Danube River Bike Tour Reviews
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★★★★★ Smgds November 4, 2015Austria is a perfect country to cycle in!
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
This was a highly enjoyable tour. I really thought the inns/hotels chosen were nice and friendly. The only think I would recommend is not getting the pre-paid dinner. The set menus got a little monotonous after a while.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Chloek1234 December 2, 2015
Great trip for leisurely bikers seeking variety and leisurely travel
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
I went on this tour as a BikeTours.com staff member, and I think this is a great tour for a variety of folks. There are big cities, forests, small towns, ancient ruins, vineyards, and more. The cycling is very easy and simple to navigate. The directions and maps are basic, and leave you to discover things on your own. The tour is 95% or more on bike paths. You do have to leave the bike path oftentimes to venture to the night's accommodations. All of the accommodations were quite lovely, and breakfast ranged from adequate to delicious! I think I could take my entire family on this tour, from my grandma to my baby cousin and everyone would love it. It's really is the quintessential European bike tour experience.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers, Families with young kids, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ JimJ December 3, 2015First time in Bulgaria won't be last!
· Danube River and Black Sea
(Staff review) Bulgaria did not disappoint! During this tour, we explored seacoast and farmland, toured castles and monasteries, and ate in fine restaurants and village homes. Our guides were excellent--committed, knowledgeable and cordial. One of them was a bird expert, and we learned so much about the fauna in the region. After a day along the Danube in Romania, we overnighted in a tiny farm village where we became the main attraction. We couldn't speak Romanian, and the farm folks couldn't speak English, but we all made ourselves known. And three of our party even got invited into a private home to enjoy the local home made brandy! Some days were on routes that sometimes had too much traffic for my taste, and we've advised the local tour operator on ways to avoid or bridge these sections.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 35
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Bulgaria, Romania
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★★★★★ John Parsons December 7, 2015Really great trip.
· Salzburg to Vienna, Lakes Option
To start off with the Sound of Music Tours and then fairly leisurely riverside roads and fantastic food and culture - we just loved it. One of the towns was not as good as the rest but for the most part just great
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
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★★★★★ CyclesInRoswell March 13, 2016
A trip I'd dreamed of for many years brought to reality in every way!
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
The tandem bike was reliable and fairly comfortable, the sites were awesome, directions flawless and lodging friendly, clean and lovely. We were very happy with this self-guided trip, our first bike expeirence in Europe. We did have a broken chain on the 2nd day, but my hubby made a trail repair and the company came to our hotel and replaced the chain that night. This is a great tour and I was shocked today when looking for our next one that I hadn't reviewed it. I would recommend this as a first European bike experience to any cyclist.
- How many tours have you completed?
- Only one through a company, 4 total
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers, Families with young kids, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Rider May 9, 2016
First Bike Tour
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
This was our first bike tour (September 2015) and I went with my wife and 27 year old son. The route was wonderful, and if you are looking for a beginner trip, this one is great (my son, a more experienced biker, felt it was not challenging enough). We have since take another, more challenging tour, and can see how accommodating the Danube route is.
The route is mostly flat, on dedicated bike trails and very well marked. Your only basic decision each day is which side of the river to ride on. The information provided by the tour company was excellent and we never got lost. The weather was also very good (it only rained one afternoon) which also contributed to the enjoyment. Although they varied in quality, the accommodations were basically very good. I really enjoyed seeing the country on a bike tour. We did cut the last day short, and rather than cycle into Vienna, we took a train. Another group started and rode the same route as us, cycled into Vienna and based on what we heard from them, we made the right choice. We spend a couple of days in Munich at the beginning and a couple of days in Vienna at the end, which were both wonderful cities. All in all, highly recommended especially if you are looking for an introduction to bike touring. -
★★★★★ Kate May 9, 2016
A great trip with lots of memories
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
My husband, two teenage grandsons and I did this trip. It was marvelous. The beautiful Austrian towns were so bike friendly. We are not fast bikers, so we did feel like some parts we did not have time to explore adequately. It would have been nice to stay some place more than one night. We took the deluxe tour version and the hotels were fabulous. Would absolutely recommend this trip for anyone, but especially families.
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★★★★★ Mama May 22, 2016Danube family bike tour???
· Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
This trip did not turn out to be anything like we expected. Although the hotels and the scenery were beautiful the support from The Bike Company was useless. When a child with a temp of 104 needed a hospital they had no suggestions on where to go or how to get there. The maps they provided were useless and the directions given to us on the first night we're completed in about 20 minutes. The bikes were inconsistent some had water bottle holders some not. The day at the spa although nice contain total nudity. American children aren't used to that. The Farm Hotel turned out to be 3 goats. The bike ride into Venice was four miles of City biking. bike trails in Vienna are gorgeous but not particularly child friendly. The Danube bike paths all though lovely contained many areas where the speed limit was 70 kilometers an hour. We had seven and 10 year old children riding.The bike support was not given by the tour company but by another tour company. Support really meant they just transported our luggage. This would have been a beautiful ride for adults and teenagers. Not young children. the maps need to be completely redone.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Lindsay May 23, 2016
Hi Sharon, thanks very much for your feedback. We're requesting a response and feedback from the local tour operator and will be following back up with another comment very shortly. - Lindsay
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Hi Sharon,
We're very sorry to hear that this tour did not meet your expectations. We try our best to educate travelers on what to expect, especially with self-guided tours. Please accept our apologies if you did not find the information sufficient on this tour page and in the materials provided during correspondence with our staff and with the tour company during your tour.
We chatted with the local tour operator regarding your comments about their service. While they regret that you were dissatisfied with the overall experience, they did provide the level of support detailed in the ""Included Services"" for this tour package. They also noted that they organized a taxi to transport your bikes on the rainy day for no additional charge (which is typically not included on self-guided tours). It sounds as though you may most enjoy a private guided tour for your next trip, which would include your own private support vehicle and guide.
The Danube Bike Path is consistently rated one of the best bike paths in Europe for its safety, ease, and family-friendliness, and we've confidently recommended it to families for more than ten years based on the great comments and stories we've always heard from past clients, as well as our own experiences. We're sorry this was not your experience, and we hope to have the opportunity to help you organize another trip in the future that's a better fit for your family.
A note to travelers considering this tour in the future: please be sure to review this page with general information on self-guided tours (https://www.biketours.com/self-guided-bike-tours/) and this page on what to expect on a typical day on a self-guided tour (https://www.biketours.com/typical-day). Also carefully review the ""Included Services"" section on this tour page to familiarize yourself with the level of service you should expect when booking this tour.
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★★★★★ Pam P May 24, 2016
Amazing experience
· Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
We traveled on this self guided tour with our 10 and 12 year old daughters. We were very impressed with the organization of this trip. The maps were excellent. The trails were scenic, well marked and flat. I highly recommend this trip.
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★★★★★ TannisR May 24, 2016
Fabulous Family Experience!
· Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
If you are looking for a family adventure that you will remember for the rest of your life, this tour is for you! Our family had a truly enjoyable experience on the Danube family bike tour. It was a unique family holiday where we all worked together as a team - cycling along the Austrian countryside - to reach our destination. The scenery was breathtaking! The hotels were good to very good (what we expected). The pre tour arrangements, communication and maps provided were excellent. The bike service was excellent and assistance was provided promptly for the few challenges we had.
We are a family of 5 with kids aged 13, 11, and 8. The cycling, coupled with the heat (up to 28-30C most days) was a big challenge for our 8 year old but she did it and is very proud of herself. We had planned to get her a trail bike - to go behind my husband's bike - but it did not work out. The trail bike provided for her was tipping over when she was on it - attached to the adult bike. Maybe it was because the equipment was not good, maybe she was too big for it? That hiccup set us back 2 hours on our first morning which was frustrating. By 10:30 a.m. we were on our way, each of us on our own bike. The tour company linked us up with a bike shop that gladly swapped our trail bike for a 'real bike' for my daughter. Overall, the equipment provided was of excellent quality. The bikes were simple, but that's all we needed with the non-hilly paved terrain. We did not 'train' for our tour. Bring cycling shorts (padded) and gloves to help prevent chaffing. We used ours every day.
Another challenge was map reading. We were given detailed map books of roads and cycle trails. They were excellent maps. But in this digital age, we are used to using Google Maps to tell us how to get to our destination. It was sometimes a frustrating challenge to read the maps correctly.
The bike route we took was mostly along either dedicated bike paths along the Danube, or on country roads with little traffic. There were just a few areas where we needed to bike along a major road. In studying the map carefully, we chose to take the routes with less busy roads. One side of the river tended to have busy traffic roads and the other did not. The map was colour coded accordingly as to the type of path/road/country road. There were not many hills at all.
The hotels were all good. Some were more simple than others. We were not on this vacation for a luxury experience. We were worried that, being a family of 5, the hotels would squish us into one small room. On the contrary, we usually had two rooms or a suite, which was fabulous. The 'spa hotel' where we stayed for 2 nights mid-tour was nice. The pool was welcome, since the weather was quite warm. It was a true European experience when we saw two naked senior citizens enter the pool. At first, my family was shocked (being from modest Canada), but then, two of our kids jumped in naked as well (after the seniors left). When in Rome... SHOW MORE
The bike days were quite long. It took us about 6 hours of biking each day to reach our destination. Our speed was limited by my 8 year old daughter. She went as fast as her little legs could take her. I would recommend 8 as the youngest age for this tour. Ideally, kids would be age 10 and up - in order to ride a bigger faster bike.
Due to our 'slow' biking, we were not able to stop at many of the sights along the way. A few highlights were Pöstlingbergbahn and Grottenbahn in Linz, the Melk Abbey, town of Dürnstein (where we spent two nights), the Burgruine castle ruin in Dürnstein, and a lake between Dürnstein and Tulln where we enjoyed a picnic lunch and jumped in for a swim.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable and unique family experience for us. We would highly recommend it to family with kids age 10 and up (age 8 and up if your child is tall + athletic). A moderate fitness level is recommended.
SHOW LESS- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Egeny May 26, 2016
It was unforgettable tour!
· Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
It was unforgettable tour!
It is the perfect way for a first family tour by bikes. We are family (parents and 12 years old son). We have had tour the last summer. Everything was great: accommodation, meals, information materials, supporting.... Thank you very much to the Bike Tour.com. This summer we are going to book new tour via Bike Tour.com! -
★★★★★ Gramps May 31, 2016
A great way for a grandfather to take grandchildren captive
· Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
I had done the Danube ride with my son in 1991. We brought our own bikes to Europe that year and did the trip using only a map and the excellent signposts for guidance and finding overnight accommodations on the fly. I turned 78 last summer; and after waiting years for his children (there are 4 of them whose ages last summer ranged from 15 - 21) to get to an age where I could feel safe with them in my charge, they agreed to come on this ride with me. To be sure, the bikes that were provided were not road bikes or even high quality hybrids; but they were reliable and comfortable to the point that my non-biking grandchildren had no problem with saddle sores or other discomfort. While the overnight hotel facilities for which Biketours had arranged were not of 5 star quality, without exception they were very, very good (comparable, I would say, with Embassy Suites and similar) The hotel keepers were especially hospitable; and the food offerings were varied and of very good quality. Biketours delivered on every single thing that was promised. In fact, they exceeded expectations. Most important, it was a memorable experience that I'll look back upon for the rest of the years that have been allotted to me; and the kids had a grand experience and a fun time. Assuming that travel to Europe is still worthwhile when they have teen aged children of their own, I know my grandchildren will want to take them on a Danube Family Adventure.
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★★★★★ adortman June 5, 2016
The best tour in 4 years
· Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
The tour was perfect for the beginners. Beautiful views, good hotels and food, excellent guidance before tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 1st September 2015
- 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 teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ JenniferW June 16, 2016
Wonderful family vacation!
· Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
The Danube bike path is an amazing ride and great for kids, ours were 9 and 12. The ride has endless beautiful river and hillside views, charming villages, cafes for lunch along the way, and fun parks for the kids to stop and play. The monastery in Melk is awesome. The hotels were lovely and unique, and the rooms were spacious for four. There are paths on both sides of the river, and many opportunities to cross back and forth for different scenery. There were a few short sections along roads shared with cars, which could usually be avoided by crossing to the other side over a bridge. The ride to the hotel in Vienna was easy, it is close to the waterfront path, past the amusement park along a few bike friendly streets. Vienna itself is very bike friendly. A representative from the local tour company met with us at the hotel the night before we started the trip, he was very helpful and explained all the maps and provided local contact information. The bikes were great. Highly recommended!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2015
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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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★★★★★ debo June 17, 2016Fun trip
· · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
All in all, a great trip. Some communication issues between cruise director and guides and cyclists. Cruise director clearly overwhelmed and attimes, Difficult To Follow. Bike was very comfortable and routes, interesting and scenic. Having trouble adding photos.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 22-29
- How many tours have you completed?
- many, but not lately
- 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
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★★★★★ The Bicigrinos June 24, 2016
Biking with friends along the Danube
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Our group of five throughly enjoyed our bike ride. The bikes were excellent, with no technical problems. Every hotel that we stayed in was different from the others and offered us an excellent accommodation. We were supplied with a set of maps and various coupons. We particularly loved the free wine tasting and 600 year old cellar tour. The terrain, small villages, and varied weather all played their part in our wonderful adventure.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 8-15
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was the first
- 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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★★★★★ The Bicigrinas June 24, 2016
Fabulous Trip
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Our seven day trip along the Danube was delightful. Five of us (all over 65) from Northern California began in Passau. Try to get there early as this charming city has much to see.
The hotels were beautiful and most had delicious restaurants and fabulous breakfasts each morning.
If I were to do it again I'd do the trip in 10 days to have more time to explore Linz, Melk, Enns, Tulln and Krems and have a shorter biking day.
Anya and the staff are so wonderful and responsive.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 7-15
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was my First 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
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★★★★★ Neal July 2, 2016Fabulous week on a bike
· Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
Jozef and his staff took care of the logistics and my wife and I just rode. The sights beyond belief. The only issue, beyond control of the tour, is there were a few segments of pretty rough road. Highly recommended
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★★★★★ margaretelliott51 July 3, 2016One of the Best Experiences Ever-Just "do it"
· Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest
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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
