Danube - 4 Countries Bike and Boat – MV Swiss Crown

A bike and boat holiday along the most impressive and beautiful section of the mighty Danube River aboard the newly renovated MV Swiss Crown. Highlights include the Danube Loop, the wonderful Wachau Valley, elegant Vienna, beautiful Bratislava and Budapest.

Join your ship, the MV Swiss Crown, in Passau on the German/Austrian border and embark on a week’s cycling adventure through Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. Each day you will disembark for thrilling but easy rides along the riverbank, passing castles, historic villages, romantic ruins and famous cities. The scenery is breathtaking and each bend in the river reveals something new.

The MV Swiss Crown offers excellent accommodation in modern, well appointed double/twin bedded cabins, arranged over 3 decks. Her sun deck and viewing decks are the perfect vantage points from which to watch the wonderful scenery drift by.

An easy cycling holiday on mostly level terrain, along riverbank cycle paths.

Danube - 4 Countries Bike and Boat – MV Swiss Crown

A bike and boat holiday along the most impressive and beautiful section of the mighty Danube River aboard the newly renovated MV Swiss Crown. Highlights include the Danube Loop, the wonderful Wachau Valley, elegant Vienna, beautiful Bratislava and Budapest.

Join your ship, the MV Swiss Crown, in Passau on the German/Austrian border and embark on a week’s cycling adventure through Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. Each day you will disembark for thrilling but easy rides along the riverbank, passing castles, historic villages, romantic ruins and famous cities. The scenery is breathtaking and each bend in the river reveals something new.

The MV Swiss Crown offers excellent accommodation in modern, well appointed double/twin bedded cabins, arranged over 3 decks. Her sun deck and viewing decks are the perfect vantage points from which to watch the wonderful scenery drift by.

An easy cycling holiday on mostly level terrain, along riverbank cycle paths.

Itinerary

This is an easy cycling holiday on mostly level terrain, along riverbank cycle paths.

The captain reserves the right to make changes to the planned route due to changing wind, tide and weather conditions, and where required by organizational necessities.

Day 1 : Arrive Passau

Upon arrival in Passau make your way to your riverboat where boarding commences at 4.30 pm. The boat casts off at 6pm for a leisurely cruise through the serene and beautiful Danube Valley.

If you arrive early, Passau is a charming town with plenty to see and do. It is the point at which the Danube, Inn and Ilz Rivers all meet, so there are plenty of river banks to stroll along. We also recommend making the climb to Veste Oberhaus, a medieval fortress and museum that offers a fantastic, panoramic view of the town and river.

Day 2 : Danube Loop
27 miles/42 kms

Enjoy a pleasant, gentle start to your cycling holiday pedalling alongside the river downstream through pretty towns and villages. Stop to visit the only Trappist monastery in Austria at Engelhartszell where you may wish to sample the locally produced and rather good liquors. Walk to a nearby viewpoint for a breath-taking view of the beautiful Danube loop before cycling on to the charming village of Aschach to rejoin the boat.

Day 3 : Devin – Bratislava
27 miles/43 kms

Overnight the boat cruises downstream to Devin on the Austrian/Slovakian border. Today your ride takes you along the former Iron Curtain border, first to the grand and imposing Hof Palace and then on to the Slovakian capital of Bratislava. Join the guided tour of this fascinating city (optional) or explore it at your own pace. Highlights not to be missed are the gorgeous medieval old town in the centre of the city with its many winding lanes and beautiful squares, wonderful St Martins’s Cathedral and the city’s prominent feature, Bratislava Castle.

Day 4 : Bratislava – Budapest – Szentendre
34 miles/54 kms

After a relaxing cruise downstream into Hungary you arrive in stunning Budapest, cruising past the awe-inspiring Gothic Parliament building on the riverbank – have the camera ready! The river divides the city in two, Buda on the west bank and Pest on the east. After mooring up you can either cycle out to Szentendre a charming artists’ town or explore Budapest at your own pace.

Day 5 : Danube Bend – Esztergom
27 miles/43 kms

Today the boat starts back upstream to the idyllic artists’ island of Szentendre where you disembark to begin following a delightful route upstream. After a few kilometers you reach the the Danube Bend, a particularly beautiful meander in the river’s course. Carry on upstream, enjoying the wide green valley and eventually you arrive in Esztergom, home to Hungary’s largest Catholic Church. Re-board the boat and settle in for the night while the boat cruise upstream to Vienna.

Day 6 : Vienna

Today is your free day to explore Vienna. Visit Schönbrunn Palace, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and the Imperial Palace. You may also want to take in the ‘Riesenrad’, the giant ferris wheel, made famous in the 1949 British film, ‘The Third Man’, and no trip to Vienna would be complete with out enjoying a coffee and cake in one of its famous coffee houses. In the evening you may wish to visit a Waltz and Opera concert at the famous Viennese Palace.

Day 7 : Wachau Valley: Krems – Melk
23 miles/37 kms

Today you leave the city and head back upstream into the Danube countryside. There’s a real treat in store today as you get to enjoy a leisurely cycle ride through the stunning Wachau Valley. Picture perfect villages, apricot orchards, vineyards and hilltop castles characterise this stunning landscape that captivates all who visit. The charming village of Dürnstein with its haunting ruin and monastery church is definitely a highlight as is Weisskirchen which offers many opportunities for wine tasting. A farewell dinner on board in the evening brings this very pleasant day to a close.

Day 8 : Passau - end of trip

Enjoy a gentle morning cruise back to Passau with one last look at the Danube Loop on the way. You arrive in Passau at approximately 10am.

Bikes

Regular bikes provided are modern alloy framed models with 21 speeds. The bikes come equipped with pannier, lock and a repair kit with pump.

Electric bikes are also available.

Helmets are not provided and we therefore strongly recommend bringing your own. Please note that cycle helmets are mandatory in Austria and Germany for children up to 12 years of age.

Accommodation

MS Swiss Crown (superior)

The MS Swiss Crown boasts a range of spacious, high-standard cabins coupled with an array of stylish public areas and facilities.

Her 68 air-conditioned cabins, each occupying 14m², are arranged over three decks. All offer comfortable, hotel-style double beds, which can also convert into two single beds, a private shower/toilet, TV, safe, hair dryer and air conditioning.

On the upper deck, there are 29 double cabins. All cabins on the upper deck have panoramic, sliding French windows and a balcony

On the mid deck, there are 25 double cabins and 1 single cabin. All cabins on the mid deck have full-size picture windows that can be opened to the fresh air.

On the lower deck, there are 12 double cabins and 1 single cabin. All cabins on the lower deck feature half-height secured windows.

The stylish Panorama lounge and bar on the upper deck offers a comfortable, convivial atmosphere as well as large, panoramic windows. An elegant and spacious restaurant, located on the middle deck, also features large picture windows allowing diners to enjoy the scenery while they eat. The spa on the lower deck offers a sauna and a steam room for soothing those aching muscles after the day’s exertions and on the sun-deck there is plenty of comfortable seating and a small whirl-pool.

Meals

A hearty breakfast is provided each morning and cyclists can then pick up their packed lunches before leaving for the day’s ride. Those remaining on board enjoy lunch in the restaurant where the evening meal, always a culinary delight, is also served.

Daily afternoon coffee/tea break with small sweets.

On-board payments: Cash and debit/credit cards accepted.

The captain reserves the right to make changes to the planned route due to changing wind, tide and weather conditions, and where required by organizational necessities

Getting there

Fly to Vienna, Munich or Salzburg airports and then travel by train onwards to Passau.

Research flights from the UK here

Research onward rail connections.

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