My husband has finally persuaded me to 1) get on a bike for more than 5 miles 2) go on a cycling holiday - which he promises me I WILL LOVE!?
We are cycling from Bratislava to Budapest and possibly boat/train back to Vienna if enough time and then cycle back to Bratislava for flight home. I think what I am looking for is reassurance, I have 10 weeks to go and am only completing 17 mile ride at weekends but working towards 30 hopefully, comfort permitting, before late May.
I am sure lots of you have done this route (quite easily) but would like info on:
a) accommodation is it easy to find b&b, cheap hotels in Slovakia or Hungary,
b) should we take a tent just in case accommodation is scarce,
c) getting from Bratislava airport to Danube (avoiding all major roads aghh)
d) what will the weather be like in late May,
e) is the route well signposted in Slovakia and Hungary
f) any tips, dos or donts in order to ensure that we both enjoy this holiday want to do another cycling holiday.
Signposting to sites or riders blogs would be great. thanks
bratislava to budapest
Re: bratislava to budapest
I did this a few years back. Can't help with your airport qn, I'm afraid (since I started a little bit up-river in Vienna), nor with the weather (since I went in late July) but for the rest:
a) I stayed in cheap hotels/b&bs, which seemed to be in plentiful supply. I pre-booked (since I was travelling in the middle of the summer holidays), but I think in May you could safely expect just to turn up. The Esterbauer ('Bikeline') guides have comprehensive lists of accommodation along the route -- one of (many) reasons to get one.
b) see a! No need for a tent, I'd say, unless you actively want to camp.
e) signposting in Hungary/Slovakia isn't quite as good as in Germany/Austria, but still ok. I had to stop and think when leaving Bratislava (though a friendly local cyclist stopped to help me out), near the Slovak/Hungarian border crossing (though I suspect this will be less complicated post EU-enlargement), and on the outskirts of Budapest. But it was never impossible to work out where to go, even when a specific signpost was missing (the Bikeline guidebook is very helpful here too).
f) It's a good ride! The scenery's not as spectacular as some of the stuff in Germany/Austria, but the payoff is that it's much less crowded -- a more mellow cycling experience. It's a bit less pancake-flat too -- which admittedly means the odd bit of sorrow heading uphill, but also means you get more chance to relax on the downhills. Gyor sticks in my memory as one of the nicest towns en route; that, and riding into Budapest -- the route takes you over two of the Danube bridges, so you get some great views of the city as you approach, then drops you off at Margaret Island (perfect for celebratory icecream -- or something stronger...).
a) I stayed in cheap hotels/b&bs, which seemed to be in plentiful supply. I pre-booked (since I was travelling in the middle of the summer holidays), but I think in May you could safely expect just to turn up. The Esterbauer ('Bikeline') guides have comprehensive lists of accommodation along the route -- one of (many) reasons to get one.
b) see a! No need for a tent, I'd say, unless you actively want to camp.
e) signposting in Hungary/Slovakia isn't quite as good as in Germany/Austria, but still ok. I had to stop and think when leaving Bratislava (though a friendly local cyclist stopped to help me out), near the Slovak/Hungarian border crossing (though I suspect this will be less complicated post EU-enlargement), and on the outskirts of Budapest. But it was never impossible to work out where to go, even when a specific signpost was missing (the Bikeline guidebook is very helpful here too).
f) It's a good ride! The scenery's not as spectacular as some of the stuff in Germany/Austria, but the payoff is that it's much less crowded -- a more mellow cycling experience. It's a bit less pancake-flat too -- which admittedly means the odd bit of sorrow heading uphill, but also means you get more chance to relax on the downhills. Gyor sticks in my memory as one of the nicest towns en route; that, and riding into Budapest -- the route takes you over two of the Danube bridges, so you get some great views of the city as you approach, then drops you off at Margaret Island (perfect for celebratory icecream -- or something stronger...).
Re: bratislava to budapest
On Jube 30th I fly to Munich, and ride the Isar cycleway to the Danube, then through Austria to Bratislava and on to Budapest. Accomodatiion is fine, but a tent leaves you free to play. Dig out the Bikeline guides. There is a choice for quite a long way between riding in Slovakia or in Hungary; the route follows the border
You will enjoy this. Beautiful cities, easy cycling.
You will enjoy this. Beautiful cities, easy cycling.