A Complete Guide To The Danube Cycle Path (The Black Forest to the Black Sea)

The Danube Cycle Path, also known as the Donauradweg, is undoubtedly the most famous bike route in Europe. Characterised by gorgeous riverside cycling, this route will showcase energetic capitals Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade, characterful villages and towns, epic views of the Danube Bend, Wachau Valley, Djerdap National Park and so much more.

The Danube River flows from its source in Donaueschingen in Germany’s Black Forest all the way to the Black Sea on the Romanian coast. This makes it Europe’s second-longest river at 1,770 miles (2,850km) in length. It would take roughly 40 – 50 days to cycle the entire river, or about a month if you were really fit and could clock 100km per day.

Most people just choose to cycle the section from Passau to Vienna or Vienna to Budapest. These are by far the two most popular sections, likely due to the fact that they’re flat, easy to navigate, have lots to see, have excellent infrastructure, and simply have the makings of a great cycling holiday.

Because of this, most information online about the Danube Cycle Path focuses on Passau to Budapest only. The route beyond Budapest seems to get largely ignored, but in this blog post, I’ll be talking about the entire route — from its start in Donaueschingen to its end at the Black Sea.

Why cycle the Danube?

Sights and scenery: The route will take you through some of Europe’s greatest cities and historical sites, as well as treat you to a variety of beautiful riverside views and picturesque towns.

Flat topography: Most of the Danube Cycle Path is very flat, making it ideal for beginners or those looking for a leisurely cycling holiday. The route through Serbia is a little more mountainous than the rest of the route, and Germany also has some hilly sections, but for the most part, you’ll find the cycling to be easy.

Easy to navigate: The route is very easy to navigate, given that you’ll be able to use both signposts and the river as your guides. Signposting is excellent in Western Europe, in particular.

Excellent infrastructure: Europe is, for the most part, very well set up for cyclists. Bike paths are well-maintained (usually), accommodation is easy to find and bike shops are plentiful. Motorists are also used to seeing cyclists on the route, so will give you space and respect.

A few highlights from my time cycling the Danube:

Danube Cycle Path Map and GPX

You can download the Danube Cycle Path GPX track here.

Accommodation

Hotels and Pensions

You’ll find plenty of hotels, guesthouses and pensions along the Danube Cycle Path. Many are aware that they’re on a popular bike route and so have good amenities for cyclists, such as bicycle parking. Hotels in Germany and Austria would often have signs outside to let cyclists know their bikes are welcome: “Radfahrer Wilkommen.” Booking.com has the biggest selection of hotels if you prefer to book a day in advance — which I recommend you do if you’re cycling in the summer months.

Camping

Campsites in Western Europe are abundant, with campsites in almost every town, so you shouldn’t struggle to find one at the end of each day. Camping options aren’t as abundant as you head further east, so you will need to plan your days when in Hungary and Serbia. Bulgaria and Romania barely have any campsites, so you will need to either stay in hotels or wild camp.

These are some of my favourite campsites I stayed at along the Danube Cycle Path:

• Camping Passau in Passau, Germany
• Wachau-Camping Rossatz in Dürnstein, Austria
• CityCamping in Györ, Hungary
• Camping Asin in Dobra, Serbia
• Base Camp for Adventurers in Negotin, Serbia (my absolute favourite!)

Warm Showers

If you’re not familiar, Warm Showers is a free worldwide hospitality exchange for touring cyclists. It’s a fantastic community — cyclists offer to host other cyclists for a night. You’ll be given a place to sleep and a shower, but it’s likely you’ll also be given food and a beer! Warm Showers hosts are most abundant in Western Europe but there are a few in Eastern Europe, too.

Wild camping

Wild camping is a great way to save money and enjoy nature — I met many bike tourists along the Danube who wild camped often. Wild camping shouldn’t be a problem on the Eastern part of the route (Hungary onwards). Most farmers and villagers will happily let you camp on their land if you ask, and it’s also easy enough to find a quiet, secluded spot by the river.

However, wild camping is prohibited in Western Europe. Many cyclists do it anyway and don’t get caught. Despite the fact that it’s technically prohibited, most countries do have a relatively relaxed attitude to wild campers, and may or may not ask you to move on if you’re caught. Just be discreet: find a secluded spot, wait until dusk to set up camp, and be gone by early morning.

Suggested Itineraries

As I mentioned before, Passau to Vienna and Vienna to Budapest are the two most popular Danube cycling itineraries. Both take the average person about a week to complete, including sightseeing along the way. I highly recommend both these options and would suggest cycling Passau to Budapest if you have 2 weeks available for your cycling holiday. Of course, if you have the time, you could even cycle the entire length of the Danube bike trail.

Passau to Vienna

The Danube Cycle Path from Passau to Vienna is 324 kilometres long (201 miles), and takes the average person about 6 days to complete. Here is an ideal 6-day itinerary for cycling from Passau to Vienna.

Day 1: Passau to Schlögener Loop (41km)
Day 2: Schlögener Loop to Linz (55km)
Day 3: Linz to Grein (55km)
Day 4: Grein to Wachau (60km)
Day 5: Wachau to Tulln (50km)
Day 6: Tulln to Vienna (40km)

Vienna to Budapest

The Danube Cycle Path from Vienna to Budapest is 289 kilometres long (180 miles), and takes the average person about 6 days to complete. Here is an ideal 6-day itinerary for cycling from Vienna to Budapest.

Day 1: Vienna to Bad Deutsch Altenburg (42km)
Day 2: Bad Deutsch Altenburg to Bratislava (26km)
Day 3: Bratislava to Györ (50km)
Day 4: Györ to Komárom (57km)
Day 5: Komárom to the Danube Bend (52km)
Day 6: The Danube Bend to Budapest (62km)

Serbia (Backa Palanka to Negotin)

While the sections from Passau to Budapest are the most popular and take all the limelight, I need to take a moment to talk about Serbia. Passing by characterful villages, energetic Belgrade, and the stunning scenery of the Djerdap National Park, the Serbian Danube Cycle Path is immensely underrated. It was my favourite country on the whole route.

The Serbian section is not quite as beginner-friendly as the route between Germany and Hungary, due to some big climbs, dirt paths and weaker infrastructure for cycling tourism. That being said, it’s rugged, raw, and exciting, with dramatic scenery, majestic mountains and much fewer crowds.

Day 1: Backa Palanka to Cortanovci (58km)
Day 2: Cortanovci to Belgrade (70km)
Day 3: Belgrade to Kovin (74km)
Day 4: Kovin to Dobra (90km)
Day 5: Dobra to Tekija (88km)
Day 6: Tekija to Negotin (78km)

Navigating the Danube Cycle Path

The EuroVelo 6 — which spans the entirety of Europe — uses the Loire, Rhine and Danube bike paths to make up its route. This means that from Donaueschingen (where the Danube begins) all the way to the Black Sea, you can follow signs that say EuroVelo 6 or Donauradweg.

The Danube Cycle Path/EuroVelo 6 is very well signposted in Western Europe. Signs are displayed at every junction and are often also placed every few kilometres to confirm that you are still on the right path.

As you reach Eastern Europe, you’ll find that signposting is not always so good. Particularly in Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania, the signs are sometimes ambiguous or non-existent.

I highly recommend having a GPS map loaded on your phone and a detailed paper map to refer to. These Cicerone guidebooks are really useful, too: Danube Cycleway Vol 1 and Danube Cycleway Vol 2.

If you do manage to get lost, you can simply find the Danube. If you follow the river, it’s likely that you’ll eventually find your way back onto the bike path.

Download the Danube Cycle Path GPX track here.

What to expect on the route: infrastructure, road quality and more

I thought it would make sense to divide the route into two parts, as they differ a lot in terms of difficulty, infrastructure and overall “vibe.” Part 1 covers the route up to Budapest, which is where most cycle tourists stop, and Part 2 covers Budapest to the route’s end at the Black Sea.

Tip: A reader, Andrew, has kindly left a link in the comment section below this post to a series of excellent video recordings of his time cycling the Danube. I recommend checking them out to get a feel of the scenery/road conditions and what to expect.

Part 1: Donaueschingen to Budapest

The first part of the Danube Cycle Path really has the makings of a quintessential European cycling holiday. It has fantastic cycling infrastructure, plenty to see and is family-friendly. Highlights include the capital cities of Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest, the stunning Wachau Valley, the gloriously golden Melk Abbey, the Danube Bend and more.

Germany and Austria are extremely well set up for cyclists. Bike paths are well signposted and in excellent condition; bike repair shops are frequent; there is plenty of accommodation options and there are lots of fellow cyclists around to talk to. For these reasons, they are excellent countries for a beginner looking to embark on their first cycle tour.

Slovakia and Hungary are also very well set up for cyclists, although signposting and road surface quality does start to decline a little bit.

Part 2: Budapest to Constanta

As you leave Budapest behind, you enter would I would call Part 2 of the Danube Cycle Path. This second part is a little more “adventurous,” thanks to weaker tourist infrastructure, particularly in Bulgaria and Romania.

There are longer distances between accommodation, restaurants and grocery stores, and almost no cycle repair shops or tourist offices. The language barrier can also be more challenging, as fewer people will speak Western European languages the further east you go.

The surface of the bike paths are mostly asphalt and in fair condition, although there are some unfavourable dirt paths, grassy paths and potholes to contend with.

That being said, Budapest to the Black Sea is full of wonderful scenery, such as the Djerdap National Park, the Iron Gates and the Danube Delta. The hospitality is also exceptional; I was greeted by fresh juice and watermelon at one of my campsites in Serbia and gifted oranges in Bulgaria. For me, the low prices were the icing on the cake as I could enjoy coffee and meals out more frequently than in Western Europe.

Packing List

Here is a suggested packing list for a Danube cycling trip. Not all of the following items are necessary, though — it entirely depends on you.

FAQs

When is the best time to cycle the Danube?

The best time to cycle the Danube is between June and September. You’re likely to have warm, sunny days and can make the most of the long daylight hours. July and August can get quite hot but you stand a great chance of having a rain-free cycling holiday.

Is the Danube Cycle Path beginner-friendly?

I would say that the Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary sections are all ideal for beginners. If you choose to cycle between Passau and Budapest then you will have no issues as a beginner.

Beyond Budapest, though, the route is not quite so beginner-friendly, with less reliable signposting, hilly (though beautiful) terrain through Serbia, and less infrastructure such as campsites, grocery stores and bike repair shops available.

Is it safe for solo cyclists?

Yes. I felt safe at all times while cycling along the Danube as a solo female. Particularly from Germany to Hungary, there are lots of other cyclists on the route, as well as plenty of shops and accommodation options, and great infrastructure.

In Bulgaria and Romania, wild dogs can be a problem. They’ve been known to chase and even show aggression towards cyclists, so you’ll need to be cautious.

What kind of bicycle do I need?

A reasonably sturdy bike that has the ability to carry your load, is comfortable, and has decent tyres will be fine. You really don’t need an expensive performance bike — the Danube isn’t going to test your bike too much! I’d recommend a hybrid or touring bike. I personally used a Trek 7.2 FX. These are now discontinued, but the Giant Roam 2 Disc, Cube Touring Pro and Trek FX 3 Disc Equipped are all good, relatively inexpensive options.

Can I hire a bike for my cycling holiday?

Of course! You’ll find plenty of bike hire shops along the Danube, particularly in Germany and Austria. Here are a few options:

• Passau: Fahrrad-Klinik Passau
• Passau: Bikeambulanz Bikehaus
• Vienna: Velopold Vienna

What kind of travel insurance will cover me for cycle touring?

Most travel insurance providers will only cover cycling if it’s incidental to your trip, i.e. if you hired a bike for a day during your two-week vacation, but not if the primary purpose of the trip is cycling. As you can see, cycle touring is not covered under these grounds.

I recommend World Nomads, whom I use for most cycling, backpacking and long-term trips. You can read World Nomads’ policy on cycling-related travel here, but here are the basics:

• Cycle touring is covered but the tour must be on one continent only — no cover is available for intercontinental cycle touring. This is ideal for the Danube Cycle Path, as it stays in Europe only.
• You’ll need to tick ‘cycling – independent cycle touring’ when buying your policy.

About The Author

Lauren Pears is a freelance travel writer and blogger based in London. She writes about active adventure travel, aiming to encourage and inspire travellers to make the most of the great outdoors.

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Thank you for reading! If you found this post useful, I’d be grateful if you would consider using the affiliate links below when planning your travels. I’ll make a small commission at no extra cost to you. This will help me to keep this blog running. Thanks for your support – Lauren.

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