From Passau to Budapest along the Danube: a sporting challenge

Challenging +: 70 to 100km per day of cycling. The route follows roads, cycle paths and greenways.

You only carry a small bag with your picnic lunch and the belongings you need for the day. Your luggage will be waiting at your hotel in the evening: it is transported by the hotelier or by taxi. There is no limit on the number of bags, but each bag must weigh no more than 20 kg. We recommend carrying a change of clothes in your panniers, as in rare, unforeseen circumstances, such as traffic jams, your luggage may arrive late.

Bookings are possible for 2 people or more; solo travellers can also book, but a single room supplement applies.

No 2027 departure period is confirmed in the connected catalogue. Ask our team for future operating dates before making travel arrangements.

10 days / 9 nights / 8 days of cycling.

Accommodation

In a room for two with a private bathroom / toilet; single rooms are available at an additional charge.
Category A: 4* hotels (some 3* hotels may be used at certain stops)
Category B: 3* hotels and inns (or equivalent). Some nights in 4* hotels (for example in Vienna, Bratislava or Budapest)

Rooms

In Germany and Austria, double beds with a single large mattress are generally uncommon, and rooms with 2 separate twin beds are rare. There is usually a single bed base with two 90 cm mattresses, each with its own duvet. Rooms for 3: these usually have an extra bed added; however, the rooms are generally spacious.

Meals

Breakfast included. Lunches and dinners are not included.
You can choose the optional half-board package (7 dinners, with 3-course meals, at the hotel restaurant or elsewhere. Half board is not available in Vienna or Budapest). Please note: people in Germany and Austria often eat dinner early. Please observe the meal service times.

Start

On Day 1 in the afternoon in Passau.

Finish

On Day 10 after breakfast in Budapest.

Return journey: Budapest - Vienna - Passau

Return rail and bus services, including transport for a personal bicycle, depend on the operating dates and capacity. The connected catalogue lists optional bus transfers from Budapest to Vienna (105 €) and Vienna to Passau (110 €), with a 50 € supplement for a personal bicycle on each leg. Ask our team to confirm the itinerary, available dates, fares and bike-carriage rules before booking.

Return transport for your own bikes

The bus options above can carry a personal bicycle subject to advance confirmation. For rail travel, check bike-space and reservation rules directly with the train operator.

This is a self-guided holiday. There is no guide accompanying you. A digital travel pack will be emailed to you before departure. You will also have access to a navigation app to guide you during your holiday. On request, you can receive a printed travel pack, including maps and a printed route guide. Depending on the arrangements, you will receive your pack before departure or collect it at your first accommodation. At the start of your holiday, you will have a personal welcome meeting (at your hotel or a nearby hotel) with one of our local representatives (in English only). They will provide information about your holiday and can help you adjust your hire bikes.

Bike hire

These are quality German bikes from KTM or an equivalent manufacturer, which should give you a trouble-free cycling tour. Although this is our preferred option, please let us know when booking if you would like conventional handlebar-operated brakes, without a coaster brake.

Standard bike
Unisex bike with 21 gears (without a coaster brake, frame height 56/51/46/43 cm) or 7 gears (with a coaster brake, frame height 56/51/46 cm), with hub gears and a wide saddle.
Men’s model: 21 gears (without a coaster brake, frame height 64/60/56 cm)

PLUS bike
With superior equipment (e.g. Magura HS 11 hydraulic brakes, Shimano Deore XT), the difference is clear: the PLUS bike offers a sportier, optimal riding position, 27 gears and front fork suspension. High-quality components.

Gravel bike
A quality bike from MAXX, with a lightweight aluminium frame and tyres offering optimal grip and comfort on a wide range of surfaces.
12 gears, hydraulic disc brakes, Schwalbe G-One Gravel tyres (suitable for riding on asphalt, unpaved roads or off-road), 11.5 kg, bottle cage

E-bike
KTM, 23 kg, 28 inches, 8 gears, 25 km/h up to 180 km

The bikes come with:

• A pannier (even if you bring your own bikes)
• A map holder
• One safety kit per room
• A pump
• A cycle computer
• One bike lock per room (large enough for 2 bikes)

Please note: if you cannot bring your own helmet, you have two options:

• You can request a helmet on loan when booking (supplement of 25 €).
• Ask our team whether a new helmet can be arranged; the current catalogue does not list a new-helmet option for this trip.

We cannot guarantee that helmets will be available locally, so it is important to request one when booking.

The cycling route starts in Passau and ends in Budapest. Arrange travel from your own departure city. Rail connections may be available via Munich or Vienna; Vienna and Budapest also have airports. Check current routes, timetables, baggage and bike-carriage conditions directly with transport operators before booking.

A number of our trips offer opportunities for swimming, either along the route or at the end of the day. It would be a shame not to make the most of them. However, we emphasise that you alone must judge whether it is appropriate to swim; you therefore swim under your own responsibility and at your own risk.

Member of Agir pour un Tourisme Responsable (ATR)

Since 2012, Grand Angle has been a member of ATR, the leading association for more responsible tourism. We design our trips – on foot, by bike and on snow – to invite everyone to discover the world differently: with curiosity, respect and kindness.

As members of the board of directors since 2018, we actively help the sector develop more meaningful practices. In practical terms, we focus on:

• Transparency in our practices and pricing
• Respect for our partners and local communities
• Protecting the environment on every one of our trips

We also share the values of the traveller’s ethical charter, which encourages everyone to take simple steps to protect the places they visit and make meaningful connections with the people they meet.

Travelife Partner

Since 2025, Grand Angle has been recognised as a Travelife Partner, an international label that certifies our responsible practices in environmental protection, ethics and sustainable management, both within our company and in our work with partners and the organisation of our trips.

This label, the second level of a demanding international certification scheme, recognises our practical efforts towards responsible tourism. We are actively working towards the next level, Travelife Certified, in accordance with our sustainable development policy

For cycling

• Cycling shorts or tights, depending on the season
• Cycling gloves
• A helmet (not compulsory but strongly recommended)
• Sunglasses (to protect against sunlight, wind and midges)
• A windproof jacket
• T-shirts or cycling jerseys
• A handlebar map holder and/or a handlebar smartphone mount (and a power bank
• A water bottle

Please note: synthetic technical clothing performs very well. New merino wool clothing is also available; it performs very well, is comfortable to wear and has the advantage of resisting perspiration odours (brands include Icebreaker, Ruka, etc.)! As a general rule, avoid cotton, which makes you cold when wet.

For your lunchtime picnic

• A plastic bowl or plate
• Cutlery (spoon, fork, knife)

Protection from sun and rain

• Sunscreen and sunglasses
• A hat, cap or bucket hat (helmet)
• A windproof jacket
• A rain poncho or a “Gore-Tex” jacket

After exercise

• A jumper or fleece
• Comfortable trousers for walking
• A pair of shorts
• A tracksuit or change of clothes
• A lightweight, long-sleeved cotton shirt
• A pair of running-style trainers for the evenings
• Spare clothes and underwear
• Toiletry bag
• A small first aid kit: personal medication, adhesive medical tape, B·O·GAZE dressings or “2nd skin”, gauze, disinfectant, arnica granules and aspirin for minor aches and injuries … (quite a list! But rest assured, your first aid kit often comes home untouched after your week of walking)

• If your bike does not have a pannier, bring a comfortable small 40l backpack with a waist belt to carry your personal belongings and picnic during the day. If you have a luggage rack, you can secure your bag to it with bungee cords. Rental bikes come with a pannier for your belongings. Bring a small backpack as well; it makes it easy to carry your belongings when you stop to visit somewhere along the way.
• A bag for luggage transfers: a backpack or travel bag in good condition

Countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary
Capitals: Berlin, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest

Travel documents

Check the current entry documents that apply to your nationality and country of residence for Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary before departure.

Health

Check current health guidance, insurance and healthcare arrangements for each country before departure.

Dialling code for calling Germany: 0049
Dialling code for calling Austria: 0043
Dialling code for calling Slovakia: 00421
Dialling code for calling Hungary: 0036

For current visitor information and transport contacts, ask our team or consult the official tourism and railway operators for Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary.

The euro in Germany, Austria and Slovakia
The forint in Hungary; check the current exchange rate before departure.

Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary are generally one hour ahead of Ireland.