Bike Tour Reviews Danube Delights Biking through Four Countries (page 3)

★★★★★ (3/5) Linda Cooper 10 months ago

Made the most of being stuck at the dock.

An act of nature meant that the boat never left the dock. The company made a point to provide activities and bike routes for 7 days in Vienna. Bike Tours was non existent when it came to communicating the changing conditions before the tour started.

What was the date of your tour?: Sept. 2024
How many tours have you completed?: 1
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: Somewhat easier

BikeTours.com staff reply from Biketours team October 21, 2024

Hi Linda, we do sincerely appreciate your willingness to make the most of an unexpected situation. Unfortunately the Danube flooding was an unprecedented and historic event which inevitably left a chaotic situation for all involved. I do apologize that Biketours team could not update you. With the dynamic situation we relied on the on board crew who had the best ability to give you the most up to date and pertinent information. I hope despite the frustrations you were able to bring home fond memories of your time in Austria.

3/5 Value
2/5 Included meals
3/5 Bikes + equipment
4/5 Hotels or boat
3/5 Scenery
1/5 Ease of navigation
4/5 Local tour company services

★★★★★ (5/5) Emily W 4 months ago

Exceeded my expectations

I've gone on a number of bike/hotel tours and really loved them. Adding the river cruise exceeded my expectations. We met many new friends, enjoyed a very nice cabin for resting, and appreciated the very helpful staff. Having a daily talk meant we were very prepared, even though we selected the self-guided experience. The only "self" portion was on the route; every other step of the way, we had guidance. All of this, in addition to the exceptional route, helped make the trip so much fun. We did experience some country-specific issues that required rerouting for biking days 2 and 3, but the cruise director acted very quickly, and we made lemonade out of lemons. I would be happy to do this kind of trip again.

If you're trying to decide between a bike/boat trip and bike/hotel trip, the major difference is that you do not have all day to complete your ride. You are on the riverboat schedule, which can make for odd timing and shortened riding days. If your primary goal is biking, then I would recommend a bike/hotel trip instead. The other downside is that you are rarely in a port during the evening. Walking around Budapest at night was a BIG highlight! On a bike/hotel tour, you can do that every night.

Lastly, I was very happy with the biketours.com experience. Everything was handled very professionally. I would book through them again, especially if I were traveling to a country where I didn't know the language. Using the site was instrumental in my finding this amazing tour, and I look forward to looking for another tour again soon!

What was the date of your tour?: April 2025
How many tours have you completed?: 4
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

5/5 Value
4/5 Included meals
4/5 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 Guides (if applicable)

★★★★★ (5/5) Michael 4 months ago

Love active travel? You’ll love this!

Meals were good / not overwhelming. Rooms were fine (we chose the upper deck). Bikes were not to the level we are used to at home and for 50-60 km days were “adequate”. There weeent many hills. The optional bike tours were great in Budapest and Vienna although you need to expect traffic in Vienna. The landscape was beautiful. Great trip!

★★★★★ (5/5) Gladys M 3 months ago

Beyond high expectations !

We've taken several boat and bike trips as we LUV floating hotels and active vacations, usually on smaller boats than the Vivienne, my concerns for number of guests were not necessary. The flexibility of schedule, ability to do self guided bike routes, and fellow guests were quite fun. The cabin, typical of boats, small with very good storage for clothes and accessories and stashing away luggage. Wifi was good throughout the trip. The meals were great and plentiful. We signed up for every 'optional' excursion and had the best guided experiences learning more about each capital visited. The Danube and Central Europe are not to be missed, rich with history and quiet roads to explore on two wheels. The crew gets a 10+, informative, attentive and friendly. Even with a ride in the rain this trip was 'over the top' in my memory. Evening theme parties, costumes provided on board - not to be missed.

What was the date of your tour?: May 2025
How many tours have you completed?: Three
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: As expected
Who is this tour suitable for?: First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes

5/5 Value
5/5 Included meals
4/5 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 Guides (if applicable)

★★★★★ (5/5) john kremerss 3 months ago

senic river tour

easy enjoyable bike ride without a lot of cars along the Danube
the food was average on the boat
we enjoyed having the ability to make a sack lunch
we would have liked a few longer rides

What was the date of your tour?: may 11 2025
How many tours have you completed?: 10
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: Much easier
Who is this tour suitable for?: First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
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) Christopher Ireland 3 months ago

Dream cycling trip

There was no surprise that cycling along the Danube through 4 Countries would be amazing, but the whole boat experience was fantastic.
The boat was in pristine condition and a lot bigger than I ever imagined, combine that with the most friendly helpful staff and top quality restaurants level food every day.
I was mainly going for the bike riding, but honestly I could have really enjoyed myself almost as much by staying on the boat and not riding at all. I will definitely book another trip in the near future.

What was the date of your tour?: May 2025
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: Somewhat easier
Who is this tour suitable for?: First-time bike tourists
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
5/5 Ease of navigation
4/5 Tour documents
5/5 Local tour company services
5/5 Route selection
4/5 Guides (if applicable)

★★★★★ (5/5) Alice C 3 months ago

Trip was better and more luxurious than anticipated

We had an amazing trip on the Swiss Crown. The food was above and beyond! All the staff were friendly, knowledgeable and very helpful. The bikes were in great shape and checked daily. Everything was clean and organized. The wifi was unreliable and app provided for navigation didn’t always work for us. I was happy to have preloaded the routes on my Naviki app. We had purchased an e-sim which worked well. Having said that we would do it again, and probably will book a different trip with this company. They were awesome

★★★★★ (5/5) Anne B. 3 months ago

Fabulous and exceeded expectations

From the moment we arrived on board I felt welcomed. The entire staff went out of their way to answer questions, offer help and with a smile. The captain took his job very serious, but also had a sense of humor. Our director, Leslie, kept us laughing as he presented valuable information on the boat, bike routes, city tours, etc. The actives on board like 70 & 80's music night and karaoke night were so much fun. I have not danced and laughed so much in years. I will be going again and have already told many friends they need to book this trip!

What was the date of your tour?: May 11, 2025
How many tours have you completed?: 10+
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: As expected
Who is this tour suitable for?: First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes

5/5 Value
5/5 Included meals
5/5 Bikes + equipment
5/5 Hotels or boat
4/5 Scenery
4/5 Ease of navigation
4/5 Tour documents
5/5 Local tour company services
4/5 Route selection
5/5 Guides (if applicable)

★★★★★ (5/5) Dee 3 months ago

Trip was outstanding!

Every day we were treated to a delicious menu from Breakfast to Dinner and dessert. High Tea every afternoon with treats like Black Forest Cake and Cheesecake after spending a day exploring ancient towns and castles by bike. Our cruise director Reinhold saved the day, and gave us a daily run down on options for tours in larger cities. Staff overall was wonderful and attentive. Bike pathways are lovely along the river, highly recommend this trip!. Plus, the Swiss Crown is in great shape, very comfortable.

What was the date of your tour?: May 2025
How many tours have you completed?: 2
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: Much easier
Who is this tour suitable for?: First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens

5/5 Value
5/5 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
4/5 Guides (if applicable)

★★★★★ (5/5) Doug S. 1 month ago

A great experience

Whether the bike rides or the river cruise and amenities, this tour is clearly put together thoughtfully for the client and to provide a nice balance of experiences. Also, the Vivienne was able to negotiate the Danube in low water levels that many other cruise ships could not. (We passed some that were moored and could not continue). Great crew and food. We also have e-bikes at home and the ones provided were comfortable and high-quality.