Everyone who goes on a Headwater holiday will be emailed a link to our post-holiday questionnaire where they can give us an honest assessment of all aspects of their holiday - everything from how quickly we answer the phone to how clean the hotels were - plus an overall rating and comments about their holiday.
Any feedback collected is posted to our website, so that people can make an informed decision based on past experiences before heading off on holiday. We don’t edit the reviews, the only thing we do is proofread them and alter any typos, where necessary, to ensure they are easy to read for everyone. All reviews will be published (except in certain extreme circumstances), and a member of the Headwater team will respond to any constructive criticisms/comments under the reviews, at their discretion. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of our holidays, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.
Well organised. Lots of good communication before tour.
Great app. Mostly accurate directions
This is our second trip with Headwater and both were of the same high standard. Everything was first class with lovely hotels where we well looked after. Baggage transfer and bikes were great. The navigation app was superb and stopped you getting lost apart from when you wanted to!
Overall it was well-organized and well-resourced trip.
We really enjoyed the Lake Constance cycle route experience. It was easy cycling on a well marked surface with very little exposure to roads with cars and trucks. The instructions worked very well. We opted for e-bikes and found that the vast majority of locals and other tourists were on e-bikes as well. The hotels were pleasant and provided very good buffet breakfasts. There are ferries between almost all the towns around the lake and one could opt to use these instead of the trains if you wanted to cycle less.
The booking process and communication before departure was easy and efficient.
Our holiday itself was well organised and relaxing and went without a hitch.
Holidays are well planned
We were pleased with our holiday, despite the atrocious weather at the beginning!
Very well organised trip, extremely helpful staff, locally and via your office. Great support when all trains leaving Bregenz for Zurich airport were cancelled!
Helpful customer support took all the hassle out of organising and booking the travel arrangements. A great experience with some wonderful memories. Carl Bennett September 2024
Headwater holidays were very helpful and always responded quickly. I would particularly like to thank Helen Hodson who was excellent
It was a thoroughly enjoyable and excellent holiday. The cycling distances were good, the bikes were great, the weather was very good (not that you can claim credit for that) , hotels were well positioned and of a good standard, the scenery was super and the cycling infrastructure (cycle paths etc.) quite incredible for a Brit. The courtesy which 99% of drivers showed to cyclist and pedestrians had to be experienced to be believed. The App took away any worry about the route.
The Bodensee area is perfect for this type of holiday.
The only thing that could have been improved would have been if I hadn't had to cart my travelling kettle with me. All except two hotels had them in the end (Arbon and Stein am Rhein did not) but it in no way spoiled any aspect of the holiday. A real plus were the panniers - great capacity and quality.
The two holidays at Headwater have been superb and takes all the hassle out of the trip and allows complete relaxation.
This is the second time we have used headwater . The places we stayed were variable and a good mix . The luggage was always there when we arrived and always got into our room early . That was wonderful especially as it was so hot . I have no complaints .
This was a very enjoyable holiday, love the self guided cycles as they allow you to set your own agenda for the day. The cycling was easy and the distances good for the heat of July/August. Good hotels along the way. Great to visit three countries on one holiday.
I think the trip worked out very well. Of course going with friends makes the trip wonderful. There are many positives doing self guided trips particularly traveling on your schedule. I think it would be wonderful to be able to customize it through your company for tweets to itinerary and pay for higher end hotels.
We had a great holiday, all planned and sorted fot us. Very good customer service and support. Will definitely go again with Headwater.
This was a truly wonderful holiday. The cycling was thoroughly enjoyable. Anyone who has cycled in the UK will be bowled over by the facilities and care provided to cyclists around the lake. The cycle paths were, most of the time, completely traffic free, smooth, and well signposted. When we were on road, the cars treated us with care and respect. For much of the time we followed the shore of the lake so the gentle lapping was never very far away. There were one or two inclines but nothing very arduous or long. In other words, an excellent tour for anyone who might have some trepidation about a cycling holiday. There was only one long day, about 60km, but every day there was plenty of time to amble at your own pace, stop for a radler or a coffee, stop for a picnic lunch on the side of the lake and even to visit a schloss or simply walk round a pretty village. An absolute delight.
Our experience with Headwater was excellent and any queries or changes we had was handled promptly and efficiently. Communication was brilliant and dealt with all queries we had. We would highly recommend them.
Overall our experience was top notch! We had no negative experiences at all and the app, routes and hotels were excellent. We would definately recommend Headwater, Exodus to anyone wanting a bike tour experience! Thank you for a great trip and to Kate Hatton who organized our travels!
Excellent- very friendly & helpful
Very well organised. All went very smoothly.
Great - very well organised and we really appreciated the rail travel to the destination being planned for us (please try to offer rail travel on trips that include sleeper trains so we can book our next holiday to Slovenia with you!). The route instructions and app were great too, although the destination was so well signposted it was quite easy to follow our noses for a lot of the route. Overall it was a lovely holiday, the perfect balance of activity, exploring and rest time. And although it was well planned, the itinerary was flexible enough that we could have our own serendipitous adventures :)
We thoroughly enjoyed the trip, all hotels were of a good standard & will definitely look through your brochures for our next adventure.
It took us 4 years to be able to go on this holiday having seen a leaflet about cycling the Danube before covid . Headwater made every aspect of arranging the holiday easy and it far exceeded our expectations , from the variety of hotels , ease of luggage transfer , excellent route app , and pleasure of seeing the country on a bike ( easily achievable on e bikes )fantastic Austrian hospitality. We enjoyed it so much that we were sad to finish our last day of cycling , if time would had allowed we would have carried on to Budapest … next time !
A very good holiday and good service from Headwater. I have written separately with specific issues about the bikes and app.
I was really impressed with the hotels in the small towns we stayed at. As well, our luggage was always there at the hotels when we got there. We appreciated getting the route in a GPX file so we could use our Garmins insetad of your app since that is what we are used to using and didn't have to change our phone settings. Just an awesome trip!!!
Very professional
Overall a lovely experience but with decent bikes it would have been wonderful.
Fun holiday and nice places. Bit flat and occasionally a bit boring countryside but we enjoyed it.
Excellent
The Danube cycle was great. The route well thought through and the cycle paths in excellent condition throughout Austria Slovakia ( except the last stretch into Bratislavia through an industrial area which was not fun!) and Hungary. The people everywhere were so helpful. Need to review the route guidance re road side stops as the route into Bratislava had no cafes or other stops at all! Also exiting the train from Budapest to the local station at ?? was really difficult as we really struggled to carry those heavy bikes up the stairs to the bridge over the railway then down again. Would recommend this trip to others. Great easy cycling, lovely towns , terrific scenery and a good vibe. Bratislava well worth the extra night stopover in a lovely hotel. Realistically we did not need e bikes but it did mean we arrived in the destinations early afternoon and thus had time to wander around and see the local sites.
Everything was fantastic. We cannot fault the trip in any way. The hotels were lovely, all so different and in great locations. The people were friendly and helpful, the scenery was beautiful, the suitcases were waiting for us at every hotel. The directions were spot on. Everything worked as it should. Even the weather was good to us - apart from some strong headwinds on a couple of days. Thank you for the most amazing holiday!!
We were very satisfied with everything.
Lake Constance Trip, a beautiful trip to enjoy three countries. The sights were spectacular, the people warm and helpful. We loved the Headwaters support and people. But most of all we were delighted to travel independently at our own pace. The design was also terrific; two nights at each location one day for biking and one for sightseeing and relaxing.
It was a great experience. Well organised. Logistics very impressive. Absolutely beautiful scenery.
Excellent
Our third holiday with Headwater and each tine the service has been excellent. We will certainly be booking again next year
Headwater provided an excellent holiday experience and I have no hesitation in recommending them
This is my second trip with headwater. That speaks for you
This trip was a follow-up for us, having cycled Passau to Vienna last year. There is definitely a reason why the P-V section of the Danube cycle path is the most popular. This section Vienna - Budapest was not as consistent in terms of scenery or quality of cycle path, both in path surface and direction finding, however overall we still really enjoyed it. It was very varied, although some days were so straight and flat as to be quite monotous in parts. We were completely away from the river for two whole days so it was more a "cycle roughly along the route of the Danube" rather than a Danube cycle path. Still that meant that it was a real joy when we did get back to the river, although it became quite busy in parts along the more scenic sections. Having been used to the incredible quality of the cycle paths through Austria last year, some of the bumpy tracks came as a bit of a surprise with one quite long very loose gravel section feeling quite uncomfortable, slippery and difficult to ride. We felt this should have been noted in the map pack as we found it a challenge even as experienced cyclists (day 5 Komarom-Esztergom). Overall however, looking back it was an incredible adventure across three countries, experiencing local communities and culture through a range of industrial, urban, rural and agricultural landscapes. Gyor was a particular highlight and of course finishing in Budapest was a stunning end to our trip. However I would recommend the P-V section first.
An excellent holiday. Superbly organised, all aspects slotted into place beautifully. Long term parking was pricey, but safe and secure. Breakfasts substantial and high quality.
The cycling was extremely pleasant and very easy without resorting to the E bike option. The 10 day option gave a good opportunity to explore the area beyond the cycle paths.
It was a great holiday - great location and all worked very well.
Very well organised holiday.
A very well-organised and extremely enjoyable cycling holiday. All the hotels were superb, both in location and facilities. We had a very warm welcome everywhere. We would recommend adding an additional night in both Bratislava and Budapest to allow time to explore these wonderful, historic and interesting cities.
The whole experience was excellent, Andrew Palmer from Headwater was very helpful and answered all my questions. There wasn't a rep to talk of bike the bike hire company was very good and didn't have any disasters so never had to call the helpline.
Already planning my next trip.
We didn't understand what held board and two pax meant so we therefore didn't realise when we were given a dinner on the evening. Some of the hotels didn't offer us dinner until we asked and they checked. We also didn't like our meal and the service in the castle hotel.
Everything went smoothly, and the holiday totally lived up to our expectations. It was clearly quite an expensive holiday, but such was the quality of your company's support, the quality of the bikes and the tremendous hotels (we were clearly in superior rooms, and on occasion a junior suite) we couldn't fault the holiday. (We were lucky with the weather, and the cycling suited us perfectly, and it is a beautiful, and facinating part of the world.) Top notch.
I am going to contact Megan direst with my views.
The towns and cities passed through are all attractive and, for our trip, the weather was hot and dry throughout. The Danube is for a large part out of sight, with the route instead passing through farmed and by wooded areas.
There are a couple of things for which potential cyclists should be prepared. A section of the trip, from Gyor to Komarom,is taken by train. The railway station at Gyor has a number of platforms; apart from Platform 1, they are accessed via a subway. Getting your bike down the steps takes some effort - there are channels that take the wheels of your bike over the steps. Getting up steps onto the allocated platform is a more difficult matter; there is no lift so it is a case of carrying the bike up the steps.
The second aspect that cyclists should allow for is the few kilometres prior to reaching Obid. This section is on gravel paths and can be slow going and tiring.
Headwater staff, particularly Katie Smith ,were always friendly and helpful. Katie went out of her way to resolve our initial holiday queries
Excellent experience overall
Very good. Administration excellent. Notes very good. The App could do with being more informative. The fifth day’s cycling was tough because of surface quality and no decent cafe or restaurant en route.
Another great Headwater holiday. Cycling Lake Constance (on electric bikes) was very easy for these oldies with either dedicated cycle lanes or very quiet back roads . We haven’t cycled since last year’s holiday and managed the trip easily. The days off between cycling days were great to take advantage of the many swimming areas around the lake and to have more time to explore each area. We preferred the B&B this year (previous years have been half-board) as there were copious amounts of eateries to choose from in each location. Thank you!
The holiday was really well organised. Luggage transfer was smooth and our bags were always waiting for us when we arrived at each hotel. The Headwater navigation app provided clear instructions and was very easy to use. On the odd occasion when we made a wrong turn, the app instantly told us we were off course so we could get back on track quickly.
There was more riding on roads than we expected. The bicycles provided were excellent and well maintained. Staff at the bike shed in Bregenz were thorough and very friendly. Navigation app was a gem. Loved the organization of the tour with a day of riding and the next of touring. There is so much to see in the area and we wouldn’t have enjoyed ourselves riding every day. Travelers may wish to carry a small repair kit and perhaps first aid kit on the cycle. One of our group had a tumble and loosened his seat. We had to go quite a ways to find a bike repair stop.
Overall we had a great holiday, Lauren was very helpful during the whole booking experience, would recommend Headwater to anyone wanted a cycling holiday with no hassle.
The cycle route was not very scenic, so although it was lovely in parts, and we did enjoy the trip, we expected to be by the Danube more. I'm not sure I would call it a Danube cycle route. We did enjoy the trip, but we do feel some things could be improved. The customer service from Headwater was excellent, the issues were more related to us being on the actual holiday.
Absolutely 100% excellent organisation and customer service from Headwater, specifically Megan who responded to my many queries (emails, phone calls) efficiently and effectively. The cycle route from Passau to Vienna was amazing - breathtakingly beautiful in places, with interesting villages, vineyards and countryside.
An interesting trip. The cycling was not difficult. The mix of transport (included train and boat) added to the experience.
This trip was pleasant with excellent and safe cycle paths for the vast majority of the trip. However it was a little repetitive with long stretches of cycle paths through uninteresting terrain. The Danube is largely out of sight for most of the trip which is a huge pity and the few occasions we did rest on the banks was achieved more by chance than design. The itinerary left little time for discovering and exploring once we reached our destination points as we often arrived late in the day and with only 1 night in each hotel.
Our holiday with Headwater ran smoothly from initial booking right through to the end of the holiday. Very little hassle, no unnecessary stress and an enjoyable experience
We all had an enjoyable holiday and were very lucky with the good weather.
Very well organised, E-bike excellent standard, navigation app user friendly.
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and very impressed with Headwaters hard work and efficiency.
A very efficient service and a well-thought-out itinerary. We loved the holiday. As mentioned earlier in the feedback, there were one or two things that it would have been good to know in advance that weren't mentioned in the information pack, but in the overall context these were minor.
We were travelling as a group of 4 on e-bikes.Although some of our team would have been happy with road bikes we were delighted with the extra power due to the heat and the headwind. On one occasion our accomodation was on a hill at the end of the day so the e-bikes were a delight.
We all thoroughly enjoyed our holiday, found the path in great condition. there was a great variance of landscape as we moved down the Danube. The cafe's that we stopped in were of good quality. There was always the option of visiting castles Abbeys on the path without too much time taken out of our day. We always managed to reach our hotel by 5ish.
If it wasnt for the experience of the last hotel with the air con not working we would have rated the overall experience as excellent
Headwater took the worry out of booking a holiday everything was well planned and all went smoothly.
Great holiday - great journey and great destinations.
Excellent holiday with excellent equipment. Got a great sense of achievement. Enjoyed seeing all the towns and countryside - even if it did rain one day! Headwater were very helpful and communicated well.
An unbelievable experience. For two septuagenarians, for one of whom it was a first cycling holiday, it was superb. We could not have asked for more. When booking, Katie’s assurances on the cycle routes and bikes were spot on and gave us essential confidence.
Excellent holiday. Good hotels and clear guidance
This was an excellent holiday. Great hotels and good venues. Easy cycling, as advertised. Bikes were big and heavy, but on flat trails they were perfect.
We thorough enjoyed our two Danube trips with Headwater & all the arrangements were 1st class . The bikes and route Apps were good as were the transfer arrangements. We would certainly recommend both Passau to Vienna (265103) & Vienna to Budapest (264840) . It was good to have extra days in the 3 cities & request hotels of our choice where we had extra nights .
Hotels were very good choices. Bikes were good quality and comfortable. Daily distances provided a good level of exercise but within our ability and time to enjoy places and stops en route. Guide material very good.
Great holiday, easy cycling although it was very hot later in the day. Enjoyed exploring the area and managed to communicate with limited German. Cycle paths are mostly off road and when on the road, drivers are very aware of cyclists and pedestrians.
Excellent itinerary, bicycles and hotels. Cycling a pleasure largely using dedicated cycle tracks with very little in the way of inclines. Cycling one day then having a day off to explore each location was well worth considering as there is a lot to see 'en-route'.
We had an excellent holiday. Staying 2 nights in each hotel gave us the opportunity to explore more of the local area. The cycle paths were clearly signposted and the routes were easy to follow. Most of the cycling was on dedicated cycle paths, so there was minimum cycling on roads, therefore avoiding traffic.
Easy flat Cycling. Not difficult to follow route. Very good cycling trails. Hotels good with 2 exceptions (Grein & Vienna). Bit boring on last two days so could have happily ended at Krems. Very poor local agents RadReiserFuhrer. But on the whole we enjoyed our holiday.
An excellent but not demanding bike ride with the three great cities on the way.
This section of the Danube is not particularly scenic but the holiday description makes it seem better than it actually was. A lot of the cycling is away from the river and has trees either side for many kilometres so no views to admire; this made some sections of the ride repetitive. It would have been good to know about the path running out and the need to push up a grass bank ?yes we were on the correct route! Also, we, and our fellow travelers did not know about and were surprised by the 6km stretch of gravel going to Estergom.
A good trip ending up at some nice towns and cities for our evening stops. Our group felt that the scenery wasn’t quite what we expected - fairly uninteresting cycle tracks with very few places (villages, etc) to stop en route for coffee/lunch. Extremely disappointed that we were booked into different hotels in 2 overnight stops from the rest of our group. Bikes were fine, gears etc good, although why there are no water bottle holders is a mystery. Generally very safe routes apart from the last day when we on a busy road for 5 or so miles. Joanne was a good representative that answered queries quickly.
Overall an enjoyable holiday. The bikes were heavier than expected, but sturdy. Some of the legs were monotonous and more busy roads than would have liked, particularly in heavy rain. The one day our luggage arrived later, but before 6pm, we were all very wet and couldn’t access our rooms straight away. We felt there should have been clearer directions to the hotels. Some were not easy to find. It was made more difficult being the end of a hot or wet cycle. The routes ended abruptly in a town and the physical maps were not detailed enough to establish where we were.
Our contact at Headwater, Andrew Palmer, was excellent throughout. Accommodation was great, maps and guidance were mostly accurate. Bikes described as lightweight were anything but. The title 'Cycle the Danube' is somewhat misleading, as for large sections of the route the river was not even visible. More on busy main roads than anticipated. Train, ferry and boat trip were enjoyable additions to the itinerary. Cycling was easy, lots of it on dykes which are part of the flood defences for the river. Some of the distances given in the Exodus brochure are way out. Bikes had 21 gears, you only need 2! All border crossings were open and unmanned. Overall an enjoyable trip, quite leisurely and interesting to see new places.
A great way to try a not too strenuous (for the average fit person) self-guided cycle trip where navigation is mostly straightforward, with use of the fantastic local app. The combination of being in nature on the Danube, culture & history, cities and food is great.
A very memorable experience, totally enjoyable and extremely well organised. I will definitely book again.
We loved this holiday and had a fantastic time! Even though the weather was poor (cold, wet) for the first week. We loved the variety: of cycling terrain and views; of hotels (cities, towns, village, resorts); of food - terrific fish (passed on the spleen dumplings!). We enjoyed the independence of self guiding but met lots of interesting people from all around the world - but very few Brits! We didn't use the app because for us it was easier to use the booklet of maps and instructions, but would have liked a live app - we met Germans who were using the Czech app mapy which seemed excellent but we weren't successful downloading it. We would only query one piece of Headwater info: we did not find lots of cafés and restaurants along the river cycle paths and quickly decided we had to be well supplied with food before before we set out each day because we couldn't rely on finding somewhere when we needed it. But altogether a great holiday and experience - highly recommended!
Good fun holiday. The app is great, takes a little time to work and more time should be given on that. Perhaps send a sample one through before you go would help greatly.
Some bits were tricky but we felt we had had a fun an adventure.
Well organised trip. To make the most of cafe's during the cycle it is necessary to diverge from the tour route.
Plenty of historic buildings to see in the towns, and plenty of easy flat cycling through a green rural landscape.
We really enjoyed the majority of the destinations, Bratislava was a particular highlight.
This cycling holiday is very easy relaxing and stress free. The scenery is stunning with riverside views, small farming villages and historical towns visited. There is the option to choose your own pace and stop along the way to appreciate the local buildings and countryside. Being early in the season (early April) not many local coffee shops were open for refreshments along the way, but the bike is well equipped to carry snacks and drinks with you. The cycling is down river so the only inclines yiu will meet which are few are to get over bridges or in towns. The hotel spas are all of a high standard and we'll equipped. The local people are proud of their towns, villages and countryside and welcome visitors. A thoroughly enjoyable experience!
Tiring but good
The self- guided holiday model requires excellent equipment and extremely clear route notes. We spent a lot of time stopping and pondering which way to go and sometimes having to retrace our steps. Only a smallish portion of the ride from Vienna to Budapest actually borders the Danube.
Really enjoyed the trip and would explore more of Euro Velo 6 but hotels did not live up to 4 star expectations
(Copied into separate email to Joanne Chaplin - I seem to have rambled too much!)
Excellent holiday, great accommodation, good quality bikes and stunning scenery
We had an amazing holiday and have recommended to lots of our friends. Everything was managed really well, staff were friendly and the route was pretty easy to follow. Some of the instructions were a little tricky to follow at times but we got better at interpreting them as the holiday went on. The hotels are quite basic we had all 4 star but i would compare most of them to a UK premier inn standard - clean and comfy but standard and basic. However we would 100% go on another
An excellent choice for a first cycle tour. With comfortable accommodation and plenty to do and see on the days we were not cycling.
The staff at headwater were extremely helpful during the booking stage. They arranged an e bike at short notice a few days before we were due to travel. All hotels were comfortable with excellent breakfasts. The route was easy to follow although gps would have been helpful when going into the larger towns. Will definitely use Headwater again.
Stunning views and wonderful small towns and villages to meander through. There are quite a few new roads and cycle ways which have been built since the route notes were last printed, and so a degree of deduction and use of the two Kompass maps is recommended.
We enjoyed the holiday. The cycling alongside the River Danube often on the old tow path was excellent, along well maintained, clearly signposted routes with lovely scenery. There were often lovely river boats and barges on the river and we often crossed the river on dams or small boat ferries. We decided to have E-bikes although tended to only need a bit of input from the batteries towards the end of the longer 50Km plus cycling days. The standard of our hotels was generally good although evening meal options in some places were limited. The Zur Post hotel in Melk and the Wolfinger in Linz were very central and very comfortable. Our two evening meals in the Zur Post were excellent. After a long day’s cycle there was often limited time to explore some of the towns and cities E.g Linz. It was wonderful to be able to cycle the final leg from Tulln to our central hotel in the beautiful historical part of Vienna and we stayed for two nights to explore the city.
More personal Headwater monitoring is needed overall - you are not as in touch as you were in 2012 when we last did this trip. For example, don't arrange an evening meal (in a particularly poor Beer Garden) too close to the time for the evening briefing! You need to check hotels and their location personally - especially in cities - leaving it to your partner-company to sort out is not satisfactory. The route directions to hotels were generally very poor and need to be re-written - based on your own personal experience!
Overall very good, only gripe we had was the hotel in Vienna was a long way from the city Center, luckily we had an extra day staying there.
As 'first timers' on a cycling holiday, we all enjoyed every moment of the trip. Visited amazing places and a great way for a group of friends to catch up and have fun. Already arguing about the destination of next years cycling holiday !
We had an excellent cycling holiday from Passau to Vienna. We would have liked more time in Passau as we arrived late in the evening, probably should have added an extra day there . We had an excellent time and plenty of recreational time each day when we arrived at a new place.
Would highly recommend this holiday.
Very well organised holiday staying in comfortable hotels. We experienced more of the country than we expected and really enjoyed the experience.
Excellent week spent round lake Konstanz. Plenty of places to stop off for swimming, mini golf, food and drink and even fishing. Stunning scenery, great accommodation. Would recommend b&b only as plenty of places to eat out but if you did want to eat in hotel book ahead. Bikes were excellent quality .
If I was bringing really picky I would suggest that GPS app for route would be a lot easier as it was a bit of a pain having to stop to read directions/turn page.
We did the recommends wine tasting at Hendricks (joesoh Furst) this was a fantasy experience with a wonderful lady who was so passionate and knowledgeable and extremely friendly, she also has amazing English, we really wished we could had carried more wine on our bikes.
Overall this was an excellent family holiday and would definitely recommend it.
Great trip for people with different levels of cycling experience
Overall we had a good holiday. The quality of the hotels were good. The bikes were sturdy and we had no problems. The local agents used by Headwater holidays did not follow the itinerary that was given on the Headwater website. This meant that some days we cycled longer than expected (other days less) and stayed in very rural villages that had little or no facilities.
Easy cycling, mostly adjacent to the Danube with some forays inland, with ample opportunites for refreshing dips in the river and cafe stops along the way. Perfect for a heatwave!
Enjoyable safe cycling along mainly dedicated cycle tracks through some beautiful countryside. Everything ran very smoothly - with our luggage generally waiting for us when we arrived at our hotel. The hotels were all very pleasant and the breakfasts were plentiful with a focus on fresh local ingredients. The hotel staff were pleasant and helpful and all spoke good English (whilst also humouring our attempts to speak German) The arrangements for picking up our bikes were straightforward and the bikes were comfortable and well maintained. The route is extremely well sign posted and once we realised this on the first morning we stopped trying to use the overly complicated/excessively detailed notes provided by Headwater.
We have traveled with Headwater on many occasions. Lake Konstance cycling is a well structured circular route generally following the lake. Hotels are generally 3-4 star, and fine for this type of tour. The holiday is pretty good, and the day cycling/ day rest works well for us; it is quite relaxed. Dinner was not included so can be a hassle after a day's cycling to find somewhere to eat. Some of the hotels have good dinner menus.
Switzerland (Arbon and Stein am Rhein) are in Switzerland and prices in bars and restaurants are very expensive.
The one significant negative point are the quality and detail of the maps/ route instructions. This had a huge impact on our holiday. The route instructions are very poor and maps are not detailed enough to follow the route.
Most enjoyable, lovely scenery, excellent cycle paths, perfect bikes and very good hotels.
Wonderful itinerary with first class bikes & good hotels. . Hotel Seegarten & hotel Rheinfells had superb restaurants. Enjoyed having one day off between cycles.
This was an excellent trip, made particularly memorable by the excellent (but very warm) weather. The itinerary is first class, but be aware that there are long stretches (full days in some cases) where you won't see the Danube. So, it is definitely not a cycle along the river bank. The route is mainly flat and there are stages where you cycle along man made 'dams' which are pretty boring at times. It is worth using the maps supplied to vary the route and explore other areas/routes.
The hotels were excellent and of 4 star quality. Our luggage always made it to the next hotel before us and we had no issues checking in.
The bikes are robust and 'industrial' and were in very good condition - we had no issues.
Overall, a great way to explore the 3 countries. I would definitely recommend it.
We had a fantastic holiday overall. Megan was very professional and helpful during the booking process and we were delighted with our choice of route. The bikes were brilliant, some hotels were absolutely excellent (in Gyor and Bratislava specifically) and all personnel were amazing. The distances of the routes were just right for us (despite the blazing hot sunshine!) and we loved the cities and towns we visited throughout.
The activity level of the cycling was not difficult, but the distances are quite long (we were not on e-bikes!). If booking again we would add a rest day either in Grein or Melk. The scenery was varied with some spectacular sections but also some flat bland areas. That said we really enjoyed the overall experience.
My wife and I have travelled widely and with various other holiday companies but this, our first holiday with Headwater is probably the best one we have had. Certainly, the most enjoyable. Everything from the initial planning through to our return travel arrangements were all perfect. It has to be said that the bikes we used were excellent as were the support services around Lake Constance if you encountered any problems which we didn't. The weather was perfect. Only the isolated short shower otherwise wall to wall sunshine. My wife and I are in our 70s and only occasional cyclists. However, the cycle paths around the lake were of good quality and very flat. The scenery was magnificent and varied. Lots of wildlife and beautiful flowers. Pretty lakeside villages, harbours, cafes, beaches and toilets . In the distance were beautiful snow capped mountains. I cannot put into words just how good this holiday was. Thoroughly recommend it. Well done Headwater and thanks for everything.
We have just come back from cycling around Lake Constanz. Really easy cycle routes and great, wide paths, which made it much more sociable than when you have to cycle on main roads. The notes were generally good to follow, though we got caught out a couple of times because the distances to the next set of directions weren't always stipulated and sometimes much further than we expected. I do think that the hotels could coordinate a bit on menus: each one gave us beef consomme with pancakes as a starter soup on one of the two nights we were there and there was a lot of pork and trout. A bit more choice would have been nice. Overall though, the scenery around the lake was stunning, the days off in St Gallen and visiting the Rhein falls were superb and we were incredibly fortunate with the weather considering we were cycling in October.
The Danube bike path from Passau is scenic and the majority is on a fine paved dedicated bicycle path. The riding is easy and the distances are moderate. There are quite a few points of historical interest e.g. the monastery in Melk, the Mauthausen concentration camp memorial.
The hotels are a mixture of (very) small family-run hotels and one large chain (Steigenberger). All were very clean and the staff were welcoming. I spent three nights in the Hotel Austria. I was quite skeptical of Headwater's choice of this hotel, but upon arrival I was very warmly greeted, the room was fine, if not luxurious, breakfast very good and the room was very clean. After three days, it actually had begin to feel very "homey" due to the friendly staff.
This is the second time I had done this trip. Both were booked through Headwater, but this trip was actually contracted out to an Austrian company, and I do not feel they provided the level of service and communication that Headwater has provided for on my seven prior trips booked with them.
To be able to cycle on the level from Vienna to Budapest, taking in some interesting towns and countryside en route, is a great experience.
A really interesting and scenic journey but with some challenging surfaces on loose gravel along dykes[with alternative routes on/alongside main roads]and some quite long distances especially on the 1st day.
Lovely places en route such as Bratislava,Gyor,Visegrad and of course Vienna and Budapest.
We felt that the itinerary didn't allow adequate time for exploring the places we visited and we would suggest in future offering more flexibility i.e. some days off between cycling/taking us by car/train where the route is not so interesting or alongside main roads[something that Headwater have done on other holidays].
The written notes were on the whole good but the verbal briefing on arrival was non existent-I think that the bike company had staffing problems :this needs addressing and communication needs improving.
The bikes were fine and we had no problems with them.
We were very happy with all the hotels but especially liked Hotel Honti in Visegrad and Hotel Lajta Park at Mosonmagyarovar[smaller and a more relaxed friendly atmosphere].
Overall we would recommend the trip but with the provisos already expressed.
Excellent trip, great scenery and locations, overall hotels superb, bikes were fine and the itinerary worked really well. Having one day cycling, one day sightseeing is an excellent way to balance exercise and having the time to visit some of the excellent museums, buildings and scenery around the Lake.
Very enjoyable holiday, leisurely cycling, good time of year to go (September), good accommodation. Route notes generally good but need review in a couple of locations (subject of separate email), much to see on the non-cycling days (Linz, Melk, Krems).
Easy cycling, wonderful sightseeing and a great way to explore the Danube and Austria. We love cycling holidays and this was was very enjoyable. Headwater holidays aren't cheap, but they are very well organised, totally reliable and always great fun.
A lovely holiday. Gentle cycling with lovely views and lots of interest. Excellent hotels and plenty to do on rest days. Highly recommended.
Journey to start of holiday not easy. Cycle route good for inexperienced cyclists. Interesting area.
Hotel meals seemed to be a little downmarket ie. special menu for Headwater clients.
Superb accommodation with good & food service — the cycling is fun with lively scenery
Overall a very enjoyable holiday with excellent accommodation and bicycles (ebikes). The cycle paths are easy to follow and well maintained. A lovely cycling trail which can be done by any age group. Many young families were following the route. Perfect also for those of a more advancing age! (We are both in our mid seventies.). Cannot but recommend this holiday very highly to all. Cycling into the centre of Vienna was so easy. The Austrian’s do look after their cyclists. Only criticism would be the lack of a designated contact person for the holiday but the cycling back up service was good and luggage transfer excellent.
THE TRIP WAS EXCELLENT. CYCLING BESIDES THE DANUBE RIVER WAS VERY NICE AND RELAXING. VERY EASY RIDE. EVERY DAY WE HAD DIFFERENT SURPRISES: BEATIFUL SCENARY, LAKE TO SWIN, CASTLE TO VISIT, GOOD WINES, MUSEUMS, ETC. THE WACHAU VALLEY IS WONDERFUL.
An excellent week cycling round Lake Constance. The route took in many villages and towns with opportunities for sightseeing and refreshments. The lakeside sections provided beautiful views and lots of picnic opportunities. The cycling was not difficult and the distances each day allowed for leisurely cycling with lots of breaks. On the shortest day there was plenty to see en route so we did not arrive at our destination too early. The directions were clear and easy to follow. We had been warned that it is busy in August and certainly at the weekend especially the route was well used but it never felt over crowded and in many ways this added to the atmosphere. For anyone who does not like cycling on roads this trip is ideal, the majority was on dedicated cycle paths and the short sections that were on roads usually had a dedicated lane. We also found that motorists were much more considerate of cyclists than we are used to! The hotels were all good with individual charms, the quality of the food was very good and we enjoyed every meal and not having to find restaurants in unfamiliar places every day. This is one of few holidays we have said we would consider doing again as there is so much more we could explore.
An excellent holiday, well organised with fantastic food (and range of options). The sights are beautiful and varied. This holiday has something to offer everyone and I would recommend it as a way to explore the towns and villages along this part of the Danube. The cycling is easy and relaxed; there is flexibility and so this holiday will suit the majority of people, including families.
From our initial arrival in Passau to the spectacular cycling of the Danube Island into Vienna, this was an adventure not to be missed. From concert halls, wall graffiti and art museums to medieval towns, meandering rivers, mountain trams and jaw-dropping monasteries, Austria never ceased to amaze. We do recommend taking the short journey into Linz on the train and definitely recommend cycling into Vienna on the traffic-free Danube Island.
We both thought this was the best holiday ever. Great bikes; cycle tracks, hotels; places to visit, and food. Not a cheap holiday; the way we did it; but what great fun; we really didn't want to go home to UK. So don't tell too many people how lovely and quiet and clean this was.
Best hotel in my mind was Hotel Rheinfels staff, food and room all were great; needs a special mention.
Headwater response:
Thank you for such a lovely review. We'll try not to share how lovely and quiet it was; 'Promise!'
We'll be sure to feedback your comments to the Hotel Rheinfels as its always nice to know that you are doing a good job .
Don't forget we've over 70 cycling holidays to choose from and we would love to be able to welcome you back to enjoy some more.
Kind regards
Customer Service
Great holiday and wonderful experience.
We had a fantastic holiday. We were particularly impressed by the company that provided the bikes as they went out of their way to make sure everything was perfect and that we were happy with the bikes before we set off.
An enjoyable holiday on really excellent cycle paths on both sides of the river for the most part. We had a bit of an problem transferring from Munich airport to the station as the main line was closed for part of it's length and we had to detour onto another line and the description provided by Headwater for this transfer is minimal. The hotels were generally very good. The Steigenberger Hotel in Klems is having a large extension built which means the indoor pool and spar are out of action, have obviously been for a considerable time and are likely to be for some time. Given that the hotel is quite a walk from the town, is up a steep hill and the pool/spa are major features we would have preferred to have stayed in the alternative hotel used by Headwater, much closer to town. One point regarding the initial briefing, take pen and paper and make lots of notes as our agent, Martin was very informative but describes the whole trip and suggests alternative routes to that in the Headwater documents. We had forgotten what he had said before we reached many of the alternatives he suggested.
An easy to follow lovely and interesting holiday around Lake Constance enjoying the European lifestyle.
Very interesting area with beautiful sights and and transfers of bags between hotel went seamless. Very good, would use again.
Good journeys both ways without rushing. Lovely riding around Lake Constance with plenty to see on our days off.
On paper the distances seem a bit daunting but in reality lovely gentle cycling with some spectacular scenery.
An excellent range of spectacular scenery around lake constance
This is a good holiday and Insel Mainau is a must. Could not see much purpose of Friedrichshafen if you are not interested in the Zeppelin - arguable an extra day in Konstanz and a longer cycle on cycling day 4 as others recommended the other island nearby, Reichenau, which is a UNESCO world heritage site. My disappointment was how much of the cycle route was away from the lake - there were plenty of non-cycling footpaths nearer the lake and these would have been lovely - my love of suburban housing estates is limited. The Cycle providers were excellent and nothing was too much trouble. Nevertheless, some superb places to visit and interesting things to see - huge orchards laden with apples, storks, herons, red kites, large and small fish in the lake, grape picking to name but a few.
Well organised and stress free holiday
Great way to explore a region little visited by Brits. Despite no Headwater rep and notes which show their age (and accuracy) the maps and general set up for cycling made this a great holiday.
First class.! From the moment we spoke to staff at the London Destinations show in February, through to the first enquiry, booking and follow ups; it all went very smoothly and we had a great time including being upgraded in three hotel to Suites!!
Varied, interesting holiday. Easy cycling, but bikes a little heavy and saddles not as comfortable as usual. You can catch an earlier train from Munich than the one stated on the ticket, although Headwater advised otherwise. We did check with a guard before travelling. All the breakfasts were great. Typical Austrian fare is a little heavy, especially the dumplings! An extra night in Passau meant that we could enjoy the organ music at midday and we thoroughly enjoyed our extra nights, two, in Vienna.
Fabulous holiday, beautiful scenery and towns, bikes were fab and transfer of luggage excellent. Trip notes were a little confusing in some places and we weren't the only ones that came across this problem, Google maps did come in handy on these occasions. A few more busier roads than I expected but none of these issues prevented me from such a wonderful holiday experience.. Having the extra night in each town enabled us to enjoy and explore the towns that much more than if we had only had 7 nights. All in all a wonderful holiday, would definitely travel with Headwater again and Donau Touristika.
We would highly recommend this holiday. The cycling was easy and interesting, the hotels were comfortable and welcoming and the dinners were delicious. Cycling every second day gave us the opportunity to really explore the towns we were in and we appreciated the notes in the regional guides. The only criticism we have was that the route notes were confusing and usually unnecessary as the journey followed a well signposted cycle route around the lake that was very easy to follow.
Enjoyable, comfortable rides easily achieve by two 70 year olds. Accommodation very good although food somewhat variable.
Headwater's Lake Konstanz cycling holidays offer two options, namely one with rest days and one without. As an occasional cyclist with a desire for travel and experiencing the scenery and culture of the route, we chose the option with rest days. We cycled on only one rest day (around Reichenau island) and often took ferry trips on other rest days. Ferry trips on the Lake offer a fabulous experience. Having seen airships on nearly very day of the trip it was a "must" to go to the Zeppelin museum in Friedreichshaven. Stand-out location - Stein am Rhein. It is absolutely beautiful, but also explore the back streets as well. Headwater provided a vast amount of pre-travel literature. Worth re-reading their location notes before each day's travel. The route notes were extremely detailed. We mostly used them to leave our hotel and find the marked route, and then find the hotel at the end of the day, and occasionally then as back-up. DONAU provided a more compact booklet, which combined maps, culture and route notes, and fits in the DONAU provided handlebar bag. However the route is so well marked (signposts and ground markings) and popular that you rarely need the Headwater route notes while cycling. The 4* hotels were air-conditioned, comfortable and well-located. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip and completed the circuit with a sense of achievement and enjoyment, made all the more real by going up the Pfander cable-car in Bregenz at the end of the trip and looking back at the whole Lake and the places we had been!! All in all - a great trip.
From Passau to Vienna is an unforgettable experience. Impossibly beautiful countryside, vineyards and medieval villages are only some of the highlights you enjoy on level cycling paths and quiet streets. If history, art or music is your thing, there are also countless opportunities to indulge during stays at Linz, Milk and of course, Vienna. Our only question mark came at the end of the trip, when we felt that more time should have been scheduled in this incredible city and less time apportioned to Krems and Tullin.
Enjoyable easy flat cycling, very scenic. Lovely hotels in Germany and Austria with air conditioning which was needed as temperatures were in the high 20's / low 30's.
As this was our first cycling holiday we were apprehensive especially regarding the train transfers from Zurich airport to our destination but with the excellent information provided with train timetables and platform numbers from Headwater we were able to travel with confidence by train to our first destination of Bregenz at Lake Constance. We enjoyed a fabulous holiday and would highly recommend Headwater to make all travel arrangements.
Lake Constance cycling — super holiday excellent hotels and meals ... relatively easy cycling with option of electric bikes ... highly recommended
A very good holiday package around a great lake for cycling.
We were very satisfied with the care and attention Headwater provided at every point of contact from booking through to during our holiday. As far as the trip experience we were somewhat disappointed with the route as many stretches were just an easy pleasant pedal but with not much to see or do along the way. It wasn’t until after Melk that the route charmed us all in all though headwater is great at creating just the right mix for an active holiday
A lovely trip. Easy cycling, attractive scenery, good bikes and excellent accommodation. All this plus good weather and wonderful companionship made this my best-ever Headwater experience.
Wonderful experience.We are both now in our 70s and wondered whether this was still for us.The Danube route is easy to follow and passes through ever changing scenery.The hotels were a great in themselves and we had some very good food..breakfast was always exceptional.The transfer of our luggage was exceptionally well handled
Our holiday run smoothly, hotels were good and the cycling was very enjoyable.
Beautiful lake with some great cycles - different scenery every day. Perfect iced coffees and strawberries for sale on the way.
Good organisation, bikes excellent, hotels well chosen, guidance and maps very clear. Steady and easy cycling between 25 and 35 miles each day. We didn't use the train but carried on cycling right into Vienna - magic. We really enjoyed our non-cycling days too, all in well-chosen places. A great holiday.
an excellent location for an easy cycling holiday with many options to vary the length of the cycling day due to the number of stations close to the route.
An excellent cycling holiday for those who enjoy fine scenery and want to avoid demanding gradients
Headwaters holidays came highly recommended. We could find no fault with the trip. Our scoring of the recommended hotels was 'excellent' but where we marked 'good' it was usually because the other hotels (breakfast) were exceptional.
It would have been a good idea (on our last day of cycling,Tulln-Vienna) to suggest cycling on the south bank & visiting Klosterneuberg then crossing on the small ferry (we noticed) to the North bank to join the Donauinsel. It is not a criticism by any means. We didn't opt for any of the train/ferry alternatives suggested although they were very useful options.
Cycling into Vienna on the Donauinsel was a joy, imagine cycling into the heart of a big city on a traffic free (20km) island, on the Danube, it was truly amazing! Thank you.
Distances appear long, but cycling is really easy and distance is not an issue. All on dedicated tarmac cycle paths.
excellently located hotels good value for money and a delightful way to visit 3 countries.
A Headwater cycling holiday is by no means a cheap option. . Given the quality of the bikes, the route notes and suggestions for 'rest' days, however, we rate these holidays highly and feel safe and supported throughout. The fact that we have just completed our 5th holiday with the company must surely indicate our overall level of satisfaction! Keep up the good work, Headwater. Nothing quite compares to the freedom of travelling by bike. It's liberating and quite intoxicating!
Enjoyable holiday in pleasant area using friendly hotels with meals. Impressed by knowledgable and flexible arrangements for bike provision and set up. Luggage transport worked well and trouble free. Cycling mostly on dedicated well maintained cycle paths or quiet roads. Navigation generally straight forward. Distance and terrain matched expectations of grading. Some interesting sites en route and at stayovers.
There was a weakness in the bus and train transfer information!
A fantastic holiday all round; great bikes, great route through 3 contrasting countries around the Bodensee. A wonderful opportunity to travel by bike and to explore at your own pace and under your own steam. A unique experience !
The holiday in terms of the arrangements was fine. The bikes were handed over to us with no problems and were of excellent quality. Unfortunately one of my fellow bikers had a puncture. The process of dealing with getting a replacement bike was very easy, a phone call was all that was needed to achieve this. The itinerary was excellent. The amount of travelling time was about right bearing in mind that I am not a regular cyclist. I feel that the itinerary was a bit ambitious for the time we were there as we did not have time to explore some of the places we passed through. The other main thing is that the panniers on the bikes were not of the best quality, they were old and after we started the trip I found a small tear in mine. Perhaps you could look at more substantial panniers rather than the material ones we had. All in all a very good experience.
A very enjoyable experience, beautiful scenery and amazing food.
At the end of a busy academic year two teachers find this the ideal way of switching off and relaxing. All we have to do is pedal by day following pre designated tested routes, often along traffic free cycle paths , then feel fully justified in eating wonderful meals we know will be waiting for us at good local hotels, all booked and waiting to welcome us.
The cycle around Lake Constance was an opportunity to experience different weather situations from the comfort of your bike, to see lovely villages, local areas and explore to your hearts content.
A very enjoyable holiday which surpassed expectations. Bikes, Information, Logistics, Food and Accommodation were all very good. The price is on the high side and we booked extra nights and travel ourselves as the additional charges from Headwater were too steep. Would recommend to friends.
Exactly as it said it would be. Well organised. Efficient. comfortable.
Lake Constance cycling is the ideal holiday -- exercise (though not too much), sunshine & warmth, nice scenery, variety (three countries), and excellent accommodation, food & drink.
other than wrong hotel ..ACE
A gentle cycling experience along the Danube and through the Wachau vineyards, with options to shorten the day's cycling by using boat, train or minibus if desired.
Good balance of cycling and rest times creating a relaxing holiday.
Fabulous scenery, hotels, food. Cycling easy on days that had to cycle - slightly more challenging when on 'rest days' Up to St Gallen and the Rhine Falls but still easy to complete. Thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.
We had a fab holiday. Everything went perfectly. The trail was so pretty and interesting and not as difficult as either of us expected. Austria was lovely. We left Passau and saw the different waters of the rivers Danube and Inn merge. Soon afterwards we were in the countryside, cycling by the Danube and along verges and meadows of wild flowers - scabious, chicory, vipers bugloss, clover etc. It was fascinating to see the scenery, the agriculture and the Danube change as we progressed. The villages were picture-book pretty, each with their own history. The towns we stayed in were all delightful - Linz, Melk, Krems and Tulln. Schlogen was quite lovely on a meander of the Danube, we watched the light change on the water and cargo boats go up and down river.
Rheine falls very busy. Should offer stop en-route for rail and more options for long journeys (over 300 miles). Make sure camera charged up every night. Allow time to explore en route on bike. All locals very friendly in every country and willing to talk. All to easy to eat and drink too much. Hotel staff less likely want to speak English.
Headwater are a very professional company even when things go wrong they are very quick to sort them out . We travelled with last year to Cataluna an area where you have your own representatives , this was not the case for Lake Constance , we were not met by any rep for the company only the hotel receptionist .as we had travelled with you before we were
Comfortable with that bit if we hadn't I'm not sure we would have been so confident .the guide had obviously been translated from German to English and was not terribly accurate
Some of the time .
Have been on a few of your holidays and they have always been very very good.
Fairly trouble-free
Good pre-booked accommodation, excellent notes and seamless baggage transfer between locations meant that we could focus on enjoying our cycle ride along the Danube. We would have no hesitation in recommending this holiday to potential future travellers.
The cycling from Passau to Vienna was a wonderful experience. We were sorry when we had to hand back the bikes as we enjoyed the cycling so much. The holiday was well planned with two day stops so that we had time to explore the beautiful towns en route. Everything was well organised and supported.
We were initially nervous about a holiday which was managed locally by an agency other than Headwater. Our previous experience had not been great. However we need not have worried. Donau Touristik were hugely well organised and the bikes were excellent. The cycling was just about the flattest we had ever experienced and, partly because of the excellent weather, partly because of the excellent food and accommodation, this was as enjoyable a holiday as we have ever had.
A couple of small blemishes. At Bregenz on the first night we were served only a three course meal instead of the advertised four. (We only realised subsequently about this when we returned on the final night).
Hotel Buchornerhof was not in the same league as the other accommodation. We were served the wrong food on one evening and the air/conditioning leaked. The staff's hearts did not seem to be in their work as it was in the other hotels.
One warning - wine in the hotel restaurants (especially the Swiss ones) is very expensive indeed.
These are small gripes. It was a great holiday and I'd do it all again anytime.
Avoid the hotel at Tulln until they have finished rebuilding it! On the Krems to Tulln day there was no cafe in the village specified in the notes but an excellent cafe was found later on right next to a power station. We thought the cycle into Vienna along Danube island was brilliant and should be encouraged. The local rep persuaded us to ignore the advice to take the train from Ottenshein into Linz so we cycled it and it was awful!
Headwater response:
Dear Mrs Bampfylde,
Thank you for taking the time to complete your post-holiday feedback. We are sorry if you were inconvenienced by the building work taking place at Hotel Nibelungenhof, please be assured, we monitored these works closely and would have changed hotels had we felt this was necessary. However, whilst the outside works were visible, we did not feel this affected the overall stay for our customers, I am however pleased to advise that this work was completed over the summer . We were also sorry to hear you felt the local agent gave you poor advice and you found the route awful. We have asked that they do not make this recommendation for future customers. We have received no further constructive feedback in either of these areas.
In closing, we hope that despite these disappointments you had an enjoyable holiday overall. We would like to thank you for choosing to travel with Headwater and look forward to welcoming you on another of our holidays in the future.
Kind regards,
Headwater Customer Service team
Overall we found the holiday a great break for us. The route, notes, hotel locations, things to do etc all added to the enjoyment. Everything was well explained and set out for us.
Great cycle holiday on easy cycle paths with quality bikes and excellent hotels.
Adventure before dementure!
This was our first organised cycling holiday and it exceeded our expectations, the quality of hotels were fabulous and we really liked that we had 2 nights in each hotel which gave us time to explore each area. On reflection we would prefer to have had dinner in the hotel halm included as finding somewhere to eat was a real hit or miss and compared to the meals we had in the hotels we didn't find anything better. From our first enquiry with headwater the whole holiday couldn't have gone smoother, Michelle (I think) tailored the holiday to fit our needs perfectly adding in 4 extra days and organising the hotel for two of them. I certainly can't recommend headwater highly enough and have already looking at where to go next. Thank you to the whole team as this has to be one of our best holidays and we have had many! A special thanks to the couple at the bike hire, they were extremely friendly and very helpful.
This was my fifth cycle holiday with Headwater, and it was the most enjoyable. The cycling is very easy, and the route is very clearly marked, so there is absolutely no navigation skill required. Unlike some of the tours in rural Italy or Spain, there were numerous, widely-varied eating establishments with long opening hours right along the cycle path.
The cycling path is flat, but it passes through some varied and hilly terrain. There are opportunities to make short (and possibly hilly) detours to see some pretty villages and interesting sights along the way. One very moving side trip is to do the short day trip (about 50 km round trip from the hotel at Linz) to the memorial at the former Mauthausen concentration camp.
The high point of the tour is when it passes through the Wachau Valley, which is one of the loveliest wine growing regions I have cycled through.
I did the entire ride, even covering the short stretch from Linz to Grein, which the normal tour bypasses by shuttle van due to its being thought too industrial. Also, the tour guide recommends taking a train into the heart of Vienna in order to by-pass a slightly grimy and graffiti-covered stretch of the outskirts of the city. I did not find this stretch particularly objectionable, and there is a certain satisfaction to completing the entire cycle path from Passau to the heart of Vienna.
This would be a perfect ride for someone who is uncertain about committing to a bicycle tour. There are river boats and trains that allow one to skip cycling portions when the weather is bad or one is too fatigued. The cycling could not be any easier, and the maps and signs along the way make it all quite fool-proof.
Note that Headwater will supply participants with a spiral bound book that contains high resolution maps for the entire route. This book is easily ignored as the usual Headwater instructions are so well done, but the book does contain some historical tidbits and also suggestions for interesting detours, so it is worth a read.
A note in closing; the Passau-Vienna path is said to be very busy in the summer. I did my tour in late September and the path was wide open. Only the Wachau Valley section had any significant bicycle traffic.
Very easy and enjoyable cycling through lovely scenery with excellent accommodation and many places of interest to visit.
Excellent accommodation. Confidence with the equipment and support. Good maps and route details very comprehensive. Cycling down the Danube is great as the Danube cycleway is either a dedicated path or where it runs along side a road it is separate and safe. An added advantage is that it is flat and well surfaced.
It was a real fun adventure. The excellent support and hotels allowed for maximum enjoyment.
Excellent holiday overall.
It might have been better to have an extra day in Vienna at the end of the trip instead of a free day in Krems which was not as exciting as Vienna.
The weather could have been better too!!
A thoroughly restful holiday through stunning countryside. Excellent cycle paths which take you away from the busy roads and where you can set your own pace. The option to shorten journeys using trains or ferries was useful. Our ninth headwater holiday and one we would take again in a few years time. Switzerland is an expensive place to visit but the half board basis of this holiday offsets some of that cost. Our group of eight ranged in age from 48 to 72 and everyone found it a comfortable and enjoyable cycle. Lots to see and do on the rest days which meant that we packed a lot into each day. The fabulous chocolate, kaffee und kuchen could be offset quite easily which was a bonus!
A fantastic holiday for a family with teenagers. Easy but very enjoyable cycling in stunning countryside.
We didn't think this holiday was representative of Headwater cycling holidays in general. This was our fourth Headwater holiday, and compared to the others (Italy, Spain and France), it was disappointing. The cycling routes were not as pretty as on other holidays, and there weren't so many nice places to stop for lunch or to admire the scenery. This was partly to do with the different culture, of course, but it also had a lot to do with the cycling routes themselves and the hotels. We didn't feel that the usual Headwater support was there, and this was partly reflected in the route notes. Although they were OK, we thought they could have been more helpful and they were at times inaccurate. The cycling was more difficult than we expected it to be, so we were glad to have the option of cutting some days short by using the ferries or trains. Although there were a lot of cycle paths, they were often alongside (or on) quite busy roads.
Easy cycling, lovely scenery, excellent hotels. Cycles well maintained and maps and route notes easy to follow!
This is just a wonderful part of the world for cyclists who like to immerse themselves in a beautiful, safe and friendly place. As you'd expect in Austria, Switzerland and Germany, everything works so well to give you a hassle-free holiday. Everyone was so welcoming, locals as well as people providing service and quite happy to use their excellent English in place of my stumbling schoolboy German.
The travel arrangements/organisation and detail excellent. Two of the hotels were not nearly as good as the rest . In fact the last hotel was way below standard but the food at that hotel was excellent. The rooms were far too small there was no air conditioning and it resembled the most basic accommodation. The middle two hotels were outstanding as was Bregenz but Seegarten again had no air conditioning is not well positioned.
Overall this is an excellent holiday well put together and if the two hotels were improved upon it would be almost the perfect break
The arrangements were very good and instructions easy to follow. However, we found the bikes to be very heavy, and the crossbar on the ladies' bike was far too high, to the extent that my husband had to help me on and off the bike as I could not tilt it far enough towards me to get my leg over the crossbar without it falling on me (as it did on one occasion, resulting on me banging my head (thank goodness for my cycle helmet) and skinning my elbow!
Delightful easy cycling (totally flat with excellent largely traffic free trails) in scenic countryside. Lots of opportunities to stop for coffe, cake, drinks etc
We enjoyed our visit to the area very much, and apart from the luggage problem, we had no real difficulties.
However, we did have one concern that troubled us. On previous headwater holidays, we always felt that we had the reassurance of a Headwater rep to contact in the event of any difficulty, e.g. in the event of an accident, buckled wheel etc.When we asked the Donnau lady what would happen in the event of such a situation arising, (expecting her to say we'd come out to you), we were most disconcerted to hear her say that 'you have a list of Donnau stations around the lake. If you have a problem you must go to them - they will not come to you'.
We had not realised the implication of the arrangement Headwater had with Donnau, that resulted in raising our anxiety levels if anything had gone wrong. We would certainly check with Headwater if booking a future holiday that we had a local rep at hand. If there wasn't , we would not book that particular holiday..
One last point. In places, the fine detail in the instructions was inaccurate and misleading. this delayed us on occasions.
Cycling easy even for us oldies,nice hotels,beautiful scenery and relaxed pace.
Every day was different. The bikes were excellent as was the luggage transfer. The mix of cycling and non cycling days was a bonus and allowed one to explore the local towns. Following a river downstream provided continuity and progression as it made its way down stream.
Very easy and relaxed cycling with virtually no need for the notes as the Donauweg is so well sign-posted. Lots to do on the stay put days.
Our cycling holiday was just the BEST! I am a non-cycling person, afraid in traffic, and not especially into sport and fitness. My husband is Mr Fit, and cycles quite a bit. This holiday was so much fun for both of us. Well within my capabilities, and although not very demanding, the cycling was enough to keep my husband happy. Can't wait to book another Headwater holiday.
This was an easy ride for us and I would say ideal for less experienced cyclists. Everyone we met in hotels and restaurants was friendly and helpful.
An exceptionally well designed tour, which includes valuable 2 night stops at the en-route hotels in Linz, Melk and Krems, the first two of which are really interesting to explore. The daily distances were will within the capabilities of these two 68-71 year old occasional cyclists. The Danube routes were well signed and easy to follow.
The cycle route along the Danube from Paschau to Vienna was excellent - easy cycling, well signposted and extremely beautiful. We passed pretty wild flower meadows, dense forested slopes and wide terraced vineyards. The route took in many delightful towns and villages, with their pretty squares, narrow cobbled streets, castles, cathedrals and monasteries. Vienna is amazing and definitely worth staying on for a few extra days! The hotels were in great locations and the meals were very good. Headwater and their local representatives arranged a great trip for us - their customer service and attention to detail was excellent. Thank you!
Lovely flat (mostly) easy cycling. Very clean hotel rooms, most with a nice view. Good food.
Well organised.
The holiday satisfaction, accommodation and value would all have ranked 'excellent' had it not been for the experience on nights 4 & 5. We did not aloow that to impinge on our overall enjoyment, but it was annoying and frustrating at the time.
A very easy, relaxing and stimulating holiday. At times we would have liked to ride slightly longer distances, but accept that the intermediate hotels were all, in their different ways good.
Interesting and enjoyable. Pleasantly surprised by high standard of hotels and food!
Lake Konstanz is a lovely location. The cycling is mostly very easy and having two-day stops provide an opportunity to explore around each town.
Hugely enjoyable, a great adventure on an achievable scale.
The first couple of days was through fairly uninteresting landscape. Thereafter it was fine but not outstanding. The headwater format is generally constant, but on this occasion we had no representative. It didn't really matter, but first timers could find this difficult.
Another great cycling holiday. Thoroughly enjoyed our trip along the Danube. Cycling just at the right level of effort. Food grew, people great. Best organised cycling holiday so far.
Overall great holiday. Cycling excellent. Lovely scenery and great condition of cycle paths. Some of hotels were disappointing in certain aspects - no tea/coffee; old, tired bathrooms with no bath; small room however usually made up with friendly service and excellent food. Friedrichschafen is not a very attractive town - Lindhau might be a better option. Hotel Weisses Kreuz the favourite hotel - great sized room, comfortable bed and pillows and great bathroom.
Good family fun
The route notes were clearly wrong in places (I made this point two yearsago!) and gave the impression of being written by someone who had not cycled the whole route.
to start on a negative we did not like the evening meal voucher facillity, the food offered on this fixed 4 course meal option wasn,t to our liking,
we would have preferred an allowance for our evening meal to choose of the al a carte menu, the quality of the fixed four course meal was rather bland and most salad and main courses were heavily caked in sauces, we felt like second class guests when other guests not on a cycling holiday had the choice of other menus and were choosing more appetising dishes, although we read in your small print that we could have requested this option it was never offered at any of the hotels,
the welcome at the first hotel was poor, the girl who handed out the documents could speak very little english so communications were a problem leading to a mix up of when the bikes could be collected. also the manager on duty that day was very surly so our first day didn.t get off to the best of starts,
thank fully though there were plenty of plus points!!
the team who sorted the bikes and transfer of luggage were exellent, Lydia and Sylvester were superb and a credit to the company.
the route notes were ok but we found on the first day that we were having to stop too many times so from day two we found it much easier to just follow the bycycle signs which kept you more or less on the right route and allowed for more enjoyable touring without the stops.
We really enjoyed our holiday and would certainly book with you again.
It would be more enjoyable though if you could give some thought to the meal situation as we were not the only ones to raise the above point.
Overall though we would give the holiday 10/10
thank you paul and pam owens
Cycling this route was very easy. The paths were almost all off-road, or well separated from the traffic, on good quality cycle paths, even in the towns and cities we visited. Hardly any inclines on the whole route, with only one where we had to get off and push. The bikes were in excellent condition and ideally suited to the task. The hotels were all of a very good standard and well located. Lake Constance is very scenic and has a relaxed holiday feel to it, no matter where you are around its periphery, with countless places to stop and eat/drink/admire the view. Overall, a very enjoyable holiday and one of the best we have done with Headwater.
We enjoyed the holiday, and the hotels and their service were generally very good or excellent, apart from at the Hotel Donauschlinge, where the staff were not as friendly and we felt they hurried our evening meal, bringing the second course before we had finished the first! In our view, the Hotel Zur Post in Melk was by far the most efficient, with the most helpful staff. The Steigenberger in Krems, although a very nice hotel, had less character (much more a standard 'chain' hotel) and our table in the dining room was tucked away in a rather gloomy corner, rather than the main restaurant – unfortunately the weather was not good enough for us to have a table on the terrace. We were impressed by Greenways Travel, who were very efficient and prompt about delivering our bikes, transporting us from Linz to Grein and then collecting the bikes at the end. They also provided a mobile phone for us to contact them if we needed to. We were unprepared for quite how flat the ride would be, and with hindsight should perhaps have opted for something a little more challenging. I think we expected it to be more like the Moselle ride, which we did with Headwater a few years ago and which rolled up and down a little – our 'best bit' on this holiday was therefore the ride from Melk to Krems through the Wachau, which was not totally flat.
Absolutely perfect in every way. The office staff at Headwater recommended this holiday to us when we couldn't get the accommodation for our chosen holiday (Austrian Lakes). We are so grateful for her recommendation as it was a wonderful holiday. The bikes were superb and all the routes were incredibly safe and bike friendly with most of the cycling being on dedicated cycle tracks. Bliss!
The rep, Erhard, was the best we have ever had and produced lots of good information and even mobile phones for emergency use (not needed).
The Schlogen hotel has the most dramatic location on a bend in the river that you can imagine, and it is worth the tough climb up the hill behind to view it from the top.
Vienna is a big city in every sense with lots of grand buildings to see, and the trams make them very accessible, which we discovered thanks to the superb staff on the hotel recepion who know their town well.
The route down the Danube is beautiful and ever changing and full of interest.
Thoroughly enjoyable adventure for all ages and the over 65s! Excellent organisation and help from travel arrangements tailored to our needs to hotel accommodation.
Excellent holiday - we look forward to coming again. Would like to see longer holidays offered - 14 days plus.
Enjoyed Blue Book comments but we were the first to make a comment this year. (Hotel Halm had never heard of the Blue Book!)
Outstanding experience in terms of cycling, locations chosen, landscapes and scenery, cultural activities and overall enjoyment.
We felt disappointed as there was no personal service, the Donnau company just gave us bikes without help and tried to palm of bald tyres and broken lights, luckily we insisted they change the bikes to our satisfaction but if this had been a couple who had never taken a Headwater bike holiday I would feel very sorry for them. We were very disappointed that we saw no one representing Headwater no welcome meeting as described in the literature. We enjoyed the holiday but certainly rated it as the least enjoyable out of the previous 3 trips. Cycling good, the free days poor, no suggestions of bike excursions no information found in english. No one to talk to about trips. St Gallons not that special the hand written medieval books in German advised in broshure not that exciting. The food described as 4 courses were very limited with minimal choice and 2 of the hotels were really poor.
We travelled to Passau via Munich Airport followed by an over 3-hour journey by bus to Freising station, train to Passau and taxi to the hotel. We purchased on-line a Bayern-Ticket for 27 Euros for 2 people which included both the bus and train journeys. We are both in our late sixties and found the cycling easy, although adjustments had to be made for the weather. It rained on the first day but after that the weather was hot and sunny necessitating early starts. The cycle paths were clearly signed so it was easy to follow the route and German and Austrian drivers are courteous to cyclists so cycling in towns was not a problem. The hotels were varied and well chosen and near the main attractions, the only exception being the one in Krems which was up a steep hill, but the hotel's facilities make the climb worthwhile. The instructions suggested going by train from Ottensheim to Linz but the cycle path was well separated from the busy road so cycling to Linz was not a problem. Similarly, the instructions suggest travelling by train in to Vienna but the cycle route was easy and the graffiti no worse than you find on the outskirts of most cities and it cheered up the drab concrete walls even though most of it was not up to the standard of Banksy. The food provided by the hotels was generally good and the hotels were near to restaurants when evening meals were not provided.
Easy cycling - with options to reduce length every day (only used once when one person unwell) - hotels in interesting or beautiful locations with plenty to see - good white wine area with everywhere having choice of wines by the glass (125ml) at reasonable prices.
I have completed your feedback form but you have got one of the hotels listed incorrect. We did not stay at Hotel Rheinfels as they did not have any available rooms. We stayed at Hotel Hoeri am Bodensee and my comments are obviously about that hotel. Apparently every year on that weekend there is a conference in Stein am Rhein which takes over all hotel rooms so this should be noted for future reference. My bike was stolen from outside Hotel Halm. The lock up arrangements for the bikes at that hotel were not adequate and these need to be improved. However the staff who helped me were brilliant and it was all sorted out very quickly.
We had a lovely, lovely holiday. The bikes were so good we wanted to run away with them, the food was universally very good and the hotels were pretty good at providing for our vegetarian diets. The breakfast buffets were wonderful - I'm converted to Bircher muesli now. It was easy cycling with excellent route description in a very beautiful part of the world. Who would believe you can have a cycling holiday in Switzerland, Austria, Germany with no hills!
An excellent holiday cycling 285 KM from Passau to Vienna along flat safe routes. The Tulln hotel was a bit basic and the train journey to Stein was a pain but probably necessary. We followed the reps advice and went into Vienna using the island route which avoided the train route suggested. Overall the holiday ticked all the boxes as is usually the case with Headwater. Thanks, we will be back next September with our friends for another adventure!
This was the best Headwater Holiday so far . Almost the entire route was on flat dedicated cycle paths or through quiet country lanes with little or no other traffic. Each day's cycling was easy and on average only about 25 miles. ( my wife and I are OAPs and we managed each day with no problem). The real bonus with this holiday is reaching Vienna at the end of the journey. I would recommend an extra night in Vienna before returning home..
This was an excellent, well designed, well organised holiday with very good back-up from Greenways Travel.
After having many successful holidays without problem with Headwater Booking we were surprised to have difficulties getting: the rail return details confirmed; the invoice correct; the correct Reginal booklet sent through (3 tries); and the return transfer was still incorrectly notified to the local representative. Having said that your agents, Greenways' organisation was excellent leading to a successful holiday.
The cycling was very enjoyable with excellent cycle paths and easy to follow directions mostly. There were a couple of unclear directions towards end day at Konstanz and Steim um Rhein. Weather was very good and amenities for tennis and swimming great. No major problems with the bikes although back up was not that good according to other members of the party who had punctures etc.
Really good fun and quite an adventure. Worked very well for my two children of 9 and 11 who loved the cycling and swimming.
A virtually hill-free ride through pleasant countryside neighbouring the River Danube, punctuated by stays in excellent hotels in historic towns and cities.
No shortage of shops, castles, palaces, museums, and last but not least - coffee and cake shops. The challenge is to not gain weight!
Fabulously organised and a really different experience for us. We loved the independence, the superb scenery and the wonderful sense of adventure. Freewheeling down hills for 10 days was something neither of us had done since our teens. A brilliant holiday! Thank you so much!
Wonderful scenery, cycling and wholly relaxing. We really enjoyed the whole experience.
We had a thoroughly enjoyable trip along the Danube.
Our first cycling holiday and generally it was a really good experience with an interesting variety of hotels. Beware of eating half board as in some hotels we felt we were treated like 2nd class citizens.
Passau to Vienna cycling was an easy cycle ride ,staying at superb hotels amid beautiful towns and country-side .
1) Particularly as viewed from the steamers, and from the clusters of old houses on the edge of the lake & esp. at some of the steamer landing places, the Bodensee was very beautiful; there were also a number of delightful and very old towns. BUT there has been very extensive recent building development (particularly, but not exclusively, on the southern side of the lake. So quite a lot of the bicycling was rather dull and suburban - inferior, we thought, to the Veneto Headwater holiday we took some years ago. Probably the best bit was the Rhine delta marshes on day 2 (where we also had the good fortune to see two storks gently grazing)
2) The bicycling stages were rather long. But, as the brochure said, it was easy to reduce distances by putting the bicycles on trains or steamers. Also almost all the cycle paths were well surfaced, marked, etc.
3) The conveyance of luggage between the hotels was VERY efficient
4) My wife had some difficulties with the Donau Touristik bicycles. These went, and stopped, well. BUT their - to us, unfamiliar - concentration of weight around the back wheel meant that, when suddenly checked, they could easily tip over to the left, & she fell off twice.
That said, the handing out & reception back of the bicycles in Bregenz was EXTREMELY well done. And Donau Touristik has an impressive network of hotels that would, if necessary, mend/exchange punctured or other bicycles - in Stein-am-Rhein they simply took off my punctured front wheel & substituted one from one of their own bicycles
5) a) The hotels were all of a high standard. But we personally felt the 4-course evening meals rather too much & too rich, & enjoyed the ability to secure our own simpler ones in Konstanz. (More generally, I think we preferred the 'agro-turismo' arrangements of our earlier Veneto Headwater cycling holiday.) The breakfasts were mostly very good.
b) The hotel in Stein-am-Rhein was splendidly sited, looking straight out onto the river. That I have marked the 'welcome' only as 'fair' is solely due to the fact that we arrived on its Wednesday day off, when it remains closed until 4 pm. In the event we simply went and had an iced coffee in the town's lovely market place. They also arranged for us to have our evening meal that day outside another hotel so situated in the market place, which took good care of us
6) We were, broadly, very lucky with the weather - & relished the ability usually to have our evening meal out of doors (though there were a couple of memorable storms
7) I don't know that better times could have been arranged (slightly better train ones were possible, but only by changing trains rather than travelling straight through to/from Bregenz). But we definitely had too long at the surprisingly unprepossessing Zurich airport/station
8) My guess is that, given our ages, we shall not take another Headwater holiday. But this does not indicate dissatisfaction
Thought the Lake Constance area was beautiful. The dedicated cycling paths made the cycling a pleasure and the mix of cycling and rest days really suited us.
Very enjoyable holiday, very good cycle routes, lovely scenery and some very pretty villages. Plenty of opportunities to use the train or boats to shorten cycle distances if necessary or preferred.
Cycling very easy! Level or downhill on tarmac.
Hotel in Tulln is not 4 star! Although it was OK and had superb position, compared to the ratings of the other hotels on the trip it should be nearer to a 2 star.
An excellent route - distances well judged for the terrain (easy) and, because the tracks are so well signed, the route notes are almost unnecessary. Very well presented and maintained bikes. Hotels are obviously selected for location and in some cases there is little choice. All were clean and reasonably comfortable and, where evening meals were included, they were excellent - and some were outstanding. The only thing that Headwater couldn't do anything about was the weather - we cycled just a couple of days before the dreadful flooding that swamped the entire route.
Every thing went smoothly, pity about the weather!
