Bike Tour Reviews: Danube Discovery  Bike And Boat Through Enchanting Capitals


Danube Discovery: Bike and Boat through Enchanting Capitals

COUNTRY: Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia

7 nights
4.2/5 (17)
Rider Level: Leisure Electric bike tours Primarily bike paths Bike and boat tours
Rider Level: Leisure Electric bike tours Primarily bike paths Bike and boat tours

4.2/5 (17)
7 nights

Self guided from EUR € 849

Self-guided:
Apr 12, 26; May 10, 24, 31; Jun 27; Jul 4, 11, 19, 26; Aug 1, 8, 15, 23, 24, 30; Sep 5, 6, 12, 19, 26, 27; Oct 4, 2025

Description:
Travel by bike and boat along the romantic Danube River – a truly memorable experience. Accompanied by a comfortable cruise ship, cycle along Europe's second largest river and one of its best-loved bicycle paths from charming Passau - the 'City of Three…

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  • Danube Bike and Boat
    (3/5) William Edsell 3 weeks ago

    bike tour with friends

    the bike and boat tour is a good way to sample some of the countries on the Danube. Unfortunately the boat was very old and had many problems. The main issues for me were the rooms were very musty and caused problems with my sinus and no way to let fresh air into the cabin. Also there seemed to be limited or no internet on the boat and because we traveled through remote areas it was not possible to use mobile phone connection. You would think a starlink antenna would solve that problem. The staff were great, very friendly and helpful with everything. The bar had limited options. Food options were Ok but seemed inconsistent. Overall I enjoyed the experience with my friends but disappointed in the boat. On our last day the boat broke down and we have to wait several hours to get on the boat and then take a bus to Passeau to catch our train.

    • BikeTours.com staff reply from Jan October 29, 2024

      Thanks for your review. Though we can't speak to the fresh air issues - very few reviews (if any) have alluded to this but we'll investigate - I can tell you that many of the ships in Europe providing this type of holiday are slowly upgrading their internet infrastructure and moving to starlink. Though boat owners are very handy savvy folks, many are not tech people but they (with some help) are catching on to the market need for consistent high speed internet.

  • (2/5) frank vaughan 4 weeks ago

    More of a boat trip than a bike trip

    We have been on 4 boat and bike tours. This was not a favorite. The boat company charges additional fees for anything- $15 daily fee for internet, $3.50 for a bottle of water, and $5+ for alcohol. They cover a long distance on the boat, so you do not have much time to ride the bike. When you do, it is a stringent timeline- off the ship at 9 am and meet the boat at 2:30 or you will miss the boat. It does not give you much time to look around. They have strictly enforced assigned seating at breakfast and dinner so it minimizes the chances of meeting other people. The guide was not very nice and did not ride the trails. They were covered in places with 4-6 inches of mud from the recent flooding and many were unrideable. Then the guide got mad when we returned to the boat covered in mud. The extra tours they sell were expensive and ok, but the guide on the Vienna tour left 2 of our group behind so they had to find their way back. The maps provided were ok, but somewhat confusing, and the briefing by the guide was rushed and not helpful. It's a German boat with German food and lots of retired Germans. There is nothing wrong with that, but many of them did not go on the rides described but just used the trip as a cheap river trip with some side rides.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    • 2/5 Value
    • 2/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
    • 1/5 Local tour company services
    • 1/5 Route selection
    • 1/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Jodi Welch 2 months ago

    Great way to see countryside!

    Completed over 200 KM biking through 4 countries. Well maintained paved paths winding through quaint towns along the Danube River.

    What was the date of your tour?
    August 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    0
    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
    • 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
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (3/5) timothy mcfarren 3 months ago

    Cruise not my thing

    Too much time on boat, not enough time exploring on land. Would have liked more time to be able to see the sights.

    What was the date of your tour?
    August 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    10
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    • 4/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Austin Bragg 3 months ago

    Lifetime Memories

    Wow! - what a fantastic experience gliding down the stunning Danube. The itinerary was first class - our bikes were just great while the accommodation, meals & service on the 'Manon' were all excellent. It really was an experience of a lifetime riding adjacent to the Danube on high quality pathways a lot of the time while also exploring some stunning sights along the way including some gorgeous towns.

    What was the date of your tour?
    August 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    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
    • 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) Robert Arnold 5 months ago

    A geart trip!

    Excellent for the most part. Some issues with the boat. 1) Our cabin air conditioning did not consistently work. 2) We shouldn't have to pay for water at meal time. 3) Our group wasn't allowed to change tables at dinner which is something we would have liked to do since we were a group of 40.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 25 - June 1, 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    2 bike-boat tours
    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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 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) John Schwartz 5 months ago

    First trip to Europe riverboat cruise

    Perfect way to experience Europe for the first time. A nice mix of biking and off days to explore cities and see lovely countryside and smaller towns. Riverboat cruise was very scenic and well planned.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Families with teens, Families with young kids
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 4/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 2/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
    • 3/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Mary Arnold 5 months ago

    Cask and Castle 2024

    Wonderful experience of the Danube! So beautiful along the river! I wish we could have biked more.

    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    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
    • 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
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) DENNIS UMANZIO 6 months ago

    Excellent bike and boat trip. Great Food.

    Great bikes. Good batteries. Ship is very nice, great crew, great food for breakfast and dinner and guide on ship was friendly.

    •  (photo by DENNIS UMANZIO)
  • (5/5) Brian Bronson August 4, 2022

    Far exceeds expectations

    What a deal. 8days 7 nights w attentive staff. Amazing biking. Great food. Fun times. Would love to do it again w other friends. Highly recommend for a wonderful time on the Danube.

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2022
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    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
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Hugh Larkin August 4, 2022

    2 Bucket list items completed

    We have wanted to do a bike & boat tour as well as a bike tour along the Danube for many years (we previously did multi-week self-supported bike tours). In 2019, we thought we would be doing the latter for 2020, but a virus shut down everything. Even after the shutdown, BikeTours.com kept us informed and motivated about bike touring once a normalcy to life returned.

    In late 2021, when we could see travel was resuming, we began to look at various tours offered and found the Passau-Budapest-Passau boat & bike tour that fit very nicely into our developing "2022 grand Europe tour".

    BikeTours personnel quickly responded to all questions we had which made the booking extremely easy. And they and the tour operator provided us all the booking info before we departed for europe over a month before we were to experience this event.

    Once in Passau, and aboard ship (we were able to board early), we were able to unpack and relax. Our rented e-bikes were like new and were pre-adjusted to our heights. Instructions regarding operation and charging were clearly given.

    At all times, the crew was very courteous and helpful, which was extremely appreciated as we were the only "native-english" speakers onboard. The food was excellent and plentiful, and we appreciated the vegetarian options provided.

    Every day's itinerary was clearly provided, including detailed maps. The bikes worked wonderfully and provided us an opportunity to try an e-bike. We enjoyed the extra guided excursions into Bratislava and Vienna.

    Disembarking the Prinzessin Katherina was also painless. Before reaching Passau, the crew made taxi arrangements for us and many others. Hard to beat service like that!

    Overall, we had a wonderful tour. Plus we ticked off 2 b-list items. We are now wondering what will be our next BikeTours.com tour!

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    12 (2 weeks to 4 months long)
    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
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Nitronan September 4, 2019

    Good trip

    Boat crew was fantastic, cruise director was a hoot. Very accomodating.

    What was the date of your tour?
    August 19-26, 2019
    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
    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
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) antovince June 29, 2019

    Fun trip!

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 10-17, 2019
    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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 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 Guides (if applicable)
  • (3/5) Jan 2018 September 24, 2018

    Beautiful bike tour through Austria !

    Our room on the ship had a broken thermostat so we were freezing most of the time...the food was good but we wanted more green veggie salads..the tour guide was very hard to understand, but the bike baths were smooth and mostly flat, so the biking through little villages was unforgettable!!!

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept. 10-17
    How many tours have you completed?
    0
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    • 3/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 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
    • 3/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) TJ8387 September 17, 2018

    My favorite way to travel!

    I loved this tour! The bikes and cycle routes were great. The food was very good but unfortunately the the dining room on the boat was SO HOT that we could not enjoy our dinners. Thank goodness each stateroom had its own air conditioner. Fellow cyclists were very friendly and always willing to help if needed. Our guide seemed angry when people asked questions and responded in an aggressive manner (which made people hesitant to ask questions). We were told that there was internet on the boat in Austria but it was non-existent ... so it would have been better to advertise that there is NO WiFi.

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 21-28
    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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 3/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (4/5) Thom October 25, 2016

    Lovely trip on the Danube River with biking to keep us in shape!

    A great trip to four cities and capitals in Eastern Europe. Comfortable accommodations, friendly staff, good meals, easy biking. Weather was chilly and grey at this time of the year. The Danube is NOT blue if the sky is grey and it is drizzling!

    What was the date of your tour?
    Oct 1-8, 2016
    How many tours have you completed?
    4 European bike trips
    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
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) Medium October 18, 2016

    Very good trip with a couple glitches.

    A week can only touch on the highlights of what the Danube has to offer for bikers, and this tour accomplished that, leaving us with ideas for more in-depth exploring. The boat was fine, the meals were good and the crew was great, but the WiFi access was almost nonexistent; had to go to Starbucks or other coffee houses in cities to check email. The cruise director was a last minute replacement with insufficient English to answer most questions... a nice guy but not well organized. Fortunately, the routes had been well planned, though the slide shows provided scant info, so we could have benefitted from a handout each day describing the route specifics, sites of interest and perhaps suggestions on restaurants.

    What was the date of your tour?
    1-8 Oct 2016
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection