Slovakia Tour Reviews — 1 to 30 of 487
Ed S
4 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Along the Danube-Iron Gates
Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia
A couple notes: 1) I brought pick-pocket proof pants, as I’d heard that we needed to be careful. I didn’t really need them. Probably a better purchase if you’re visiting Paris and/or Barcelona. 2). The 3rd level Read More rooms had balconies, where the 2nd level rooms do not. The room for the balcony is taken from the indoor room space, so you actually pay more for a balcony, but lose space in the room. We had a 2nd level room and the other 2 couples we traveled with both had balconies. They were envious of our extra room. Be sure to take along a travel clothes line to dry your clothes.
We also found the e-bikes were well worth the extra $$. Both my wife and trained using standard bikes, and physically were in decent shape for the bike rides, which were all pretty easy, fun rides. We found the e-bikes let us relax and enjoy the trip a bit more than we might have on regular bikes.
The ship, the Swiss Crown, was in excellent condition. The food was very, very good, and seemed to get better each day, as did the bike rides. The table service on the ship was excellent and the servers were all very personable, helpful, and friendly. One member of our group was vegan, btw, and the ship did a great job of accommodating him.
In all, we had a great trip and would do it again! Thanks to all for a wonderful time!
Linda G.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
This was my first bike and barge trip and it was wonderful! I plan to do more biking and cruising! It was fun traveling with 14 friends.
Catherine A.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Fortuna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
The most memorable aspect of the Danube River Bike and Barge was the incredible scenery that we experienced. Every day was visually stunning but varied from the day before. We biked through hardwood and conifer forests, vineyards, classic villages, wooded pathways always along the beautiful river. The people we encountered were friendly, helpful and fun. It is a treasured memory.
Tina C.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Fortuna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
The last day of biking was the best! We biked through beautiful vineyards and to the quaint little town of Durnstein for some chocolates and apricot liquor tastings. It was the only day some of our group really used their e-bikes - the other routes were mostly flat with few opportunities to change gears or use the e-bike assist. For a relatively experienced biker, there was no need for an e-bike on this trip.
Gerilyn K.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Fortuna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Vineyard ride thru austria
Suzanne G.
6 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Fortuna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
The ship, crew and food was were great. Our room was spacious and enjoyed the large window in our room. The dining room staff and food was better than I expected. Bikes were ready for us each morning. I did not rent an e bike and had no problems. The director did go over the bike route with us each day outlining the map route booklet given to us. It needs to be stream lined to much formation. A daily printed summary would be helpful. They do post a daily program in the lobby but a hard copy would help.
Peggy H.
6 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Fortuna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
The travel along the Danube was breathtaking, stops memorable.
Disappointed with the ebike. Although was expecting the bike to be fitted, all participants had the same frame. They adjusted my seat and that was all. I found the ebike extreme heavy! And thus more difficult maneuver. My ebike has a smaller frame and 43lbs. The bike I had was a larger frame and 65lbs. I did have a significant crash so didn’t continue with the biking. The rainy weather contributed to the crash.
I strongly suggest various frame bikes.
Michael B.
6 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Swiss Crown Along the Danube-Iron Gates
Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia
Our tour director made everything we did fun. Thanks Juergen.
Donald K.
6 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Swiss Crown Along the Danube-Iron Gates
Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia
The ship and the food were a very favorable part of the trip, lovely.
The bike tours were boring and ill described by the guide. Less farmland and more quaint villages would have met our expectations. The last day was the best.
Joseph K.
6 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Swiss Crown Along the Danube-Iron Gates
Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia
Vienna and Budapest were definite highlights as well as the bike ride from Krems to Melk which was fabulous!
William W.
6 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Ship was very nice and staff were friendly and helpful. Everything was spotless clean and bed was comfortable. Dinner meals were pretty mediocre and some of sack lunches included greasy deep fried items. Bikes were in excellent condition and the bike routes were fine, but the written descriptions for navigating the routes were indadequate.
Tripsite Team • 6 months ago Tripsite Staff
Thank you so much for your comments! I'm sorry to hear about the route descriptions, the ability to navigate is essential on our tours and so this issue will definitely be addressed for the 2023 season. We supply GPS tracks as well, which definitely make the riding easier.
Frederick J A.
6 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Great biking on an iconic river through the major cities in grand luxury.
DORIS S.
6 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Fortuna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
A wonderful experience! Good food, lots of fun. Leslie the cruise director was phenomenal! I'm not sure its possible, but it would have been nice to have a little more time in the major cities. The bus trips were a great introduction for a return trip.
Scott H.
6 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Prinzessin Katharina Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Highlights: Beautiful scenery along the Danube whether you are on the boat or riding your bike. The staff was extremely friendly & helpful. The food offered was excellent along with the service.
Biking: I’m a regular cyclist (Road & Mountain) so I chose to ride a standard (non ebike) bike. The bikes are heavy and geared way too high. Fortunately, the terrain is relatively flat so the number of times needing lower gears were few.
Donna M.
6 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Fortuna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
This was the best trip ever, which makes it hard to think of just one memorable part. Truly everything was memorable, the sights, the food, the experience of biking through small towns, the crew especially Leslie our cruise director. If I had to pick one special moment it would be while biking through the countryside we came across a quaint Food truck selling homemade lemonade. We rested, ate our lunch, shot some darts and drank the most delicious glass of blood orange lemonade.
When the trip was over, we all said “let’s do another one next year!”
Alan B.
6 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Fortuna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Different city tours were the memborable part both positive and negative. We loved our tour with Peter in Vienna on bikes we did not like our tour with a different Peter in Budapest, he was rude to one of our rides, very opinionated against the West defense of Ukraine, and then left us in the middle of town since he had another tour to go to.
the communication about the departure from the very beginning was a fiasco and then throughout the German presenations were about 50% longer than the English ones. BUt Leslie the Tour Director did a great job overall.
Kurt S.
6 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Fortuna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Most memorable parts? Food, people, the rides through the country
Elizabeth M.
6 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Swiss Crown Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
The ship was very clean. All cleaning seemed to be done while passengers were at meals or on excursions. I did not see anyone pushing a vacuum or hauling trash, but yet the carpets were free from dirt, and all public spaces were tidy and well-tended.
The crew were helpful and friendly. We got to know a few of them (Patrick, George, Samwell and Dida) and have fond memories of them. I hope we didn't pester them too much with our questions and demands.
The meals were wonderful - well presented and more than enough to satisfy any appetite (I now need to diet Read More to make up for all my indulgence). Some dishes I preferred more than others, but it was good to get a taste of the local cuisines. There were generally options for vegetarians, seafood lovers and meat eaters, and always a choice of a tasty dessert.
We chose a Bike and Barge excursion, so we got to explore the area on bike. We had reserved electric bikes. These were easy to get the hang of, well maintained and easy to peddle. The scenery was beautiful and most of the biking was on bike paths although there were some challenging areas involving traffic and finding our way. The afternoon before each bike day, we were given a presentation detailing the path we needed to take and what we might encounter. We were also given a booklet with maps, points of interest and more details.
I would highly recommend choosing Tripsite for your next vacation.
Susan C.
6 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Swiss Crown Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
I really enjoyed my trip on the Swiss Crown. The boat is beautiful, the food is fabulous, and the staff is amazing. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. I especially loved the city tours we took. I highly recommend this trip to anyone who wants to see a variety of places and people. The Danube is gorgeous and was surprising sparsely populated in places. Gliding along with a drink on the sun deck is a wonderful way to experience the river itself. I did not ride the bikes, but my entire family enjoyed them and said they were easy to ride. Please take this trip. You will have a great time!
Marianne B.
6 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Swiss Crown Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Beautiful vistas daily as we cycled along the Danube
Heidi N.
6 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
We very much enjoyed our time on the Bike and Barge tour. The boat was very comfortable and the service and food were top notch!
There were some issues with staffing the on-site tour guide position, however, the best effort was made to provide as much information and guidance as possible.
The scenery is spectacular!
The bikes were very good quality and quite comfortable. The E-bike was perfect because it allowed us to turn the power off on flat trails and then use assist when we encountered any inclines.
Our only disappointment was the lack of time spent at each location. At times, we did not arrive until late morning or early afternoon, leaving little time to cycle or explore.
I would definitely recommend this type of tour for anyone looking to have an active holiday. A wide variety of activity levels can be accommodated.
We were also very impressed with the support we received from Tripsite during and after the booking phase.
David M.
6 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
The most memorable part is the memories of our group of 8 being able to experience the biking and river crusing together. The staff on the boat were marvelous and a lot of fun.
A suggestion is to have the full itinerary of the trip available at the beginning of the trip. Often we had no idea what time we were arriving or leaving from the dock, or what time we were getting on the bikes and waht time we had to be back to the ship. So more clarity of the weekly schedule would have been very beneficial.
Other than that the trip was incredibly scenic and overall we had a wonderful experience.
Sarah S.
7 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Fortuna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
How can I choose a most memorable part? There were so many! Cycling across the New Bridge to Bratislava, and in the breathtaking cities of Budapest and Vienna, relaxing drinking wine with new friends on the upper deck of the barge floating down the Danube. The whole trip was filled with memorable and precision moments.every day.
Denise P.
7 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Overall the trip was enjoyable. But the food was quite bland. Also they asked about food restrictions/ preferences, but did NOT accommodate them in any way. The directions for the biking were lacking in detail and the maps could be more zoomed in, especially on the days with many turns and route marker variations. It should also be made clear that many of the routes were directly beside busy roads. It is a great itinerary.
Sara K.
7 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Very well organized
Suggestions: make coffee available before breakfast.
Food was great and we loved the 4 course dinners, but the wait between courses was consistently a bit too long.
Terry h.
7 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Danube Bike Path - Passau to Budapest
Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia
The challenge of finding our way and doing it successfully despite the guide books being almost useless. The guide book for the Passau to Vienna book was slightly better but that was mostly because the paths were self evident. The book for the Vienna to Budapest leg was quite useless.
Carla • 7 months ago Tripsite Staff
Hi Terry,
I'm sorry to hear the route descriptions were useless. We are working to present new and improved route books for the 2023 season. In the meantime, I recommend considering using GPS tracks for future tours which should lead to seamless guiding.
Suzanne S.
7 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Swiss Crown Along the Danube-Iron Gates
Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia
The cycling was fantastic! The beauty of the towns along the Danube and the chance to get a closer look with the ability to stop to rest, shop or taste wine or beer at will was just phenomenal! The food on board was so good, and the staff was very welcoming.
Melody S.
7 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Swiss Crown Along the Danube-Iron Gates
Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia
This was the best river cruise we’ve been on. We were longing for something more active & this cruise was perfect. Cycling along the Danube was unforgettable & everything we imagined..stopping in the beautiful little towns, meeting friendly people, experiencing the food & drinks along the way. The Swiss Crown ship & staff were an added bonus! Thank you! We can’t wait to come back
paul k.
7 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Fortuna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
The food and the meal selections were excellent. Leslie, the tour director, was also fantastic. He constantly went out of his way, above and beyond, to ensure that all guests were taken care of.
Most of the biking route was scenic and safe, there was one stretch, appox 4km's that was on a very busy highway . The highway was narrow and carried many large buses and trucks. At the captain's party on the last night of the cruise, it was mentioned that the Fortuna was going to be replaced by a newer ship next year and Read More also the routes were going to be changed to avoid that particular stretch of highway. This is a positive sign and I would have rated this trip much higher if it were not for the 2 above mentioned problems.
I would recommend the Budapest by night folklore show, it was very entertaining. Again, the entire crew did a fantastic job.
anna • 7 months ago Tripsite Staff
Thank you so much for your feedback and your honest comments about the tour.
The Fortuna has indeed been replaced and I am sorry that you had to experience the boat outside of it's best years. We are striving to use only the very best vessels in seasons to come.
The route has also been revised, as no rider should ever feel unsafe on our tours! Luckily, the Danube has a wealth of dedicated bike paths and so this stretch of highway will avoided for future departures.
We thank you again for taking the time to review this tour, your comments are invaluable and will help us do better.
Paul Karolionok
8 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
The ship, Fortuna, is 20 years old and it had it's drawbacks. We had upper deck suites and it was well worth the extra cost, the suites were great. Many of the people that we meet were in the lower deck cabins with little air conditioning. The air conditioning on most of the ship was poor, especially the lounge area and dining room. The elevator did not work. There were several people who opted not to cycle and just take the river cruise, some needed assistance and the boat was not at all handicapped friendly. We were told that the Read More ship Fortuna will be replaced by a newer vessel next year.
The bike paths themselves are well marked, and for the most part very scenic and safe. There is one stretch near the end of the trip that requires cycling on a very busy and narrow road. One cyclist was run off the road and spent the next day in a Vienna hospital being treated for a broken foot. At the end of the trip, at the Captain's party, we were all told that in addition to a newer ship next year, that that particular route would be changed to avoid that dangerous road.
Based on this particular trip, I can only give this trip a rating of 3. With the changes schedules for next year, I would rate this much higher. In finishing, I have to say that the ENTIRE crew was fantastic, they did an excellent job!
