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Cycling Cruise on the Danube - Four countries and three capitals

- Passau – Vienna – Bratislava – Budapest – Passau -

8 Days / 7 Nights
Easy

On this journey you'll experience four countries, three capitals, sail approx. 750 km and cycle approx. 116-177 km.

Accompanied by a riverboat, you cycle along the Danube, from the charming Bavarian town of Passau (also known as the “City of the Three Rivers”) into the heart of the defunct Austro-Hungarian Empire and monarchy. Enjoy three of Europe's most enchanting capitals; vibrant Vienna in Austria, Bratislava at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains in Slovakia and Budapest, also known as “The Hungarian Danube Queen”.

On the bike you will experience the beautiful Schlögener Donauschlinge, which is the place where the Danube winds through the landscape in the most beautiful way. You'll experience the legendary Wachau, with its romantic towns and mighty castles beautifully nestled between the vineyards. You'll cycle through the beautiful forests of the Danube National Park and the Danube Bend in Hungary, where the beautiful dome of Esztergom Church is visible from afar.

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  • Passau - The city of the three elves
  • Schlögener Donauschlinge
  • Danube bends
  • Wachau (World Heritage Site)
  • The three capitals Bratislava, Budapest and Vienna

More about the route

The cycling stages on this tour are manageable and depending on the cycling routes you choose, the total length of the route is 200 km. Today's stages are between 25-50 km. You'll be riding on well-maintained cycle paths for most of the tour. There are two rest days on the tour, you have the opportunity to cycle if you sign up for guided tours. Tomorrow's stage is reviewed each evening in German and English.

Itinerary

Here you can see the program for the week

Arrival in the "Three River City". Passau attracts many with the world's greatest church organ at the Stephansdom and its charming Old Town. Embarkation will be around 4:00 pm, departure around 7 pm. Enjoy your first dinner on board and an evening sail to Engelhartszell.

You will start the day in Engelhartszell, where you will find the only Trappist monastery in Austria. From here you head towards "The Great Loop", which is one of the most beautiful places along the Danube. During the bike ride you will experience beautiful scenery, small villages and cozy little restaurants. You will reach Aschach, where you will board the boat again.

Night sailing towards Vienna-Nussdorf

You have this day on your own in Vienna, but you will be offered a guided tour on the boat if you wish. While in Vienna, you should visit the most famous sights, such as St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Hofburg, the beautiful Ringstrasse boulevard and the Opera House.

In the evening, the boat sails on to Budapest.

 

In the early morning, you enjoy the panoramic view of the Danube's gorgeous landscape on the Sundeck. The gateway to Budapest is overwhelming, as many of the famous tourist features are situated directly next to the river bank. In the afternoon you can explore the numerous attractions of the city. Nearby, you find the Mar-garetheninsel which is outstandingly qualified for a small bike tour or the charming town of Szentendre with Mediterranean atmosphere and lively art life. In the night shipping to Visegrad.

The Danube bend is definitely a delightful part and is called the Hungarian Wachau. Today's bike leg starts at Visegrad with its famous fortress and the ruins of the former palace. You cycle through the picturesque countryside via the Szentendre Peninsula to the baroque village of Vác, which has been influenced by the architects of the Austrian empress Maria Theresia. Via small Hungarian villages you return to Visegrad. In the afternoon shipping to Bratislava.

You arrive in Bratislava in the morning. You can explore Slovakia's small, vibrant capital and the impressive castle, which offers magnificent panoramic views. A mini-train will take you through the old town and there will be an opportunity for a guided bike tour.  

In the evening, you continue on to Rossatz or Dürnstein (Waschau).

Your last biking day is a special highlight! Amidst small dreamy villages, apricot trees, vineyards, castles, monasteries and ruins, this gentle hilly landscape enchants everybody. A powerful ruin looms above the small Baroque town of Dürnstein, while the blue tower of the monastery church is a landmark of Wachau. In the small village of Pöchlarn you will board again. After the farewell gala dinner, you start “sailing” back to Passau.

Every journey draws to an end. Once again you enjoy on deck the first sunbeams and the peaceful silence of the Danube Valley. Take a last sight at the Schlögener Schlinge ("Great Loop") before you arrive relaxed at Passau. Arrival: approx. at 11am, disembarkation half an hour later.
If you travel onwards by train, we recommend to not arrange trains earlier than 1.30 pm. 

See the boat

Prices and dates

Prices per person in EUR

The price includes

Optional

  • Bike rental, including bike insurance
  • Transportation to and from Passau
  • Tips and gratuities
  • Travel and cancellation insurance
  • Riverboats to cross the river - expect a few euros per crossing
  • Administration fee (€ 20)

Bikes

You can choose between these bikes on the tour

7-speed Unisex Bike
Hub gears with coaster brake

High-quality unisex touring bike with coaster brake on the rear wheel.

Body size approx. 155cm - 190cm.

46cm
51cm
56cm
Unisex 7-speed E-bike
Hub gears with freewheel

High quality unisex e-bike with comfortable low entry.

Body size approx. 148cm - 195cm.

46cm "XS"
46cm
51cm
56cm

Practical info

Here you can get answers to various questions about your trip
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It is possible to travel alone and stay in a single room on this journey. If you wish, this can be selected on the booking form.

All departures require a minimum of 50 guests to depart. Departures are cancelled no later than 21 days before departure. It is therefore important that you wait until you have received final confirmation from us before arranging transport to the destination.

Be aware that a cruise ship on the Danube is not only your hotel, but also a machine that also works with engine power at night. Especially when passing locks and bridges - and the preparation work - noise can occur. If you are sensitive, please bring your own earplugs.

  • For a stress-free start to your trip, it is recommended to arrive at the starting point early in the evening of the day before. The individual return journey will take place on the last day of the trip.
  • The indicated cycling distance is an approximation and may differ from the actual distance.
  • This journey is not suitable for people with reduced mobility.
  • Further important information about your trip by bike and boat:
  • There is always a possibility of changes in the schedule and programme. In the event of extremely high or low water levels, the shipping company reserves the right to bridge parts of the route with a bus or to cancel the trip at short notice without liability (water level is force majeure). The same applies in the case of officially arranged lock and/or bridge repairs not previously announced or in the case of engine damage not caused by the fault of the ship.
  • Also be aware that your riverboat is both your "holiday hotel" and a working machine, constantly moving with engine power, even at night (sometimes with lock and bridge passengers and consequent ejection and retraction of structures). Particularly noise-sensitive guests are advised to bring earplugs. Lock passages are particularly associated with noise nuisance - it is the same on all boat trips - and unfortunately cannot be changed!
  • Please note that storage space in the cabin is very limited. In your luggage you should pack good rainwear (jacket and trousers), a helmet, sun hat and sun cream and sports shoes.

On all our cycling holidays it is possible bring your own bike but it also possible to rent a bike for the tour. The bikes you can rent are all perfectly suited for the tour and the local terrain and all bikes are perfectly maintained. If you want to rent a bike on your holiday, then you select this on the booking form.

Equipment included in the bike rental:

  • Saddle bag (water repellent)
  • Handlebar bag (water repellent)
  • Service-set with tools and extra bicycle tube
  • Combination lock

Please note that helmets are not included and you need to bring your own.

Roadside assistance
All bikes are equipped with puncture resistant tyres which means that it is virtually impossible to puncture. No rule without exceptions, so should you experience a punctured tyre then you can quickly fix it by using the tools in the service-set. If the damage is greater than a simply puncture then you simply call us and we make sure that your bike is fixed or you will be supplied with a new bike as quickly as possible.

Insurance is included
Insurance against theft and damages are included in the bike rental. Should you have any problems of this nature then all you have to do is to let us know and we will supply a new bike as quickly as possible. Naturally, careless or mischievous behavior is exempt from this.  

There are different rules for bicycle helmets and other safety regulations in the countries this tour passes through.

In Austria, bicycle helmets are mandatory for children under 12 years old.
In Slovakia, bicycle helmets are mandatory for everyone when cycling outside of densely populated areas. 
In addition, reflective vests are mandatory in both Slovakia and Hungary for cyclists cycling in poor visibility and at night. 

We ALWAYS recommend that you wear a helmet and bring your own. It is not possible to buy a helmet on board.  
Also bring your own reflective hi-visability vest (hi-vis vest) if you want to cycle on days with poor visibility.

The flights to/from Munich are not included in the price. You can easily find a suitable flight via a flight booking engine such as Momondo or Skyscanner.

Notice: we recommend that you book with us and wait for the confirmation before you book your flights.

It works like this:

  1. You book your chosen holiday with us
  2. We confirm your holiday (usually within 3-5 working days)
  3. You arrange your transportation

Get a quote
If you prefer that we handle your flight, then we would be happy to arrange this for you. You simply book a quote below the map on this page and we will return with a quote as soon as possible (usually within a few days). Please note that we add a handling fee of 45 euro to each flight and this means that the flight will be cheaper if you book it yourself.

On the day of arrival, a welcome meeting will be organised for all guests. Find out more about this on arrival at the boat.
In addition, travel meetings are held every evening to go over tomorrow's leg of the journey.

Upon request, it is possible to bring your own bicycle on this tour. Approval from the boat is required, as there is a limit to the number of bicycles that can be accommodated. Your bicycle must be insured, and you must understand that it will be stored together with rental bicycles, packed tightly, and handled by the onboard staff.

Please note that the boat disclaims responsibility for damages and theft of privately brought bicycles.

If bringing an e-bike, it is required that the battery can be removed and brought into the cabin.

There will be a handling fee for bringing your own bicycle - see details on the booking page.

On this journey, you stay on the boat for the entire trip in your chosen cabin. There are three cabin options:

  • Cabin on the main deck at the front or back of the boat
    Note: We have chosen not to offer these as you may experience noise from the engine or generators when the boat is in motion. This type of cabin is slightly cheaper, so if you want this, please contact us. The saving is approximately 700kr per person.
  • Cabin on the main deck
  • Cabin on the upper deck

The following is included in the price

  • 7x breakfast
  • 6x packed lunch for cyclists or lunch snack on board (non cyclists)
  • 6x afternoon coffee break
  • 6x 3-course-dinner
  • 1x farewell-dinner with farewell-drink

Tips are not included in the price.
It is customary to tip the crew of the riverboat at the end of the trip. The level is about 7-10€ from each participant. per day. On a trip like this of 7 days duration, about 50-70€ per person would be appropriate - depending on your experience.
There will typically be an envelope in the cabin for this purpose, or information will be provided to this effect at the end of the trip.

This tour has difficulty grade 1.

Grade 1
Suitable for cyclists who enjoy shorter distances in flat or gently rolling terrain. Ideal if you just want to explore the area by bicycle at a leisurely pace. On most itineraries it will be possible to shorten the trip distance, or skip a cycling day.

Read more about our Grading System

After booking this trip, you get access to various discount schemes.

We recommend taking out travel insurance that covers at least illness, accident, repatriation, lost holiday, luggage and liability. As a customer, you are responsible for taking out the necessary travel insurance to cover these costs.

Before taking out insurance, you should check whether you are already covered by travel or cancellation insurance through your home insurance company, credit card or similar - please note that there may be differences in insurance coverage.

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