FAQs - Cycling holidays

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FAQs - Things to know about your cycling holiday ...

We have compiled the most important answers to the most frequently asked questions about our cycle tours for you here. If your question remains unanswered, please feel free to contact us. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

Arrival and departure cycle tours


Arrival

Our cycle tours usually begin after your individual journey to the starting point of the cycle tour and are therefore not included. You therefore organise your own journey (except for specially booked or included rail travel packages). You will receive our recommendations and tips with your travel documents. We only organise train tickets; bus or flight tickets cannot be booked with us.

Car park
As convenient as it is to travel by car, a suitable car park is not easy to find in many places - from Lake Constance to Nauders/Etsch and Passau or Dresden. We have made provisions! In Passau, in Nauders on the Etsch cycle path or in Rothenburg on the Altmühl cycle path, we have rented private car parks. On star bike tours, you can park at the hotel you have booked or in the immediate vicinity - often free of charge.

If the car park is not included, you will find parking information including approximate prices directly in the route description (1st day, arrival).

Train tickets
Holidays from the 1st minute: Our DB rail journey package can be booked from anywhere in Germany for the Danube, Elbe and Moselle destinations for just + € 106 per person return. This convenient outward and return journey is already included on some tours! The DB rail journey is valid with train and travel day connection on long-distance trains (IC, ICE, EC/2nd class) to the advertised destination according to the tour including seat reservation and return. Journeys from all over Austria to Germany can be booked for an additional charge if the rail journey package is already included.

ÖBB tickets can be booked from all Austrian railway stations to Passau, Bregenz and Vienna for + € 78,- per person (2nd class/free choice of train/travel day binding). Seat tickets € 4.50 per person and route available on request.

For all other cycle tours, the train tickets must be booked independently.

Check In
The usual check-in at the hotel usually takes place between 14:00 and 16:00. Please find out when you can arrive at the respective hotel before you start your journey. If you arrive after 18:00 on the day of arrival or during the cycle tour, please inform your (first) overnight hotel.

Departure

The return journey by train or bus to the starting point of a long-distance cycle tour is included in some tours. If this is offered as an additional booking option, you will find the details in the respective offers. If you do not require return transport, please let us know at the time of booking so that we can take this into account straight away.

Change/rebooking

In the event of changes to participants, boarding, accommodation, transport, itinerary or offer, a rebooking fee of € 35,-, from 10 days before arrival € 70,- per booking will be charged. Excluded from this are changes to arrival dates, in which case the cancellation conditions apply. If a rail arrival/departure package is included in your journey, a change of ticket is only possible on request. A change of travel participant is possible if the replacement person fulfils all the conditions for participation and the change is made at least 5 working days before the start of the trip.

Booking

 
Online booking

On each tour page you have the option of making your booking online by clicking on "Book tour". The calendar displayed informs you about the available dates for the respective tour. If you book via our homepage, your booking will be transferred directly to our computerised system and we grant an internet discount of € 10 per person.

Booking by telephone

We are happy to take your booking by telephone on 0043 732 2080 or 0800 100 11 47 (free of charge from Germany).

Booking by e-mail or post

Send your booking by e-mail to info@donautouristik.com or by post to Donau Touristik GmbH, Lederergasse 4-12, 4010 Linz.

We need the following data from you for a booking

  • Name of the trip/travel number
  • If applicable, the desired category
  • date of travel
  • Contact details of the person making the booking, including telephone number and e-mail address (if available)
  • First name and surname of fellow travellers
  • Accommodation (double / single / triple / quadruple room)
  • Catering (breakfast / half board / demi-half board)
  • Rental bike or own bike (type of bike + respective body size of the travellers)
  • Information on whether additional nights are required
  • Information whether return transfer by train/bus is desired

 

Furthermore, please indicate any special features and requests for your desired trip when booking. For example: separate beds in the double room, food intolerances, thicker tyres on your own bike and much more. This enables us to clarify your wishes in advance with the hotels or various partners.

Booking confirmation

Once a booking has been made, we will confirm it within approx. 7 days by e-mail or via our customer portal and request a 10% deposit. There are no booking fees. All general information is enclosed with the booking confirmation. If the desired date, category, room, hire bike etc. is not possible, we will contact you to clarify any outstanding questions.

Please understand that due to the high demand, it can sometimes take a little longer in exceptional cases.

0043 732 2080 Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm 0800 100 11 47 Free hotline from Germany

Discounts

Here you will find an overview of all the discounts we can offer you. From group discounts, early booking and internet discounts to discounts for children.
HERE you can find the discounts

E-bike charging stations

You can get power for your e-bike either from the socket at the hotel you have booked or at one of our replacement bike stations (= contract hotels/partner businesses). We recommend that you always charge your e-bikes overnight at the hotel you have booked. Then, as a rule, no intermediate charging is necessary for your next stage.

Feedback

Our aim is to constantly improve the quality of our travel products. Your opinion is therefore very important to us. Please take the time to give us feedback on your holiday.

Click HERE for the questionnaire!

Flexible rescheduling

This year we are offering a very flexible and cost-effective option for rebooking. Up to 17 days before arrival (for MS Primadonna up to 8 weeks before arrival) you can change your booking to another date, even to the following year, for only € 35,- per booking (except Islandhopping Croatia). This is subject to receipt of the deposit. We will be happy to advise you on the details!
If you rebook without a date, you will receive a voucher (no cash redemption) valid until 31 December 2025.

Fitness and quality of cycle paths

The fitness levels and the quality of the cycle paths and local signposting are indicated for each tour.

Fitness levels 1 - 5:

1 = Easy to cycle, suitable for everyone
2 = Easy routes, can be mastered with little effort
3 = For "leisure cyclists" with normal fitness, occasional stages with inclines
4 = Slightly more challenging routes, for cyclists with average fitness
5 = For active cyclists with several hilly stages. Basic fitness required!

Quality of cycle paths and signposting 1 - 5:

The quality of the cycle paths and local signposting is based on personal experience, the condition of the cycle paths and the ADFC standard.

Photo competition

Win a Danube cruise on our 4****Sup. MS Primadonna with your holiday snapshot! This is how it works:

Take part and send us your favourite photos from your last Donau Touristik cycling holiday, for example with your bike in front of a sight, landscape backdrop or on the cycle path. Closing date: 15 November 2024. Please send photos in original size, stating where they were taken and a short testimonial directly to grafik@donautouristik.com.

The prize:
A Danube cruise with 3 x overnight stays with full board in a double cabin main deck (bathroom with shower/WC, safe, minibar, telephone, air conditioning) from Vienna to Budapest for 2 people worth around € 910!

HERE you can find the conditions of participation

Luggage transfer

On our long-distance tours, we transport up to two pieces of luggage (maximum 20 kg each) per person from hotel to hotel. You will receive luggage tags with your travel documents, which must be attached to your luggage in the same way as for air travel. Our luggage drivers will then transport your luggage from hotel to hotel while you spend a relaxing day on your bike.

Here are some important tips for luggage transfer:

  • Each piece of luggage to be transported must be labelled with a luggage tag.
  • The number of items of luggage may not be changed during the journey.
  • Do not store liquids (bottles of wine, etc.), important medication, fragile or technically sensitive items in your luggage.
  • Luggage with technical equipment or valuable contents (over € 700 per person) must be reported to our hotline immediately on departure. Such items of luggage will be labelled with a sticker.
  • For removal, please ask at the hotel reception where the Donau Touristik collection point is located. Please do not leave your luggage in your room.
  • Your luggage will only be transported to the destination of your cycle tour. Even if you have booked an extra night at your destination after the tour, for example.

 

Luggage collection: from 08:30. Latest delivery time: 18:30.

GPS data

We provide you with GPS data in gpx format for all our distance tours and selected star bike tours. You will receive the data automatically by email approximately 21 days before your journey. We recommend that you download the GPS data to your PC/laptop before travelling and upload it back to the www.komoot.de platform. You will receive step-by-step instructions with the GPS data. Once on site, you can then use the data on your smartphone via the Komoot app (sometimes subject to a charge!) or via another GPS-enabled platform/app.

If GPS data is available for the tour you have booked, this is always listed under the included services per tour.

 

Hotels

We rate our hotel partners using our own sun system. Our categorisation with suns ☼ is based on our experience and the stars of the national hotel classification. If named hotels are fully booked for distance tours, we will make a reservation of equal value if possible and refund € 5 per person per night. If only a lower category or the neighbouring town (maximum 10 km) is possible, we offer a discount of € 10 per person per night. You will receive your hotel list approx. 21 days before arrival.

Contact details

You can find our contact details here.

Customer portal

We upload all important documents for a trip (e.g. your booking confirmation/invoice) and information (e.g. GPS data) to the customer portal for you. If new documents are available for you in the customer portal, you will receive an e-mail with a link that takes you directly to the portal. You can log in to the customer portal and view all documents from past trips.
You can also access the customer portal here without a link.

Rental bikes


Rental bikes

A good bike is one of the most important pieces of equipment for a successful cycle tour. We therefore rely on solid quality with all components. The German and Austrian quality companies Schauff, Kalkhoff, KTM, Focus and Velo de Ville manufacture our 7/8-speed back-pedal and 21/24-speed freewheel bikes as well as electric bikes in various frame sizes according to precise specifications. When booking hire bikes, please always state your height so that we can prepare the right bike for you. When booking a hire bike, a bike lock and a saddle bag (water-repellent, 10 litre storage space) are included in the hire price. In selected starting locations of our distance tours, you will also receive 1.5 litres of mineral water free of charge when you pick up your bike.

Here you can find more information about all our hire bikes including photos.

Touring bikes

with high running ability. Women's/men's/unisex frames with 7/8-speed hub gears/coaster gears, 28 or 26 inches, 21/24-speed derailleur gears/freewheel bikes.

Electric bikes

from the companies KTM: 24-speed derailleur gears (partly for Sternradtouren), Kalkhoff and Velo de Ville are equipped with 7/8 gears, hub gears and freewheel, suspension handlebars, 2 brakes with 4 different frame sizes, incl. chargers. The minimum range is 70 km, longer ranges are possible in "Eco mode". Please note that e-bikes are not available for extra nights.

Children's bikes can be booked in the sizes 16, 20, 24 inches (26 already adult size). Please specify age and height. Trailer (Kiddy-Van) can be booked for 1 to 2 children with a maximum weight of 40 kg. Rent € 100,-.

Dogs up to 40 kg can be accommodated in their own trailer. Rent € 100,- plus cleaning fee € 25,-. We have many dog-friendly businesses along the Lake Constance cycle path. Please enquire with our travel specialists.

Children's follow-me* for our youngestriders aged 6 years and over/about 100 cm (with chain guard, mudguard etc.) can be booked in conjunction with a hire bike for € 100.

*Not available in Austria. This applies to tours on the Danube, Drau and all star bike tours in Austria.

Child seat free of charge.

Saddle bag included
with your hire bike; water-repellent and 10 litre storage space. Our plus for distance tours on the Danube, Lake Constance, Altmühl and Moselle is 1.5 litres of mineral water.

Bike hire fee

The hire fee is included in the package price with Donau Touristik, unless otherwise stated in the offer. If the hire bike is not used, we generally grant a discount of - € 90 for star bike tours or - € 95 for distance tours. For e-bikes there is usually a surcharge of + € 100. See the respective tour page for details.

Safety

We expressly request that you always lock our bikes. For insurance reasons, it is also necessary to secure the bike to a fixed object. Otherwise, the customer may be held liable in the event of theft. If your hire bike is stolen, please inform us immediately by telephone. Please note that not every hotel offers the option of storing a bike under cover.

Newsletter registration

Did you like the trip or are you a new customer and don't want to miss any more special offers? Then register now for our Donau Touristik newsletter:

ClickHERE to register!

Flat tyre

Even hire bikes (including e-bikes) can have a defect. We therefore have intact replacement bikes (only 7-speed bikes, 28'' - no e-bikes!) on the entire cycle route (distance tours). You hand in your defective bike there and simply "change saddles". Please note that we therefore cannot accept any workshop invoices, etc. For star bike tours outside a distance tour destination area, it is possible to change to an intact bike in the same hotel subject to availability (small wheel bearing available).

Our bikes are generally equipped with thick-walled tyres and, if necessary, you can "pedal" a kilometre or two to the nearest exchange station. You will find the spare tyre stations in your travel documents.

If you get stuck, please contact us on our service hotline. The service hotline is available seven days a week.
You will find the telephone number of the service hotline in your travel documents!

Types of travel


Distance tours

You cycle from place to place, travelling around 30-70 km a day depending on the tour. You travel individually and not in a group. This allows you to adapt the pace to your fitness and you are travelling without (great) effort. You will get to know many different towns, sights and cities in a short space of time. The luggage service with daily collection and delivery of your luggage to the next hotel makes travelling comfortable.

Star cycle tours

Cycling tours through the respective holiday region from a hotel are both comfortable and varied. You are travelling individually and not in a group. You stay in the same comfortable accommodation for the entire duration of your holiday, so you don't have to pack your bags every day. The daily stages are carefully planned so that you can explore the holiday region on well thought-out cycle routes without having to search for long routes. With this type of holiday, you are independent of the weather or fitness level and can also take a break for a day and use the hotel infrastructure (often with a wellness area) or explore the surrounding area by car.

Cruises

On a cruise on the Danube with the 4****Superior MS Primadonna, you not only spend time on board, the programme also includes shore excursions, including varied city tours, concerts and much more. During your time on the water, you can enjoy the ship's countless amenities.

Cycle cruises

Take a leisurely cycle through unique natural landscapes during the day and spend the night in first-class comfort on board. A bike and boat trip combines cruising with cycling. The cruise ship replaces a hotel. With this type of trip, you are independent of weather or fitness and can also take a day off and spend a day on board. You collect countless impressions of the most beautiful holiday regions by bike and your hotel floats along with you.

Winter holidays

Winter holidays in Europe offer incomparable experiences. Get active through the winter and boost your well-being. A good balance of healthy exercise and relaxation in the top hotels with wellness provides holiday enjoyment.

Distance travelling Star bike tours Cruises Bike cruises Winter holidays

Travel insurance

For cycle tours, we recommend that you take out the BusBahnAuto-KomplettSchutz cover from Europäische Reiseversicherung.

The following benefits (excerpt) are covered by the insurance:

  • Trip cancellation: Cancellation costs in the event of non-commencement of the trip. If the insurance is taken out later than 3 days after booking the trip, only events that occur from the 10th day after taking out the insurance are insured (excluding accidents, death or natural disasters).
  • Trip cancellation: Additional return travel costs. Compensation for booked, unused travel services.
  • Delay cover: Compensation for necessary overnight accommodation and meals incl. subsequent travel costs.
  • Luggage: replacement value cover. Individual up to € 3,500, family up to € 7,000.
  • Cash replacement: up to € 150.
  • Delayed baggage: replacement purchases:
    up to 72 hours: Individual up to € 350,-, family up to € 700,-;
    over 72 hours: Individual up to € 750, family up to € 1,500.
  • Travelling accident: Search and rescue up to € 80,000.
  • Medical benefits abroad: Inpatient treatment: up to € 1,000,000. Outpatient treatment, transport home (including ambulance jet), transfer transport, hospital visits and much more.
  • Travel personal liability: up to € 500,000

BusBahn Auto-KomplettSchutz is valid for bus, train and car journeys (including ferries and motorbike trips) in Europe up to a maximum of 31 days - not for air or sea travel. You can obtain complete information directly from our travel advisors.

For boat journeys, we recommend that you take out comprehensive cover from Europäische Reiseversicherung. The benefits covered are the same as for BusTrainCar-CompleteCover.

CompleteCover is valid for a flight or boat trip in Europe or worldwide up to a maximum of 31 days. You can obtain complete information directly from our travel advisors.

The EUROPÄISCHE Travel Insurance Conditions ERV-RVB 2023 apply.

Travel documents

The travel documents contain a list of the hotels and vouchers booked and, if applicable, original tickets for the redemption of various included services. You no longer need a hotel voucher for hotel accommodation. Simply mention your name on arrival at the hotel. You will also receive an information pack per room with your travel documents for each trip you book. This contains detailed cycle maps or books with useful information. GPS data is available for all distance tours and for many star bike tours so that you can easily find your way with your mobile phone. These will be sent to you automatically by email approximately 21 days before arrival (if available).

Return transfer and night jump

For long-distance tours, we offer a return transfer back to the starting point of the tour in all destinations. Depending on the destination, this takes place by bus or train. A transfer for your own bikes to the start of the tour is also possible on certain days of the week. Please also note that you can take advantage of a return transfer at the start of the tour. This allows you to travel home directly at the end of the trip.

By coach

For the return transfer by bus, you will be picked up in the morning from your last overnight hotel or a meeting point. Please arrive at the meeting point approximately 10 minutes BEFORE departure and hand in your voucher to the bus driver. Depending on the traffic situation, the bus may be delayed. You will find the details (departure time, meeting point and other information) in your travel documents.

By train

For return transfers by train, a ticket number with a description of the process or the return ticket itself is enclosed with your documents. The journey from the last overnight hotel to the railway station and from the railway station to the car is not included. You will also find the details in your travel documents.

Return transfer of your own bikes

With the bus return transfer, we transport your own bikes back to the starting point of the tour at a reasonable price using a bike trailer. With the return rail transfer, the transfer takes place overnight by dropping off your bikes at the hotel by around 5 pm on the day before your return journey. Your bike will be waiting for you the following day from around 11 am at your destination. The ticket for the bike transport is the bike return transfer loop, which you will receive with your travel documents and which must be attached to your bike BEFORE the transfer. The return transfer of customer-owned e-bikes/tandems/kiddy vans/fat bikes/bikes with tyres wider than 5 cm etc. is only possible on request.

If you have not booked a return transfer for your own bikes, you must transport your own bike back by train on your own.

Service hotline

If you have any questions en route or are stuck, please contact our service hotline. It is available every day. So you won't be on your own if the worst comes to the worst. You will find the telephone number of the service hotline in your travel documents!

Cancellation protection / assumption of liability

Donau Touristik offers liability coverage/cancellation protection. This includes the following services: Assumption of cancellation fees before the start of the trip as compensation for Donau Touristik cancellation costs if the trip is not taken up to the booked travel price without deductible. Cancellations can be made up to 30 days before departure at the latest and are only possible per room. An application can only be made less than 30 days before arrival together with your booking.

Cancellation cover for distance tours

Reimbursement of cancellation costs in the event of non-commencement of a long-distance tour:

  • € 39 per person: with reasons* OR
  • € 55,- per person: without giving reasons (= also valid as trip interruption liability)

 

Cancellation protection star bike tours

Reimbursement of cancellation costs in the event of non-commencement of a star bike tour or the above-mentioned bike cruises with reasons given*:

  • € 75,- per person up to a tour price of € 1.500,- (= also applies as trip interruption liability)
  • € 85,- per person for a travel price of € 1.501,- to € 1.999,- (= also applies as travel cancellation liability)
  • € 105,- per person from a travel price of € 2.000,- (= also applies as travel cancellation liability)

* Reasons: due to illness with presentation of a medical certificate, in the event of death of relatives in the direct line and second degree; benefit up to a maximum of the booked travel price.

Cancellation cover cannot be booked for trips with the MS-Primadonna, Islandhopping Croatia and partner tours.
We recommend that you take out travel insurance for these types of trip. Information on this can be found under "Travel insurance".

 

Day trip with the MS Primadonna

Our MS Primadonna is a river cruise ship, which is why the minimum stay on the ship is 1 night. We do not offer day trips or harbour tours.

Transport and service flat rate

 
Donau Touristik distance tours with transport flat rate

The services included in our self-organised tours are precisely defined, including the "transport flat rate". This includes our transport service for your luggage from hotel to hotel to the destination of the cycle tour (e.g. Vienna near Passau - Vienna) with luggage collection from approx. 9 am and delivery by approx. 6 pm by our tour guide on site, including liability of € 700 per person for goods taken over. Furthermore, travelling in our transport or VW bus (e.g. in rainy weather) is only possible if this has been notified in writing at the time of booking and our driver can plan this into the daily route.

 

Donau Touristik star bike tours with service package

This "service package" includes an information pack with tour map, a detailed description of the pre-tested/tested day tours including the provision of cycle maps and also the journey in our transport bus including liability up to € 700 per person, if this has been notified in writing at the time of booking and our driver is on site.

Please note that the above service is NOT available for partner tours.

Payment options

A deposit of 10% of the total tour price must be paid once the booking has been finalised. The balance must be paid at the earliest 20 days before the start of the holiday without further request.

Payment by bank transfer

In the euro zone, please use the account stated on your invoice, in the name of Donau Touristik GesmbH. For payments from outside the euro zone, please note that payment must be made in euros (€) and any charges will be charged to the customer. Payments from Switzerland CHF (SFR) are excluded: These can be made in euros (€) to the Swiss bank account specified on your invoice.

Payment by credit card

You are welcome to pay for your booked trip by credit card. Please contact us by telephone!

Payment at the customer centre in Linz/Danube

Customers from the surrounding area can pay in cash or by EC or credit card directly at our customer service centre in Linz an der Donau.

Additional nights

You are welcome to book one or more additional nights at the beginning, end or during your trip. Please let us know at the time of booking whether you would like to use your hire bike on the additional days. It is possible that the longer stay may incur additional costs for the use of the bike, as the bike transports are usually unscheduled bike transports to the start or end hotel.