Bike Tour Reviews: Innsbruck To Salzburg  Through The Alps Along River Cycle Trails


Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails

COUNTRY: Austria

7 nights
4.8/5 (54)
Rider Level: Recreational Electric bike tours Primarily bike paths Client favorites
Rider Level: Recreational Electric bike tours Primarily bike paths Client favorites

4.8/5 (54)
7 nights

Self guided from EUR € 1550

Description:
You will cycle along the Alps from Innsbruck to Salzburg. In Innsbruck, you will follow the wide valley of the Inn River passing little historical cities like Wattens, Hall, or Schwarz. On both sides you will see huge, impressive mountain ranges - and…

View Tour

  • Innsbruck to Salzburg
    (5/5) Tracey Thiele August 23, 2023

    Fabulous Tour

    Tour through the Austrian Alps was fabulous! The scenery gorgeous, accommodations and breakfasts lovely, and the ease having our luggage picked up and delivered made for a lighter and joyful time on the bike. Recommend this trip to anyone wanting the independence of a self-guided tour along with the ease of having a tour company provide the GPS, make hotel reservations and shuttle bags.

    What was the date of your tour?
    August 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    about 10
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 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
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) chuck hughes September 30, 2023

    Innsbrock to Salzburg

    Great way to see Austria, really enjoyed the trip, and would recommend it to others. Everything was very well planned and it went very smoothly.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2023
    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
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
    • 4/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Nancy Nestler September 7, 2023

    Where's the sun?!

    Even though we were a bit unlucky with the weather, the trip was fabulous!! The trails were leisurely and well marked. I know we missed out on some views because of our weather, but what we saw was amazing!! I loved staying in different cities and lodging each night. All places were clean and staff was friendly. I'd love to go back and do this trip again -- hopefully with clearer skies.
    I would suggest being sure all bikes are equipped with odometers and a front basket that has a place to display the written directions so they are easily accessible. I had this on prior tours and missed it greatly this time. But overall -- very excellent!! I'd do it again in a heartbeat!!

    What was the date of your tour?
    August 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    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
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Kirk R October 3, 2023

    Beautiful riding in Austria

    The scenery on the ride through the Austrian Alps was amazing! Bike paths and trails on nearly the entire ride. The bikes we rented were in excellent condition. There was plenty of time to stop and explore the small towns along the route. The transfer of luggage was seamless, with prompt pickup and drop off each morning. The breakfast provided was very good and a great way to start the day. We will definitely consider another European bike tour in the future.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2023
    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
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
  • (5/5) F.S 10 months ago

    Beautiful trip

    Very nice routes through small rural towns, national parks and resort areas. Hotels were clean and offered local flavor. Road bike route needs to be more on bike paths than highways, but the distances and excursions were well thought out.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Mark Anderson 10 months ago

    Well Organized!

    Tour Date (wk beginning Sep 7, 2024)

    Our chosen tour was the self guided tour and my wife and I rented a tandem for the ride. the weather was the only thing we would have hoped to of had different. We started out in the 80's F and ended in the low 40's with all day heavy rain.

    Bike Tours and their local providers/coordinators did an excellent job of coordinating all the parts and pieces from the bike shop where we picked up the tandem in Innsbruck and including all of the accommodations and luggage movement along the way. Everything worked perfectly.

    One comment I have heard in many other reviews was that the map book is difficult to follow. We decided to also rent a GPS as well to help with navigation. That was a good move as the GPS was easier to manage in the rain and then we pulled the map book out when we needed additional details.

    The map book directions were hard to follow initially, but that got easier with familiarity after the first day. When you receive the GPS it's not preloaded with the route. We didn't realize this ahead of time, but after loading the Garmin app in our phone we would load each day's route from the map book into our phone and then transfer to the GPS the night before. We both grumbled a bit as we completed this process the first night, but this became much quicker after the initial run as well.

    I would definitely do another tour with Bike Tours!

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sep 7, 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 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
  • (5/5) Nancy Reid 10 months ago

    Surrounded by beauty: Innsbruck to SalzburgA

    Our self-guided ride was a beautiful ride along the rivers on well marked bike paths and trails. The scenery was amazing and the hotels were very comfortable. It was a wonderful way to experience the Austrian countryside, towns and people. I enjoyed the ride so much, I'd like to do it again!

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    5
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    •  (photo by Nancy Reid)
    •  (photo by Nancy Reid)
    •  (photo by Nancy Reid)
    •  (photo by Nancy Reid)
    •  (photo by Nancy Reid)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) JP and Shannon 10 months ago

    First Bike Trip for us. Was wonderful.

    We loved Austria and biking on this route was great. The route is very well designed. We took traditional bikes and it was no problem at all. We wished it could have lasted longer with another segment. We were very lucky with the weather in September as it was sunny our entire journey but had rain when we arrived and on the day we departed.

    Bike rental shop, equipment and all hotels were top notch!

  • (5/5) Tom A. 1 week ago

    Mountain valleys, forests, meadows, pastures, and rivers

    I believe this has been our 4th trip with BikeTours.com, and this might be the best one yet. If you’re looking for a pleasant ride through a lush green countryside, and generally cool weather (and can tolerate a rainstorm or two), Austria is an ideal place for biking, and this particular tour is one of the very best. This trip was actually a little easier on the legs (we only use “real” bikes!) than the other Level 2 trips we’ve taken, and the overall vibe and scenery were just what we were looking for. While we enjoy the bigger cities of Innsbruck and Salzburg, what we love best are the trails through the countryside, with a nice village every 10 miles or so for a break and a bit of Apfelstrudel. Austrians are so friendly to tourists that it’s simply a delight to be here. The cool weather and lush green vegetation everywhere are a big plus, particularly if you come from a drier climate like we do. We navigated with the provided .gpx file using Google maps. Best navigation experience by far!

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    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
  • (5/5) Marek Hartleb July 11, 2024

    Alpine pastures

    Although we went through all climate zones during our ride we find this vacation awesome. Selection of hotels and planning of bike routes was very good. Riding 40 to 65 km each day with e-bikes took 2-3 hours, therefore we had enough time to walk alpine pastures taken up by cable cars in Zell am See or Lofer. You may believe me that alpine meadows settled only by Milka cows is something that gives the best break from noisy and busy life.

    •  (photo by Marek Hartleb)
    •  (photo by Marek Hartleb)
    •  (photo by Marek Hartleb)
    •  (photo by Marek Hartleb)
    •  (photo by Marek Hartleb)
    •  (photo by Marek Hartleb)
  • (5/5) Lauren Brzozowski August 26, 2023

    Exceptional Scenery

    This trip delivers epic views from start to finish. We were constantly in awe of the Austrian countryside and quality bike paths. This trip was enjoyable with a good amount of riding and opportunities for site seeing. It felt like a vacation. Hotels and villages were charming and well selected. We chose to add extra days in both Innsbruck and Salzburg. This was the right choice for us because it allowed more time for sightseeing. As mentioned in other reviews, the route book was challenging to navigate/ ride with, so we downloaded their GPS tracks which made navigation a breeze.
    We loved the extra info in the route book such as places of interest along the route. We stopped at most and would recommend trying to see as many as possible. On a past biketour.com trip, the route book also included recommendations for restaurants. That would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for a great trip!

    What was the date of your tour?
    Aug 15 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    •  (photo by Lauren Brzozowski)
    •  (photo by Lauren Brzozowski)
    •  (photo by Lauren Brzozowski)
    •  (photo by Lauren Brzozowski)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 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
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Larry Chambers January 22, 2023

    A Bike Trip You Don't Want To Pass Up

    Let me start by says this is a great ride!!! The ride is generally flat, some very small hills. Our group consisted of seasoned and beginner riders. Two in our group used E-Bikes with no problems. So, if you feel that you could not ride the whole trip peddling manually, get an E-Bike, worked great!
    Your first two days you will be working your way to Zell Am Ziller, transfer point over the mountain. Zell Am Ziller is nice little town. Has a brewery, shopping and a nice little restaurant by the river. The train station in town is the pickup point. The drive over the mountain to Krimml is roughly an hour.
    Krimml sits at the top of the canyon, so the ride going forward will be a slow downhill, flat spots, and a couple small rolling hills. The waterfall at Krimml is incredible. The 10/15-minute walk to the base is worth it. Now, if you really want to see more of the fall, be hike ready. It took us over 40 minutes to get to the café that is two-thirds up the falls. Nice stopping point. If you decide to climb the last section, it does get steeper. Honestly, if you stop at the café, that’s good enough. Also, give yourself roughly 3 hours if you climb the falls.
    When you leave Krimml the next day, this will be your longest stretch. Don’t be intimidated, the route is straight forward. Take you time, enjoy the view, stop in Mittersill and have lunch in the square.
    Zallar Am See is touristy, but still a beautiful city. We spent our day off going up to the top of the ski slopes. Great views if its not cloudy, just wear a jacket. Plenty of shopping and site seeing in town. The lake is also a good place to hang out.
    Your trip to Lofer will offer a walk-in cave and gorges. The cave was interesting, takes 30 minutes. The gorge is a ride uphill. E-Bike for anyone who struggles with hills. Lofer is a small quiet town. Good stop to rest.
    Finally, heading to Salzburg. I didn’t think we would see anything as good as the previous days, but I was wrong. This stretch offers farmland views and various things to stop and see. We decided to head straight to Salzburg because of our limited time. I would recommend you book an additional day in Salzburg, lots to see. One stop I would recommend is the brewery called “Augustiner”. As Americans, we don’t see breweries like this. You don’t have to be a beer drinker to enjoy the beer garden or even the beer halls inside. It’s just cool!!! I would also recommend the fortress above the old part of Salzburg. Go early!!
    One thing I do need to note. The map and directions that are provided can be confusing in some spots (usually when leaving or getting into larger towns). I recommend using a GPS. If you do run into issues, the locals are very helpful.

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • Zell am See (photo by Larry Chambers)
    • Krimml Waterfall (photo by Larry Chambers)
    • Outside Mittersill (photo by Larry Chambers)
    • Salzburg, Austria (photo by Larry Chambers)
    • The Beer Garden at the Augustiner (photo by Larry Chambers)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • (5/5) Nicolas Roggeman October 7, 2022

    Great scenery, wonderful routing and fabulous hotels

    Although we left it a little late to do this ride, starting on September 13th, we thoroughly enjoyed this fabulous self-guided tour. The scenery is to die for – lots of quaint villages set in the mountains on excellent bike paths most of the way and the hotels, for the most part, offered fantastic rooms, plentiful breakfasts and charming hospitality.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 13-19, 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    2-3
    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
    • Starting off in colourful Innsbruck (photo by Nicolas Roggeman)
    • Fabulous infinity pool at the Hotel Post in Strass (photo by Nicolas Roggeman)
    • On the Zilertall Valley trail (photo by Nicolas Roggeman)
    • fabulous views of green pastures and farm animals (photo by Nicolas Roggeman)
    • Leaving Zell am See on our way to Lofer (photo by Nicolas Roggeman)
    • Made it to enjoy a great visit of Salzburg's highlights (photo by Nicolas Roggeman)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Harry Kaufman October 5, 2022

    What's not to love!

    The trip was wonderful, the scenery is beyond beautiful, and Bike Tours promptly fixe3d the one bicycle problem we had.

    My wife and I loved every day. The one issue and I don't say complaint, because we had a wonderful time was the maps. The maps are basically worthless. Maybe Vasco De Gama could have figured them out, but we couldn't. Of the problems, they are in a book so you can't loo k at them while you are cycling because they are in your panier, and I can't memorize them. Most of the time, you follow the trail and you can figure it out, and if you get lost so what? You are lost in a beautiful place. The last day was pretty rough, good luck getting to and finding a way to and out of Bad Reichenall. But we did and loved it.

    So, we cannot wait for the next trip!!

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    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
    • 3/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 1/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 1/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Nicolas Roggeman September 23, 2022

    Amazing Austrian Alpine

    From Innsbruck through the Zillertal Valley, to Krimml and down toward Zell am See, Lofer and ending up in Salzburg – what an adventure, what great sights, doesn't get any better. The hotels were spectacular, and in spite of the rain in late September, we had a fantastic time.

    What was the date of your tour?
    mid September 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    3-5
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Families with teens, Families with young kids
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • Innsbruck at 5 (photo by Nicolas Roggeman)
    • Gasthof Post Hotel Infinity pool (photo by Nicolas Roggeman)
    • Pastures that go up forever (photo by Nicolas Roggeman)
    • Safe cycle paths most of the way (photo by Nicolas Roggeman)
    • Even the rain couldn't deter us (photo by Nicolas Roggeman)
    • Great sightseeing in Salzburg (photo by Nicolas Roggeman)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Katherine Johnson September 20, 2022

    Fantastic

    We were blown away by the quality of the cycle trails and the beauty of Austria. The accommodation was comfortable and the breakfasts were lovely, and the bikes were comfortable! We highly recommend this trip!

  • (5/5) Robin Jones September 16, 2022

    Breathtaking scenery and flawless trip

    This was an incredible trip and the perfect way to see Austria! Cycling through the back farm lands was incredible and we were amazed at how absolutely green it was! The hotels were nice (some quite noisy)depending on where your room is located. Our bikes were top notch and we couldn't have asked for more. They were easy to handle, comfortable and worked perfectly for the duration of the trip. We didn't use the provided guide book but used google maps instead. This allowed us to take a few "off route" trails. It's amazing how accessible Austria makes it for people to be outdoors and enjoy nature, and the maintenance of the trails are perfect. We were concerned when the travel company did not provide us with luggage tags for our luggage transfers but they arrived daily without a problem. I would HIGHLY recommend this trip!

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    0
    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
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Tricia Hoggan August 8, 2022

    Amazing

    It was wonderful. The scenery was spectacular. The hotels were perfect. I can't say enough good things about the trip.

  • (5/5) Richie and Trish October 12, 2021

    Gute Fahren im die Berge

    We had an amazing time on this tour. The scenery was breathtaking. It was so exciting to cycle along these beautiful rivers with the alps rising above us on both sides. The days just flew by as we cycled along. This was our seventh European tour and this ride compared very favorably with other rides we’ve taken. When we arrived in Innsbruck we found that we had to walk to a bike shop to pick up our bikes. Normally the bikes are delivered to our hotel but we took the walk and the shop owner was very helpful. Although the bikes were very heavy we found them quite roadworthy. They may have been the best bikes we’ve used in Europe. The hotels we stayed at we all lovely and provided us with great breakfasts. We especially enjoyed the Hotel Post in Zittertal with its rooftop infinity swimming pool. It was amazing. We also enjoyed having a rest day in Zell am see although it was hardly restful. We hiked, took a boat excursion and went to a fabulous spa for a swim. Many reviews of this tour complain about the book that accompanies the tour and now we know why. It’s very confusing and was not at all helpful. Usually the books on these tours are much more helpful and give recommendations for lunches and dinners. This book did none of that. The trail is well marked in most places but not in others. We often found ourselves scratching our heads trying to make sense of the signs on the trail and the directions in the book. We are seniors and found ourselves walking the bikes up hills from time to time but most of the ride was gentle easy riding. When we weren’t on dedicated bike paths the roads were quiet with little traffic. Overall it was an amazing trip that we would recommend to anyone who loves being in the mountains.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 13 - 19 2021
    How many tours have you completed?
    7
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, 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
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Issac Newton September 16, 2019

    Wonderful Ride Through the Scenic Valleys of the Alps

    What was the date of your tour?
    30 Aug - 6 Sep
    How many tours have you completed?
    5
    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
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
    • 2/5 Guides (if applicable)