Austria Tour Reviews — 391 to 420 of 1028

We just returned from this cruise less than a week ago. I cannot express how wonderful it was. The scenery was breathtaking, the staff outstanding. The Swiss Crown was a beautiful boat to call home for a week. The staff on board were delightfully pleasant and accommodating. They made every effort to make it a positive experience for everyone. The dining room was beautiful, and our table had a great location. It wasn't too loud, we could easily hold a conversation with our fellow travelers. We had previously taken this trip on the Charissima and found the dining room was too noisy. The food was tastefully prepared with many regional dishes. At 1600 hr everyday they had a dessert / coffee hour that was very special, the staff were readily available for more coffee.
Though there were only a handful of English speaking travelers, Jergen was an enthusiastic program director. He was very accommodating to locate a bicycle that would fit our very petite daughter, even getting extra bikes just in the event that one didn't fit. He went out of his way to obtain a concert ticket for my husband when he didn't sign up in the required time frame. He did give us good directions and if we had questions he was available to answer them. I enjoyed this trip more because of the staff, boat and riding. Overall better than our previous trip, and I thought that trip was awesome. We constantly talked about the beauty of the river, the birds chirping in the forest, the food and the staff. I would love to travel on this boat again.

The excursion cycling around Budapest was very memorable and our tour guide was excellent! The park on the island was definitely the highlight. We made some wonderful new English speaking friends and really enjoyed meal times with them.

The final night's celebration party was super fun and everyone enjoyed the 70's theme. Dinner on the upper deck was amazing! The restaurant manger was so kind and helpful at every meal. He made the dining experience top notch. Hopefully, the air-conditioning in the dining room is fixed for next time.

Another suggestion would be to streamline the briefings for the cycling routes by using prerecorded media and then allow Leslie to answer questions in person at a later time.

Leslie the cruise director was awesome. He was always at the ready to help out with any questions or problems.

Everything on the boat was great except the smoking policies were not enforced. People smoked everywhere on the top deck and took away from the experience. No one stopped them and as a result my wife's asthma was triggered.

The trip provided an excellent introduction to the countries and cities visited - the bike tour guide, and some of the extra options, we’re very worthwhile. However communication between Tripsite and the contractor, Rad and Reissen, was poor and marked by numerous breakdowns. Most significant was that the Covid protocol we were told would be followed wasn’t, at all, and several people, including both of us, contracted Covid during the trip. Between us we missed seven days of activities while confined to our cabin.

The scenery was incredible. The bike paths are well maintained and made for an easy trip. My only suggestion is to have the hotel in Bolzano closer to town. It was pretty far from downtown however the people were very pleasant. Luggage was late a couple of times. One was due to car trouble. Can't predict that.

Most Memorable Part: The extensive bike trails along the river and in the larger cities

This trip was special because I was celebrating my 65th birthday and the anniversary of my husband's passing. I wanted it it to be something that I would always remember and it certainly will be!! My husband was scheduled to join us on this trip -- I'm sure he would have loved it as much as I did. The accommodations were wonderful, the food was great and the biking routes were fun, scenic and easy to follow. But what really added to the experience was the staff. Leslie is an outstanding tour director - he makes sure that everyone is taken care of down to the last want or need of every passenger. I want to give a special shout out to Cristian the bar tender who always kept us laughing and to Milos (from Montenegro) who made sure our group of thirsty Americans always had lots of ice cubes and cold water. There is no question that we will be booking another trip very soon!!

This was one fantastic trip! Loved every second of it. Did not want to return home. Loved the reliability of Radweg-Reisen. Very professional and helpful. Never worried about luggage getting to next destination. E-Bikes were superb. Plenty of time during the day to stop, relax and enjoy the countryside. Route details were good. GPS was a huge help. Look forward to another trip through Tripsite.

The scenery was incredible

We boarded the Primadonna on Friday & started our biking the following day. It was a little hectic & we didn't get any tips about the e-bike since we hadn't ridden one before. We got a briefing the night before about where to go but we had to wait until the German was completed before the English started. We were all very tired by then from traveling. The first day of biking went well as we got used to the e-bike. The second day we began our ride from Tulin to Vienna. The bike trail was crowded today and as we were coming up to a curve I had to move out of the way for on- coming traffic & I hit the gravel and crashed to the ground. My husband was behind me & had to stop fast so he also tipped over on his bike. I hit my face & landed on my left knee & my knee was bleeding heavily. My husband had multiple abrasions on his arms & legs. We continued our ride back to the boat so we could figure out what to do next. I checked my knee & I had a wide, deep cut that I knew would have to be sutured. The boat provided bandages & advised us to see a doctor in the next town. The following morning Terezka from reception took us by taxi to a near by hospital but they would not see us. We got into another taxi & went to a private doctors office where I had 6 sutures put in my knee. I was not allowed to bike so we stayed on the boat for the remainder of the trip. It took 3 days for us to get flights to return to S. Carolina. Bruce & Phyllis Ehlers

If you seek an active vacation with fabulous landscapes, a safe environment, and good $ value, this trip should be on top of the list. Besides great value, good pace on the activities, good people, and a lot of fun. This was our second bike tour and the most enjoyable one. The group of 13 had similar skill levels in cycling, 10 - 12 mph, and a mindset of enjoying the cities, towns, and panoramas. The e-bikes were top quality and a breeze to use; we never felt discomfort. The crew was very hospitable, modest, clean cabins; dinner was the best meal of the day.

Of the 168 passengers, 140 were biking, and 13 were on a guided tour. The passengers at Fortuna will benefit from watching a video on bike etiquette, whether riding solo or as a group. Before taking off on the first tour, reinforce group riding behavior for safety for all.

It was amazing biking through the country side of Hungary and Austria. It is not your typical USA tourist destination but I am so glad we were able to experience it.

Biking through the amazing Wachau alley wine region of Austria was a highlight, but the lesser-known towns of Krems and Melk were amazing, too. I just wish there had been more time to explore, but the 7-day tour needs to keep moving, so we understand. Great crew, if obviously overworked (7 days per week for 21 weeks straight?!), made the trip.

We had a fabulous trip down the Danube on the Fortuna. The staff was excellent-attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. The biking was amazing, I am so glad I signed up for an e-bike, it made a big difference.
The one thing that I would caution to future bikers is that the time to get from drop-off to pickup is often tight and it can be difficult to get too far off the designated path to explore (which is something I expected more of).
My group of 10 all had an excellent time and I highly recommend this tour group and boat.

My favorite ride was through the Wachau Valley in Austria. We really enjoyed all the rides, but riding between the Danube and the vineyards, seeing the small towns speckled along the way, tasting wine and ending at the Abbey in Melk was the ultimate.

The biking! Loved being able to be mainly on a proper bike path and not on roads. Freedom to explore along the way and take your time getting to the next destination by bike.
Last bike day through Wachau valley was very rushed to have to make it to the boat before 3:30pm. So much to see we were scared to miss the boat and skipped a lot of experiences. That section would be better down downstream than upstream!
Better, detailed maps would have been nice.
Wi-fi on the boat was terrible or no-existent!
Food was acceptable but not fantastic.
Thank you for always having vegetarian option!

Easy and Wonderful. Amazing destinations on a comfortable ship. There is no need to think. The staff does all the thinking for you so you can enjoy your visits and bike rides. The bike routes are well planned and explained, both in the guidebook and by the cruise director in his daily briefings. I highly recommend downloading the route for google maps so that you can trace your progress and find your location easily on your phone. The distances are reasonable and the sights beautiful. I rented a standard bike from the boat, and felt comfortable and secure. My travel companions rented an e-bike from a private vendor in Passau, and loved them (the ship ran out of e-bike rentals). Dinner was delicious. The ship clearly had a first-rate chef on board. The air conditioner in the suite worked very well (we like our rooms to get very cool at night)--so we loved the temperature in the room. The organized shore excursions were great, especially the city tours by bike. We had a suite, which was very comfortable. It came with a mini-fridge, a spacious bathroom with great water pressure and lighting, and plenty of storage space in the cabin.

My most important suggestions:
Dinner took a bit too long: on some evenings, almost as long as 2.5 hours.
I wish we had stayed a bit longer in some places (e.g., Melk, Vienna, Aschach).
For passengers with walking challenges, more assistance finding easy-to-board taxis or tuk tuks when docking.
Guide book could show where WC facilities can be found along the route (pls note, no WC facility at the ferry station in Szob, Hungary).
A supplementary, shorter bike route could be offered for the Devin-Bratislava day. The one offered is very long and most of it a bit boring and bit challenging (too many turns along with long bridge that is intimidating to cross if windy). The offered option is great for those interested in doing long-distance biking, but for those who want to spend a bit more time in Bratislava, a shorter route could be offered as an alternative, maybe a short trip to the the Schlosshof and back to Bratislava without doing the full loop.

Most memorable part of trip was seeing the Lippizon horses in Vienna.

I loved the Clam Castle we toured.
Amazing that a count and countess actually live there with their children!
One disappointment was that the cruise director spent most of his time giving cycling directions in German and very little time in English.
I found the route difficult to navigate but fortunately one of our friends was able to figure it out.

We loved our boat/bike tour but the absolute highlight was the day cycling in the Wachau valley. We just wish the day had started and ended later so we could have sampled more wine!

The boat staff were fantastic - they really went out of their way to make our trip easy, fun and memorable.

Most memorable part: Waking up to different cities. Tour director Leslie was very helpful and knowledgeable.

The trip was all memorable--the scenery from the boat, the biking in Austria, the cities of Vienna and Budapest. The staff and crew were outstanding, especially the tour director. Our only complaint was that a vegan menu option was promised and the kitchen struggled to deliver the quality and variety we expected.

Our first bike and barge and we are already looking forward to many more. We are two 60 yr old couple who all love the outdoors, adventure and travel. Our cabins were on the top deck of the Carissma, roomy enough, turn down service each night and big picture windows. Excellent food, especially the dinners. Albert was the tour guide on board and he was organized, knowledgeable and patient! No problems with the bikes or directions - we were self guiding, 21 speed bikes. Easy terrain. We highly recommend the city bike tour of Budapest and Vienna as you otherwise may miss great hidden gems, interesting stories and local guides. We stayed at Hotel Residenz in Passau for one night before departure and highly recommend the visit to this beautiful port city and the hotel! We could not recommend trying this style of vacation more. The staff on the Carissma did everything to make the week comfortable, easy and well organized. Wonderful way to see cities in 4 countries in a week.

I really enjoyed the cycling outsy of the cities. Cycling in the cities was not so great.

The food on board was excellent. Everything about the ship was great.

Dennis ft Collins Colorado

Not the cities but the cycling outside of the cities. Perhaps cycling the Wachau Valley was our favorite but we enjoyed all of the pre-planned cycle routes.

There were no complications due to COVID-related issues on the tour. The only frustrating steps were the Denver to Frankfurt flight and the return. We never seemed to have the right forms and in the end, no one ever checked the forms except at the airplane check-in.

We really enjoyed the diversity on the ship. English was definitely the second language, but people did their best to be welcoming and accommodating. It’s important that people understand and are willing to go with the flow! The paths weren’t always as clear as they were supposed to be, so be prepared. We were thankful that all paths eventually went to the Danube!

The most memorable part was biking with new friends we made on this trip, also the 80s dance night was very very fun. I would suggest to not include every lunch in the package as usually we are out no need for sandwiches, and give the option to have dinner out when we dock in a city. The organization was great, the self biking part very easy as the cruise director was amazing. We felt safe and taking care off very well. I would recommend a longer time in Vienna.

Hi….really a great trip and well organized, thank you so much ! The only confusion was day 7, you list the ride is 51 miles, yet maybe clarify that the ride is only 34 miles and the ferry ride from Szentendre to Budapest in 15 miles for then a total distance of 51 miles, with 34 miles of riding. Is there an option for a better bike ? Look forward to riding again with Tripsite, Good Luck ! Jim Ruble.

I understand the latitudes taken in promotion and advertising. That being said, I highly resent being intentionally deceived. We were “warned” prior to leaving that there might be last minute changes in where the ship docked in Passau. Sure enough, 2 days prior to boarding we were informed of the change “due to construction.” There was no construction around the docks. We walked by there several times each day, and ships were docking all the time. No, this had to do with not wanting to dock in Germany where COVID restrictions were tighter for the ship to set sail.

What we were left with instead was a vague set of instructions that led us to the wrong place and a group of suspected fellow passengers (none spoke English) also waiting in several places for the bus. We tried your 800 number. No one answered. We tried the local “help line”. The person who answered did not speak English. There was no one at the presumed site to board the bus to inform us that we were at the correct location. Had the original one not broken down and caused an unexpected delay, we would have never made it to be bus, even though we left our hotel two hours earlier. Two unexpected cab fares and hours of stress wondering if we would actually make embarkation is not the way to start a voyage. We must have been your only clients on board, and that explains quite a lot of what happened. The only other English-speaking passengers were Danish. Daytime announcements were only made in German.

FOOD

If I were asked to describe the food on this voyage with one word it would be: BLAND. Presentation 10. Taste 3. Selection 2. They need to invest more in spices to make it taste better and less on garnish to make it look good.

PERSONNEL

The saving grace was the attitude and professionalism of all those who worked on board, from the Captain helping get the bicycles ashore, to the ladies at the information desk, to our waiter, bartender, and cabin stewardess. All worked hard, were extremely helpful, and I have no complaints whatsoever.

CYCLING EXPERIENCE

The bicycles were good quality, well-maintained, and those who instructed us in their use were quite helpful. The young lady who instructed us each evening about the day ahead was superb. But her graphics, maps, handouts, were awful. The biking experience itself was nothing like I imagined. Cars, trucks, pedestrians, and multitudes of other cyclists all trying to pass on the left at any opportunity. Some very dangerous gravel trails and quite a bit of city riding with cars whizzing by at breakneck speed. The distance vs. time allowed created a “race to the finish line” experience rather than the comfortable, leisurely ride through the countryside with frequent stops to take in the scenery that I had come to expect from your promotional materials.  SHOW MORE 

The Barge and Ride tour of the Danube was outstanding. Providing more detailed directions to the demarcation point in Passat would have helped. The staff were excellent as were the meals and the scenery.

Please do not consider this a review of your company, but a review of the cruse company. First, this garbage of moving the dock location from Passau to a small town in Austria was a total sham. They said that was done because of dock construction in Passau. This was a Trump type of Lie! There was no dock in the city of Passau being worked on. Total BS!
Secondly, the bus pickup at the train station in Passau was a real mess up. No one was there to help direct or at least tell people there were in the correct place. You could not talk to anyone to make sure you were in the correct place because there were at least four different languages being spoken. Then the bus was about an hour late - not helpful to already lost and confused people.
Other than the above, I enjoyed the trip. I really want to express my thoughts about the staff on the boat. In all my travels, I have NEVER seem a staff who worked so hard, friendly, and helpful. Them never ran from work or being helpful. Everyone from the captain to the dock workers jumped in when needed. This was the best bunch of service staff that I have had the privilege to observe and interact with.
Thank you for your efforts and willing to listen. Sincerely, Leo Dennis Roos