Austria Tour Reviews — 691 to 720 of 1074

We biked the Danube, 7 days departing Passau and had one of the best weeks ever. Our cabin was beyond what we expected and very comfortable. The tour director gave us great information for our following days cycle. The dining both breakfast and dinner couldn't be faulted.
A peaceful, relaxing week, where we only had to think about the experience.

The MS Arkona was a lovely ship, very clean and comfortable. Unfortunately The Danube River was low and we were bus to Budapest where we had a nice tour. The biking on the trip was scenic, and a lot of fun. Due to a change in itinerary we were shorted a day of biking but that was out of anyone’s control. The bikes could have been newer because they were not operating at their best.
My e bike was wonderful but was grinding gears quite often.
The food on the ship could have been better. Breakfast could have had more fresh fruit, granola, oatmeal with other breakfast specialties. The dinners lacked fresh salads. My favorite meal was when we were on the boat for lunch one day and had a fresh salad bar with soup and pasta.
The tour guide on the boat could have been more communicative and answered questions more readily. The explanation of the bike riding should have included an overview map of the riding from point A to point B everyday.
Overall the trip was good and the weather conditions with the Danube were out of the tour company’s control. The biking that we did do was spectacular!

The beautiful bike paths along the Danube and the great food on the MS Arkona. Found the unguided bike tour confusing. Comfortable beds but loud vibrating boat motor at night made it impossible to sleep. Yay sleeping pills.

This was a wonderful tour with many interesting & historic stops along the way. The portion in the Czech Republic included challenging terrain while the ride from Vienna to Budapest was fairly flat. The hotels were all unique and very different, from botels to spas to penzione. Locations were great, had delicious breakfasts and were clean with the exception of the last one, which I'll discuss later. This trip would have been perfect if a few simple things had occurred: we received detailed information for the trip the day we left for Prague. Since there were some modifications, I lost half a day in Prague getting those worked out. That easily could've been taken care of before we left if we had the detailed info sooner. When we arrived in Prague, the cycling company sent Maps.me files to load. Because of the types of phones we have, it again took some vacation time to figure out how to download. We discovered that these were imperative to smooth navigating along the routes so I recommend that those files be sent in advance. The only other disappointment was that the hotel in Budapest was very dirty with mold all over the shower floor and walls. We had been told we'd be in a much nicer hotel, but i'm assuming they were unable to book it. Fortunately, we had booked our extra nights elsewhere. Bottom line, I would recommend this trip with the modifications above.

My wife and I just finished this trip with another couple. First of all, remember that you get what you pay for. This cruise is much cheaper than Viking or Avalon or some of the others so you can't expect as much opulence or fine cuisine. That said, everything was fine. The food was good but not great. The walls to the cabins are thin so if the person in the room next to you is a loud talker, you will hear every word. Also, try to avoid the lowest level of rooms - the windows don't open and are noisier as you are close to the engine. The trip it self was great. The cycling was easy and scenic. We had Axel as our guide, and seriously, he ruins you for any other guide. If we went on another cruise, it would have to be with Axel - any other guide would suffer in comparison I suspect. He is Austrian with a very keen sense of humour (He would have to be as he is an Arsenal fan). He went above and beyond.

We had a mixed experience on this trip, having completed two other bike and barge trips on smaller boats (and smaller waterways). This is a wonderful region for riding - much of the route follows bike paths that parallel the river and provide gorgeous views of river towns. Unlike our other trips, participants ride on their own without a guide, and this worked well for us. Because the boat travels from Passau to Budapest and back again, there is quite a bit of travel time on the boat. At times, we enjoyed watching the scenery, but this also meant that our time on land was quite limited. Food was decent and several options were available at each meal. The dining room was noisy and it does take quite a bit of time to serve everyone, with the staff clearly working hard! During our tour, there were engine problems which resulted in a change in itinerary. The company struggled to manage this and identify reasonable options. In the end, they have promised us a partial refund, which seems quite fair. We would have preferred that this offer had come sooner in the process, without the numerous conversations that were needed to help the company understand the concerns of passengers.

Best part? The cycling along the Wachau valley

The entire trip was greater than expected! The staff bent over backwards to accommodate. The gorgeous Danube!

I adored the trip from start to finish. The scenery, the towns and cities and of course seeing everything by bike. I met wonderful people who share a love of travel and adventure. The only problem with the trip was the tour leader. He was condescending and rude to several guests. The rest of the staff was phenomenal. I would do this trip again tomorrow.

Bike Boat 4 countries Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary - most memorable part of the trip was experiencing the Danube River up close; boat was comfortable and so smooth sometimes I had to look out the window to see if we were moving

Most Memorable Part? The beauty & grandeur of the Danube...and the ability to enjoy this while riding a bike!

We decided to have our honeymoon on the St. Morritz to Innsbruck self-guided bike tour. We are so happy we did as the scenery was beautiful and the people we met along the way made it memorable. I recommend staying an extra night in St. Morritz so you can take the gondola up the mountain (free from the hotel when you stay 2 nights) to hike and enjoy the views. The bikes were sturdy and had the gears necessary for the hills. Bring your own helmet for this tour as they are not available to rent.

Best part of the trip was bicycling through the scenic Wachau wine region. The views of the Danube River and vineyards were magical. Views like you see in PBS commercials for Viking cruises. Bratislava was the most pleasant surprise. A beautiful city with an active cafe culture that is not as big and intimidating as Vienna.

If you are unsure of your bicycling skills consider the hop-on hop-off tour option for Vienna instead of the bicycle tour. The crowds and heavy traffic make the bicycle tour slightly treacherous.

The hardest bicycling day ironically was the first day with steep hills up to the Mauthausen concentration camp and the Clam Castle both of which were worth seeing. If you question whether you are in good enough physical condition for this trip rent the electric bikes, they make a huge difference.

I would highly recommend this trip. The food was fantastic. The rooms were of a good size and clean. The staff were friendly and helpful. The cycle route were scenic and enjoyable. I would definitely do another.

Riding along the Danube river was fantastic! We loved all the port cities and the scenery was picturesque. Our favorite memory of the trip was being able to explore on our own each day. Guiding ourselves on the daily rides was challenging but very rewarding. Usually we saw our fellow shipmates along the way and had lunch companions for our daily Danube picnics!

What an unforgettable trip! We were able to take our 75 year old dad and he cycled the whole thing easily. The touring days in the cities were full, overwhelming, and inspiring for someone who's never seen the rich history of Europe. Cruising down the river while eating a 4 course dinner was a perfect finish to cycling though forests and orchards all day. It was a perfect combination of cycling, cruising, relaxing and sight seeing. I would recommend it to anyone!

This trip provides a chance to explore the rural areas along the Danube by bike and to visit the great cities of Budapest and Vienna. There is a lot packed into this trip.

This was a perfect way to spend a holiday. The food was AMAZING! The staff was personable, kind, and so very efficient with all they do. I was pleasantly surprised with all the paved bike paths and the number of cyclists out traveling on vacation. It was inspirational to interact with them along the way. Thank you, [Normandie](https://www.tripsite.com/bike-boat/boats/comfort/ms-normandie/) and staff. We had a fantastic time!

Cycling past the remnants of the Iron Curtain. WOW!
There were so many highlights, but having Axel as our guide certainly added a great deal to our daily rides. Thanks Axel!

The beautiful scenery along the river was the most memorable part of the trip. We also loved all the little cafes right by the path for lunch and breaks.

Biking along the Danube and in the evening sitting watching the sunset on the top deck. I would like more time on the bike, but happy we got to see so much!

The entire trip was wonderful! The food was great, accommodations were perfect and the scenery is spectacular.

Most memorable thing from our Lake Konstanz trip?? How in the world do I pick?? The Biergartens? Picnics in medieval towns? Watching World Cup with locals in small family cafés? The acres of apple orchards? Seeing zeppelins flying over crystal blue water? Feeling the thunder of Rhein Falls? Getting lost and finding amazing parks and kind people? It was the BEST vacation we’ve ever had, and we’re already talking about which one to do next year!

Biking along river was the greatest. Budapest and Bratislava wonderful. Time in Vienna too rushed. Strongly advise participants to take an extra day or two in Passau before the trip—a lovely small town.

My dissatisfactions, two nights in the suburbs of Constance, out of the way, should not be used. Konono staff excellent, but cost us for taxi to get there and back to the train. Route book imprecise. What is the route sign we were supposed to follow? What good is a dotted line on a map when there are multiple routes? Which are more scenic? Less hilly? Passing by cafes? Unpaved in a forest? Exactly how do you get to the Rhein Falls ferry? Book never mentioned the three elevators that take you up and down. We had frustrations every day.
Is it a beautiful trip? Absolutely. The Mozart and Park Villa are beautiful hotels, although not air conditioned.

I did the 7 day Around Lake Constance. This was my 4th Tripsite bike tour. I will list the positive things first.
I booked the Category 4 hotel package and was extremely pleased with all the hotels. Location was good for all except the Park Hotel in Uberlingen. It is located at the top of a very steep hill and was very difficult to find even after you saw the sign pointing the way!!
The breakfasts at all the locations were amazing and so beautifully displayed. A wonderful way to start the day!
The bikes were comfortable and almost brand new. Panniers, front bag and trip meter were all very nice.
Now the not so positive...
I had read all the reviews before booking and noticed the negative comments about the bike route directions. Since these comments were from a year and 2 years ago I assumed they had improved this info. NOT TRUE. The book with the routes is almost worthless. Getting from city to city was not always the problem but once in a city the situation changes. It is even more challenging when you do not speak the language. The locals are more than friendly and always willing to help. However they often assume we know more than we do and even their help does not get us to our destination. A suggestion would be to provide the cyclists with GPS or a HOTSPOT so that we could download the routes on our phones. I realize that if the customer is from Europe they can do that easily but those of us from the USA depend on a wifi connection for this service. I stayed recently at a hotel in Madrid that provided each room with a Hotspot at NO EXTRA charge. If a mid level hotel can afford to do this you would think a cycling touring company could do the same. I realize Tripsite does not have control over some of these situations but if they could encourage this company to try some more advanced methods of guiding their clients I am sure everyone would be happier. I had a wonderful holiday with fabulous weather, beautiful scenery and memorable meals. I will be booking with Tripsite for my next cycling tour. Just wanted to raise this issue to help future travelers be aware.

Great bike routes. Vast majority on nice bike paths.

The staff on the boat were wonderful. Very helpful, friendly and hard working. The food on the boat was excellent. They consistently turned out perfectly prepared delicious meals. The bicycles were in excellent condition and performed perfectly. I thoroughly enjoyed this trip.

The cruise through the iron gate was a highlight of this trip. Cruise director did a great job throughout the cruise. Weather was much warmer than average and many days of biking were at 90 degrees F on roads and trails with little cover or shade so were somewhat more difficult than anticipated. It was a great experience but people need to be aware that most of the riding in the Eastern European countries are on the side of roads sometimes without a bike lane and there was some traffic.

Each day of the tour had its own special treat. A castle one day, a palace the next. The opera experience in Vienna was amazing. A day cycling through the vineyards with a relaxing place to sample wines. Crossing the river through the lock. The guide always explains in advance the best places to visit on the ride.