Bike Tour Reviews Vienna To Budapest (Classic) (page 2)
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★★★★★ Michael Beiley June 8, 2023Top quality bike trip
Excellent,. Dedicated bikepaths or other bikepaths along most of the route, app very easy to follow, beautiful scenery, many places to stop along the way, biking all flat and most days biked between 30-40 miles. Hotels were very nice, near bikepath and near city center and restaurants. Rented hybrid bikes were very nice but needed a few adjustments along the way. Bike company picked up and delivered without any glitches. Highly recommend for beginners to intermediate riders.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May/June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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
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★★★★★ Gib Egge May 31, 2023
Nice, albeit very different, sequel to the Passau-Vienna ride.
We did the Passau-Vienna ride a few years back and wanted to keep going! This ride is a bit different, but still well worth the trip. Days are not difficult. Even the first (longest day) was not a problem for any of us. Flying into Vienna, we had time to settle in before the meeting with the vendor to go over travel documents and receive our bikes. Note that tourist tax is still due at check in, we were notified by this so no surprise. Some had to share a double bed as they didn't have enough two single rooms at the hotel in Vienna even though we requested one. The remainder of the hotels all had our rooms with two beds. Upon receiving or travel documents and bikes, there were a number of issues (bikes too big, squishy front suspension forks, lack of locks, no cycling computer) with the bikes that were addressed and fixed either on-site or in the next 24 hours. Two bikes were a bit too big and the riders used them for the first leg and got their smaller bikes in Bratislava. Apart from that, all 12 of or bikes worked well for the duration of our ride. All hotels met or exceeded expectations. Breakfasts all surpassed the standard continental breakfasts here in the states. We purchased the dinner package as well and all meals were filling and complemented the destination. One of our riders was a vegan and most places were able to deliver him a suitable meal. Only real issue was upon arriving in Bratislava, we were told by our hotel that they didn't have rooms for us, and that the company booked us other rooms elsewhere. I it was a bit of a challenge getting there as it involved bringing bikes up flights of stairs, but the substitute hotel was nice, returned to the overbooked one for our dinner. With the exception of one day, our bags were at the hotel before us. The ride was a bit different each day. Though it doesn't follow the Danube entirely like the Passau-Vienna ride, you do get some time along the river. Most of the towns were what you would expect traveling through the European countryside. A nice church, or castle here or there. Bike trails part of the time, trails that paralleled roads and then roads. Most of the terrain is in good condition with the exception of a section of the bike path before Esztergom which took some time to get through. Few hills or changes in elevation. The busy roads were the chief complaint from the group. Not many during the beginning but the last two days of the ride were a bit stressful for some. If you are comfortable with road riding, you will be fine. Often times, away from the capitals, we encountered clerks, and wait staff that didn't speak any English so have a good translation app or patience to communicate. Most of us liked this we really felt like travelers and not tourists. Navigational materials were excellent. The app that the company provided was helpful with keeping us on trail the whole time, and the printed maps were additionally helpful. I would recommend this ride if you have already done there Passau-Vienna ride and are looking for more. Off to plan the next one! SHOW MORE
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Al Carruthers November 9, 2022
Directions too vague
The bikes, biking, hotels, food and weather were all good. The route descriptions were too vague. We were given German maps which were no help. We were told they were out of English maps and were not getting them reprinted. Directions were particularly vague when trying to find hotels and how to leave hotels correctly in the mornings.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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BikeTours.com staff reply from JV November 9, 2022
Thanks for your feedback, Al. Next year the German map language issue will no longer be problem as our new process will prevent this from happening. Cheers and happy cycling!
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★★★★★ Fred Inglis November 7, 2022
The hotels were first class and the staff very helpful. The trip itself was away from the Danube for most of the mileage covered and there were too many rough parts along the trail , i.e. tractor tracks with gravel ruts that were uncomfortable to traverse and longer than comfortable sections of heavily used roads. We took a day of rest in Gyor and this was a very pleasant place to spend time touring on foot. Vienna and Budapest are wonderful cities to explore on foot and via trams also.
Biking is a wonderful way to explore a different country and there were pleasant surprises in a couple of restaurants we came across in small towns along the way.
Unfortunately our maps were in German as they had run out of English versions, which made it more difficult to orient oursenves.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
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BikeTours.com staff reply from JV November 9, 2022
Thanks for your feedback, Fred. Next year the German map language issue will no longer be problem as our new process will prevent this from happening. Cheers and happy cycling!
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★★★★★ David Weaver November 7, 2022
Tour de Danue Excellent!!
What a great way to travel. The route was clear, weather was warm, the hotels were very good!! Not too fancy, but all well setup. The luggage was always there. Could not ask for anything else. Not too many other biker from this company on the tour. Oh well, nice not to be crowded.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- High
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Carol Dienhart October 5, 2022
Vienna to Budapest sister trip
Tour route was very well laid out, enjoyed overnight cities and accommodations. Disappointed in materials, one important guide not available in English. Made it difficult to chart routes and alternative routes and to plan for landmarks/scenery to watch for along the way.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept-Oct 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- 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
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BikeTours.com staff reply from JV October 5, 2022
Thanks for sharing this helpful feedback! We are working on improving the quality of our travel documents. We also recommend using a GPS to ease navigation. Thanks again for sharing, we hope you travel with us again.
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★★★★★ Billy Jackson October 4, 2022
Classic Vienna to Budapest
Trip was wonderful. The scenery got better as the trip went on. Hotels were wonderful and picked for easy in and out of cities. We used their GPS with Kamoot app and their paper turn by turn, we rarely got lost but some the terms were confusing such as; follow the dam, or follow the detour or right at the Y,. They have different meanings based on where you are from. Kirsten was great from Bike Tours and answered all our questions. Talking about a trip to Dolomites next year. Also the pretrip bike meeting was very beneficial. No fault of anyone, but got rained on for 15 minutes on the whole trip, mostly overcast, but great weather otherwise, was good for biking.
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★★★★★ Donna Reyes October 2, 2022
Overall great trip
Bikes were phenomenal, hotels were great. Only complaint was all our paperwork was in German. So then we got online English versions which could not be printed to put in the map holder. AND the new printed materials did not match the route maps. It was very confusing!
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Biketours Admin October 4, 2022
Thanks for your feedback, Donna. The German paperwork issue will be fixed next year as we are making significant changes in this part of our system. Thanks for your business. We hope you will travel with us again.
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★★★★★ Mike Corney September 21, 2022
Vienna - Budapest
I rate the tour over 6 attributes: Terrain, Scenery, Bikes & Equipment, Hotels, Directions / Maps and Cycling Infrastructure over the toute.
Terrain - was as advertised - mostly flat
Scenery - was disappointing. I expected to be cycling along the Danube. For large parts of the route the Danube was nowhere in sight.
Hotels - Hotels and the food that they provided were very good.
Directions / Maps - These left something to be desired. The directions were in English, but the maps were in German. It was often difficult to match up the written directions with the maps. Finding our way into and out of towns and locations of hotels was particularly difficult.
Cycling Infrastructure - This was often poor. The designated route often had us on busy roads. We had to traverse unpaved portions of the route that were often little more than tractor ruts in a field. Paved paths were often in poor condition with many uneven patches and bumps. Very poor.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- 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?
- No
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BikeTours.com staff reply from jan September 25, 2022
Thanks for the feedback. The directions / maps issue will be fixed in next years version of this tour. Our apologies for that but this year we simply didn't have the time or resources to provide our own branded concise and consistent tour directions. Your route feedback is also very useful and will be carefully reviewed at the end of the season. Thanks for traveling with us as we and the rest of the tourism industry slowly reboot from covid.
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★★★★★ Colleen Mcintyre September 6, 2022
Ride is awesome! Assistance could use some assistance
The ride is one of the most amazing experiences I have had. Having the bags transferred is priceless and went very well. The hotels - both quality and location - also excellent. I got an e-bike and so happy I did because two days had a lot of dirt, gravel, and mud that bike helped power through.
The maps?!?! A book that has copied step by step from a bike app. This is great for walking, but if you never stop or detour, or in the city where there are multiple turns rapidly, it doesn’t function. The other book has pictures - excellent - except where there are multiple rapid turns or irregular intersections. They also don’t indicate the charge for necessary ferries on the map. They company needs to have someone who has never ridden it, use the book, and make indicators, or tips in it. Going between the books is nearly impossible. I reviewed both books, google maps, and a bike app (I don’t have a subscription) the night before. That with the signs that are not always available helped a lot.
Last, upon my early arrival in Budapest, my bags were not there yet. I checked in to shower and change into my spare outfit. When I returned, the bike was gone. No notification …I assumed the company. I would have assumed I had the bike, like the hotel room, through the end of the tour.- What was the date of your tour?
- August 24, 2022
- 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
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★★★★★ Scott McCormick August 14, 2022
Amazing, awesome time
Really great trip that we would love to do again or extend to other parts of Europe.
A normal day for us:
* Wake up and drop bags at front desk
* Get a casual breakfast
* Ride bikes and take breaks as needed
** We usually went about 15-20 miles/hour
** Took anywhere from 4-6 hours
* Check into hotel & explore
* Usually pretty tired, so not a lot of late nightsYou're following the eurovelo 6 trail the whole time which is well marked. Very little chance you get lost, but there is a eurovelo 6 app which you can use if you're worried. Or just get lost. It's Europe, you'll be fine.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- 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
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★★★★★ Wesley November 13, 2019
Beautiful cities and hidden gems of Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary
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
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★★★★★ AJNZ November 2, 2019
Hungary
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.- What was the date of your tour?
- 22 September
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe November 3, 2019
Thanks kindly for your candid review. While we're sad you wouldn't recommend this tour. We certainly understand it's not everyone's cup of tea (for the exact reasons you have mentioned). We're glad you had an interesting adventure, experienced some terrific towns, and had a good experience with the tour operator. Thanks again for the feedback.
