There is a well traveled and lengthy bike trail that follows Europe's Danube River. It lies flat and is considered to have good riding conditions. When viewed from the hillsides of Austria the Danube (Danau) traces a serene blue line through the emerald green foothills.
Getting
There
Best traveled in the warm months, flights
from JFK to Linz range from about $1800 to over $3500 roundtrip. Several
airlines offer service and internet booking saves time and money.
Hotel accommodations at the Best Western
Landhotel Wachau will bring you to the Passau-Vienna Danube Cycle Trail.
Contact them directly at
Luberegg An Der Donau 20,
Emmersdorf,
A-3644, Austria.
Phone: 43 2752 72572.
In the US and Canada
call their toll free reservation number and take a quick look at their 21 entry
photo gallery for instant explanations.
There are other more lavish or cheaper
places but there is something comforting to the uniform consistency of
franchise service.
The Best Western in Emmersdorf offers airport shuttle
service (for a fee) from either Linz or Vienna and is located about halfway
between these two major travel hubs. The train to Melk is probably cheaper
though.
They also offer to organize bike excursions so without sounding like I
work for them; I'd suggest checking out their website.
There are also 15 Best Westerns in Vienna,
a city of 1.5 million people. This makes it possible to spend part of the visit
based in that city for a better chance to visit the many amazing structures,
restaurants and activities while enjoying modern accommodations.
Bike
Rental
Another shameless free spot for Best
Western--they rent bikes!
Touring
the Danube Cycle Trail
A stretch of the path between towns in
Austria is a good relatively easy ride.
Follow the path from an area north of
Linz east toward the area north of Vienna.
This is a total of 113 miles (180
km) by car so just biking the river trail without touring the towns along the
way may be enough for many people.
If you are more enthusiastic about the
sport, there are plenty of side trips and small towns to tour which encompass
the full flavor of Europe.
For many people though the route should be
broken into smaller segments.
Since I'm suggesting a stay in Emmersdorf it may
be best to at least break the tour into two distinct parts one heading east
toward Vienna and one heading west toward Linz.
Stuff
to See
-
Aggstein castle ruins in the Wachau region.
-
Gottweig Abbey in the medieval town of Krems.
-
Melk's baroque Benedictine Abbey, in plain view along the banks
of the Danube, offers guided tours from 11a.m. to 2p.m. daily. Impressive
collection of paintings.
-
Boat trips along the Danube available in the Wachau region.
-
The Ars Electronica Center in Linz offers a museum of new technology.
Wed-Sun.
-
Vienna has trams 1 and 2 which travel around the Ringstrasse to
many sights.
-
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Excellent art. Tue-Sun;
10a.m. to 6p.m.
-
Vienna State Opera House (the Burgtheater) contains unequaled
opulence.
-
The Hofburg in south central Vienna was the seat of power for 600
years. Gothic to Neo-Renaissance architecture.
Weather and Travel Considerations
July may have
the warmest (upper 70's Fahrenheit) travel days in Austria but the chance of
thunderstorms is at its highest. Watch the forecasts and stay close to shelter
if these are forecast. April through October may be the only months warm enough
to enjoy this tour.
Visas are not
needed for travelers from the U.S., Canada, New Zealand and Australia for stays
of less than three months. Passports, of course, are still needed to enter the
country.
The Euro is the
accepted currency in Austria and much of Europe. Exchange U.S. dollars at banks
throughout the country. German is spoken here.
The Austrian
National Tourist office can offer assistance from several offices and are open
all year.
Eateries
Make a point of
allowing extra time and money for the pursuit of fine foods and pastries.
Biking and enjoying the sights might be the primary focus of vacation planning.
Don't let this focus break your budget and leave you drooling at a bakery
window or wine shop! If you don't have enough cash to sample them you may be
left with the Danube blues.
Epicurean
delights are too numerous to mention in Europe. Budget accordingly.
