Danube River Bike Tour Reviews (page 22)
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★★★★★ Margaret May 15, 2017
A view of Europe that we couldn't get any other way
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
My husband and I chose the self-guided option, and we're happy with that choice -- more flexibility with pace and timing.
Our tour dates were in early May, and this was probably both good and bad. We had some drizzle and a couple days were a bit chilly. On the other hand, the bike path was probably less busy than it will be later. I'm not a fast rider and I'm not comfortable with a lot of other riders whizzing by me. And I suspect that we got upper-end lodging, even though I'd selected middle-grade, because the hotels were eager to have bookings.
I hadn't been able to do all the training I should have, so I opted for an e-bike and it was a very good decision. I still got a workout but I wasn't pushed so hard that I couldn't enjoy the ride.
Couple of tips:
- If you're coming over from the US, give yourself a couple of days to recover before you start the ride. And give yourself a day at the end of the ride before there's anything you have to do.
- Make sure that everybody in your group has all the necessary information about destination, contacts, etc. It's possible to get separated from the others, even when you're trying not to.
- Make sure that you're comfortable with a bit of traffic -- oncoming riders, you passing people, people passing you. The other bikers on the path trust you to do the right thing and stay in your lane, so be sure that you can. When I wasn't confident about this, I got off and walked my bike.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 4-11, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was my first
- 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
-
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★★★★★ mammaj October 29, 2016I'm hooked!
· · Danube Delights: Cycling and Cruising in the Footsteps of Royalty
The beauty and abundance of history and culture are a given when you're touring along the Danube River. But going with bikes.com offers you an organized, convenient, and fun way to tour!
Boating and biking combo ran the gamut of quaint to formal, lazy lounging to partying the night away.
The ease of having my hotel room the same place each night made the trip for me...no stress!- What was the date of your tour?
- September 25
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was my first
- 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
-
★★★★★ Wayne October 27, 2016New Mexico Touring Society (NMTS) Vienna to Budapest
· Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
Overall a great ride, but some issues with the tour company in Austria.
Bikes were excellent and the route for most of the trip was well marked. We were on highways a very short period of time. Traffic on the highways was not an issue. We had about 10 kilometers of non-paved bike path. Unfortunately, we rode that in the rain, but we made it without any incidents.
Our complaint about the tour company is that they cheated us on the trip materials that we were promised. Not every rider received a map of the route. Because people doubled up in the hotel rooms, they only provide one map per hotel room. The pre-ride briefing was very poor and the tour person appeared to be in a hurry to complete the briefing. The route out of Vienna can be confusing, but we had rented city bikes the day before and scouted the route ourselves. The tour company only gave us very general instructions on how to leave the city.
He did do a good job of fitting everyone to their bikes. I asked him for a floor bike pump, but he never responded to my text message requests and the tour company never returned my phone calls. The small bike air pumps that are in the bike saddle bike are not adequate to fully pump up a tire.
The bikes were excellent and perfect for the route with the variation in road surfaces and occasional gravel stretches. We had no flat tires during the trip. We were a group of 17 riders, so that is a remarkable feat.
The hotels were all excellent except for the hotel outside of Esztergom, the Hotel Bellevue. In addition to being in a remote location, it was well past its prime. The only dinner option was a buffet which ran out of food before some of our group had the opportunity to dine. The breakfast was once again a poor selection of items, most of which ran out early. The rooms were dark and poorly equipped with the usual features.
Everyone’s favorite city was Gyor. The hotel was excellent and the large city plaza with the historical buildings surrounding it was fascinating. Dining options were excellent.
The boat ride into Budapest was excellent and a nice way to finish the trip.
Overall, a terrify ride with the exceptions noted above. Not every rider having a map was an ongoing frustration that caused some confusion on the occasions when the group got separated into smaller groups.
Wayne Friesen
Albuquerque, NM- What was the date of your tour?
- 2 - 8 Sep 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- 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, Hungary
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Lindsay Nash October 28, 2016
Dear Wayne,
Thanks very much for your feedback and your 4-star rating of this popular tour. We're so glad to hear, overall, your tour was terrific!
It's a typical practice that tour operators in Europe provide one route map and details per room (2 people). However, in the future, we can work with you to make special requests about this on future tours.
Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience, and for helping us spread the joy of bicycle tourism!
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★★★★★ Thom October 25, 2016Lovely trip on the Danube River with biking to keep us in shape!
· · Danube Discovery: Bike and Boat through Enchanting Capitals
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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
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★★★★★ KZ2016 October 25, 2016
Outstanding Trip
· · Danube Delights: Cycling and Cruising in the Footsteps of Royalty
Richie Daigle with Bike Tours did an outstanding job on our club's bike and boat trip on the Danube. We had 38 people and many of them said it was one of our best trips ever. Throughout the planning process Richie answered all our questions in a timely manner. During the trip all contracted items were as promised or better. Many of our participants said it was one of the best vacations they have ever had.
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★★★★★ M And D October 23, 2016So enjoyable!
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
We had such a good time going from Passau to Vienna. The bikes were great and the signage along the route made it so easy to stay on course. Sometimes making it through a larger town &/or making it into Vienna proved to be an adventure because of the "traffic"
and quick choices to make at those times, but that's part of the charm! Accommodation was different in amenities from day to day but all lovely. Staff were wonderful at every spot. Would definitely recommend it and looking forward to trying another.
Day- What was the date of your tour?
- September 23,2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- One
- 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
-
★★★★★ Sphen October 20, 2016
Great way to tour!
· Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
The tour was excellent from beginning to end. Joseph was a very knowledgeable guide. The route was explained clearly and was as leisurely or challenging as we wanted to make it. The hotels chosen were excellent and well located for checking out museums, restaurants, shopping and historical sites. All in all, a terrific experience and one that I would do again with this company!!
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★★★★★ Medium October 18, 2016
Very good trip with a couple glitches.
· · Danube Discovery: Bike and Boat through Enchanting Capitals
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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
-
★★★★★ Traveldeb October 18, 2016A Family Ride on the Danube
· Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
I was looking for a relatively easy ride for a group that included two grandchildren. This was perfect. The equipment (trailer and tag along) were just right, the easy paved course let everyone enjoy the scenery, and the accommodations were wonderful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 21 - 29
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- 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
-
★★★★★ TexasSkier October 17, 2016
Fabulous trip
· · Danube Delights: Cycling and Cruising in the Footsteps of Royalty
The number one attraction of this trip is the scenery. I was afraid that mostly flat riding through a river valley might be somewhat dull. But I was amazed at the beauty every day. I was also concerned that the rides weren't long enough to fill each day, but with the many attractions pointed out in the provided maps that was never a problem; in fact we were more likely to run out of time to do everything we wanted than we were to finish early. The boat we were on is being retired, so not much reason to comment on it except to say that it was still in pretty good shape, so if the company wants to retire it at this stage of its life, that must speak well for its replacement. The food and service onboard were excellent. Allowing us to pack a lunch from the large breakfast buffet was great as it meant we always had a good lunch with us and could decide during the day whether to stop at one of the interesting pubs along the way or have a picnic. The only conceivable complaint was with the bikes and that was extremely minor. The bikes were actually in very good shape, but some of the accessories (speedometers, bells, etc.) didn't work so well and it was difficult to find someone to get them fixed. No biggie in the greater scheme of things. Once in a while the biking directions were a little confusing, and maybe could have been communicated a little better. But at the end of the day we always made to where we were going and back to the boat, so in reality, that just added to the adventure. All-in-all just a great and very smooth running trip.
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★★★★★ Babiruth October 13, 2016
Passau to Brastilava Danube cruise and bike trip
· · Danube Delights: Cycling and Cruising in the Footsteps of Royalty
Richie from BikeTours.com and the boat staff were just great - helpful, organized, and fun!
The boat is older but being retired. Having said that, other than rough towels that needed replacing, and controlling the temperature in our cabin, the dining, lounge, lido deck, and entertainment were perfect. It's a laid back experience compared to the large ocean cruise ships which created a very 'family-oriented' feel. The scenery, historical sites, and biking in mainly Austria was just great - Austria is very well set-up for biking usually out of any car traffic. We so enjoyed and hope to do future biking excursions through BikeTours.com.- What was the date of your tour?
- 9/25-10/2/2016
- 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
-
★★★★★ ROCKIN ROBIN October 12, 2016
AMAZING TRIP ON THE DANUBE
· · Danube Delights: Cycling and Cruising in the Footsteps of Royalty
THIS BIKE AND BARGE TRIP ON THE DANUBE WAS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. RICHIE WAS WONDERFUL AND AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. THE CREW ON OUR BARGE WAS SO ATTENTIVE AND FUN TO BE WITH. THE ONLY DRAWBACK WAS THE BARGE WAS OLDER, BUT IT IS BEING RETIRED SO ALL IS GOOD FOR THE FUTURE.
- What was the date of your tour?
- OCTOBER 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- JUST THIS ONE
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
-
★★★★★ Robo October 1, 2016
Fantastic ride
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
This was our second self guided tour with Bike Tours, and once again they provided a well organised tour, hotels were very good value, and our luggage always arrived on time. The bikes were in very good condition, but slightly on the heavy side, the route was easy to navigate and depending how adventuress you are it can be adjusted to see some of the inland towns, and farming area, we added an extra day in Krems to our itinerary to enjoy the Wachau valley.
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★★★★★ Halle96 September 26, 2016One of Top 5 trips in 30 years travelling
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- Just this 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
-
★★★★★ Marko September 23, 2016
Good experience overall
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
We enjoyed the tour from Passau to Vienna very much, it was very scenic and overall a great experience. I would have rated the experience higher except some of the hotels were not really 4 star or better and the directions need to be improved.
In particular the Römerhof Hotel in Tulln (regardless of assigned rating) is just not very nice. The property is needs updating and painting. Our room was small, had ineffective air conditioning, needed painting and was really a 2 or 3 star experience. The Römerhof Hotel was by far the least desirable overnight stay on the trip, and we would not want to stay there again. I suggest the tour company reconsider this location for the "upscale lodging" tour.
For the most part the directions and maps were outstanding, except for the last day. The final day directions could really be improved for the area around Korneuburg and into Vienna. This is the most difficult section of the journey but the directions are the least descriptive. It was very hard to stay on track with the directions here. We met several other travelers that got off course in this section.
All in all we liked the tour and would recommend it. Thanks for the opportunity to provide feedback, we appreciate it! Marko and Janet
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★★★★★ tyrrell2016 September 20, 2016
best trip ever!!
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
-flat great condition bike dedicated pavement path -90 percent of the time
-the places you are on the road, the roads are not too busy and there are so many cyclist and there are signs for drivers to be aware of cyclists
-we got the electric bikes...they were a lot of fun!
-trails marked well
-bike and equipment very nice. saddlebags are waterproof
-excellent staff, great support and guidance
-lots of bike shops along the path in case you break down. the company will reimburse you. you also have a small repair kit on board and the option to call them for assistance.
-this was our first bike tour.
-maps were good
-the bike path was not too crowded...but we did go after labor day.
-very scenic
-very safe
-we did the upscale hotels. they were solid-but considering we were going through small villages they were the best of the village. fyi...air conditioning is not like in the USA. I can't imagine doing the tour in July ugh
The hotels are very friendly and are very aware of the bike arrangement.
-we did self guided and felt very comfortable with this particular itinerarytips
-be prepared for rain...it can happen. we got water proof socks, pants, jacket, shoes and gloves. it came in very handy one day. Eddie Bauer waterproof shoes were great for us. Lightweight and comfortable. my husband wants to buy another pair for backup.
-hat for sun and bug protection. We did not wear helmets because we were on bike paths.
-sunscreen for face, body and lips
-lightweight sunglasses
-consider bike gloves....the last day i got sun poison on my hands
-bring baby wipes. my husband got oily adjusting his chain
-bring washcloths (disposable)-we got dusty on the trail and none of the hotels provided wash cloths. also...bring shampoo and conditioner. many of the hotels only offered a liquid body wash.
-bring a little pharmacy antibiotics, miralax, monistat, tylenol, allergy meds,
-plan on layers for clothing and packing
-get good socks from a running store...my feet got hot- What was the date of your tour?
- September 3rd thru 11th 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- our first
- 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?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
-
★★★★★ Donte September 18, 2016
Vienna to Budapest
· Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
Beautiful trails. Exceptions were about 7 K in muddy conditions, 10-12 K on poorly packed gravel. Touring bicycle handled trails well and we're quite stable plowing through mud. Biking guide was inadequate with confusing written guidance separated from related maps. Need detailed cue sheets with clear details on turns, distance etc. Hotels mostly above my expectations although those with no elevators were burdensome.
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★★★★★ jacidc September 17, 2016Great company, riding, food, scenery -- a spectacular experience.
· Danube River and Black Sea
This was a wonderful introduction to Northeastern Bulgaria, a region full of history and beauty. Our tour took us along the Danube River and to the Black Sea with many stops for cultural experiences, and just fun, along the way. The guides were great: smart, fluent in English, concerned about both our enjoyment and welfare and extremely knowledgeable about the areas we visited. This is not a luxury tour -- that wouldn't be possible in some of the remote areas we visited -- but that's what goes along with visiting a place not many outsiders see. Our guides did everything possible to keep us safe and comfortable.