Austria Tour Reviews — 571 to 600 of 1038

My wife and I completed the eight-day Danube Bike & Boat trip in June. Biking along the Danube through quaint villages and vineyards was a very special experience. Onboard our "floating hotel" we enjoyed the food, amenities, and camaraderie with like-minded and active people. If you are keen on an adventure, I highly recommend this one!

Along the Danube- Four Country Tour aboard the Carissima- very large group on board and biking so lots of waiting and wading through the crowd. Cabin was clean and comfortable even labeled as ‘eco’ cabin. Food was excellent however many courses and supper would take up to three hours- too long. Drink package was highly encouraged but not necessarily economical. All coffee/tea was at a cost except for a brief time in the morning. Our guide was adequate however seemed to rush the biking limiting conversation and countryside observations. The tour director Albert was indifferent and not clear on what to do related to a tour bus that didn’t show up. It took quite a bit of arguing on my part to feel justified with the outcome to balance up the ticket cost as this was not made clear earlier. Staff seemed overworked and had favorites. I would recommend the trip as the countryside is beautiful but choose another barge/ship. Run by Rad/Reissen.
All reservations and coordination through Trip Site- excellent in communication, coordination and cost information.

I loved the trip but would like to offer some feedback. First, the breakfast was not great. I would have liked more protein, certainly eggs every day, more cold meats, salad, and cheese, after all, this was also lunch. We all thought that water should have been complimentary at the evening meal - really surprised that we had to pay extra for water. I also thought the guide should have been more knowledgeable about each day's ride and what we should have taken time to see. Petra was really great and had a lot of duties but we were riding through some very interesting country and it would have been nice to have a more detailed lecture the night before on the important land marks. I would be happy to pay more for this trip if the guiding and food were better.

Very recommended for beginners and intermediate cyclists. Beautiful sights as well as great accommodations in quaint towns.

Overall, the Lake Constance tour was excellent - wonderful scenery, good bike paths, and we were fortunate the weather cooperated so well (sunny days throughout). I think we pushed ourselves to do the full lake tour in just five days, because this, in effect, meant only three days of actual riding, so the distances were a bit long, and this constrained our ability to stop and see more of the many interesting sites and just take our time moving across the breathtaking landscapes. The bikes were excellent - first class touring bikes and well maintained. The hotels were decent three-star options, and the breakfast buffets were a perfect way to start the day. All in all, a memorable experience, and we are already talking about a more extended bike tour with Tripsite next year.

This was a great experience. Andreas was a wonderful tour director/leader. 2 weeks aloud us to have a great experience. As this was the ship's first cruise of the year we did experience a problem with our room but Andreas resolved the problem promptly and provided some compensation for our troubles. The crew provided excellent service. The meals were better than expected( I am not a gourmet but enjoyed every meal). the bike routes were very interesting. Our only issue was with the a/c but as this was an older ship some things are not always up to modern standards. Great value.

May 2019 - Review of the Salzburg & Bavaria Bike Tour, or "Mozartradweg". With a really varied cycling terrain, but with the Alps on constant display, this was an extraordinary choice for a bike tour. It was a joy to cycle this part of Europe. Highlights for me were the towns of Wasserburg, Berchtesgaden, Kufstein, and Salzburg. The landscapes connecting these towns were just breathtaking. My only complaint would be that due the amount of time required on the bike, there was little time explore many of the sights along the way, such as the islands in the Chiemsee, Seeon Abbey, the Eagle's Nest, etc. I really enjoyed my few extra days in Salzburg and would have added another day or two in Berchtesgaden if I were to do it again. For the practical points, the bike was good, as were the hotels. And while the path itself was signposted extensively, (as "mozartradweg"), I would not want to rely on the maps and directions provided. I paid the thirty euros for the GPS tracks for the Komoot app (which easily transferred to my Garmin). I would really highly recommend this, and Komoot app turned out to be great. I chose early May with the intent of experiencing the Alpine meadows and chestnut trees in full bloom. And while they were, there was near constant rain, and even one day that it snowed. I was lucky I had packed thermal gear, but even so, the weather wore me down and I cheated and took the train the last day (which was easy to do, and the bike was free). I would go later in the Springtime or in the summer were I to do it again.

We loved the whole experience but one favorite highlight was the Hungarian Folklore show and being selected to dance with the troupe! We made great friends with our tablemates and are planning to visit them next year in Canada. We have shared our experience with so many friends at home that they want to do the trip too. Truly an amazing experience! I would be remiss if I failed to mention the value of the entire experience for the price paid. Very affordable!

We took the self-guided "Sport" tour from Passau to Vienna, starting on 2 April.

A. Here are our suggestions for anyone looking at the tour options for Passau to Vienna.
1. Don’t ever sign up for the “Sport” version of the tour because it requires 50+ miles every day, and leaves no time for exploring or resting.
2. If you are doing the self-guided trail, do yourself a favor and get the e-bikes. The bikes given to us were really inadequate for the distances.
3. Consider doing the bike & boat option rather than biking the whole way. The reasons? If on a boat, you won’t have to pack and unpack every day; You won’t have to search for the hotel in the evening, and you can look forward to relaxing on a boat every night. Another big plus is that from the shoreline, you often cannot get a good perspective on the scenery. When the cliffs rise overhead and you are below, you can’t see them at all. And you may be able to avoid some of the on-road biking that we encountered.

B. Here are the things we liked about the Tripsite planning and execution:
1. They booked all of the hotels and moved our bags every day. The hotel choices were excellent and the hotel owners all served good meals and provided nice rooms.
2. There were no surprise expenses.
3. Tripsite pretty much delivered what they promised.

C. Here are the things we did not like about the Tripsite planning and execution:
1. The materials and the bikes were delivered on the first morning of the trip. The trail book has lots of detail and routes on both sides of the river. Receiving the book as you are departing for a 350 mile journey is ridiculous. The company who publishes the maps (esterbauer.com) probably could provide a PDF far in advance.
2. The trail map was outdated. We encountered sections, starting on day 1, where the trail signs said the trail ended. Several times we were traveling on busy highways with no bike lane, no shoulder, and with semi-trucks screaming past us. On one section, we had to peddle for several km on soft sand past the trail closed signs, because the alternative was riding on an autobahn-type highway.
3. We purchased the Komoot iPhone app with the trail, thinking it would help us. Sometimes it did help. Other times, it tried to route us onto busy roads. It does not work well for this kind of trip, because the hotels are not on the route. We used Komoot to help get us from the trail to the hotels and Google Maps worked at least as well. I think Komoot is a good product, but not implemented well for this application.
4. During our entire trip, we encountered very strong headwinds that made progress painful. We expected that 21-speed bikes would be ok, but the gearless bikes performed very much like 7-speed bikes and is the source of complaints from others too. We concur. We should have ordered E-bikes.
5. On the second day, we called and asked to replace our bikes with e-bikes. Rad-Reisen called back and essentially said it would not be convenient for them to make the change. Trying to ride 50 miles into a strong headwind with the equivalent of a 7-speed bike is not good. I was sometimes limited to 11-14 km/hr (7-9 mph) because of the wind.
6. We signed up for a bike-tour of Vienna and stayed an extra day in Vienna. That day there were 25,000 runners in the Vienna Marathon, so we asked to cancel the tour. We found that the tour had already been cancelled for us, but we did not know it.  SHOW MORE 

It is difficult to choose the most memorable part of the trip since the staff, food, guide, routes, and activities were without parallel! The Amsterdam /Bruge trip we took several years ago was outstanding and my favorite of all the boat/barge trips we have taken.

The cycling and the amazing scenery. We opted for a local guide and Axel was amazing. We definitely would recommend this tour and already have.

Fiz este trajeto em setembro de 2018 foi maravilhoso ,um trajeto fácil ,hotéis muito bom ,cafe da manha excelente e atendimento ótimo, mesmo sem falar a língua não tive dificuldades ,o trajeto e bem sinalizado passando por lugares lindos ,a bike também e boa ,não e uma mtb como estou acostumada mas respondeu bem ao trajeto ,enfim vale a pena conferir ...adorei.

I love everything... the routes in beautiful places, food, the freedom sensation. I already scheduled another trip for next tear!

Most Memorable Part: The bike ride every day the sites and beautiful churches

The most memorable part of the trip was biking along the Danube River and visiting the small towns. We met many nice people from all over the world.

The entire trip was more than we had expected in most ways. The highlight was definitely the sights we saw and as we cycled along bike paths that were so well kept and safe. Time spent on the boat was enjoyable-the food was varied and tasty. The servers and dining staff were very attentive and helpful. We have shared our experience with many friends and highly recommend the Danube bike and boat trip to everyone we talk to.

What I appreciated was the response from staff when things went wrong. Which happens! It is how it is handled that matters. You will have my participation in any future trips! 100% satisfied with your service!

My wife and I completed a trip along the Danube. The riding was very easy, the scenery fascinating and the staff on the barge both friendly and helpful. We were very appreciative of the standard of food and professionalism of the staff. We organized this trip from Australia and found this to be a very easy process. We will definitely be looking to do more bike/barge trips in the future.

We biked around Lake Constance in August and can’t speak too highly of this great cycling adventure! Mostly on well- marked, dedicated, flat bike trails winding through apple orchards, vineyards, sunflower and strawberry fields with stunning views of the lake. We loved exploring the pretty, small towns, castles and churches and savored lots of local delicacies. We swam in the clear, blue waters, soaked up some sun on pretty beaches, and enjoyed lots of art - interesting statues, an international sandcastle building competition, and an art exhibit at the top of Pfander Mountain. The joy of this type of trip is that you go at your own pace and get to spend time doing whatever appeals! We got lost almost daily, but somehow this added to the adventure... directions to hotels in bigger towns were poor, with maps often leaving out many road names. Accommodations were varied - some basic hotels and some charming family owned inns. Breakfasts were generous feasts and hotel staff helpful and friendly. This was our second Tripsite adventure and we will certainly be back for another!!

I have to say the whole trip was amazing! We biked around Lake Constance! The hotels were clean and the breakfast at each hotel was delicious!

This was our first bike/barge trip and it opened a whole world of adventure for us. We have introduced this form of travel to many friends.

The accommodation and the bikes were great and the trip was very affordable. Our server for the week was terrific.

The route was well planned. The views were spectacular. Couldn’t have imagined a better place to have done this (Austria). We biked approximately 50 miles a day. It was exceptional.

Most Memorable Part? The bike route and tour help from the staff

Loved going around Lake Constance. We experienced three different countries and loved the food in each one.

Most Memorable Part? Cycling the afternoon around Vienna

I loved riding through Grein and the Wachau Valley, just beautiful!

Wonderful trip with a nicely balanced pace to the days varied activities: tasty breakfast followed by several hours of scenic easy cycling; back to the Carissima for a little deck time, beverage or two; good food, good company at dinner; perhaps up to the lounge for some entertainment or nicely tired back to the cabin to sleep. What’s not to like?

We enjoyed the relaxed pace, mingling with local village people and enjoying what Austria and Germany had to offer. The guides for the bike route were excellent, we had local people enjoying the bike paths with us and gave us a chance to practice our german. The accommodation and meals were of a high standard, after a day in the saddle the "Hugo" cocktails where very refreshing to end the day.
Thank you Tripsite for a great holiday.
Darryl and Brigitte

Most Memorable Moment? Late afternoons on the sundeck after the bike ride. Watching the castles and quaint villages on the shore as the boat glided by. Perfect end to a great day.