Vienna to Budapest

Austria, Hungary, Slovakia Bike Tour

Three Country Bike Tour

Following the flow of the Danube, an indescribably beautiful and varied scenery surrounds you as you cycle in three countries and visit three capitals. Between the Austrian and Hungarian alluvial landscape and the Danube River Bend, you will experience the regional art, culture and nature. The highlights of this tour are varied. Your tour starts in Vienna, capital of Austria, city of music, culture, art and history. Your second day finds you cycling in a region that is literally a paradise, rich in flora, fauna and many species of birds in the Danube Flood Plains National Park. You will spend the night in Bratislava, capital of Slovakia, where the vineyards on the slopes of the Little Carpathian Mountains crawl down to meet the banks of Danube River.  Another accent  is the Archaeological Park Carnuntum that  brings the Romans back to life: architectural masterpieces, romantic ruins and valuable treasures will fascinate. Cycling toward Esztergom, on a clear day, the spectacular view of the domed Basilica perched on a hilltop reflects in the water. Your final desitnation and delight is Budapest, Hungary's capital, regarded as one of Europe's most beautiful cities. It is bustling but peaceful, a friendly metropolis and a place where old treasures blend with the modern. Long gone is its communist shadow. Today, Budapest is embracing its role as an important 21st-century city.

The long and mighty Danube, links nations and cultures and you will experience this as you bike through three countries and visit three capitals! Enjoy the journey!

Please note: This tour can be taken as a 14 day tour from Passau to Budapest. Please contact us for details.

Tour Dates

• Season 1: Saturdays, April 20 to May 2 and September 27 to October 5, 2013
• Season 2: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: May 3 to June 30 and August 19 to September 26, 2013
• Season 3: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: July 1 to August 18, 2013*
• *Please note that during the Grand Prix in Budapest, availability might be restricted. Pricing for extra nights will need to be verified.

Where You’ll Stay

Category A: 4 star hotels
Category B: In Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest, 4 * hotels. In all other cities, 3 * hotels.

What’s Included

• 7 night accommodations
• Breakfasts
• 21 gear unisex tour bike with handlebar bag, pannier, and odometer
• Luggage transfer
• Tour information packet - one per room
• Route descriptions & maps - one per room
• 1 x train trip Mosonmagyarovar - Györ
• 1 x ship or transfer (before/after seasonal shipping schedule) Szentendre - Budapest
• Service hotline

What’s Not Included

• Individual arrival to Vienna
• Remaining meals

Skill Level

Relatively easy hotel tour along the Danube River with rolling hills that at times are steep. The Austrian section follows well maintained cycling paths. In Hungary, you will often cycle on country roads. Upon entering and leaving the cities, you will encounter traffic.

Day-To-Day Itinerary

1. Arrival in Vienna.
2. Vienna – Region Bad Deutsch Altenburg, 28 mi. (45 km)
3. Region Bad Deutsch Altenburg - Bratislava, 20 mi. (32 km)
4. Bratislava - Szigetköz - Györ, 28 mi. (45 km) + train
5. Györ –  Komarom, 27 - 33 mi. (45 - 55 km)
6. Komarom – Danube Bend, 21 - 30 mi. (35 - 50 km)
7. Danube Bend – Budapest, 36 mi. (58 km) + ship
8. Departure from Budapest.

*All distances are approximate and vary according to details of accommodations.

DAY 1: Vienna
Individual arrival to the capital of Austria and an overnight in the city. Opportunity to explore this city of music. you could visit a typical Viennese tavern to experience local cuisine.

DAY 2: Vienna - Region Bad Deutsch Altenburg, 28 (45 km)
Not far from Vienna, begins an untouched alluvial landscape and Nature Reserve with stunning and diverse flora and fauna. The silence is interrupted only by the sounds of the birds.  You will have an opportunity to visit the Archaeological Park of Carnuntum which was once a Roman Army camp. Emperor-to-be Tiberius founded the settlement; he erected a fortified winter camp in the Carnuntum area in the year 6 AD which evolved into one of the most important cities within the Roman Empire.  You will find detailed reconstructions from Roman buildings, entertaining stories and plenty of interesting information regarding Roman traditions, customs and celebrations.

DAY 3: Region Bad Deutsch Altenburg - Bratislava, 20 mi. (32 km)
Nestled between the hills of Hainburg and the Carpathian Mountains, you start your day's journey with a short transfer by train and then by cycle to Europe's youngest capital, Bratislava, a contrast between old and new. You will find cobblestoned roads, pedestrian plazas, pastel 18th-century rococo buildings and street cafés galore. Expand your gaze and you can’t miss the institutional housing blocks and bizarre communist construction beyond. An age-old castle shares the skyline with a modern and unusual bridge. 

DAY 4: Bratislava - Szigetköz - Györ, 28 mi. (45 km) + train
The marshy landscape of the Szigetköz is a paradise for birds, fish, and more. In the midst of these wild and untouched lowlands with more than 500 tiny islands, there are quaint farming villages and a labyrinth of countless Danube canals and creeks. After a relaxing train ride, the day's final destination awaits, Györ, with its gorgeous Baroque style old town square. Győr, Hungary's second richest town in historic buildings outside Budapest has won Europe-award for the protection of the historic buildings, in acknowledgment of the reconstruction of the Baroque centre of the town. Churches, palaces, museums, characteristic corner-balconies and narrow lanes, all reminders of a historic past, invite visitors to take a walk in the centre of the town

DAY 5: Györ - Komarom, 27 - 33 mi. (45 - 55 km)
The route leads through the outskirts of  Györ through the suburbs and continues on  through the lowlands of the hill country of Transdanubien. In Babolna, you will want to visit the world famous stud farm, knownf for its Arabian horse breeding. Afterwards, through lush rolling hills into the village of Komarom, you reach the final destination of the day.

DAY 6: Komarom – Danube Bend, 21 - 30 mi. (35 - 50 km)
Today you will cycle along the banks of the Slovakian Danube on low traffic roads through quaint and quintessential villages.  On the way to the "Town of Bishops and Kings", Esztergom, also known as the "Hungarian Rome" or "Royal City",  you will pass the Roman fort of Kelemantia. The small town of Esztergom in Hungary played an important role in the establishment of the Hungarian state 1000 years ago. As a royal seat for two centuries and as a center for the Roman Catholic religion for 1000 years it abounds with history and culture. The Basilica of Esztergom, the largest Catholic Church in Hungary, is a highlight.

DAY 7: Danube Bend - Budapest, 36 mi. (58 km) + ship
Amidst the hilly landscape, the Danube River divides itself into parts creating the Szentendre Island. Here, you cycle through typical Hungarian villages. Szentendre is famous for its numerous handicraft boutiques and the Open - Air museum, Skanzen. This day features a boat ride into the city.

DAY 8: Budapest
Today is at your leisure to enjoy the Hungarian capital. Departure by daily scheduled buses at 3:30 pm with arrival in Vienna at approximately 6:30 pm.  You can also request an earlier departure at 11:30 am. Transfer is not included in the tour price and a reservation is required in advance.

You can also have a transfer back by speed boat for a supplemental fee. Departure, 9 a.m., April 30 to September 27, every Monday and Wednesday for supplemental fee.

Book This Trip

Questions? Call us! 877-965-2064 or e-mail us

• Portugues: Viena a Budapeste
• Nederlands: Van Wenen naar Budapest
• Deutsch: Wien - Budapest
• Español: De Viena a Budapest