Danube Transdanubia Bike Tour Reviews page 2
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★★★★★ Karen5
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.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 9/30 - 10/5
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Hungary
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe
Hi, Karen. Thanks for your review. We're glad to hear you're a person who always has fun! Thanks for letting us know about the need to be cognizant of lunch stops and/or availability of options and the directions. We will pass your feedback onto the tour operator so they can improve these aspects of the tour. Thank you again for this feedback.
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★★★★★ Bike and ski
Trip review
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
The ride was somewhat boring, lots of farm lands. Not as scenic as I had hoped for
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★★★★★ Spain
An Adventure
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
We selected a self guided tour which we have done several times in the past. Unfortunately the gps link did not work for us so we used the cue sheets and map. We got lost several times which was an adventure but difficult on the larger mileage days and in bad weather. There were many more miles on roads than we expected. Often the traffic was heavy and fast and the cycle paths in poor condition.We managed as we are experienced riders but it was not what we expected. We were glad to have the suspension of hybrid bikes. However when by the river on a good cycle path the ride was beautiful. We enjoyed the ferry rides. We were 15 riders and all liked the accommodations!
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★★★★★ Kitty Brodie
Not quite what we expected
Vienna to Budapest 5-nights (Active)
We booked a self-guided 5-day tour from Vienna to Budapest.
There were a few things that did not sit well with us on the organizational front.
The tour itself was great once we got started and the cities/hotels en route were great.
The bike service was great... we had a mechanical issue on Day 1 of riding, and the bike was replaced the next morning.Organizationally:
Confirmation of tour was delayed until the 1 day before the original day of departure.
When I tried to cancel because we wanted to book something that was confirmed, I was told this was not possible.
That seemed unfair, when the tour operator has the right to cancel, but not the client.The initial orientation meeting on "Day 1" in Vienna did not happen until "Day 2".
Nothing at all was arranged for "Day 1" other than the hotel in Vienna.The 5 day tour turned out to be 5 nights, with the 1st night in Vienna, where we already were staying.
So not 5 nights on the road, but 5 nights in hotels. Starting on the morning of "Day 2" makes the tour really only a 4 day tour in my opinion.The bikes that were brought to us on the morning of "Day 2" were not the right bikes that we had ordered.
Pick up time for our bags from the hotel was not mentioned in the orientation meeting.
Consequently, we missed the pickup time on the first hotel and had to pay for a taxi to bring the bags to the next hotel.
This again seemed unfair.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2024
- 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, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Hungary, Slovakia
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★★★★★ Dmendrop
Vikes on Bikes
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
This tour was not exactly what we expected. We brought our own tandem, but were often on dirt or gravel roads for miles, which was difficult with our tires. The directions were confusing and not clear often, a GPS option would be so helpful. Sometimes there was construction on bike baths, obviously not new, which caused us to take alternate route. Accommodations were excellent, I loved seeing all the small towns along the way. Don’t be fooled, you are not often on the Danube.
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★★★★★ Medium
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
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★★★★★ marni55
went off without a hitch
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
Very enjoyable trip. Rad + Reisen supplied bikes that were in great working order and no problems at all with repair issues. We never had to wait for our luggage; they reported luggage would be delivered by 6pm each day, but our luggage was delivered before we arrived every day, even when arriving early, around 1300 or sooner. The hotels were comfortable and generally in good locations, although I might consider spending a bit extra next time in order to be in a more central location in the large cities (Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest).
Much of the riding was on peaceful and beautiful country bike trails. There were some parts that were on gravel or poorly paved roads, but that was the minority.
The only reason I give 4 stars instead of 5 is due to rather poorly written directions, mainly in the direction booklet showing the way from the end of the day's route to the hotel. We got lost many times trying to find our hotels. By the end, we gave up on using their directions to the hotel and just looked at the map. I would recommend revising these directions with more landmarks and STREET NAMES.
I would definitely use this company again.- What was the date of your tour?
- June30-July 6, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- this was the first
- 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, Hungary
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Jim Johnson
Thanks for your feedback! We're glad you had a great time. We'll pass along your comments about the directions to Rad & Reisen.
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★★★★★ Calgary
Beautiful route!
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
A perfect way to enjoy the warmth, hospitality, food and beautiful landscapes of Hungary! The bikes provided were well maintained and comfortable, the hotels and buffet breakfasts were excellent and it was nice to know that we had a local contact to call if we ran into difficulties. I am already looking at another cycle trip for next year!
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★★★★★ Wayne
New 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 -
★★★★★ Donte
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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★★★★★ Frequent Traveller
Great tour and helpful staff
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
The tour was well organised although there was an initial communication problem at the first hotel. We were told by the tour company to meet at 7 am on the day of the trip and it should have been 7 pm. With a bit of luck and good timing it worked out fine. The local company was amazing. One of our party had an illness in the middle of the trip and the local company took care of us and drove him to the next destination along with his bike and baggage which gave him the time to recover and continue the trip. Amazing service. Will definitely do another tour.
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★★★★★ Anita E
Good Value
Vienna to Budapest 5-nights (Active)
A friend was supposed to join me on this bike tour but she had to bail and I ended up riding Solo which was kind of lonely. That said that route was excellent and pretty easy to follow. The TO's team was very responsive to my questions and concerns and it went a long way in making me confident on my solo ride. My only complaint was the e-bike. It was much heavier than what I'm used to riding which meant I needed to use more assistance. This gave me battery anxiety. The saddle/seat was very rigid and even with padded bike shorts I was very sore at the end of each day. I say this as a long distance endurance cyclist so I am used to being on a saddle for hours and hours. I usually don't get saddle sore. I got sick at the midpoint on the last day and TO help me figure out what to do with the bike and how to get to my final hotel. I appreciate their efforts.
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★★★★★ John Zentner
A quick trip along the Danube
Vienna to Budapest 5-nights (Active)
This trip is a quick way to see the Velo six path between Vienna and Budapest. The days are relatively long running between 80 to 90+ KM per day but almost entirely on bike path. There are some alternate routes available that would be more pleasant, but would probably add length to fairly long days. The bike path is well used and especially on the weekends includes families with children, touring folks and bike bozos trying to beat the speed record.
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★★★★★ Regina Zilinski
An excellent choice as first Bike & Barge
Danube Capitals Bike & Boat Tour
Did not know what to expect but was delighted by the bike routes, the added tour options, the accommodations, the food and the great customer service.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept/Oct 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- My first
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia
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★★★★★ Toby Kerr
Fair trip
Danube Capitals Bike & Boat Tour
All was great except confusing cycling directions from our tour director, Jurgen.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 24
- How many tours have you completed?
- None
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia
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★★★★★ Roxanne Green
Countries visited were amazing!
Danube Capitals Bike & Boat Tour
The itinerary was perfect for exploring so many wonderful villages and towns in six countries along the Danube. The food was delicious and served beautifully by the waitstaff. Two major complaints - Bike service - my bike was handed to me on day 1 with totally flat tires, a fender rubbing on the front tire and gears that were stuck and screeching. The Captain (his crew) ran the boat onto a sandbar and we spent many hours sitting there watching other ships cross into the Iron Gates while we waited for a tugboat from Romania to pull us free. By the time we pushed off the sand, the weather had gotten bad and we didn’t get to travel to the Iron Gates. The explanation was “we can’t go to Iron Gates. Not our fault - blame the weather”. Though we had a wonderful experience on prior adventures in Denmark and Italy in 2017, I don’t know if I’d do another Biketours.com trip when bikes and boat captain were so poor with this one. But I gave it 4 stars because the Chefs, Wait Staff, Concierges, Bar Staff, Cleaning crew and overall ambience of the Swiss Crown was wonderful!
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★★★★★ Allison
Lovely trip
Danube Capitals Bike & Boat Tour
There was an unforeseen closure of the Danube due to bridge construction. This caused us to spend extra time on the boat. We had 2 full days on the boat with almost nothing to do. I think there could have been a bit of planning to provide activities in the event that plans change. They did give a class on how to change a bike tire which was good but that only took an hour. Dance or knitting classes, group games, contests, something to occupy a very active biking group would have been great.
The packing instruction seem to have been written for a shorter trip. There was plenty of room under the beds for luggage. There is no place in the rooms to set up a clothes line to dry clothing. -
★★★★★ Mindy Gumminger
Great experience
Danube Capitals Bike & Boat Tour
Boat accommodations, staff and meals were excellent. Excursions were excellent. Tour director was excellent. Internet and cell services were spotty. Navigation app did not work consistently. Some days there was not enough time to stop and see things along the bike route.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- Several
- 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, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia
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★★★★★ Anne Jesse
Record Low Water Levels on Danube
Danube Capitals Bike & Boat Tour
Despite the disappointment of having the itinerary substantially changed because of the record low water levels on the Danube River, we were impressed that the crew was able to pull off a really nice trip with only about ten days' notice. They provided nice bike routes for each day, the dockings were at interesting places, the meals were amazing, and the tour guide Jurgen did an amazing job of pulling it all off.
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