I can’t believe that it’s July already, and I haven’t even gotten around to writing about our four country bike and boat trip that we took in May. We are already deep into planning our next trip (an epic one), so it is definitely time to share our last trip details with you. The week after we did our tulip bike tour in the Netherlands, we headed to Passau, Germany by train for the second leg of our trip. It was a round trip bike and boat ride that left from Passau and ended in Passau.
Our journey took us through Germany to Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary on the Danube River. We were aboard an 80-passenger river boat that had 80 bicycles. I would estimate that 20 of the passengers were Americans, and the rest were German.
As an FYI, there are tons of river boat companies based in Europe. Most Americans are only familiar with the Viking line because we see those advertisements here. We were amazed by the variety of river boat companies we saw. So, if you are thinking about a European river boat trip, do some research if you want an alternative to Viking. They will probably be less expensive and not as upscale but still nice. They also travel to the same destinations.
Unfortunately, the week we traveled was cloudy, cool, and rainy some days, but it was still beautiful. We rode between 30 and 40 miles in the daytime, and the ship traveled mostly at night when we were sleeping. That gave us time to explore the cities and towns after we cycled. Although there were 80 bicycles available, not all of the passengers cycled.
We all left at different times and rode at our own pace. Mike and I were usually alone on the rides but met up with others at ferry crossings and coffee stops. Much of the cycling was on bike trails that followed the river, but we did get a chance to ride on country roads and even some city streets.
We went to Budapest for the first time.
The parliament building there just blew me away. Its architecture is just breathtaking during the day…….
and at night.
We got the chance to make a return visit to Vienna. We loved just browsing through the streets and parks. I really enjoyed traveling with my Baggalini RFID Festival Bag. It’s amazing how much I could keep in my cross body purse and it comes it a variety of colors. It held my passport, money, credit cards, lipstick, comb, tissues, foldable umbrella, iphone, and sunglasses. The purse attached to my belt when I wanted to wear it that way. It was fun playing purse model in this park with Mike as my photographer.
Vienna was bursting with people on the Saturday afternoon we were there. My favorite part was having afternoon tea with Mike in a little tea room frequented by the locals. We try our best to avoid the tourists and seek out the spots where the locals hang out.
This trip was a good one, but then they all are. We hope to continue taking bike and boat tours every year. These types of trips are my favorite. It is stress free cycling and a great way to see the world. When we are too old to pedal, we can move over to electric bicycles which are becoming very popular with older cyclists in Europe. If any of you ever have questions about taking a bike and boat trip in Europe, please contact me.
Take care.
