Danube River Bike Tour Reviews (page 12)
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★★★★★ Rena Benor August 5, 2022Bike Paradise
· · Danube Delights: Cycling and Cruising in the Footsteps of Royalty
We absolutely loved the boat trip! Service was A++! Every single thing was taken care of! We did not have to do a thing! The bikes were taken off and on to the boat, the food was amazing! Such high quality of food, lovely waiters and waitresses! Our Host, George, was wonderful! Very friendly and helpful! We were prepped the night before on the bike course. The goodbye party was incredible and so fun!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Brian Bronson August 4, 2022Far exceeds expectations
· · Danube Discovery: Bike and Boat through Enchanting Capitals
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.
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★★★★★ John McNeiece August 4, 2022Trip of a lifetime
· · Danube Experience Bike and Boat Passau-Vienna-Budapest-Belgrade-Iron Gates-Passau
We had been anticipating this trip for two years and it lived up to all our expectations and more. Riding bikes in 6 different countries over 14 days was amazing! The bikes were great. The boat was perfect. The staff was nothing but helpful and professional. We are already planning a follow-up tour. The folks at biketours.com did a great job with all the details!
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★★★★★ Gary Hirschkron August 4, 2022Gorgeous Trip!
· Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest
Absolutely glorious!
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★★★★★ Hugh Larkin August 4, 2022
2 Bucket list items completed
· · Danube Discovery: Bike and Boat through Enchanting Capitals
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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
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★★★★★ Susan and Roger Kelly August 4, 2022Awesome trip.
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
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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★★★★★ Laura Snyder August 4, 2022
A great, beautiful challenge
· Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest
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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
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★★★★★ Jaime Bodden August 3, 2022Fairytale in Bavaria
· · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
A great tour! Equal parts countryside with quaint villages and urban culture with metropolitan experiences. Our tour packed in a lot - each day provided a unique experience and bike ride, from forests to fields, riverside and city streets. The recommendations from out boat guide encouraged frequent stops to enjoy local gems - something that is often lacking on bigger tours. The timing in between stops never felt rushed, and there was a nice balance of being on the boat and off.
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★★★★★ Steven Froehlich August 3, 2022
Amazing Trip
· Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest
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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
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★★★★★ Lisa Mendis August 2, 2022
Magical!!
· · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
The best ever bike tour!! We biked some of the most beautiful sections of the Danube and we also had other excursions plus the activities on the boat. The Sun deck was lovely - what a treat after biking to sit up there and watch the pastoral sights go by! The food was really good. I am lactose intolerant and the chef always had an alternative for me - even with the multiple course meals. Thank for Biketours.com for finding this fantastic tour!
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★★★★★ Wesley November 13, 2019
Beautiful cities and hidden gems of Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary
· Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
I went on this tour as a BikeTours.com staff member. It is a popular option for our members who have already experienced the Passau to Vienna tour. The tour follows EuroVelo 6 along bike paths, quiet roads, and a few sections of gravel and dirt roads. The route starts and ends in two of the great cities of Europe; Vienna and Budapest. But I'll tell you a little secret, the hidden gems of this tour are the picturesque towns and cities that you visit along the way! My favorite cities were Bratislava and Gyor. In Bratislava, it is a must to take the short hike or bike up to Bratislava Castle. A beautiful view of the city and of the Danube river await you at the top. The castle itself is astonishing and it is easy to spend 2 or 3 hours just walking around admiring the garden, the castle, and the views. The old town of Bratislava is another area worth exploring on foot. Make sure you visit St Martin's Cathedral and Michael's Gate. If Wes Anderson was looking for a European city to film his next movie, it would be Gyor. This pastel wonderland of a city is not well known but it may have been my favorite city of the entire tour. Be sure to set aside a few hours to walk around the historic old town where there are many shops, restaurants, and bars to pop into. The dollar greatly outweighs Hungary's currency, the forint, so don't be afraid to take a tour of all the little pubs and restaurants. The local food and beers are great and incredibly inexpensive. The cycling for most of the route is flat and leisurely with a few shorter stretches of more moderate, slightly uphill cycling. Be prepared for a few sections of gravel roads as well as single lane dirt roads which can get a little rough at times. The distances vary from day to day with the longest day being 42 miles and the shortest being 25 miles. On day 6 you cycle to Visegrad from Komárom. If you are interested in getting some extra cycling miles in at this point, my recommendation is to skip the boat ride and cycle the entire route. The cycling is uphill at certain points and it makes for a very long day, about 53 miles, but the last 10-12 miles of the route as you cycle into the town of Nagyarmos are absolutely gorgeous (my favorite section of the entire route)! I highly recommend getting a drink and exploring Nagyarmos before you take the ferry across the river to your final destination, Visegrad. Another recommendation is to add a few extra nights throughout the tour. If you love big cities then think about adding extra nights before and after the tour in Vienna and Budapest. If you are like me and you love smaller cities that are very walkable and have a lot of character, Bratislava and Gyor would be my recommendations for extra nights. It is important to point out that while this route follows the Danube river, most of the time you cycle through the river valley, out of sight of the river. There is a lot of farmland and quaint villages and towns in this part of Europe so for large stretches of the route, this will be your surroundings. If you are interested in cycling along the Danube river, look into our “Danube Bike Path” tours. SHOW MORE
- What was the date of your tour?
- 09/15/2019
- 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Hungary
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★★★★★ AJNZ November 2, 2019
Hungary
· Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
An interesting adventure, not as scenic as the Danube in Austria, but a different slice of old Eastern bloc Europe. Hotels were good and well-located. Trail was difficult to find in several places, (think an extra 20km on dirt roads..) and is definitely not as well-marked as other Velo 6 routes. It is mostly away from the Danube through farms and small villages.
Some towns were definitely low on charm, but Bratislava, Szentendre and Budapest were terrific, extra time there is recommended.
Back-up from bike company was good - a new bike was delivered quickly when mine suffered a serious problem. E-bikes were good quality and easy to use, and baggage was always there at the hotel when we arrived. -
★★★★★ mb001 October 28, 2019Fun trip with lots of biking.
· Vienna to Budapest 5-nights (Active)
My friend and I did this trip in early Oct. The first hotel in Vienne is Hotel Arcortel and not near any restaurants or pubs but close to the start of the trip. I would suggest booking a few days before in the city center if you plan on seeing Vienna. We stayed next in Hotel Devin in Bratislava. The hotel here and city were great. Everything walking distance. Next was Hotel Barrokk in Gyor. This was a very nice hotel and city that you could walk to a variety of restaurants and shopping. Then day 3 we biked 124km to Esztergom. There is an option to take a train for half of this trip. We did the biking and found it a very long day, but doable. We had electric bikes and it was a good thing! This day of biking was the most difficult not only because of the distance, but the terrain. You are in remote Hungarian countryside with no one around for hours. The bike trail or paths are poorly marked in some areas you find yourself on dirt farm land. Unfortunately we were lost a lot! The hotel in Esztergom was the Hotel Bellevue. This hotel is set on a busy street with no options to walk to any other restaurants or shopping. We were not aware that dinner must be booked ahead of time. After talking our way into a reservation, we found the buffet was average. If possible stay in the city and not this hotel. On the last day we left and needed to catch the ferry across the river. We were lucky as the week we were there was the last week of the season for the ferry. We rode to Budapest and again found some of the trails or paths poorly marked. We ran into a guided tour along the way and the guide told us about an app called mapy.cz and it has the entire map of the bike path we used and saved us several times. It was great to finish in Budapest as it is a very large exciting city with so much to do! The NH Hotel was easy to get to and situated close to many sites.
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★★★★★ JCost October 26, 2019Nice ride, great accommodations
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
The ride was beautiful in places, often stunning. The accommodations were amazing. Each one different, all of them lovely.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Pattio October 22, 2019
Danube recycle
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Karen5 October 21, 2019
Hungary countryside
· Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
Fortunately I always have fun. If the group had not taken lunch from breakfast buffet we would have been without food until lunch. Route directions could have bern clearer.
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★★★★★ Geezer Biker October 20, 2019A good trip with its ups and downs
· Salzburg to Vienna, Lakes Option
This self-guided ride from Salzburg to Vienna had a lot of really great moments and some that left me wishing for better. A few of the hotels are barely 3 star and some are solid 3 Star+. Mostly quiet and mostly friendly staffs, mostly spoke good to excellent english which really helped us. The hotel next to the castle in Grein was a high point: Super rooms and excellent dining. Every breakfast was quite good and lots of it.
The two free bottles of wine from the lovely shop in the little town across the river from our hotel in Mitterarnsdorf were delicious. It took us 20 minutes to find the shop, but a couple of locals were kind enough to point us the right way.
Consider taking your own bike or renting from a Salzburg shop (if you are returning to Salzburg). We've been on 5 bike and barge/boat, etc. tours in Europe and these bikes were the heaviest and poorest quality, making the long-ride days grueling, but doable.
Our luggage showed up on time every day. No fuss no worry there.
The maps they provided were marginal at best A couple of times we'd have been quite lost without my wife's adroit use of Google maps on her iPhone. Don't go without Google maps or some other app to clarify the routes. The tour company management should be required to ride the trip based on their own directions and see how they do.
BUT---the countryside and the villages were beautiful and friendly. Much of the ride was on bike trails and back-back roads with no traffic. There were several places where we were direct to ride on somewhat busier roads, but the Austrian drivers were nearly always patient and courteous to us. The final few kilometers from the train station to the hotel in Vienna were partly on busy city streets, which I found quite imtimidating after a long hard riding day.
Bottom line: Do the ride. It's a very good experience. But quiz the tour company about a bike upgrade and definitely take your own backup route finding app (which is probably a necessity regardless of the tour map accuracy).
Happy cycling!- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
