Welcome to Hooked on Cycling holidays and our cycling holidays in Austria. This biking vacation is a bike and boat tour. On a boat and bike tour your hotel is the wonderful ship the MS Diana. This cycling holiday is a self guided bike tour which we have graded as level 1 tour. Of course there is no need to cycle as you can stay on board, making this holiday ideal for non cycling partners and also families. Cycling along the Danube is a very special pleasure because on this tour the hotel is always with you! Always gently downhill, mostly with a helpful tailwind you are experiencing the impressive river. Such delights of the Donauschlinge (“Great Loop”), the gorgeous landscape of the legendary Wachau, untouched woods of the National Park Donauauen (”Danube Meadow”).Then there is Vienna with sights like St. Stephen´s Cathedral, the town hall or the Riesenrad (Ferris wheel) are close to reach during a sight-seeing tour by bike.
We offer 2 variations to the tour schedule. Described first is our standard (A) version, on variation B you do not return back to Passau by boat but stay 2 nights in Vienna in a 4 star hotel and return back to Passau if required by coach, this option allows more time to visit Vienna.

Available on Saturdays from 17th July to 25th September(Option B not available 17th September)
Level 1 self guided tour.

Day 1 Saturday Arrival to  Passau

Arrive in Passau/hotel Jesuitenschlössl before 4pm. Transfer at around 4.30pm from the hotel or 4.45pm from Passau train station to the ship station.. Passau is the “Bishop-City” which is embedded between the 3 rivers, Inn, Ilz and the Danube, close to the Bavarian/Austrian border. A 4 course welcome dinner will be served on your first evening.

Day 2 Sunday, Passau - Schlögen – Linz, 39 miles 59 km bike, 37 km ship

First by ship to Schlögen. There you get your bikes at around 9am. Downstream, the way leads you to pretty villages amid natural landscape. Through the romantic Schlögener loop, where the river makes a very abrupt 180 degree turn to make your cycle ride towards Linz the capital of upper Austria. Ship: departure Schlögen 10am; arrival Linz 3pm

Day 3 Monday, Linz – Ybbs, 39 miles 58 km bike

Today first by boat from LInz to Au-Naam. Today’s bike tour takes you directly along the Danube where you will have enough time to enjoy the natural meadow landscape. Soon you will reach the celtic town of Mitterkirchen which gives you an insight of past times. Also you will cycle passing Langenstein, castle Pragstein and the convent in Baumgartenberg. Grein is, the place of Austria’s oldest city theatre and the castle of Grein. A visit of Austria’s oldest theatre is optional. Ship: departure Linz 7am, 9am from Au, midday departure from Au, 4pm arrival Ybbs 4pm

Day 4 Tuesday, Ybbs – Emmersdorf/Krems, 39 miles 59 km bike

Today’s stage is marked by a diversified landscape. At the beginning there is the Strudengau, a narrow point of the Danube which used to be notorious amongst skippers. Then the valley expands from Persenbeug and the bike tour leads you further to Melk with its gorgeous baroque monastery of the Benedictine monk hood. At Emmersdorf you join the boat and cruise to Krems.
Ship: departure Ybbs midday; 5pm arrival Krems.

Day 5 Wednesday, Krems – Tulln/Vienna, 33 miles 52 km bike, 21 km train

First today by bike to the picturesque old town of Tulln the town of Flowers. Then further on to Vienna via Greifenstein, there you leave your bikes and board the MS Diana from your journey into Vienna. After dinner a fabulous sight seeing tour of Vienna by night where you shall be overwhelmed by the gorgeous illuminations and sights of the baroque metropolis..
Ship: departure Krems 12am, arrival Vienna-Nussdorf 5pm.

Variation A: back by ship to Passau

Day 6 Thursday, Vienna

Today after breakfast there is a free time for individual sight-seeing. . Back to the ship by subway and tramway (2 tickets are included). Departure from Vienna at 6.30pm  and passing the Wachau as you have dinner on board..

Day 7 Friday, Linz 27 miles 42km by bike

After breakfast a cycle tour from Au/Naarn via Mauthausen, Pyburg and Enns (Austria’s oldest city) to the Abbey of St.Florian (with its wonderful baroque buildings and tomb of the famous composer Anton Bruckner). Sightseeing and guided tour through the Augustiner Chorherrenstift (monastery). Later you go to Linz via Abwinden and Asten by bike where you return the bikes. In the evening enjoy a 4 course dinner aboard. At 18.30 MS Diana leaves Linz and heads upsteam to Passau. Boat arrivals at 11am at Au, at 3pm at Linz/ departure Linz 6.30pm

Day 8 Saturday, Passau
Arrival in Passau at 9.45am. Transfer by bus to the central station.

Variation B: 2 nights in Vienna

Thursday, Vienna
Today after breakfast transfer on the underground to your 4 star hotel in Vienna.

Friday, Vienna
Individual sight-seeing of Vienna, Hofburg, St Stephens cathedral, Schonbrunn castle, Karlskirche and the famous buildings of the Ringstrassenviertel..

Saturday, departure
Today coach from your hotel back to Passau arriving at around 1pm. If you do not wish to return you are free to depart after breakfast from Vienna..

MS Diana
A good middle class Dutch cruise liner 79 m long, 7,75 m wide, 1,3 m drought. The ship has 39 roomy exterior cabins for 80 guests on two decks (main and promenade deck). Each lovely cabin has a shower, toilet, ground bed, air-conditioning, TV (2 three-bed-cabins with bunk bed). Furthermore there is a lovely restaurant, lounge with bar and sun deck.

Gastronomy:
Included on ship will be a daily breakfast buffet (cold & warm), 3-course-dinner in the evening where you can choose the main course (except for the 1st day), daily 3-course lunch (except on Thursday) especially for guests, who want to spend the day on the ship, otherwise a packed lunch for the cyclists. Daily 17 o´clock coffee or tea on board.

Tariff 2010

How to get there
Fly to Vienna where you can catch a train to Passau.
Fly to Munich where you can catch a local bus to Freising from the airport terminal and then by train to Passau.
Fly BA to Vienna for details click Here
To View other cycling holidays in Austria

Click below to view our great
Walking Holidays in Austria

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