Austria Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 271 to 300 of 687

Best Part: Dancing the polka with local croatians. Thank goodness a fellow tripster took a video

Riding along the Danube offered many beautiful vistas. The bikes were great, the seats very comfortable, which made for a nice ride. We met some fun people on board although a greater mix of English speaking to German speaking would have been even better. Suggestions as mentioned to Tripsite staff would be to make this tour guided (the entire group of 100 passengers were lost on several days which minimized the opportunity to make it to some of the sites), to include ferries in the pricing, so that passengers aren't always searching to make sure they have cash (our previous trip included the ferries so wasn't an issue.), and the excursions were sometimes canceled so these could also be improved. All in all we had fun and the cabin staff took great care of our rooms...I'd make a different selection though next time.

This is my 3rd bike/boat tour, and the 1st unguided. I love to travel this way. But the number of people on the boat -- 100 -- were just too many for the crew to serve in any special way. The food and accommodations were excellent. The cruise director and schedule were below average. Out of 7 days, there were 4 days of biking -- 3 of these were spectacular along the Danube. The Wachau ride was simply stunning. However, the ride around Bratislava featured few, if any, interesting attractions, and many of us got lost. The cruise director suggested stopping at a restaurant as a highlight of the day -- but the restaurant was not in operation. The briefings for English speakers were later than those for the Germans and we were then constrained by the boat schedule in the afternoon -- making at least 2 of the biking days a dash to finish the ride and get back on time -- not leisurely and not affording us to stop much. All the staff on the boat work really hard and it shows. But I prefer a guided tour with a smaller group and boat for better biking and a better overall experience.

Best Part? Biking along the Danube the first day in the beautiful countryside. Spectacular!!

The biking was absolutely wonderful; so incredibly beautiful especially through the vineyards and orchards. The ride around Bratislava was not marked well at all and 90% of the riders got lost going in all different directions, thank God for smart phones. The food on board was well prepared, always hot and nutritional. Where this trip fell short was the crew abroad the Normandie. Unlike the other TWO Bike and Barge Trips I experienced, this crew was a bit unwelcoming, rude, and times condescending and scolding. Not everyone but it certainly was the feel on the boat and many were talking about it. I know the crew work long hours and they all have to help with most tasks on the boat; however, there would be nothing to do if WE weren't there. I absolutely love this way of travel and will do another one again very soon. This was NOT a Tripsite issue but am hopeful this information will be passed to the appropriate people. Tripsite has been excellent in providing information and always seems to offer a great deal.

Most Memorable Part: The biking and comradery of the other bikers on the trip.

The journey and visiting the 4 capitols was the best.
However too many people on the boat - the noise level in the dining room was excessive. The cruise director was obnoxious especially towards women and favored the Germans on the boat. Our group of 18 was split into 3 tables and we always sat with the same people. Never mixed with other groups.

The most memorable part of this trip to me was the Operetta symphony concert at Schlosspark in Vienna. This is an experience that no one should miss.

Most Memorable Part: The black mold (or something) that had many people coughing in their rooms. I had to take allergy pills each night.

The Cycling and travel along the Danube River. Still more markings on the Bike routes.

The crew & food were great & acceptable respectively. There were very few vegetables served. The ship was terrible, moldy, poor lighting nonexistent waste baskets except in private rooms. The ship had a strong sewer odor which our cabin boy could not remedy. This problem involved several rooms. We would not return to the The(odor) Körner.

Most Memorable Part: Food & last day of riding + Vienna

Just returned from this trip on the Carissima and it was a wonderful way to see the Danube. Booked the guided package and Axle was wonderful-took us to out of the way places we never would've found on our own and no other guests saw. Glad we rented Ebikes as there were a few long climbs and stiff winds several times. Kalkoff bikes are fantastic! Light rain a few days but nothing which impeded our rides--just be sure and take waterproof everything so you can still bike. Crew on the Carissima are great--rooms are clean, beds comfy, sufficient air con, nice hot water and water pressure in the bathroom. No real TV except a European sports channel and a few other Austrian channels--we didn't miss it at all. Meals were good but VERY small portions at dinner--not a problem for us but others complained. House white wine was good, red not so much. Packed lunch consists of a bottle of water, small sandwiches, fruit and granola bars--sufficient but we opted to eat at a local cafe a few times when we stopped. Two complaints: the boat doesn't dock at town centers every night so you can wander around and hit a pub or listen to some live music. Understandably some nights its moving and a few guests complained that the lower deck cabins were very noisy, especially when going through locks. In Passau, it docks several miles from the town center, and we were told there were only SEVEN taxis in the entire city and nearly impossible to get one. So the cruise director, Albert, said he hired a bus to take us to the train station upon disembarking, and the charge was 15 Euros per person. For a 10 minute ride--he only took cash and gave no receipts. This is highway robbery given that upon arrival in Passau we hired a taxi at a cost of 10 Euro for 2 of us. We would've taken a chance on an Uber but the ship was over 30 minutes late getting into Passau and we had a tight train connection on Sunday. We didn't do any of the optional activities however others said they enjoyed the concert in Vienna, but no one liked the Hungarian Folk Show in Budapest. Be sure and hike up to St. Mattias Church in Budapest at night--the view is spectacular! Finally, the Danube shoreline is largely undeveloped (a great thing), so you don't see a lot of towns and villages-I mention this because lines like Viking and AMA promote their balconies,huge window walls and gyms/spas/etc-and charge thousands of dollars more for the same itinerary-but you're not ON the boat for about 8 hours of the day, and when you are, 90% of the time you're looking at trees. If we'd spent $5000/pp to do this trip we'd have been really disappointed--bottom line--this trip is a great VALUE and you're seeing what everyone else sees. This was our second trip with Tripsite after doing the Tulip Tour last spring, and again they handled everything flawlessly--another couple on our trip also booked with them and said the same. Very satisfied and looking forward to our Mantova to Venice bike and barge trip next year-  SHOW MORE 

It was a real memorable trip. Everybody in our group of 20 peoples loved it . Everything was great the cabin, the foods, the staff ,the entertainment and specially the bike ride . We had great bikes , the maps were good even the weather was hot and dry. We had a lot fun during the bike ride and when on board . Would love to do it again

Everything! The trip was very well planned and easily do-able. The bikes were great and were very comfortable. We had thought about bringing our gel seat covers, but did not and they were not needed. The routes planned were great and having downloaded the gps tracks we had no problems finding our way. The food on the boat was fantastic, my only complaint would be the length of time some meals took. The rooms on the boat (Carissima) were very comfortable.

This is my 3rd trip with Tripsite and they do a good job...but the instructions to the boat were a tad misleading. If there are detours/changes, I believe they should keep on top of that and be sure to report to their customers.The bike ride was amazing. The scenery was like all the other reviews stated......I would NOT recommend the ride in Vienna or Budapest; way to much traffic. The crew was not customer focused. The cruise director/bike tour director, Monica, was often short and rude to passengers. Unlike the other 2 trips I took, the crew was not welcoming or eager to help. There were a few in housekeeping and wait staff that were nice. The captain was cold and never engaged at all with the passengers. This is NOT a tripsite issue but this crew needed a kick in the pants from above to treat the passages better........recommend the trip but I hope you don't get this negative crew.....

The last day of the beautiful rolling hills and gorgeous monastery on the hill and quaint historic towns along the way were the highlight of the trip.

I loved Jan's presentations. He was very well prepared and his delivery was great. You should keep him doing that. However, his personal customer service leaves something to be desired. He had no patience for details that were not perfect.

All guides except for one were exceptionally good. The one guide in Budapest was so bad we got our money back for the bike guide in the city.

Two wonderful ways to travel and see the world: on a bike and on the sun deck of a boat.

We really enjoyed Wachau. Definitely stop for the wine tour, and enjoy the biking through the vineyards. It was absolutely beautiful.

The best way to have a holiday - you do not have to think about logistics, unpack and enjoy:) The Carissima was awesome, our every need was taken care of - the staff were super friendly and the food amazing!

This is a great way to see four capital cities (Bratislava, Belgrade, Budapest and Vienna as well as get in 10 days of cycling! It's also fairly low mileage (less than 35 miles per day) but training to prepare is still a must. The scenery is very nice and it is about half on roads - mostly slower village streets. The group of people we dined with and rode with were all terrific and we all worked together to find our way since our tour was unguided. The days when you visit the cities can be a little overwhelming - so my advice is to pick one or two things you really want to see beforehand and focus on getting to those. At least in the summer the crowds were large in Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava. As for boat living - the dinners were tasty and served by a friendly staff each evening but I'm vegetarian so I had much more of a struggle with getting any protein. I would have also appreciated a little variety with the breakfasts and lunches. My advice also is to avoid the hotter weather months like July or August - we had days of over 90 degrees which made cycling tough - but the Theodor Korner is not well air conditioned either. Overall it was a nice trip and certainly the staff was terrific!

We had never done a Bike & Boat tour before so were hoping it would all work out. And it did fantastically! Ours was a family trip and even our 9-year-old son completed the entire bike route no problem. Such a pleasure to be in the country biking through fields, along the river, even on narrow roads through the small towns and villages we passed through. It was an amazing way to really see the countryside and interact with local people to briefly get a glimpse of their way of life. And the scenery was beautiful and peaceful. An amazing experience for our family and we look forward to doing more trips like this in the future.

By far the most memorable part was the opportunity to explore regions on our own and meet new people. The ship crew was awesome and attentive, and as this was the first trip of its kind we'd ever taken, it was beyond expectations!

The crew was fabulous, all of them!

Itinerary was excellent the food was great.

Drinks were too expensive at the bar.

One suggestion - smoking on the top deck - put the smokers at the back of the boat, not the front, so the rest of us don't have to smell the smoke if we choose to be on deck.

This is a trip that is not to be missed. The crew was great, the sights were jaw dropping and the memories will keep me going for a long time. Second time using Tripsite to book and the experience gets better every time. Already planning on using them for our next trip.

This was an absolutely amazing trip which exceeded all of our expectations. The food on the Carissima was wonderful, the trip overall was so well organized and the crew was helpful and professional. I would definitely recommend this trip to others.

This was our first bike & boat trip and we loved it. Each day was a treat with amazing cathedrals, quaint towns, and Budapest at night was gorgeous! The ship was just as pictured, the crew was very attentive and helpful, and we enjoyed our balcony room on the top level. We were slightly concerned that we'd be the only English speaking passengers, but were up for the adventure. However, most of the crew spoke both English and German and at dinner they placed us among about 8 tables of Canadians, Americans, and others who preferred speaking English to German. Each evening, about 80% of the passengers preferred the bike tour information in German, but they provided a slide show and directions in both languages. The directions were good, an there was only one day we all were a bit lost, but it was fun. With everyone on the boat having distinctive blue panniers, it was easy to follow each other and laugh at our attempts to navigate. We still had plenty of time to see everything and get to the ship.

As far as the bike routes, I prefer dedicated bicycle paths (not "sharrows") and loved every ride. Most were on dedicated paved paths, but some traversed through villages on very quiet roads. A few tips: Breakfast was the best meal of the day. Check your packed lunch at breakfast, which typically contained a veggie (cheese) sandwich, a cold cut sandwich, fruit, sparkling water, and a pastry. From the breakfast buffet, you can exchange the fruit and add a slice of meat to your veggie sandwich. If you don't like sparkling water, they will exchange that for bottled water at the reception desk. Dinner was good and I thought the portion size was reasonable given the four course meals (the soups were yummy!). Watch the tightness of the breaks on the bikes (the front break can launch you if you're not careful) but the bikes were in great condition. Plan ahead for your massage (which was fantastic). One came with the room and we purchased a second. We chose to skip one day of biking along the Danube, and we're pleased that we had plenty of time to bike around the town in the morning before the ship left port, get lunch, a massage, and a nap, and then bike around the new port we arrived in that afternoon.

Thanks to all the crew on the MS Primadonna, who learned our names and favorite drinks by the second day! We miss you already.

The pedaling was easy, the landscape surreal, the beer was excellent! My wife, myself, daughter, and her boyfriend enjoyed the Austrian scenery the most. Wine country is not to be missed. The food on the boat at night was superb. Meeting people from other countries on the boat was a plus.

This is the only way to do a river cruise. You are able to see and enjoy the country and at the same time stay active and get exercise. The bike paths were mostly flat, very few hills. The boat was very nice with good food and service. The highlight of the trip was entering Budapest at 10 pm. It was more than amazing. The bike guide really tried to prepare us each day for the following day bike ride, but it is easy to get lost and the maps we were given were not very clear.