Hair salon
Two bar areas
Library
Individually controlled air conditioning
Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary
Day of rest & exploration in Budapest
Around 200 km / 147 miles
Ships with max. 100 passengers
Accompanied by a cruise ship you cycle along Europe’s second largest river Danube from the charming Bavarian “three river city” of Passau straight into the heart of the once glorious Imperial and Royal Monarchy.
Enjoy three of the most enchanting European capitals: the lively Vienna, the Slovak coronation city of Bratislava at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains and Budapest, the “Hungarian Danube Queen”! By bicycle you discover the stunning natural spectacle of the Schlögener Donauschlinge (“Great Loop”), the legendary Wachau with romantic towns and mighty castles amidst lovely vineyards, the untouched alluvial forests of the Danube National Park, as well as the picturesque Hungarian Danube bend where the important cupola of the basilica in Esztergom salutes from the distance.
The highlights of the tour: Passau, the City of 3 rivers, the Schloegen Danube Loop, the Hungarian Danube Bend, the World Heritage Site Wachau, the metropolis of Bratislava, Budapest and Vienna.
The ship – Your sailing hotel
In between cycling excursions, you cruise along with the ship, which travels to a new destination every day. You dine, sleep and eat breakfast on board. You’ll receive a packed lunch every day, and you can usually choose between a longer or shorter bike ride. It’s also possible to spend a day on board if you like. There are rental bikes on board, but you can also bring your own if you mention it when booking.
Day 1: Passau | Passau – Engelhartszell
Arrival in the “Three River City”. Passau attracts many with the world’s greatest church organ at the Stephansdom and it’s charming Old Town. Embarkation will be between 4 and 5 p.m.. Departure around 7 p.m. Enjoy your first dinner on board and an evening sail to Engelhartszell.
Day 2: Engelhartszell – Great Loop – Brandstatt ca. 46 km/27.6 mi. | Brandstatt – Bratislava (SE-Manon) or Devin (Prinzessin Katharina)
The day starts in Engelhartszell (the only Trappist monastery in Austria), where we head towards the “Great Loop” – one of the most beautiful and original sectors of the Danube. Your cycling will encounter small villages and cosy must-see taverns. You’ll board again in Brandstatt.
SE-Manon: Then, you “sail into the night” towards Bratislava.
Prinzessin Katharina: Then, you “sail into the night” towards Devin.
Day 3: SE-Manon: Bratislava, ca. 54 km/32.4 mi. | Prinzessin Katharina: Devin – Bratislava, ca. 54 km/32.4 mi. | Bratislava – Budapest
SE-Manon: Arrival at Bratislava. You start cycling from Bratislava via Hainburg to the imposing Imperial Palace of Hof beautifully terraced gardens and idyllic manor farm further on to Devin and then back to Bratislava. Tip: discover the hidden alleys of Bratislava, places and all the sights of this ambitious metropolis during a tour by mini train and by foot. In the night shipping to Budapest.
Prinzessin Katharina: Arrival at Devin in the morning. The cycle tour takes you to the imposing Imperial Palace of Hof. After crossing the green line you cycle along the former “Iron Curtain” towards the coronation city of Bratislava at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains. Tip: discover the hidden alleys of Bratislava, places and all the sights of this ambitious metropolis during a tour by mini train and by foot. In the night shipping to Budapest.
Day 4: Budapest (day of rest) or round trip to Szentendre, ca. 40 km/24 mi. | Budapest – Visegrad
In the early morning, you enjoy the panoramic view of the Danube’s gorgeous landscape on the Sundeck. The gateway to Budapest is overwhelming, as many of the famous tourist features are situated directly next to the river bank. In the afternoon you can explore the numerous attractions of the city. Nearby, you find the Margaretheninsel which is outstandingly qualified for a small bike tour or the charming town of Szentendre with Mediterranean atmosphere and lively art life. In the night shipping to Visegrad.
Day 5: Danube Bend | Visegrad – Esztergom, ca. 25 – 60 km/15 – 36 mi. | Esztergom – Vienna
The Danube bend is definitely one of most delightful and attractive parts and is called the Hungarian Wachau. Today’s bike leg starts at Visegrad with its famous fortress and the ruins of the former palace. You can choose from 2 different routes: the longer one includes a side trip to the island of Szentendre and the baroque village of Vác, which has been influenced by the architects of the Austrian empress Maria Theresia. The other route leads you directly to the bishop-town of Esztergom, with its gorgeous basilica – Hungary’s largest Catholic Church – overlooking the village. In the night shipping to Vienna.
Day 6: Vienna-Nussdorf / (Korneuburg may also be possible) (day of rest) | Vienna-Nussdorf – Rossatz or Dürnstein
You should be sure to see the most famous places of interest like the St. Stephens Cathedral, the Hofburg, the gorgeous boulevard “Ringstraβe” with the Burgtheater, the State Opera House or the town hall that takes you back to the past. In the night shipping to Rossatz or Dürnstein (Wachau).
Day 7: Wachau – Melk – Pöchlarn, ca. 42 – 52 km / 25.2 – 31.2 mi. | Pöchlarn – Passau
Your last biking day is a special highlight! Amidst small dreamy villages, apricot trees, vineyards, castles, monasteries and ruins, this gentle hilly landscape enchants everybody. A powerful ruin looms above the small Baroque town of Dürnstein, while the blue tower of the monastery church is a landmark of Wachau. In the small village of Pöchlarn you will board again. After the farewell gala dinner, you start “sailing” back to Passau.
Day 8: Departure from Passau
Every journey draws to an end. Once again you enjoy on deck the first sunbeams and the peaceful silence of the Danube Valley. Take a last sight at the Schlögener Schlinge (“Great Loop”) before you arrive relaxed at Passau.
Arrival: approx at 10 a.m., disembarkation half an hour later. We recommend to arrange connecting trips from noon onwards.
Below you see an overview of the available (blue) dates; the yellow dot means that this date has 2 or less cabins available, orange is ‘on request’ and red means that on this date there aren’t any cabins available. Then click on the preferred date. After this, choose your ship (some tours have only one ship, and therefore there is no choice), the number of cabins in the required (and available) category, any desired additional products, and ‘local costs’ (such as special dietary needs, which you usually pay for onboard). On the right side, you’ll find the ‘Booking Summary.’ After completing your preferences and necessary information click ‘Book now’ to finalize your booking.
good experience all round, accomodations, food and service on board was good. only negative was that some of the instructions/directions for the cycling parts could have been better, and a few of the cycling sections were on narrow busy roads.
GREAT TRIP. Everything was as expected. Petra was awesome. The biking, sailing,crew, and food were amazing. Went with a group of 20. I would recommend this tour.
We were on the Arlene 11 and had a great time. The ship staff, food and itinerary were great. We enjoyed our week long tour and were always treated well. Only issue would be a little noisy over engine area and not much ice for beverages. Thanks Bill and Cathy
We were mostly very happy with everything. We did feel snacks upon returning from a day of biking would have been nice, more than a small piece of cake. In the morning my husband asked for a second bottle of water and he was told he couldn’t have it. We felt that was a little too cheesy.
Hair salon
Two bar areas
Library
Individually controlled air conditioning
Restaurant with separate lounge
Spa facilities (Sauna/Whirlpool/Fitness)
Outdoor pool
Individually controlled air conditioning
Plenty of sights in Vienna
the “Great loop”and UNESCO Site Wachau
Around 200 km / 147 miles
Ships with max. 150 passengers
Between Germany and Austria
Day of rest & exploration in Vienna
Around 200 km / 147 miles
Ships with max. 100 passengers
Cities of Vienna, Bratislava, & Budapest
Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary
Around 220 km / 135 miles
Barge with max. 170 passengers