Danube from its source to Budapest

[growltiger]

Probably flying to Stuttgart 15th August, but Strasbourg has also been suggested. Returning 9th September.
Any advice welcome - camping, B&B or accompanied by river boat are under consideration.

[Barrenfluffit]

This is a well known route called Eurovelo 6. There are cycling maps / guidebooks and your doing the most developed bits. There are various posts on here about it. The route is not completely flat but doesn't go over mountains.

I think a river boat will end up as a restriction with other peoples choices and available landing stages becoming a factor.

There are a lot of castles en route and a few youth hostels in Castles (which are worth a visit if you don't mind the hill up to them at the end of the day). Watch out for being dependant on a seasonal ferry from your side of the river somewhere upstream.

I enjoyed the Danube Bend area and spent a bit of extra time there.

[heatonrider]

Save time for Budapest - great spas

[Tigerbiten]

Another option is to fly into Basel.
Then either .......
Follow EV6 up the Rhine to Lake Constance then over the ridge to the Danube.
That took me 3 days last year but I went the long way around the lake.
You're then around 50-60 mile from the source.
Or ..
Go directly to the source, again 50-60 miles.

I found camping mostly easy.
There's may be just the odd section where it's more than 50 miles between sites.

[andymiller]

Another option is to fly into Basel.

Depending on where you live it may also be worth considering the train: eurostar to Paris, a short ride to the Gare de Lyon and then TGV Lyria to Basel.

[ConRAD]

I think it was my first experience in my “cyclist career”, by car to Huningue (close to Basel) where I parked the car in a country road and than ....

Huningue (F) - Waldshut (D)90 km
Waldshut (D) - Donaueschingen (D)104 km
Donaueschingen (D) - Riedlingen (D)131 km
Riedlingen (D) - Günzburg (D)108 km
Günzburg (D) - Marxheim (D)103 km
Marxheim (D) - Kelheim (D)109 km
Kelheim (D) - Bogen (D)99 km
Bogen (D) - Kasten (A)107 km
Kasten (A) - Mauthausen (A)106 km
Mauthausen (A) - Mautern (A)119 km
Mautern (A) - Höflein (A)83 km
Höflein (A) - Bratislava (SK)102 km
Bratislava (SK) - Komarno (SK)113 km
Komarno (SK) - Visegrad (H)85 km
Visegrad (H) - Budapest (H)70 km

…. then back to Basel by train.

However always follow EV6 sign posts and for sure you’ll never get lost !!

[andymiller]

ConRAD's post has reminded me. If you're looking for information and resources then it's worth knowing the local name of the section of the route you're interested in. For example, Google 'donauradweg' and there's:

http://www.donauradweg.at/en/danube-cycle-path.html

[whoof]

Ask for a cheese-burger in Hungary.

[geocycle]

Ask for a cheese-burger in Hungary.

Naughty!

[bohrsatom]

Another option is to fly into Basel.

I just got back from a long weekend in Basel. Nice place. Thinking maybe of starting a tour there later this year, following the Rhine towards Holland so at the same time decided to check the airport out to see if it would work.

Basel Airport is great and really well set up for cyclists. Immediately next to oversize baggage there's a dedicated area to assemble your bike complete with an electric pump to inflate tyres. If you leave via the Switzerland exit (you can choose to leave via Swiss or French customs) then there is a bike lane all the way to the city centre (5kms or so at a guess).

[Ron]

Probably flying to Stuttgart 15th August,.

I took a train from Karlsruhe to Donaueschingen, but you could consider a train from Stuttgart airport to Donaueschingen.
http://www.thetrainline-europe.com/trai ... 68~8000077

[CyclingTerrier]

+1 For Basel although the initial ride out of town is a bit squiffy.
Tuttlingen to Sigmaringen via Beuron through that little river valley is pretty special.
We made the mistake of heading to Brno through Moravia, because Brno, why not.
The couple days before rocking up in Buda is pretty good too, lots of places to camp on the river as people seemed pretty easy going.

[Bmblbzzz]

Bratislava and Budapest are both well worth spending a bit more time in. If you have any literary inclinations at all, read Paddy Leigh-Fermor's books before you go.

[John Holiday]

Did this ride several years ago & really enjoyed it.
Flew to Basle & then caught train to Tuttlingen & then started ride from there.
Enjoy.

[carlislemike]

I read Danube by Claudio Magris. It's a walking tour following the Danube from source to mouth. It covers a lot of geography, history and the literary development of the whole Danube and 'mittel Europa' . It's absolutely fab and I think I'd love to use it as my inspiration if I were to copy your journey. Chapeau!