10/8/2017
5.0Best mix of biking, luxury cruising and culture
By Bob
from Vicksburg, Mississippi
9/8/2017
5.0Backroads Danube cruise is amazing!
By Simone
from San Antonio, Texas
8/30/2017
4.0Leave the suitcase behind and explore...
By J.D.
from Washington State
8/29/2017
5.0Backroads does it again!
By David
from Charlotte NC
7/17/2017
5.0Another great trip--for active travel Backroads is the best!
By Mark
from Kalamazoo, MI
7/12/2017
5.0Great trip! Very well planned,
By David
from Lexington, MA
6/13/2017
5.0Our trip down the Danube well exceeded our expectations!
By Steve the biker
from Seattle, WA
3/17/2017
5.0This was the best trip! Better than we hoped.
By Perry
from Minneapolis, MN
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Premiere Ship
Accommodations may vary based on departure date. Any difference from what is listed below can be found by clicking on your desired date on the View Scheduled Dates or Private Dates tabs.
AmaWaterways Ship
AmaCerto, AmaLea, AmaSerena, AmaStella or AmaViola (7 nights)
A luxurious custom-designed ship featuring stylish private staterooms, panoramic windows, French balconies, an onboard team of classically trained chefs and inviting areas to socialize with fellow passengers. (pool)
View the deck plans. See Dates & Prices for specific ship, stateroom category availability and embarkation/disembarkation details.
This Trip Is Rated Levels 1-4
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next—and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.
Daily Route Options (drag to see full )
| Daily Route Options |
| 1 |
16* |
600 |
26 |
1200 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2 |
|
|
19* |
1300 |
35 |
2000 |
|
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|
|
|
|
26 |
1500 |
36 |
2700 |
|
|
|
|
| Passau Guided City Walk (1 Hour) |
| 3 |
14* |
600 |
27* |
1000 |
|
|
43* |
1300 |
|
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| Salzburg, Cesky Krumlov or Austrian Lakes District Tour (4 Hours) |
| 4 |
15 |
500 |
30 |
1000 |
37 |
1200 |
42 |
2600 |
|
|
| 5 |
17* |
400 |
28* |
700 |
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|
|
|
|
| Vienna Guided City Walk (1.5 Hours) |
| 6 |
|
|
21* |
300 |
34* |
600 |
46 |
900 |
|
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| Bratislava Guided City Walk (1 Hour) |
| 7 |
8* |
300 |
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
| Illuminations Cruise (1 Hour) |
| 8 |
Disembarkation in Budapest |
|
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Note:
* Includes shuttle.
Learn more about how we determine our activity level and fully support a range of abilities and interests.
Please note that our distance and elevation figures come from Ride with GPS. Other sources (such as Map My Ride and Garmin devices) may give differing elevation figures due to different GPS and mapping technologies. Readings from a Garmin or a smart phone are influenced by other factors such as air pressure.
Meals
All breakfasts, 7 dinners, 6 lunches
Available Bike Options
The key to a stellar day’s ride is a bike that’s perfectly in tune with your cycling style… Backroads has you covered with the best bike fleet in the world! Read on for your available bike options for this trip or view our full bike fleet in further detail.
Backroads Titanium Bikes (Included in your trip price)
Our custom-built titanium bikes are specially designed for you—and we offer different models for varied terrain so your bike is ideally suited to the region. Our custom-made bikes are included in your trip price.
Touring Bike (Included)
Road Bike (Included)
For trips departing before 4/15/18, please see available bike options here.
Backroads Custom Electric-Assist Bike (Included in your trip price)
Wishing for a little extra assistance up those hills? Our custom Backroads Electric-Assist Bike lets you experience the thrill of exploring on two wheels while providing a boost when you want it. We've modified a selection of our great Titanium Bikes with the intuitive BionX "pedal-assist" system.
Backroads Custom Electric-Assist Bike (Included)
Specialized S-Works Roubaix & Ruby ($400 rental fee)
Ride like a pro with the new top-of-the-line S-Works bike featuring ultrasmooth Shimano Di2 electronic shifting. Faster and smoother than any other bike out there, this race-ready carbon machine delivers phenomenal acceleration and handling in an ultralight, ultrapowerful package—perfect for experienced riders. The Specialized S-Works Ruby is a light, agile speed machine precisely designed for women. You can upgrade to a Specialized S-Works Roubaix or Ruby on your trip.
Specialized S-Works Roubaix (Upgrade)
Specialized S-Works Ruby (Upgrade)
Co-Motion Torpedo Tandem ($400 rental fee)
Do you prefer to spin in tandem with your partner? You'll love the Co-Motion Periscope Torpedo tandem on your Backroads trip. You can upgrade to a Co-Motion Torpedo Tandem on your trip.
Co-Motion Torpedo Tandem (Upgrade)
Also Included
- Expertise and services of our experienced Trip Leaders
- Snacks and beverages between meals
- Additional guides and experts from the region on many trips
- Van shuttles to support a variety of route options
- Comprehensive Travel Planner with detailed pre-trip information
- Private guided tours at museums, historic sites, wineries and other select attractions as noted in the Travel Planner
- All gratuities at hotels and restaurants
- Special events, including wine tastings and other select attractions as mentioned in the Travel Planner
- On biking and multi-adventure trips, use of fully equipped Backroads titanium bike plus helmet and accessories
- Trailercycles, carriers, and kid-sized helmets for Family Trips
- Equipment and experienced guides for kayaking, rafting, snorkeling, sailing and canoeing as described
- Park and other entry fees
- Fares for trains, ferries and other modes of travel as listed in the Travel Planner
- Select coach transfers
- Baggage transfers and porterage
Get the Straight Talk about This Trip
We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.
Accommodations & Group Size
The ships we sail on are your floating luxury hotel for the entire trip, letting you visit a new city or country each day without having to unpack and pack up your bags! These 50- to 150-passenger ships are custom‐designed with a variety of inviting common spaces so you'll have plenty of room for both relaxing and socializing.
Due to the unique nature of our active River Cruise trips, we welcome more guests (up to 60) on each departure than on our land-based trips, which are limited to 20 guests for Walking & Hiking and 26 guests for Biking and Multi-Adventure trips. This allows us to create our own robust active community with that special Backroads camaraderie during our week-long journey. Sometimes walkers and bikers—and occasionally families—will travel aboard the same ship, but participate in separate activities with their own dedicated leaders.
With our usual choice of fantastic route options each day, rest assured that you'll have plenty of like-minded travelers with whom to ride, hike or enjoy cultural interests. Our unique logistics model—which includes both onboard and onshore Backroads staff, plus additional leaders and vans—allows for meals and shore activities to be organized into smaller groups, ensuring the same unparalleled support and service as on any other Backroads trip.
Itinerary Flexibility: Going with the Flow
Our daily itinerary is based on scheduled sailing and port arrival times and as a result some days have more opportunities for exploring on land while other days have more sailing time. Every river has its own unique temperament and for centuries water levels have shifted due to rain, temperature and agriculture. High water levels may mean the ship cannot pass under a bridge, low water levels result in slower sailing, and a disabled lock can also lead to some extra cruising time. Should any unforeseen change happen during your river cruise, we will work closely with AmaWaterways' Captain and staff, who are very experienced in going with the flow.
Stateroom Categories
In contrast to our usual land-based trips, which have similar room categories, the AmaWaterways ships offer a wide range of stateroom categories. The top-tier staterooms often fill fast so book as early as possible if this is important to you.
Double-Docking
Some port conditions require that ships tie up alongside each other, in which case you may need to walk through another ship to access our ship. This is a perfectly normal part of river cruising due to its popularity. You may occasionally experience obstructed views from your stateroom when the ship is double-docked, but rest assured that as soon as we set sail again your beautiful views will be restored.
Why Travel with Backroads in Danube River
Your Spacious Home on the Water
Backroads is the only active travel company to forge a partnership with AmaWaterways, the leader in luxury river cruising. Beyond the unique perspective and amazing access of river-based travel, equally important to us is ensuring that our guests enjoy a fantastic onboard experience. This is where AmaWaterways shines, with spacious staterooms featuring outside or French balconies, plus amenities that include a spa, a gym and a pool with swim-up bar.
We Reinvented the River Cruise
Backroads pioneered the active river trip, partnering with AmaWaterways, the leader in river cruising, to create a new kind of travel experience featuring biking and walking explorations from an elegant floating hotel. Read more about this ideal way to discover the heart of a region.
Everyone at Their Own Pace
We design and support our Danube River trips to suit mixed abilities and varied interests—so you can set your own pace, then change things up as the day unfolds. And all guests are free to do the same, traveling together or apart, with no one cramping anyone else's style. Which sounds easy in theory, but it's hard to pull off. Here's more on how we do it.
Great Bikes Included (or Upgrade)
Choose a Backroads Custom Titanium or Custom Electric Assist bike—included in your trip price. Maybe a Specialized carbon-fiber pro model is more your speed or go for double fun on a tandem. Our fleet is the best in active travel, so you don't have to roll the dice on this vital trip component. Learn more about our bike fleet.
We've Set the Standard
For nearly four decades we've worked to earn and maintain our right to call Backroads the world's #1 active travel company. In pursuing that vision on behalf of our guests, we believe we've set the standard for our industry—captured in the Backroads Quality Guide, which clearly sets out the benchmarks of excellence, choice and support that we live by
In Europe Since 1988
Backroads has been welcoming active travelers to Europe since before the Berlin Wall came down. Today it's virtually our second home. We know the perfect roads and trails, the most scenic valleys and hilltop towns, the hidden churches and gem-like museums, the up-and-coming vintners and celebrated chefs—and, of course, all the best places to stay.
Merchant response: J.D – We're so pleased that you enjoyed your trip, but sorry to hear that you felt the faster riders in your group pushed the pace for the entire group. Our goal is to provide the flexibility and support that allow each guest to ride according their own abilities or desires; whether that means spreading out over several miles, or all riding together. So we will continue to work to improve this aspect on all of our trips. If, for some reason, you were to find the same thing happen on a future trip, we sincerely encourage you to point this out to your Leaders. Thanks for choosing to travel with Backroads!