride 40+ miles/week).
I would recommend this tour to those friends wanting to cycle along the Danube, noting that European fitness levels are higher than than American and there are opportunities for elevation for those whose who want it by taking side trips to hotels or other sites/detours.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Terri September 11, 2019
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 30- September 4, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Gnome August 1, 2019
Nice but not the Moselle
I cannot sparkly highly enough of the Biketours. The organisation of the trip was flawless, including an exchange of a standard bike for an e bike part way through the trip. We went with the up market accommodation and this certainly meet or exceeded our expectations. One comment I’d like to make was we didn’t realise the upmarket hotels are usually away from the town centres. There were three couple in our group and we all enjoyed the Danube but the general consensus was it was not as pretty or as interesting as the ride we did along the Moselle also with Biketours a few years ago.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- This is our second one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Lynn M July 31, 2019
Daube Bike Path 7 nights
The staff were great and the hotels were up to expectations. On commencing the instructions for the first 2 days were good but the bike tracks should be labelled eg R1 or No 6 - this would be helpful. Also with the instructions we were given - you would need a GPS. We rode 10km out of our way because we missed a sign and directions were not helpful. Locals did point us in the right direction ..but we had to resort to "google maps" Some people had assisted with spray painting the track with directions...so our confusion wasn't a one off.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Team Hylton June 17, 2019
Downhill on the Danube
I felt like I was riding through a storybook! We loved the beautiful little villages and cities we biked through! We chose to do the tour on our own and we were delighted that the directions and signposts were easy to follow. We biked in late May and enjoyed wild roses and red poppies brightening our trail! Many times we felt we were riding electric bikes because we were flying on the bike paths! We are in our late sixties, in excellent health and found the trail very do-able even though we don’t bike very often.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 26-June1, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Scott June 4, 2019
Great trip!
Toured the Danube path from Passau to Vienna. Hotels were all excellent. The bike path was mostly easy to follow but be careful to stay on route at any detours. Really enjoyed the flexibility of a self guided tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 5/18 - 5/23/2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- first overseas tour
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
