Fortuna boat/barge tour reviews — 1 to 27 of 27

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.

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.

Vineyard ride thru austria

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.

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.

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.

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!”

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.

Most memorable parts? Food, people, the rides through the country

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.

The entire crew was fantastic. The ship, Fortuna, is over 20 years old and it had some issues. In particular the air conditioning, The upper deck rooms had adequate a/c but the lower deck rooms, the lounge and the dining area were very uncomfortable. There were several people on this cruise who did not partake in cycling, some had mobility issues, the elevator did not work and it was difficult for them to get from there rooms to the other decks.
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 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.

Wonderful trip. The crew of the Fortuna was wonderful along with the 5 course meal every night. Our guide, Axel, was a treasure. I cannot recommend this trip enough. The biking was lovely and not too hard. The countryside was beautiful. Most amazingly, the trip went off without a flaw, especially when you consider how many moving parts were involved to make this work. We were constantly going through locks, which was always interesting, while sipping beer or wine on the top deck after a day's ride. I just want to thank everyone who made this unique and luxurious experience possible.

Great tour. Helpful crew, accommodation and meals.

The excursion cycling around Budapest was very memorable and our tour guide was excellent! The park on the island was definitely the highlight. We made some wonderful new English speaking friends and really enjoyed meal times with them.

The final night's celebration party was super fun and everyone enjoyed the 70's theme. Dinner on the upper deck was amazing! The restaurant manger was so kind and helpful at every meal. He made the dining experience top notch. Hopefully, the air-conditioning in the dining room is fixed for next time.

Another suggestion would be to streamline the briefings for the cycling routes by using prerecorded media and then allow Leslie to answer questions in person at a later time.

Leslie the cruise director was awesome. He was always at the ready to help out with any questions or problems.

Everything on the boat was great except the smoking policies were not enforced. People smoked everywhere on the top deck and took away from the experience. No one stopped them and as a result my wife's asthma was triggered.

Most Memorable Part: The extensive bike trails along the river and in the larger cities

This trip was special because I was celebrating my 65th birthday and the anniversary of my husband's passing. I wanted it it to be something that I would always remember and it certainly will be!! My husband was scheduled to join us on this trip -- I'm sure he would have loved it as much as I did. The accommodations were wonderful, the food was great and the biking routes were fun, scenic and easy to follow. But what really added to the experience was the staff. Leslie is an outstanding tour director - he makes sure that everyone is taken care of down to the last want or need of every passenger. I want to give a special shout out to Cristian the bar tender who always kept us laughing and to Milos (from Montenegro) who made sure our group of thirsty Americans always had lots of ice cubes and cold water. There is no question that we will be booking another trip very soon!!

If you seek an active vacation with fabulous landscapes, a safe environment, and good $ value, this trip should be on top of the list. Besides great value, good pace on the activities, good people, and a lot of fun. This was our second bike tour and the most enjoyable one. The group of 13 had similar skill levels in cycling, 10 - 12 mph, and a mindset of enjoying the cities, towns, and panoramas. The e-bikes were top quality and a breeze to use; we never felt discomfort. The crew was very hospitable, modest, clean cabins; dinner was the best meal of the day.

Of the 168 passengers, 140 were biking, and 13 were on a guided tour. The passengers at Fortuna will benefit from watching a video on bike etiquette, whether riding solo or as a group. Before taking off on the first tour, reinforce group riding behavior for safety for all.

It was amazing biking through the country side of Hungary and Austria. It is not your typical USA tourist destination but I am so glad we were able to experience it.

Biking through the amazing Wachau alley wine region of Austria was a highlight, but the lesser-known towns of Krems and Melk were amazing, too. I just wish there had been more time to explore, but the 7-day tour needs to keep moving, so we understand. Great crew, if obviously overworked (7 days per week for 21 weeks straight?!), made the trip.

We had a fabulous trip down the Danube on the Fortuna. The staff was excellent-attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. The biking was amazing, I am so glad I signed up for an e-bike, it made a big difference.
The one thing that I would caution to future bikers is that the time to get from drop-off to pickup is often tight and it can be difficult to get too far off the designated path to explore (which is something I expected more of).
My group of 10 all had an excellent time and I highly recommend this tour group and boat.

My favorite ride was through the Wachau Valley in Austria. We really enjoyed all the rides, but riding between the Danube and the vineyards, seeing the small towns speckled along the way, tasting wine and ending at the Abbey in Melk was the ultimate.

Easy and Wonderful. Amazing destinations on a comfortable ship. There is no need to think. The staff does all the thinking for you so you can enjoy your visits and bike rides. The bike routes are well planned and explained, both in the guidebook and by the cruise director in his daily briefings. I highly recommend downloading the route for google maps so that you can trace your progress and find your location easily on your phone. The distances are reasonable and the sights beautiful. I rented a standard bike from the boat, and felt comfortable and secure. My travel companions rented an e-bike from a private vendor in Passau, and loved them (the ship ran out of e-bike rentals). Dinner was delicious. The ship clearly had a first-rate chef on board. The air conditioner in the suite worked very well (we like our rooms to get very cool at night)--so we loved the temperature in the room. The organized shore excursions were great, especially the city tours by bike. We had a suite, which was very comfortable. It came with a mini-fridge, a spacious bathroom with great water pressure and lighting, and plenty of storage space in the cabin.

My most important suggestions:
Dinner took a bit too long: on some evenings, almost as long as 2.5 hours.
I wish we had stayed a bit longer in some places (e.g., Melk, Vienna, Aschach).
For passengers with walking challenges, more assistance finding easy-to-board taxis or tuk tuks when docking.
Guide book could show where WC facilities can be found along the route (pls note, no WC facility at the ferry station in Szob, Hungary).
A supplementary, shorter bike route could be offered for the Devin-Bratislava day. The one offered is very long and most of it a bit boring and bit challenging (too many turns along with long bridge that is intimidating to cross if windy). The offered option is great for those interested in doing long-distance biking, but for those who want to spend a bit more time in Bratislava, a shorter route could be offered as an alternative, maybe a short trip to the the Schlosshof and back to Bratislava without doing the full loop.

Most memorable part: Waking up to different cities. Tour director Leslie was very helpful and knowledgeable.

The trip was all memorable--the scenery from the boat, the biking in Austria, the cities of Vienna and Budapest. The staff and crew were outstanding, especially the tour director. Our only complaint was that a vegan menu option was promised and the kitchen struggled to deliver the quality and variety we expected.

The most memorable part was biking with new friends we made on this trip, also the 80s dance night was very very fun. I would suggest to not include every lunch in the package as usually we are out no need for sandwiches, and give the option to have dinner out when we dock in a city. The organization was great, the self biking part very easy as the cruise director was amazing. We felt safe and taking care off very well. I would recommend a longer time in Vienna.

The Barge and Ride tour of the Danube was outstanding. Providing more detailed directions to the demarcation point in Passat would have helped. The staff were excellent as were the meals and the scenery.

It was fantastic. The tour guide was amazing and really connected with you so much that he would bike with you and converse with you on each bike excursion. the scenery was so beautiful and was the best trip experience we have every had hands down!