Self-Launched Passau to Vienna Cycling: The Danube Cycle Path

Arrive in Passau by train — direct services run from Munich (about 1.5 hrs, ~£20–25 by rail). Check into your guesthouse near the old town and spend the evening exploring the confluence of three rivers (Danube, Inn and Ilz) and the beautifully preserved Baroque city centre. Grab dinner at one of the riverside restaurants — try local Bavarian dishes for around £12–15. Pick up your hire bike tomorrow morning.

🚌Train from Munich Hbf to Passau Hbf (~£20–25, book via DB Bahn or Raileurope)

🛏Pension Rössner or similar guesthouse in Passau old town (~£35–45/night)

• →Walk the old town and three-rivers confluence viewpoint
• →Visit St. Stephen's Cathedral (free entry)
• →Dinner in Passau's old town (~£12–15)

Collect your hire bike from a local rental shop in Passau (e.g. Fahrradverleih Passau, ~£15–20/day, or consider a multi-day rental package for ~£80–100 for the week). Follow the well-signed Donauradweg east to Obernzell — pop into the Keramikmuseum housed in a riverside castle. Cross into Austria where the valley narrows and oak woods cloak the hillsides. Today's shorter stage (23 km) leaves plenty of time for a leisurely lunch of grilled trout at a riverside Gasthof. Check in at a guesthouse near the famous Schlögen oxbow bend.

🚌Cycle 23 km on dedicated Donauradweg path — no motorised transport needed

🛏Gasthof/Pension near Schlögen (~£40–55/night, e.g. Pension Schlossberg or similar)

• →Cycle the Donauradweg from Passau to Obernzell
• →Visit Keramikmuseum Obernzell in the riverside castle (free or ~£3)
• →Viewpoint at the Schlögen oxbow (Schlögener Schlinge)
• →Lunch of grilled trout at a riverside Gasthof (~£10–14)

A longer day through the Donauschlinge Nature Reserve — keep an eye out for kingfishers darting over the water. Stop at Aschach's frescoed waterfront for a coffee break. Near Ottensheim you can cool off with a swim at the beach before catching the short local train or ferry into Linz central. Linz's Hauptplatz (main square) is one of Austria's finest Baroque squares — your guesthouse or hostel is ideally placed right here. Spend the evening exploring the city's thriving arts scene.

🚌Cycle 46 km to Ottensheim, then local train or ferry into central Linz (~£3–5)

🛏A&O Hostel Linz or Hotel Wolfinger equivalent / budget guesthouse on the Hauptplatz (~£30–50/night)

• →Cycle through Donauschlinge Nature Reserve — spot kingfishers
• →Coffee stop at Aschach an der Donau waterfront
• →Swim at Ottensheim beach
• →Explore Linz Hauptplatz and the Baroque old town
• →Visit Ars Electronica Center or Lentos Art Museum (~£10–12 entry)

The longest day on the route but the terrain is gentle. Leave Linz and divert briefly to Enns — Austria's oldest city, with a striking Roman tower. Rejoin the Danube and pedal through fertile farmland and small market towns to the charming village of Ardagger and nearby Grein. Grein's Baroque Stadttheater (one of Austria's oldest) is worth a peek. Settle into a traditional Landgasthof for a hearty dinner of Wiener Schnitzel and a local beer.

🚌Cycle 56–61 km on Donauradweg — flat to gently rolling terrain

🛏Landgasthof or Pension in Ardagger or Grein (~£40–55/night)

• →Detour to Enns — visit the Roman tower (Römerturm) and old town (free)
• →Cycle riverside through Mauthausen and Perg district
• →Visit Grein's Stadttheater — one of Austria's oldest theatres (~£5 entry)
• →Dinner at your Landgasthof (~£12–16)

A fabulous day of cycling through the pre-Wachau Danube Valley. Stop in the Baroque town of Grein if you didn't yesterday, then pedal to Ybbs an der Donau for lunch — the town has a quirky collection of penny-farthing bicycles on display. The twin towers of the Maria Taferl pilgrimage church appear on the hillside as you approach Melk. Melk's enormous Benedictine monastery dominates the skyline above the town. Check into a central guesthouse and explore Melk's compact but beautiful centre.

🚌Cycle 55 km on Donauradweg

🛏Gasthof or Pension in Melk centre (~£40–55/night, e.g. Gasthof Goldener Stern or similar)

• →Explore Grein's Baroque architecture
• →Lunch in Ybbs an der Donau — see the penny-farthing collection
• →Viewpoint of Maria Taferl church from the cycle path
• →Arrive in Melk and walk the town (~free)

A well-earned rest day to explore Melk properly. The highlight is the stunning Benedictine Stift Melk — rebuilt in 1683, its gilded interior, library and rooftop terrace with Danube views are genuinely jaw-dropping (book tickets online in advance). For an afternoon excursion, cycle the 8 km return to Schloss Schallaburg, one of the finest Renaissance castles north of the Alps, with magnificent rose gardens and rotating cultural exhibitions. Return to Melk for dinner at a local restaurant.

🚌Bike to Schloss Schallaburg and back (8 km, no cost beyond bike hire)

🛏Same Gasthof/Pension in Melk (2nd night, ~£40–55)

• →Stift Melk (Melk Abbey) — guided or self-guided visit (~£14–16, book online at stiftmelk.at)
• →Cycle to Schloss Schallaburg and back (8 km round trip, ~£12–15 entry)
• →Stroll Melk's riverside gardens and old town
• →Dinner at a local Gasthof (~£14–18)

Today is arguably the most beautiful day of the entire route. The UNESCO-listed Wachau Valley is a necklace of wine villages, apricot orchards and castle-crowned crags along the Danube. Cycle the north bank for the best views. Stop in Dürnstein, where Richard the Lionheart was famously held for ransom — the ruined hilltop castle is a short hike up and worth every step. Just before Aggsbach, look out for the tiny Venus of Willendorf statuette replica display (the 23,000-year-old original is in Vienna's Natural History Museum). Arrive in Krems, the Wachau's main town, and check into your hotel. Book a table for dinner — Krems has excellent wine bars serving local Grüner Veltliner.

🚌Cycle 39 km on Donauradweg north bank

🛏Hotel or guesthouse in Krems (~£50–70/night, e.g. Arte Hotel Krems or Gästehaus Weinlaube)

• →Cycle the north bank of the Wachau (Donauradweg, signed)
• →Hike up to Dürnstein castle ruins (~free, 20 min climb)
• →Wine tasting in Dürnstein or Weissenkirchen (~£8–12)
• →Venus of Willendorf replica display near Willendorf (free)
• →Explore Krems old town and wine bars

Krems has one of Austria's most beautiful historic centres and deserves a full day. Visit the Weinstadt Museum in a restored Dominican monastery to learn about the region's winemaking history (~£6). The nearby Kunstmeile (Art Mile) has several galleries worth exploring. For a cycling excursion, the 14 km ride to Schloss Grafenegg — a gargoyle-encrusted Gothic Revival castle set in 85 acres of English parkland — is spectacular, especially in summer when open-air concerts are held in the grounds. Pack a picnic and spend the afternoon in the grounds before returning to Krems.

🚌Bike to Grafenegg and back (28 km, no extra transport cost)

🛏Same hotel/guesthouse in Krems (2nd night, ~£50–70)

• →Weinstadt Museum Krems (~£6)
• →Kunstmeile Krems — Karikaturmuseum and Kunsthalle (~£8–10)
• →Cycle to Schloss Grafenegg and back (28 km round trip, ~£10–12 park entry)
• →Picnic in Grafenegg parkland
• →Dinner in Krems with local Wachau wines (~£18–22)

A relaxed day's cycling downstream through flatter terrain as the Danube broadens and the landscape opens out. Arrive in Tulln — the 'Town of Roses' — which also claims to be the birthplace of the artist Egon Schiele. Visit the Egon Schiele Museum (excellent, ~£8) and the small Roman museum packed with artefacts from the ancient fort of Comagena. Tulln's floral promenades and pretty fountained centre make for a lovely evening stroll before dinner.

🚌Cycle 41 km on Donauradweg

🛏Hotel or Pension in Tulln (~£45–60/night, e.g. Pension Zur Rosenburg or similar)

• →Cycle 41 km from Krems to Tulln on Donauradweg
• →Egon Schiele Museum, Tulln (~£8)
• →Roman Museum Tulln — artefacts from ancient Comagena (~£5)
• →Stroll Tulln's rose gardens and riverside promenade
• →Dinner in Tulln's old centre (~£14–18)

The final stage! Shorter option (22 km) joins the Donauradweg into Klosterneuburg — stop for a leisurely lunch and visit the stunning Augustinian monastery (Klosterneuburg Stift, ~£10). From Klosterneuburg, cycle along the Danube Island (Donauinsel) — a 21 km traffic-free island park — straight into the heart of Vienna. Longer option extends to 41 km and stays on the north bank longer. Return your hire bike at a Vienna rental shop (check with your rental provider — many offer one-way rentals Passau–Vienna). Check into your central Vienna hostel and spend the evening exploring the floodlit Innere Stadt.

🚌Cycle 22–41 km into Vienna via Donauinsel

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Vienna's 1st or 7th district (~£35–60/night, e.g. Wombat's City Hostel, Meininger Hotel Wien, or similar)

• →Cycle to Klosterneuburg — visit Stift Klosterneuburg (~£10)
• →Lunch in Klosterneuburg (~£12–15)
• →Cycle Donauinsel into central Vienna
• →Return hire bike (arrange one-way drop-off in advance)
• →Evening stroll: Stephansdom, Graben, Naschmarkt area

Your self-launched Danube adventure ends today after breakfast. Vienna's Westbahnhof and Hauptbahnhof connect to the rest of Europe by rail. If you have time before your departure, squeeze in Vienna's Natural History Museum to see the original Venus of Willendorf (the tiny figurine you cycled past on Day 7), or the Kunsthistorisches Museum — both world-class and well worth the ~£15 entry. The City Airport Train (CAT) runs from Wien Mitte to the airport in 16 minutes (~£11).

🚌CAT train or U-Bahn to Vienna Airport

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Breakfast in Vienna
• →Optional: Natural History Museum — see the original Venus of Willendorf (~£15)
• →Optional: Kunsthistorisches Museum (~£15)
• →City Airport Train (CAT) to Vienna Airport (~£11) or U-Bahn (~£2.40)