Tour along the Danube

[cyclotron]

Hi folks!
We are planning on cycling along the Danube during the summer. I don't know yet how long a summer break I will get but maybe enough to go from Passau to Budapest. I'm quite new to cycling in general and touring in particular: my only previous tour has been a very gentle ride from Pitlochry to Inverness, in the Scottish Highlands.

I'd like to have all sorts of information about the Danube route. For starters, what are the best maps to get to plan the tour?

Cheers!

 

[Haitch]

Can I be the first to say http://www.esterbauer.com/db_rtb_allg_int.php?land_id=XE&reihe_id=RB?

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Didn't @vernon do some touring along the Danube last year?

 

[cyclotron]

Thanks Alan!

 

[Haitch]

We cycled Passau to Vienna a few years ago. Very easy going, and getting easier as you approach Vienna. About 400 miles in four days (it's all down hill, apart from the steep (optional) climb up to Mauthausen concentration camp, but even our ten-year-old managed that). There are lots of hotels, hostels, camp sites along the way and more than enough options for lunch, etc. The route is signposted in both directions and you could proably do it without a map. The bikeline books will provide more than enough information. The only problem was popularity. The route got very congested in certain places and at certain times. On the whole, though, a very enjoyable trip.

 

[Brains]

The Bike line books are essential, they are also available in English.
You will need a bar bag suitable for maps (also a good place to keep your essential items like camera, money, keys etc.

Rather than starting at Passau we started at Revenburg which is on the direct train line from Munchen (airport), but if I was doing again I think I'd start even further upstream.
The route is easy to follow, (but you do need the map) and when we went in May 2002 (Just after the worst flooding since 1501 on the Danube) we found it not overcrowded, but I think it's a more popular route today

There is a train line that you are never more than 5 miles from, so if you get behind schedule it's easy to jump a section or two.
We did not book any accommodation except the first night in Revesburg and found B&B's and cheaper Inns and Hotels easy to find from the tourist info centre in each town
With hindsight we probably should have booked a hotel in Vienna, as we ended up in a dingy hotel on the edge of town for a couple of nights, and we were not that impressed with Vienna, we should have pushed on to Budapest, but at the time the bike path was under construction

 

[vernon]

I did Passau to Budapest last summer. You should buy the Esterbauer books from Amazon You need books 2 and 3. They contain all of the information that you need regarding campsite locations, route, tourist attractions and the like. Passau to Vienna can be busy. It is the most popular stretch. I honestly dont know why as I found the route through Slovakia and Hungary far more interesting. You'll visit three capital cities and if I were you I'd try to plan having full days in Vienna if only to visit Prater Park, Bratislava and at least three days in Budapest. Getting back by train is a bit of a pain as I had difficulty purchasing tickets from Budapest to Vienna from the UK and waited until I got to Vienna on the outward leg and purchased them then. There's always the option of travelling by boat from Budapest to Vienna but that is quite expensive at €90-100.

Getting to Passau can be an adventure if you want it to be. There's two main routes- London - Paris by Eurostar, Sleeper train from Paris to Munich then regional train to Passau

or London to Amsterdam via Harwich and Hook of Holland (Costs about 80 quid and you get some sleep in on the ferry, sleeper from Amsterdam to Munich and regional train to Passau.

 

[cyclotron]

Thanks Vernon. We are definitely going for the Vienna to Budapest section now. Not enough time to do the German part as we want to spend a few days in the three capitals. Now to the transportation issue. How to get the bikes, and ourselves, from Glasgow to Vienna? Flying seems to be the best option but I've never tried to check in a bike before! Any comments?

 

[vernon]

Thanks Vernon. We are definitely going for the Vienna to Budapest section now. Not enough time to do the German part as we want to spend a few days in the three capitals. Now to the transportation issue. How to get the bikes, and ourselves, from Glasgow to Vienna? Flying seems to be the best option but I've never tried to check in a bike before! Any comments?

You will not have lost out on the Passau to Vienna stretch the Vienna to Budapest has a lot more on offer. Don't squander too much time in Vienna. Bratislava, Gyor and Budapest have more of interest. There's more campsites on the Hungarian side of the Danube. You must go to a thermal baths in Budapest. I can not comment on flying with bikes as I choose to use trains and ferries.

 

[Andy in Sig]

Consider the stretch from the source at Donaueschingen to Passau (Vol I of the bikeline route). The scenery is spectacular.

 

[vernon]

Consider the stretch from the source at Donaueschingen to Passau (Vol I of the bikeline route). The scenery is spectacular.

I agree. Donaueschingen to Passau served as my introduction to Germany. It was a great first impression. Passau to Vienna is quite boring in comparison.

 

[Sara_H]

I did Vienna to Budapest about 12 years ago - was fab route.

 

[Noelinspain]

I have been wondering about an organised trip (Donaueschingen to Passau) this summer, with accommodation and luggage service included. Has anyone tried this company? Or what do you reckon about prices - value for money?
http://www.radweg-reisen.com/en/german-danube

 

[Sara_H]

I have been wondering about an organised trip (Donaueschingen to Passau) this summer, with accommodation and luggage service included. Has anyone tried this company? Or what do you reckon about prices - value for money?
http://www.radweg-reisen.com/en/german-danube

I think thats the group that organised our tour. We had no complaints, was very well organised, but obviously much cheaper to organise yourself.

 

[cyclotron]

Ok! Got my Bikeline 3 guide (Vienna to Budapest) It looks pretty promising! Though there is no listed accommodation there. Does anyone know about cyclist-friendly hotels/hostels along the route?