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On Days 3 and 5, we took early morning rides before seeing the fairytale city of Český Krumlov and bustling Vienna. That’s the beauty of this Danube River itinerary. Sandwiched between the starting point of Prague and the end in Budapest, you can spend time in world-class cities, yet the bulk of the biking is in the countryside, pedaling through farmland or vineyards. It’s a fantastic combination and you cover so much ground, 5 countries in 8 days.
Backroads took over the entire AmaWaterways ship on this cruise. Translation: Only bikers were allowed on the ship. It also means that the Backroads trip leaders run the show and they were phenomenal. Malcolm has 23 years of Backroads experience under his belt and I was amazed at his ability to change the itinerary, even at the last moment. When water levels were too low to go further east on the Danube past Budapest, we had to skip our last morning of biking and, instead Malcolm had buses and guides waiting for us to tour Budapest. He was also a fantastic DJ, leading two epic dance parties during the week, featuring the best of 70s and 80s music. Lee should be in stand-up comedy, every line out of his mouth a witty joke. Loved the whimsy and sheer joy of Alex, especially when dancing. Stephan knew every bike route like the back of his hand and was often cheering me on during those hard uphill climbs. If it wasn’t for Jenn, I’d still be biking in Austria, lost on some route. She was always there to direct me in the right direction and answer all my questions. Fantastic group of trip leaders, the crème de la crème at Backroads!
More than half of the passengers on the cruise used e-bikes, which really wasn’t necessary after Day 2, when we had few uphill climbs unless you craved them. Most of the biking along the Danube River was relatively flat on bike trails.
My kids, Jake and Mel, ages 26 and 24 respectively, loved the cruise. The biking was challenging, the rural landscape was stunning, and the sightseeing and dining in the cities exceptional. Unfortunately, there was just one other family with kids their age aboard the ship. There was a younger group of 35 who pulled out at the last minute due to the war in Ukraine, but tourism was thriving in all cities, including Budapest. The only signs of the war were some refugees we met from the Ukraine. That left the average age aboard the cruise in the early 60s, which is not far from the usual demographic aboard a river cruise. My hope is that a younger generation will sample these Backroads itineraries because it’s really a wonderful bike cruise. You’re rarely on the boat, except for cocktail hour, dinner, dance parties, and sleeping. The rest of the time you’re meeting up with the ship after your bike ride. It’s an exciting way to see a good chunk of Europe.
If interested in discussing any Backroads trip, please contact ActiveTravels and we’ll go over all the options.
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For the start of our weeklong cruise with Backroads along the Danube River, we woke up early in Prague and drove 3 ½ hours through Czech’s Bohemian region to Germany’s Bavaria. After lunch at a country farmhouse, we got fitted for our bikes. We were surprised to learn that 38 of the 53 passengers aboard our cruise were using e-bikes. Our family of four went the old-fashioned route, having trained all summer for this week of riding. That would come in handy within the first 15 minutes, when we had a good mile uphill climb. Soon we were high in the hills, past rolling green fields dotted with cows, rows of corn, and large patches of yellow canola. We would ride the first of many bike trails, connecting to narrow quiet country roads that only Backroads could find after scouring the countryside. Then another trail deep into the Bavarian forest before entering small farming communities with their large wooden houses and triangular roofs, not unlike a chalet.
After a brief stop for the first of many radlers that week, a satisfying combination of beer and lemonade that quenched our thirst, we had another killer hill before riding alongside a creek and the velvety green fields beyond. Finally, we reached the broad bend of the Danube River and pedaled the last 5 miles alongside the water until we reached our home for the week, the AmaLea. The perfect introductory ride to get us excited for the trip ahead, 40 miles with over 2300 feet of elevation. Our reward was pints of pilsner and live Bavarian music straight out of an Oktoberfest celebration at Hofbrauhaus, our welcome to Vilshofen, Germany.
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