Danube Bike & Boat Holiday Crossing 4 Countries

The itinerary for this holiday is eight days and seven nights.

Day 1:  Passau -  Engelhartszell

Individual arrival in the "Three River City". Passau attracts many with the world's greatest church organ at the Stephansdom and its charming Old Town. Embarkation is around 4:00 p.m. with departure around 7 p.m. Enjoy your first dinner on board and sail through the evening towards Engelhartszell.

Day 2:  Engelhartszell, Schlögener Schlinge (Great Loop) to Brandstatt & Bratislava The day starts in Engelhartszell (with the only Trappist monastery in Austria) before heading towards the Schloegen Loop (the Danube’s  "Great Loop"). This 180˚ bend is one of the most beautiful sections of the Danube.  Cycle on through small villages and cosy “must stop” taverns before boarding again in Brandstatt and "sailing into the night" towards Bratislava. 

Approx distance 28.5 miles (46Km)

Day 3:  Bratislava,

Arrive in Bratislava before cycling through Hainburg to the imposing Imperial Palace of Hof with its beautifully terraced gardens and idyllic manor farm.  Then its on to Devin before returning to the Normandie in Bratislava. In the evening you can take a tour by mini train and on foot where you can discover hidden alleys and sights of Bratislava. Then its back on board with a night cruise to Budapest.

Approx distance 33.5 miles (54 km)

Day 4:  Budapest, a day of rest or roundtrip to Szentendre.

Enjoy early morning views of the Danube's gorgeous landscape from the Sundeck. This gateway to Budapest is stunning as many of the famous tourist features are situated along the water front. If you want, you can take a rest day and explore the attractions of this wonderful city and a short bike ride to the nearby Margaretheninsel which is well worth a visit. Alternatively, take a bicycle ride to the charming town of Szentendre with its Mediterranean atmosphere and lively art life.  All this before you set sail for a night cruise to Visegrad.

Approx. distance 25 miles (40 km ) on the roundtrip to Szentendre

Day 5:  Danube Bend, Visegrad to Esztergom

The Danube bend is definitely one of most delightful and attractive sections or the river and is called the Hungarian Wachau. Today's bike leg starts at Visegrad with its famous fortress and the ruins of a former palace.  There are 2 routes to choose from: the longer one includes a side trip to the island of Szentendre and the baroque village of Vác, which has been influenced by the architects of the Austrian empress Maria Theresia. The other route leads you directly to the town of Esztergom, with its gorgeous basilica, Hungary's largest Catholic Church, overlooking the village. Night-time cruise to Vienna.

Approx distance 15.5 – 37 miles (25 - 60km)

Day 6:  Vienna to Nussdorf / (Korneuburg may also be possible) (day of rest)

Make sure you visit the most famous places of interest like the St. Stephens Cathedral and the Hofburg, the gorgeous boulevard "Ringstraβe" with the Burgtheater, the State Opera House and the town hall that takes you back in time. At the end of the day return on-board for the night cruise to Rossatz or Dürnstein (Wachau).

Day 7: Wachau via Melk to Pöchlarn  

This last day on a bike is a special highlight. Amidst small dreamy villages, apricot trees, vineyards, castles, monasteries and ruins, this gentle hilly landscape enchants everyone. A powerful ruin looms above the small Baroque town of Dürnstein, while the blue tower of the monastery church is a landmark of Wachau. Board Normandie again in the small village of Pöchlarn and after a farewell gala dinner, MS Normandie heads back towards Passau.

Approx distance 26 – 32 miles (42 - 52 km)

Day 8: Passau

Every journey draws to an end. Once again enjoy the early morning sun on deck and the peaceful silence of the Danube Valley. Take a last sight at the Schlögener Schlinge ("Great Loop") before arriving relaxed in Passau. Arrival: approx at 10:00 a.m., disembarkation half an hour later. We recommend you arrange connecting trips from noon onwards.

Holiday Details:

• Eight day, seven night itinerary.
• This holiday will start and end in Passau.
• MS NORMANDIE - On joining this vessel you are immediately aware of the cosy and informal ambience on board. On the upper deck you will find the comfy panorama salon with its bar and the small sauna on the main deck the comfortable restaurant. On deck there are both deck chairs and ordinary chairs and tables, which encourage conversation and communal activity. MS NORMANDIE possesses two 1-bed-cabins and forty-nine 2-bed-cabins. They are all out-side cabins, giving some 10-11 square metres of space (2-bed) and about 7 qm (1-bed). All 2-bed-cabins on main and upper deck are equipped with two lower beds, one of which can be folded against the wall during the day to provide a more homely atmosphere, shower and WC, hairdryer, TV, safe, central air-conditioning and a picture window. Windows may only be opened on the upper deck. 1-bed cabins have one lower bed and are otherwise equipped with same features. Technical details: Length 91.2 m, width 10.50 m, depth 1.60 m, max. 100 passengers. Currency on board: Euro. Credit cards: MasterCard and Visa.

• Embark.4-5pm. Disembark.10:30 am.

• Bicycles on board: Unisex trekking cycles with normal mount (ladies model), 7 gears with coaster breaking hubs or 7 speed freewheel hubs (subject to availability) and pannier bag. E-Bikes are available on request (limited number) .Please indicate your height when you book - Bringing your own bike on request only (due to lack of spaceon sundeck).
• Languages on board: German and English
• Cycle tours: All distances are approximate.When a guest does not wish to cycle they can skip the bike tour and relax on board while cruising to the next port.
• The bike tours are self guided but with daily briefings on board and detailed maps and directions.All routes can be classified as being easy.
• Luggage: We recommend rainwear, bicycle helmet, sunhat and sneakers.Please be aware that the cabin storage space is very limited.
• Smoking: As a safety measure, all cabins and rooms on board are non-smoking areas.  Smoking is only allowed on the sun deck. .
• Land excursions: We offer an optional (surcharge-not included in the tour price) excursion programme which can be booked directly on board with the cruise director. Together with your travel documents you will get a brief description. Dependingon the number of participants some excursions could be carried out in 2 languages (German/ English)
• Routing/Program: We reserve the right to make changes to the routing and program. In case of flood or low tide, the shipping company reserves the right to bridge parts of the passages with buses. In extreme situations, the shipping company reserves the right to cancel the journey at short notice. No legal right shall be constituted in both situations. The same applies to officially ordered and previously not announced-repair work of locks or bridges.Please be aware that a cruise ship on the Danube is not only your hotel but also a machine, powered with an engine both day and night. Especially when passing through locks and bridges, preparation work-may cause some noise. If you are sensitive please bring your own ear plugs.
• Travel documents:EU-citizens (without special situations like dual citizenship, main residence abroad or a limited-validity passport) are required to have a valid passport or ID-card, not expiring within six (6) months of the return of your cruise. We kindly ask non-EU citizens, EU-nationals with multiple citizenship or anybody who has to respect special legal entry requirements for the countries to visi, to get information about visa and entry documents at the necessary embassy.
• This trip is not suitable for guests with reduced mobility

There are lots of attractions and places to explore during your holiday in The Danube including:

• Passau, The City of 3 Rivers
• Schlögener Schlinge ( the Danube's "Great Loop")
• The Hungarian Danube Bend
• The World Heritage Site Wachau
• Slovakia’s Bratislava
• Hungarian Capital Budapest
• The Cosmopolitan City of Vienna

Getting to Passau

By Rail/Bus – You can travel from London St-Pancras to Passau by train, the journey time is approx 10 hours.

By Car – Passau can be reached by car using ferries or Eurotunnel and well-maintained motorways.

By Air –  There are no significant airports near Passau. The closest airport to Passau is Linz in Austria, trains run between Linz and Passau. The 2nd closest is Salzburg and you can catch a direct bus between the two. The 3rd closest is Munich Airport (MUC) but intercontinental travelers may often find taking the train from Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) faster than transiting by air to Munich.

For more information on travel around Germany please visit this travel website.