Danube Bike Path - Vienna to Budapest

Day 1: Arrival in Vienna
Day 2: Vienna - Region Bad Deutsch Altenburg/surroundings, 26 mi. (42 km)  
Day 3: Region Bad Deutsch Altenburg/surroundings - Bratislava, 16 mi. (26 km)  
Day 4: Bratislava - Györ, 31 mi. (50 km) + train ride Mosonmagyarovar - Györ 
Day 5: Györ - Komarno/ surroundings, 35 mi. (57 km)
Day 6: Komarno/surroundings - Danube Bend, 31 mi. (52 km) 
Day 7: Danube Bend - Budapest, 39 mi. (62 km) + ship
Day 8: Departure from Budapest

*All distances in this bicycle tour in Hungary, Slovakia, and Austria are approximate and vary according to details of accommodations.

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

Excursions possible (ask us for details):

• City Tour by bike 
• Historical City Tour with Schönbrunn Palace
• Waltz and Operetta concert at a Viennese palace
• Vienna Hop on and Hop off bus tour
• Vienna Pass

Sample hotels: 
Cat. A: 4-star Hotel Kaiserwasser
Cat. B: 4-star Hotel Park Inn by Radisson

DAY 2: Vienna - Region Bad Deutsch Altenburg area, 26 mi. (42 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 of Roman buildings, entertaining stories, and plenty of interesting information regarding Roman traditions, customs, and celebrations.

Sample hotels: 
Cat. A: 4-star Hotel Altes Kloster 
Cat. B: 3-star Gasthof Stöckl

DAY 3: Region Bad Deutsch Altenburg/surroundings - Bratislava, 16 mi. (26 km)
Nestled in the hills of Hainburg and the Carpathian Mountains, you start your day's journey with cycling 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. 

Sample hotels: 
Cat. A & B: 4-star Hotel Park Inn Bratislava

DAY 4: Bratislava - Szigetköz - Györ, 31 mi. (50 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 center 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 center of the town.

Sample hotels: 
Cat. A: 4-star Hotel Famulus 
Cat. B: 3-star Hotel Ibis Györ

DAY 5: Györ - Komarno/surroundings, 35 mi. (57 km)
The route leads through the outskirts of  Györ through the suburbs and continues on through the lowlands of the hill country of Transdanubian. In Babolna, you will want to visit the world-famous stud farm, known for its Arabian horse breeding. Afterward, through lush rolling hills of the village of Komarom, you reach the final destination of the day.

Sample hotels: 
Cat. A: 4-star Hotel Peklo
Cat. B: 3-star Hotel Bow Garden

DAY 6: Komarno - Danube Bend, 31 mi. (52 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.

Sample hotels: 
Cat. A: 4-star Hotel Portobello
Cat. B: 3-star Hotel Szent Adalbert

DAY 7: Danube Bend - Budapest, 39 mi. (62 km) + boat or train transfer
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. Depending on the time of year you travel, the itinerary today features either a boat ride into the city or a train ride.

• Free Budapest App
• Budapest City tour by bike
• Budapest Hop on and Hop-off bus tour

Sample hotels: 
Cat. A: 4-star Hotel Novotel Budapest Danube
Cat. B: 4-star Hotel Danubius Flamenco

DAY 8: Budapest
Today is at your leisure to enjoy the Hungarian capital. 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. If you want to return to Vienna, there are daily departures every 2 hours by bus. The duration of the trip is approximately 3 hours. You can even request that you be dropped off at the Vienna International Airport. Return by train is also possible.  Boat transfers are seasonal, usually operated from mid-April to the end of June (except Monday) and July through end of August, daily. Departure is at 4:30 to 5 pm, with check-in required one-half hour early. 

More Danube Bike Tours can be found here or you can view all of our bike tours in Europe or look at our featured bike trips, specials, and news.

You have a choice between two categories. Category A consists of mostly 4-star or high end, 3-star hotels. Category B consists of quaint inns and 3-star hotels and pensions. In Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest, 4-star hotels are always booked. In each day’s detailed itinerary you will find the name of the preferred hotel list. If the hotel listed is not available, a hotel of equal standard will be offered.

Bicycles

Men’s and women’s bicycles

Men's and women's hybrid bicycles

• Upright handlebar
• 7 or 21-speed KTM touring bike
• Flat pedals
• Step-through or men's frame (horizontal bar)
• Shimano components
• Accessories include one to two pannier bags, odometer, pump, and repair kit
• Helmet purchase possible

Electric bicycle

Electrically assisted bikes are available to those who love to cycle but who find it increasingly difficult to either master the terrain or the distance. E-bikes are not motorized but have a battery that enables you to pedal with ease. It has been described as similar to having a constant tailwind at your back.