Bike Tour Reviews  Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest


Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest

COUNTRY: Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia

13 nights
4.6/5 (14)
Rider Level: Recreational Electric bike tours Primarily bike paths
Rider Level: Recreational Electric bike tours Primarily bike paths

4.6/5 (14)
13 nights

Self guided from EUR € 1449

Self-guided:
Sundays: Mar 31 - Apr 12, 2024; Sep 29 - Oct 6 ,2024. Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays: Apr 13 - May 24, 2024; Sep 7 - Sep 28, 2024. Daily: May 25 - Sep 6, 2024.

Description:
Explore the picturesque paths along the winding Danube River, like the Romans, the legendary Nibelungs, and even Europe's powerful kings and emperors. You'll get to know the beauty and historical significance of this ancient military and trading route…

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  • Danube Cycle Path
    (5/5) margaretelliott51 July 3, 2016

    One of the Best Experiences Ever-Just "do it"

    This is the perfect way to experience some of the wonderful regions along the Danube. My husband I decided to do the cycle trips on offer that went from the beautiful German town of Passau to the amazing City of Budapest.This was a combination of two 7 day options. We were so pleased we put these together. The Biketours.com group were very organised and helpful and made the arrangements seamless from the booking on the website to the delivery of bikes and vouchers at our first meeting point. Our bikes were in great condition and the maps and advice was excellent.The trip itself was a very easy cycle way and I would advise anyone with a desire to do this to-"just go and do it"- you will not regret it. Use this company as they managed out hotel bookings, out luggage transfers and were available on the end of the phone if needed. We chose a self guided option and did not regret that at all.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May -June 2016
    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much 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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) the Dance Lady June 15, 2017

    My kind of travel!!

    We loved the tour and the close contact with nature!

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 1-12, 2017
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) larry137 June 26, 2017

    Donauworth to Budapest

    This was self-guided but with accom and luggage transfers looked after by biketours. The accoms were very nice, and transfers reliable. Included buffet breakfasts were a highlight. Bikes were ok - heavy but route flat so not a problem. Gears and brakes worked well. Odometers mostly did not work - possibly batteries dead. Maps were quite good, but simultaneous verbal descriptions were sometimes ambiguous or wrong. The directions to the accommodations were a bit confusing and could be improved - we had to rely on our GPS for most of them. We like to stop for coffee or picnics, and for parts of our ride, there were no places to get a coffee or a drink enroute. There were parts of the ride with terrific smooth surfaces along the river but quite a few sections where cycling was on rough gravel or even grass.
    What made the ride memorable were the beautiful vistas of the countryside and the spectacular art, architecture and history in the cities.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 26 - June 17
    How many tours have you completed?
    10
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, Families with young kids
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 3/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) Bikers September 25, 2017

    Passau to Budapest

    A great way to explore parts of the Danube and its environs including historical and present day influences. Good hotels with local cuisine, culture and friendly hosts. A great way to meet like minded fellow travellers and get lots of fresh air with exercise.

    What was the date of your tour?
    2 - 15 September 2017
    How many tours have you completed?
    Nil
    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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 1/5 Tour documents
    • 2/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) robbo1 June 14, 2019

    Long way from home

    A great ride overall especially the Passau to Vienna was superb. Vienna to Budapest was more of an adventure with the trail not so well developed.

    What was the date of your tour?
    19th May 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    1 previous
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) MAURO June 20, 2019

    What was the date of your tour?
    05/18 to 06/03
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Todd August 27, 2019

    What a Great Way to See Europe!

    We did the cycle trip from Passau to Budapest. Its two trips really as the trip to Vienna is a bit different than the trip from Vienna to Budapest in terms of cycle experience but each were satisfying in their own ways. The paths in Austria were better generally than the paths in Slovakia and Hungary. The entire way was well signed generally with just a couple exceptions, and easy to follow with the map. Navigating the larger towns and cities was a bit more challenging. The services support was great from the tour operator, our luggage arrived reliably every day and the accommodations were very satisfactory overall. We had a problem with the Hotel Peklo in Komarno in that they provided us a room that (1) had obviously been a smoking room recently, and (2) had been flooded from the bathroom the day before (hotel explained) and the carpet was still wet and eventually left a musty smell in the room. The room should never have been offered. Additionally, management made no attempt to assist us in covering over the wet area so that we wouldn't slip on the tile in the bathroom. Would not recommend this hotel for your stay. Otherwise, the trip was excellent and I would recommend this cycle adventure without reservation!

    What was the date of your tour?
    8/10 to 8/24
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Steven Froehlich August 3, 2022

    Amazing Trip

    My wife and I had an amazing adventure down the Danube. Accommodations were lovely, charming, distinct, beautiful. Hosts were gracious and hospitable. We purchased the half board, and the meals were generous, delicious, and varied. The European colleagues were available for assistance, and were helpful. The bike path from Passau to Vienna was extremely well maintained, and in most places very clearly marked. The path from Vienna to Budapest included several river crossings (some by boat), and while the path seemed less clearly marked and in some stretches was less well developed (gravel & field paths), the GPX files provided by the team in Vienna provided exact navigation. The US colleagues were wonderful to work with in arranging the trip details.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 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
    •  (photo by Steven Froehlich)
    •  (photo by Steven Froehlich)
    •  (photo by Steven Froehlich)
    •  (photo by Steven Froehlich)
    •  (photo by Steven Froehlich)
    •  (photo by Steven Froehlich)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Laura Snyder August 4, 2022

    A great, beautiful challenge

    This was a great challenge. The Danube Bike Trail is magnificent - it's something that everyone who enjoys biking should do at least once in thier lives. And parts of it they should do more than once. This tour was perfect for obtaining an understanding of the trail. When I do it again, I'll bike fewer kilometers per day in order to have more time and energy to visit the beautiful and fascinating places along the way.
    The support provided by the local company was good. Suitcase delivery was dependable. When, two days into my trip, I realized that it would be better to have an e-bike, they delivered one to me that very day. (Unless you are in very good shape and know exactly what you are doing, I highly recommend you go for an e-bike).
    I preferred the trail from Passau to Bratislava. After Bratislava the trail changes - it is not as well sign-posted (it's especially poor in Hungary), and the surfaces at times are challenging (several gravel roads, unpaved paths, and at one point you follow a dirt path in between train tacks and an agricultural field without a single sign post to be found). Also after Bratislava siginificant portions of the path are so far from the river you cannot see it, which makes the lack of sign posting a bigger problem. Arriving in Budapest was a shock to my system - after two weeks of peaceful countryside, I wasn't ready for the hustle, bustle and noise of the city.

    I don't recommend getting the meals package. I did and regretted it. While some of the restaurants offered excellent meals as well as excellent service, most did not. Most of the restaurants offered me highly limited choices of mostly bland, uninteresting food and resentful service, I guess because I was paying less than the customers ordering a la carte? Whatever their reasons were, they definitely made me feel like a second-class customer. I would have been happy to pay more for more interesting food and kinder service.

    My biggest critique is that it was impossible to reach anyone at Biketours.com by phone. Covid or not, I strongly fault them for this - it's not right to sell complex and costly tours like this without being willing to speak with your customers. It would have been extremely helpful for me to be able to speak with someone knowledgeable at least once while planning my trip to be sure I was making the right choices for me.

    I did this tour as a woman in my mid-50s, traveling alone. I never felt unsafe. If I can do this tour, anyone who can ride a bike can do it. But I do recommend an e-bike.

    What was the date of your tour?
    April-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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 1/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Gary Hirschkron August 4, 2022

    Gorgeous Trip!

    Absolutely glorious!

  • (4/5) Azmina Karim-Bondy August 5, 2022

    The title is good and descriptive

    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
    • 3/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) Ricardo Hein November 7, 2022

    Nice biking vacation

    The Danube is beautiful and the Austrian portion is beautiful. After Vienna it turns flat and less developed. The opportunity to share with people is limited by the places to stay, I didn't like to stay away from the towns in isolated guest houses, when guest homes were available in small towns.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    • 2/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 2/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 2/5 Local tour company services
  • (5/5) Fady Abiassaf November 9, 2022

    nice trip

    nice trip, nice company, good organization, almost perfect, nice company people and always worry about every detail of our trip. Nice views along our trip, nice towns, nice people in Austria, Slovenia and Hungary.

  • (5/5) Tim Frendin 7 months ago

    The best way to explore this part of the world!

    A great cycle ride for all. The 650km from Passau to Budapest is not nearly as daunting as it first may seem. Plenty of time to for an otherwise active person to accommodate the challenge of riding 4 hours or so each day and enjoy the experience. Excellent flat course on mostly paved, purpose built cycle paths. Great, historic towns and cities to explore along the way but much of the ride is through glorious riverside and countryside, away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Excellent accommodation every night and fabulous organisation from BikeTours ensured a truly memorable and magnificent holiday for us. Unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended!

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection