Enjoy cycling from Germany's lower Bavaria region to Austria's capital city, Vienna, on dedicated cycle paths. Taking you through towns and villages along Europe's most famous waterway, this predominantly traffic-free (and flat!) route is perfect for beginners or for those that love to explore a region by bike, with plenty of opportunities to sample local dishes and admire centuries old towns along the way. Stay in comfortable 3 and 4-star hotels and inns, with breakfast included each morning.

Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!

Leisure Cycling | Leisure Cycling

Solo Travellers, Families with Teens

The minimum age for this tour is: 5 Years

This cycling holiday is graded easy due to the daily rides following mostly flat, paved and largely traffic-free cycle paths, always along the riverbank. The grade is determined on the basis of the entire trip. Individual days may vary in terms of difficulty, i.e. some rides may be slightly more difficult or easier than the overall grade. The Danube Cycle Path between Passau and Vienna is a dedicated, paved and well-marked route, with a slight descent as you follow the river, and no technical challenges. This is what makes it slightly easier than our Vienna to Budapest tour, which involves back and side roads as well as the cycle path. 

This cycling tour is suitable for beginners on their first cycling holiday, or for those who wish to take it easy with plenty of time to explore along the way. The length of the daily rides varies between 40-60 km and the difference in daily elevation gain/loss lies between +25m/+76m and -53m/-80m. On the final stage to Vienna, we opt for the easier alternative which is getting a train from Krems to Tulln. To fully enjoy the Danube experience, we recommend doing some rides before you depart, whether it's commuting to work or heading out for some leisurely rides at the weekend.

Please note that for the Danube, exact accommodation cannot be confirmed until 2-4 weeks prior departure.

Our Classic Danube Cycle Path trip includes accommodation in standard ensuite double/twin rooms in traditional hotels and authentic inns, which are normally 3 and 4-star standard.

We work with a number of accommodations along the cycle path, so all distances are an approximation of the recommended routes. You may be accommodated 5-10km away in the surrounding area, which may add or reduce the distance you cycle each day.

If you're traveling with friends or family but prefer your own room, single rooms are subject to availability and a supplementary payment. This trip is also available to solo cyclists and is perfect as the route is popular, so there are plenty of people to chat with every day.

Twin room requests - in Austria 95% of all hotel rooms are double rooms (one large bed frame with separate bedding). Twin with separate beds are more than unusual and quite often these rooms will have 1 double bed alongside a sofa bed instead.

Meals

Breakfast is included each morning. Packed lunches are not included but are in most cases available at your accommodation (please order the night before!) or you can stop on the way for a traditional "wurst" or bowl of "goulash". Travelling through several regions means your tastebuds are also on an incredible journey! You will find suggestions of where to dine in your route notes. Your accommodation hosts are also happy to advise of the local places to eat.

This trip is available to start on any day from April to October.

May to September are the busiest months, and in July and August, the days are wonderfully long for exploring and making the most of the historic towns that you will visit. 

The summer months generally do not become unbearably hot and temperatures are often pleasantly warm, especially for cycling. Do keep in mind that some days will be hotter than others and it is important to make sure to always carry plenty of water, avoid cycling at noon and wear sunscreen while cycling even on cloudy days. We suggest that you contact us as soon as possible if you are considering a departure during peak season. 

Passau is located in Germany, close to the Austrian border. It doesn't have an airport but it easily accessible by rail from nearby cities such as Munich, Linz, Salzburg, and Vienna.

By Air

Passau has direct train connections to Linz (1h30), Salzburg (2h45), Munich (2h30) and Vienna (3h30), which are the most convenient airports. 

By Train

If you are arriving at Vienna Airport, you can take a taxi or one of the airport express services into Vienna (the CAT train or the VAL bus). A train ticket is included from Vienna train station to Passau with you tour. The train to Passau takes approx. 3 hrs. Once you have your ticket (a week from departure), seats can be reserved in advance on the DB Bahn or OBB websites. 

You may also wish to try Rail Europe for European rail tickets and passes.

By Car

Parking is available in Passau from between €30 and €60 per week. Contact us for details.

Vienna Airport has extensive connections to most major international cities. The airport is only a 20-minute bus journey from the center and has regular airport shuttle buses leaving every 20 minutes from central Vienna.

If you would like to return to Passau this is possible. We can arrange a train ticket for you (or bus, depending on the season) which is included in the price of your trip. Central Vienna train station has several services throughout the day to Passau. This is only valid on trains from OEBB or DB; not valid on trains from Westbahn. Seat reservation is recommended via the ÖBB website. Bikes are not included.

Journey time is around 2hrs 45mins to 3hrs. For full information on fares and times please click here. Train transfers from either Passau to Vienna or Vienna to Passau must be confirmed prior to travel. 

Daily door to door baggage transfer is included in the price of your trip. We ask you to keep your baggage to a maximum of 1 bag per person (maximum weight 23kg).