Austria/Germany
A Cycling Journey: Historic Bike Paths Along the Danube River
Program No. 3044RJ
Follow quiet bike paths along the sparkling Danube as you explore the history, folklore and culture of Bavaria and Upper Austria, with visits to castle ruins and a 900-year-old abbey.
Participant Reviews
Based on 15 Reviews
SHOWING
Excellent trip! Frans and Ron were great guides. They guiding us through beautiful cities and wonderful rides along the Danube. The pace was just right. There was enough time to get to know the other participants and see the sites. The best part of Road Scholar are our fellow travelers. We had a fabulous group and look forward to getting together again. The local tour guides and lecturers were very good. They filled in info around the sites we saw. The Mozart Concert was a highlight.
Some improvements:
- update the reading list. The books are old and hard to find.
- Have a 2-day stay sooner on the itinerary or have laundry service available at the hotel.
- Architecture lecturer needs to update his presentation. The information was good but it would be better with more visuals.
- Vary the food. By the end of the trip, we could tell you the soup and entree. OK food by would like to try more local foods.
— Review left October 13, 2025
A delightful trip along the Danube River. We enjoyed our guides, our fellow travelers, the food, and the included activities. The scenery was lovely and we visited many interesting sites. The biking distances were very reasonable and gave us motivation to get in shape over the summer to prepare for the trip.
— Review left September 22, 2025
The most wonderful feature of this adventure was a nicely-paced bicycle journey along the Danube River. On the days we pedaled, some on ebikes, some on standard bikes, we traveled on a level, paved riverside trail along the edges of forests, fertile fields, and vineyards. There were some moderate rolling hills and a bit of a headwind now and then – and even a few hours of rain. We traveled, undaunted, eager to see what was ahead, to ride into villages and towns in search of local treats (and handy restrooms!)
In addition to this fun, we had time to explore Vienna and other cities (on foot!) to learn about the history, culture and traditions with lectures, field trips, and free time to dig a bit deeper – or to find the best pastry! Some used the free time to add more activity with optional hikes and additional rides on the bikes. Some used the free time to browse shops, to relax and enjoy the offerings at our hotels, or have a good glass of Austrian wine.
The small group and our expert group leaders made the going both safe and entertaining. This adventure has a really nice itinerary and provided so many memories – and photo opportunities!
— Review left May 30, 2025
Wonderful program. Great tour leaders. The food was fabulous. Such an awesome experience I will never forget.
— Review left May 29, 2025
Beautiful scenery, great food, fun people. The lectures were quite informative and engaging. Despite the unexpected flooding along the Danube, our guides managed to keep us safe and follow the planned itinerary. Good mix of planned time and free time. The biking was quite easy though it did take a day or two for everyone to get comfortable on their rental bike. We had 2 e-bikers out of 21 riders. The bikes were comfort style and provided a very smooth ride. The fact that one couldn’t ride very fast served to keep the group together and enjoying the sights. Highly recommend though it looks like the 2025 itinerary has changed to an east to west ride with less biking.
— Review left October 8, 2024
Great program led by a competent staff who had to deal with the flood effects along the Danube River. The staff rose to the challenge and made this program a memorable one.
— Review left September 26, 2024
Absolutely a beautiful bike ride filled with wonderful lectures and visits to castles and abbeys. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would do it again!
— Review left September 1, 2024
The Road Scholar cycling trip along the Danube River was a fun ride, educational and a great experience. I am very glad to have participated in this program and will have lasting memories.
— Review left August 29, 2024
Great trip: wonderful people (important to me as a single); well-balanced itinerary; illuminating lectures, tours (especially Mauthausen), and city walks; excellent cycling. Scenery was gorgeous and even the weather cooperated. Kudos to Ingrid and Patrick for their sensitivity to the needs, challenges, and outstanding skills among our group. They did a terrific job; their personalities are quite complementary, which was helpful. I'd recommend keeping two guides on this trip. Only drawback was for me, as a vegetarian, was the meat-oriented cuisine of the region.
Communication with Road Scholar before the trip was so-so; communication between Road Scholar and Boat Bike once the trip began (and some people came down with Covid) seemed poor.
— Review left October 6, 2023
Hats off to the exceptional expertise of Ingrid and her co-pilot Frans. Not only was this trip well organized, the information and guidance provided was top notch.
Road Scholar provided a detailed agenda and all the information we could possibly need in advance of the trip and the guides implemented it perfectly. Each day was an adventure and we always had confidence in expectations, how and where we were going. Safety was most important, and the initial logistics and guideline day was extremely helpful.
The lodgings were selected in order to give us the best sense of the culture of Germany and Austria. Lectures and day trips provided in depth understanding and history of the area. It enhanced our experience of each destination. The end of each day found our luggage awaiting us in our room at the destination.
The days were well scheduled with enough free time to rest or explore on our own.
The only disappointment was that a few fellow travelers overestimated their abilities on a bike. While the biking was not difficult, there was the need to have confidence in anticipating hills and turns, group and traffic biking.
We enjoyed the dialogue and information as we rode and stops for frequent photo ops and ice cream! A dip in the Danube was a personal highlight. The guides worked to achieve our personal desires and goals for the trip. This was truly a trip of a lifetime, and we thank Ingrid and Frans for making it a reality.
— Review left September 4, 2023
Loved the experience, group leader and fellow bikers. Especially loved the e bike. Our honeymoon was awesome!
— Review left June 1, 2023
I had a wonderful time on this trip. I loved the beautiful rides through the small villages. I very much enjoyed the lectures and Andy's knowledge of Germany and Austria. We had a great group of people that made the trip ver enjoyable. Andy did a great job guiding us, but also made thing fun. I am looking forward to going on another trip with Andy as the guide.
— Review left October 4, 2022
Terrific trip! Trail and scenery is amazing, and all the stops were very fun. Road Scholar did a very nice job with all aspects of the trip!
The bikes are very nice but if you're used to a road bike you might find these to be a bit heavier but more upright and comfortable. I would suggest using a mountain bike if you're planning to ride a bit before the trip to get ready. Although the trail is mostly flat or downhill, there are a number of short (50 yards or so) but fairly steep parts of the trail. My wife and I trained a bit before going but my cycling muscles were a bit sore by the time we finished the trip. I would have rated this trip 3 bars for activity instead of 2. If you're at all concerned about stamina just get an E bike. We saw many e bikes on the trail so no shame!
— Review left September 26, 2022
This was the trip of a lifetime. A dream fulfilled
— Review left June 4, 2022
If you love to bike and would like to learn more about Europe's extensive history in Southern Germany and Eastern Austria along the Danube, this bike tour is for you!
— Review left September 23, 2021