With great trepidation I shared with you a couple months ago that I signed up to ride a bike across Austria… ALONE. (Thanks to everyone who sent me messages of advice. I listened to you, and I am grateful to have so many cycling enthusiasts out there to support me!)
My first order of business was to jump on a guided bike tour in Portugal, to get used to cycling day after day, because I had never done anything like this before.
I struggle to express how enlightening and exciting that first bike tour turned out to be. I truly enjoyed the cycling itself, not to mention the rest of the tour experiences, and I couldn’t wait to continue testing out my newly discovered cycling legs on the Danube Bike Path in Austria.
Now that my Austria adventure is also over, I can confidently say that I have developed a love for cycling that I never ever thought I would have.
Huge thanks to BikeTours.com for introducing me to the cycle touring world! Now it’s my turn to show YOU what you could experience by saying yes to the bike tour opportunity.
WATCH: My Solo Cycling Adventure on the Danube Bike Path
PROMO CODE ALERT! Use promo code “JACKIE” to get $100 off the Danube Bike Path Upscale Lodging tour (the same one I did!) when you book through BikeTours.com
Listen to a podcast episode about my experiences bike touring in Portugal and Austria. I invite founder of BikeTours.com Jim Johnson to join me as we share stories, answer audience questions, and give our best advice about bike touring.
About the Danube Bike Path
This was a 7-day self-guided bicycle tour from Passau, Germany, to Vienna, Austria. Self-guided meant that I was entirely by myself throughout the tour. I received my rental bike and detailed instructions for the entire route the first night I arrived in Passau, but the rest was up to me.
The Danube Bike Path skirts the Danube river, the second longest river in Europe, which starts in Germany and flows through 10 countries all the way to the Black Sea. The section I did was 7 straight days from Passau to Vienna, but there are alternate tour options which include biking and boating, so you can cover more ground and see more of the Danube.
The path is relatively flat, as it follows the river. In many places, there are no towns or roads around the bike path, just the tranquil river and forested paths on either bank. The route is dotted with villages and the occasional city, so civilization is never too far away.
There are bike paths on both the north and south bank, with bike ferries and bridges every now and then to allow for crossing. I crossed the river several times, both by ferry and by bridge, according to what was suggested in my direction booklet and where my next hotel was for the night.
I rode a hybrid touring bike that came equipped with bike bags (click here for a bike tour packing list), but there are e-bikes available for rent as well. E-bikes are great for allowing all travelers to stick together, even when some riders aren’t as strong as others. The Danube bike path is great for families as well, I saw several along the way!
The Freedom of a Self-Guided Bike Tour
I was by myself every single day. I never even saw the people who picked up my luggage and transported it to my next hotel for me, nor did I see the owners of any others bags that occasionally waited with mine to be transported.
I guess a self-guided bicycle tour isn’t necessarily the place to meet and stick with other travelers. Fortunately for my part, I wasn’t looking for companionship. I was, in fact, very much looking forward to giving this solo cycling thing a shot. I love rising to challenges like this.
My bike tour in Portugal gave me just the confidence I needed to manage the logistics of traveling by bike. Basically, Portugal ended up being a week of practice dressing myself for cycling, packing my bike bags each day, getting comfortable with bike paths and etiquette, learning my pace and capability, and getting a good sense of how long the days are, even with plenty of stops. By the end, I was much more prepared for my Austria solo challenge.
The difference was that this time my days were completely self-paced. I stopped as I pleased for coffee, photos, food, beer, sunshine, chapels, wildlife, frolicking through fields of flowers, and whatever else I wanted. I was completely free to enjoy whatever I came across, with my own wheels to keep me going.
It. Was. Magnificent.
Navigating the Danube Bike Path, Solo
BikeTours.com works with local partners all over Europe, so on my first night in Passau (the start of the trip), I met a representative from the local operator. She set me up with my bike and gave me a packet of maps and detailed instructions, which she showed me how to use.
Bike Path Directions
One booklet in the packet had my route segmented into days, and each day was broken down into important kilometer markers. For example, on Day One I went from Passau, Germany to Schlögen, Austria. The book gave me detailed instructions starting at my hotel of how to get to a bridge I needed to cross to ride along the southern bank of the Danube. At kilometer 18, it suggested stopping in the town of Engelhartzell for lunch and a visit to a Trappist Monastery, which I did, then it included instructions on how to get the bike ferry and cross to continue cycling along the northern bank of the Danube. These details, combined with the GPS unit that counted my kilometers as I rode (which I reset to “0” each morning) made it easy to follow the suggested route.
The Danube Bike Path is well marked with green signs all along the way, at nearly every intersection. It is helpful to learn the word “Donauradweg” in German, which means “Danube bike path,” which shows up on the green signs, pointing you in the direction of the official Danube bike path.
While the directions within cities can sometimes get confusing, the overall route follows a massive river that flows all the way across Austria, you can’t actually get lost.
Hotel Directions
I also had a hotel booklet that was customized for me according to where I was staying each night. This booklet gave instructions for arriving to each hotel from the bike path, and it also included an image of a map, and a photo of each hotel so I knew what I was looking for. They really covered the details to make it as easy as possible for me.
In Case of Emergency
I had a WhatsApp number for the local operator that I could text or call if I needed anything, but the only times I texted them where enthusiastic replies assuring them I was loving my experience when they checked in with me throughout the week.
The packet also provided a list of countless bike repair shops all along the way that I could have contacted if I had any issues with my bike, but I had zero issues whatsoever!
Bike Touring As a Solo Female Traveler
Do it.
The Danube bike path is PER-FECT for solo female travelers. I can’t speak for other routes in other countries, but along this route there are plenty of villages, cities, residents, and other cyclists (especially in summer months).
I rode the Danube bike path in April, during the shoulder season, so there weren’t as many people in the way on the path at that time. I’d highly recommend that you do the same and avoid the crowds.
The days were long, offering plenty of daylight and time for me to keep an enjoyable pace and not worry about nightfall. I never felt unsafe or even the slightest bit concerned with the fact that I was traveling solo. In fact, I felt liberated and free to enjoy the Austrian sunshine as much as I wanted (I had 75-80 degrees and sun every day!).
I have learned that most people who pay attention to solo female travelers are just curious. I met several kind Austrians (and a couple Italians) who struck up conversations with me just because it was a strange thing to see a 30-something female on a bike by herself in the middle of Austria. They were all dumbfounded that I was undertaking such a big trip alone. Those were fun conversations, and I would usually get back on my bike smiling and feeling quite proud of myself.
Fearful is as fearful does. Pack your common sense and leave fear behind. There is no reason to be afraid to sign up for a supported, self-guided bike tour as a solo female traveler.
Bike Tour Packing List – Click here to see what I recommend for anyone to bring along on a bike tour, regardless of gender or weather, although there are a few extra tips for women!
PROMO CODE ALERT! Use promo code “JACKIE” to get $100 off the Danube Bike Path Upscale Lodging tour (the same one I did!) when you book through BikeTours.com
This post is part of a sponsored collaboration with BikeTours.com. As always, all opinions are my own.
