The Salzkammergut ‘Lake District’ and the great River Danube have really inspired us for our gentle cycling holidays in Austria which includes our Danube cycle tours. We have an amazing new discovery too in the greenest of river routes, the Mur Valley Path. We haven’t been able to resist nipping across the German border to share Bavaria in combination with wonderful Salzburg and there’s even a chance to sample Slovakia and Hungary on our ‘Bike & Boat’ all the way to Budapest.
Click on the map to find out more about our cycle tours in our selected regions of Austria.
Click here for cycling tours in Austria
To find out more about the towns and villages of interest on these cycle tours click here
Why these parts of Austria? Well now, let’s see…
The clearest lakeland waters. Dreamy Danube days and the greenest hidden river valleys. Massive monasteries and mega-mountains. Scenery simply more dramatic than the mood swings of ‘The Sound of Music’. Real alpine muesli at breakfast time. A well-deserved glass of crisp, cooling Riesling. Schlögen sunsets. Bavarian bands. The broadest gables and narrowest church spires. Balconies cascading with colourful Geraniums. Alpine Carnations and Edelweiss. Music from Salzburg’s Mozart, Beethoven and beyond. Sugarcraft swirls around Baroque doorways. Imposing imperial monuments. Linz’s golden statues and Richard the Lionhart’s Durnstein dungeon. Bike ferries and horse-drawn carriages. Strudel on the lakeside terrace. And, perhaps most deliciously of all, a palate-full of the local Grüner Veltliner’s pure minerally magic.
Great places to stay…
From creeper-clad chalets to town centre ‘Gasthof’, relaxed lakeside properties to a pastel-washed places with a cosy ‘Biergartl’, our Austrian and German hotels are mainly rated four star according to local classifications, although our Bavaria: Munich to Salzburg tour (GMS8), Ten Lakes Tour (ALS8) and Mur River Path Tours (AMC7/8/9) do include some three star properties. Most hotels have saunas; many have swimming pools and some even offer the option of a relaxing massage – something else to look forward at the end of the day as well as that cold beer, glass of local wine and a guilt-free pastry!
Our ‘Bike & Boat’ tours in Austria (Slovakia / Hungary) feature the very comfortable MS Normandie cruise ship where upgrades to upper deck cabins are an option.
Making sure you get a taste of the place
Our hotel stays in Austria and Germany are arranged on a bed and breakfast basis but in our route notes, we point out great places to stop for lunch, a picnic, a refreshing glass of local wine or chilled and froth-topped beer. We also give tips for evening meals, either at the hotel or nearby restaurants.
Our ‘Bike & Boat’ tours in Austria (Slovakia / Hungary) on the MS Normandie cruise ship include breakfast and evening meal on board, a packed lunch when cycling (or lunch on board) and afternoon coffee.
Good friends to support you along your way…
As much as we might like to, we can’t cut ourselves into pieces and welcome you personally all around Europe. In Austria, Germany, Slovakia and Hungary we work in partnership with local experts who share our commitment to quality, service and great cycling. Together, we ensure that the route notes prepared during our own latest experiences are up-to-date and that accommodation continues to meet our high standards. We are proud of our partners and delighted that you will be welcomed by friends.
Getting to the start of your adventure
We’ve been organising cycling tours in Austria since 2007. Although there are constant changes in the world of passenger transport: we have knowledge to share about how to get to Austria by rail, ferry, tunnel or air. We are pleased to talk through all travel arrangements, including transfers from stations and parking for your vehicle.
For our selected tours, we suggest rail travel to Passau or Salzburg or flights into Salzburg, Linz (closest to Passau), or Munich. The excellent rail network in the area is the best option for transfers to/from Passau, Vienna, Munich and Salzburg as required.
