Bike Tour Reviews Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging) (page 3)
-
★★★★★ RS52 July 8, 2019Overall Great Experience from Start to End!!
This was our first bike tour as a family, but based on our experience, it won't be our last. Overall, everything went smoothly and was great!! BikeTours was responsive to my many questions and easy to work with. The representative from the tour company brought the bikes and documentation as expected, and was flexible when one bike didn't fit correctly (our error) and needed to be exchanged. Service at every stop was very good to outstanding, and the accommodations were very comfortable and clean without exception! Our luggage was smoothly transported from one day to the next. The bikes were comfortable, and riding along the Danube was really special!
I agree with another reviewer who suggested reading through the touring documents each evening to decide on where to stop the next day. That worked well for us too. We also brought snacks and water, and made a point of stopping regularly, given particularly warm weather. I would also recommend having at least one phone with a GPS application, as finding the specific hotels was sometimes challenging, particularly in the larger cities.
Biking through small cities and towns provided a different type of vacation experience for us, as we are used to visiting larger cities. We really enjoyed seeing the country in this way. I found a few of the longer days of biking to be challenging, but as promised, the path was flat to slightly downhill and we were on bike paths for the majority of the time. Even in Vienna, there were bike lanes in the city to get us to the hotel. The paths were well traveled and always felt safe.
Overall, everything was great and I would do it again in a second!
(There were 4 of us traveling...my husband, me and our 2 children in their early 20's. We really liked the flexibility of being self-guided.)
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- Just this one
- 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
-
★★★★★ WalterBetta June 30, 2019
Unforgetable trip !!!
The tour was really great, cycling beside the Danube. The hotels were really good and the tour was easy for the majority of the group of 10 people
- What was the date of your tour?
- June, 08 thru 15 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ T and C June 23, 2019
Well organized, no drama, couple hotels ehh
Biketours.com was very helpful. I emailed lots of questions to them and always got a prompt reply.
The ebikes were great, I couldn’t have done the trip without them. We had a couple of 60km days because of sightseeing, which was too far. 40-45 km should be the distance for upscale in my opinion. We also had 3 hotels with NO air conditioning, Surprising and disappointing considering we paid for upscale lodging. Apparently you can state A/C as a requirement at booking time, I just assumed with the upscale hotel fee that would be included..live and learn.
To me the trip was not completely flat, I mean it is mostly flat, but no way would I do this without ebikes.
Route is well marked, but still an adventure. If you like a vacation that is a bit different, do this one!
- What was the date of your tour?
- Early june
- How many tours have you completed?
- First one
- 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
-
★★★★★ sandivet2003 May 3, 2019
Surpassed our expectations!
This tour surpassed our expectations in many ways. We were provided with reliable, sturdy hybrid bicycles that were well maintained, comfortable to ride, and decked out with a headlight, tail light, a (rather challenging to open at times) cable combination bike lock, large waterproof handlebar bag (that allowed easy viewing of directions and maps), bike computer, waterproof pannier, and bike tools/flat repair kit (which we never needed). Who cares if they weren't Trek bikes? (They were better than my own Trek.)
On the evening of our arrival in Passau (day 1), we were met at our hotel by a tour representative (fluent English-speaking) who provided us with the bikes (which fit us well), maps and cue sheets as well as an overview of our planned tour and ideas for places/activities to check out on the way. Each hotel we stayed at appeared to have been thoughtfully chosen to provide us with the best local experience--the least "upscale" one was in Schlogen, Austria (the room was quite basic and we needed ear plugs), but we had a spectacular view. The most upscale was Schloss Duernstein--it was like a castle! All breakfasts were terrific (lots of selection, hearty options, and the best breads I've had anywhere). Furthermore, the actual route was terrific--safe, low traffic and chockful of spectacular views! I was originally concerned that we started out on cobblestones and dirt paths for a bit in Passau, but the bikes were so sturdy and had such good suspension that didn't matter. I felt in control of the ride at all times. Most of the time, public restrooms were available on the route and were adequately spaced out so I only needed to do the "hide behind a tree or bush" thing a couple of times.
A couple of warnings to future travelers: 1) We went in April, and only the final hotel (in Vienna) had legitimate air conditioning (per North American standards). It was unexpectedly warm in the evenings, and we wished we had brought a fan (only the first hotel in Passau provided us with one), particularly since all hotel beds had thick duvets for covers. I can't imagine what it'd be like for people traveling during the summer. 2) Do some research before arriving in Melk. This was the only place we got lost and had to use our cellphones for GPS because the cue sheets weren't specific to our particular circumstances (they covered only instructions for people staying at certain hotels there, which we were not). But we did eventually find our way, and we're already thinking about planning our next trip!
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 19, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1 other one (Thailand)
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ WallyB November 12, 2018
Excellent Service
Biketours did an excellent job putting this together. To begin they were exceptionally accommodating when, three days prior to our arrival, my wife had a small accident in which she strained her groin and they were able to meet a last minute request to upgrade to an e-cycle with no issues.
The pre trip check in was informative. The maps were exceptionally detailed which made navigating the route very easy. They also gave detailed written information of the sites you would see along the way and at your destination. I would recommend reading up on the route the night before and planning one or two site seeing adventures to supplement your day of cycling. These are especially cool as they are self planned and you are not limited to the tours that your tour or cruise company sets out thus you can get off the beaten track a bit more and feel a little less like a tourist. Perhaps our favourite stops was the Hinterhaus ruin in Spitz. It required a 1km backtrack from a really neat ferry, asking for directions and a walk up a trail but when we arrived we were the only people there - a thousand year old castle in the middle of wine country in Austria all to ourselves - spectacular.
The biking was what we expected. As we were heading with the river it was slightly downhill however this was pretty much imperceptible. We were provided with odometers that made navigating with the well marked maps very easy. We found with our various detours and occasional trek past a required turn that we were putting in about 50-60 km per day - about the right amount of distance and interesting scenery so that it didn’t not seem like a slog while still feeling like we got a good day of exercise in. The bikes were serviceable road bikes, not spectacular but new and well tuned. If you own a hybrid mountain road bike like I do expect these to be a bit heavier and have thicker tires. You were given enough bags to take your day to day stuff including a front bag with a clear top to allow the map to be front and centre when you rode and a pannier for the more heavy items.
Accommodations were amazing. The hotels ranged from upscale basic to positively spectacular. I suspect that the hotels vary slightly from tour to tour, however, if you find you are staying at the Schloss Dürnstein you are in for a treat - our favourite hotel by far. The breakfasts at every hotel were simply over the top, I would try to list the spread but it would take too much effort. We were able to eat enough at breakfast that snacks and water were all we needed during our day of cycling. We then would eat an early-ish dinner and make out just fine. Our luggage was always there when we arrived, we were even early on a couple of occasions (we hadn’t figured out how to read the tour guide prior to leaving at that point) and it preceded us and the hotel was accommodating enough to let us check in early.
Finally at the end of the tour, Biketours was able to also help us out by booking an extra night in Vienna. Which, due to my own flight booking error, I discovered I had to cancel. No real questions, they cancelled and gave us a refund - again Biketours made it easy for us. SHOW MORE
- What was the date of your tour?
- Aug 16-22 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ mon1ca September 27, 2018
go with the flow
This was a trip I had been looking forward to for a few years. It was planned with my "biking buddy" and we had two other people who had agreed to go along for the ride. Unfortunately, both my bike buddy and myself broke our wrists in biking accidents in Passau the day before the trip was to start.
It was such a huge disappointment to us and our two non-riders did complete the ride without us. They thoroughly enjoyed it and were able to compete it without too much effort on their e-bikes.
First off, I want to say that both my friend and I (who both broke our wrists) are fairly experienced e-bike riders. I will say that switching fro our 26" wheels in the USA to 29" wheels on European e-bikes was difficult -- especially for those under 5'4". That being said, the bikes are truly nice, it just takes a bit to get used to them.
I can't say enough good things about the tour company who arranged for us to ride each day with the person delivering luggage from hotel to hotel. Without the effort on the part of the bike tour company, we would have incurred a significant expense, on top of the bike tour we couldn't actually ride to complete.
Our hope is to go back next year and try again -- primarily because of the service of the bike tour company.
We chose the 8-day upscale tour and were happy we did The hotels were all very nice and worth the extra amount.- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 8
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- 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
-
★★★★★ Tina September 8, 2018
Danube
My daughter and I loved the 7 day biking experience. The days were not too long. A great way to spend a week together exploring the Danube on a bike. Lots of opportunities to take in tourist destinations as well.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2018
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Gonzo September 8, 2018
Bike Tours Direct delivered on everything that they promised!
We were extremely pleased with Bike Tours Direct on our recent trip down the Danube. Everything that they promised, happened. Their representatives were extremely reliable, and helpful, Our luggage always was waiting at our hotel when we arrived, and their equipment was top notch. The route was well laid out. My wife and I were extremely complimentary of Bike Tour Direct
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 23
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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
-
★★★★★ Family4 September 8, 2018
A great vacation
This was a great way to experience Austria. Along the bike path are vineyards, castles, restaurants, monasteries and a concentration camp. We were able to start late morning (to accommodate the teenager sleeping schedules and work commitments) and go at our own family pace throughout the day. We selected the upscale accommodation version and enjoyed something unique at each place. The ride along the path was level, as promised. This is a very popular path and there were many other other cyclist to connect with along the way. We had a great time as a family of four riding, site seeing and reconnecting. I would highly recommend this trip to any active person / family
- What was the date of your tour?
- Aug 12-20
- 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
-
★★★★★ Kristin September 5, 2018
Such an incredible experience!
I heard about the tour on Travelling Jackie’s Instagram and was intrigued. I love to travel and thought this was such a unique way to see country. The accommodations were fantastic and the path was mostly easy to follow. The bikes were great and the local company that met with us to go over the details was very helpful. BikeTours.com was also very responsive to my emails and calls. I hadn’t been on a bike in two years (though I am physically fit) so I was a little nervous, but the tour along the Danube was no problem! All of the resources on biketour.com were very helpful and the experience was pretty much as described. I have recommended this experience on all of the travel groups I am part of on FB. Would do again in a heartbeat!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 1
- 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 young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Traveling Jackie August 2, 2018
Great for Solo Females!
I am a 33 year old female from the US, I did this tour by myself in April 2018 and I LOVED it.
I opted for the regular bike instead of the e-bike, and I was happy I did, as the route is mostly flat and the regular bike is much lighter than the e-bike. My bike seat was padded, and with padded bike shorts as well I was never uncomfortable. The bags I was provided had plenty of space for changes of clothes, hat, water, cameras, everything (bring lots of sunscreen!).
My luggage was always at the hotel ahead of me, even when I thought I was early to arrive. The days did get long towards the end of the trip, it's a long way! But I got stronger as I went, and ended up with some calves of steel. Everyone I met along the way was super nice, most people wanted to chat with me and were very friendly.
I never felt unsafe. The local bike tour company was always just a text or phone call away. They checked in with me throughout the week, I had zero issues whatsoever! There were plenty of people on the path, even in the shoulder season. In fact, I recommend going in the shoulder season because it is less crowded, I imagine it gets super busy in summer.
Definitely stop by the monastery in Engelhartzell where the monks brew their own beer, do the hike above the river bend at the Donauschlinge hotel in Schlögen (it's short and worth it), get to Melk early so you can enjoy the beautiful village, and make lots of stops of food and drinks! On that note - I opted not to get the dinner package, and I usually ended up having dinner at the hotel anyway because it was convenient, but I enjoyed the freedom of getting to choose.
I am new to cycling, but it is a fantastic way to travel and see a new place. These self-guided tours are perfect opportunities for solo cyclists (especially solo females) to get into bike touring. This is definitely just the beginning for me.
P.S. German Lesson 1: "Donauradweg" means Danube bike path, just follow the green signs :)
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2018
- 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
Video: Danube Bike Path as a Solo Female Cyclist!
-
★★★★★ Awan July 20, 2018
An unforgettable bike tour
- What was the date of your tour?
- 27 June 2018 - 5 July 2018
- 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
-
★★★★★ Johnpg July 6, 2018
A Great Austrian Cycling Adventure
The trip met or exceeded our expectations. We travelled in the shoulder season but still expected the bike trail to be packed. It wasn't, except for perhaps the last day of our ride into Vienna, which was a Sunday so there was a lot of locals enjoying the beautiful trail and scenery. That would likely be mitigated by planning one's arrival in Vienna for a weekday.
Generally the accommodations lived up to the "upscale" designation, but there were two exceptions that were for us, just mediocre at best. That could simply be that there wasn't anything nicer in those locations.
The local tour company was great, and very responsive to our needs. The bikes were fine--clearly built for wear and tear. The luggage service was perfect, and our bags were always waiting for us when we arrived.
The Danube bike trail lived up to our expectations in beauty and condition. We'd recommend this ride to anyone who enjoys bicycle travel.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- 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
-
★★★★★ Senior Adventurer July 3, 2018
Perfect Danube Bike Tour
Very enjoyable tour of a lifetime without crowds, with beautiful scenery, and with great lodging. My wife, whose last biking adventures were in her middle and high school days, proved a super biker, enjoying the exercise, scenery and challenge of biking the scenic Danube bike path. The bikes, delivered at our start hotel along with the tour package, were in excellent condition and functioned perfectly. A knowledgeable in-country guide met us at the start hotel to explain the tour information, the route instructions, bikes and equipment. The provided materials allowed us to effortlessly self navigate. After hours each day on the bike the upscale lodging met or exceeded our expectations and was greatly enjoyed. The weather mostly cooperated, spring beauty abounded, and the temperatures were perfect. We are planning our next biking adventure on the Mosel and Rhine and plan to again use BikeTours.com.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 15-22 May 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ NV_Chuck June 20, 2018
Danube Bike Ride
Four of us rode down the Danube from Passau to Vienna. It is a great route with many Austrians of varying ages on the trail, as well. Our hotels were all quite nice and the service for moving luggage and making sure that our bikes were perfect for us was all top notch.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 3 to 10, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- Several
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Portland Lefty June 20, 2018
Great Trip!
The Danube from Passau to Vienna is a wonderfully scenic and historic adventure and there is no better way to experience all of the sights and venues then by bicycle. We found the distances easily manageable for a couple in our 60s, the bikes were very comfortable and reliable, and the route directions were generally easy to follow. The accommodations were great, with the Schloss Durnstein particularly enchanting and staffed with wonderful people who were very welcoming and treated us royally. We've only been back a bit over two weeks and would love to repeat the journey.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 13 May to 21 May, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our second tour
- 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
-
★★★★★ Pearl June 15, 2018
Danube Bike 8 Day w/upgraded lodging
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 25, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ MungovanAJ October 15, 2017
Awesome experience!
Our bicycle trip from Passau to Vienna was absolutely wonderful. BikeTours performed flawlessly for which we were very thankful.
We purchased the "Upscale Lodging" which was well worth the money. Some of our hotels were stunning chateaus, others ultra-modern glass edifices, but all were very nice and located in desireable locations.
The bikes are big and heavy but ride comfortably and smoothly.
Some advice to first-timers.
1. The bikes are very big. If you are not at least 5'8" you should probably consider getting the women's bike as the cross bar on the men's bike is unusually high compared to the typical American bike.
2. Bring a little pen light to help you find the bathroom at night without waking your partner. Staying in a different hotel each night can be a little disorienting, especially at 3 AM.
3. Bring good rain gear, gloves, and a layer of warm clothing. Our last day's ride into Vienna was cold and rainy and we were all freezing by the time we reached our hotel.
4. European hotels do not typically provide sheets. Instead, you get a single plush and very warm comforter. However, if the hotel room is warm it is hard to get the covers situated so you are not too warm or too cool. I would recommend packing a small sheet--or better yet a sleeping sack--to provide that "just right" sleeping temperature.
5. BikeTours will provide you a packet of maps and directions for your trip. Study them thoroughly before each day's ride to avoid making wrong turns, especially in the bigger towns or cities. (We made some wrong turns in Vienna.)
6. You will not have access to washers and dryers. To wash your underwear and socks bring a two gallon plastic storage bag and some liquid laundry detergents. (I used Woolite.) At your hotel fill the bag with water, detergent, and your dirty laundry. Agitate, soak, agitate, soak, agitate, soak, rinse, and then hang dry. If something is still wet in the morning affix it to your bike rack and let the wind and the sun dry it while you ride. It works perfectly.
7. Be gracious. Germans and Austrians are kind, friendly people. Compliment the many things they do well, they will be very appreciative.
8. Be excited, because you'll love the trip.- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept'17
- 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
-
★★★★★ Bryan October 5, 2017
Austria Bike Trip
This was the second bike tour that we have completed; and compared to the first tour, this one felt like the local tour operator was more of a logistics company. The route was spectacular, I feel like we could have maximised the experience if we had more information, particularly when it comes to different options along the route. On several occasions we either ran out of time to see things later in the day, or arrived at the hotel around lunch time because we didn't know where we should be budgeting our time. During our Portugal trip, our local contact, Nuno, was incredible, speaking with us several times a day to ensure that we were getting the most out of the experience - this time we were flying blind on our own.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 25 Sept - 5 Oct
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1 other
- 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
-
BikeTours.com staff reply from Brittany October 6, 2017
We really appreciate your detailed review! We'll work with our operator partner on adjusting the daily recommended stops to maximize time for future clients. We hope to help you plan another tour in the future!
