Cycling in Austria
My wife and I are planning a two week caravan holiday in western Austria next spring and allowing another week or so for travelling there and back. We are now both retired and having never been to Austria before would welcome any recommendations re campsites and relatively easy circular cycle routes. I have looked at several websites (including the very informative 'Joys of Caravanning' website - useful info for their recommended route to take from Calais) but cannot find much in the way of shortish (30 miles or so) circular scenic cycle routes.
I would welcome any recommendations, places to visit etc, from other members and especially those who are leisure cyclists.
j3trooper
Comments
-
Hi j3trooper sorry I didn’t mention much on cycling on my website Joys of European Caravanning, but with our large outfit we do not have any weight left for cycles so it’s Walk or Car for us. Which area in the West are you thinking of visiting? There is the far West Voralberg and to the east of that is the Tyrol. Both areas are wonderful but we prefer the Voralberg of the two. Of course you could spend a week in each.
All the areas we visit are quite flat in the vacinity of the Campsites we use. So just tell me where you intend going and I will be pleased to help.
DianneT
0 -
Hi j3trooper
I have moved your post here from Introductions as it's possible you will get a better response.
If you have never been to Austria before you are in for a treat. It's a lovely country and the people are very friendly. We did a tour all round Austria last year from Salzburg, around the south of the country to Vienna and returning across the north of the country to Imst. We did take a bit longer than you plan but it's easy enough to cut your cloth to suit the time available. If it's of any interest I do have a blog of that trip here. Whilst we take our electric bikes with us they are used more nipping to the supermarket rather than long rides so not really able to provide much help on that score.
David
0 -
Thank-you for your prompt responses. Now that we are both retired we have only this year got back into caravanning again after a nearly twenty year break. I was considering about a week in two campsites, one probably around Salzburg and I would also like to drive over the Grossglockner and the other further north around Steyr/Enns to cycle along those rivers and the Danube, but I am open to other recommendations. It's a pity that there is no Google street view facility in Austria as I have always found that to be very helpful when researching places to visit etc.
We also have electric bikes and ideally are looking for scenic safe cycle paths or quiet routes with little traffic. Around lakes, along rivers and into relatively quiet villages/towns would be ideal.
Last year we spent a week in La Venise Verte just outside Niort and that was really excellent for cycling. Then we spent another 8 days on Ile de Rey at Camping Les Varennes. That was also really good for safe cycling and lots of well paved cycling paths. So I was hoping to find something similar in Austria.
Thanks to WayToGo for your recommendations which I will discuss with my wife.
Regards
j3trooper
0 -
Another vote for lake Wolfgangsee. We stayed there this year and we loved the area for cycling. I have an electric bike, oh has just a normal mountain bike. We used the ferry one time, cycled around the lake another. Easy cycle to St Gilgen, where you can take the cable car. (No bikes on there, I think) for a lovely walk.
You can get the bus from there for Salzburg too, but it was a little pricey.
0 -
We have stayed at Nord Sam in Salzburg a couple of times and as Way To Go mentions you can cycle into the City from the site. Alternatively you can catch the bus from immediately outside the campsite.There are some pictures of the site here http://www.davidklyne.co.uk/camping_nord_sam.html
Last year we stayed at a site, new to us, on Ossiacher See which had lots of cycle paths from the site. The site was one http://www.davidklyne.co.uk/camping_bad_ossiacher_see.html It was handy for Villach by public transport. Although don't do as we did and get on the wrong train back
Thanks to a lovely Austrian lady on the train who got us on the right track literally!!!The upper reaches of the Danube are much more attractive, so anywhere upstream of Krems.
David
0 -
We stayed in Damvix and also near Magné a couple of years ago. Excellent cycling. It is an area we wish to explore a bit more. I to prefer off road cycle routes or quite villages.
Another good area we have found with lots of dedicated cycle paths is around Sanquinet. You can cycle all the way to the Great Dune of Pyla too. Though this is a little further to travel than Niort.
0 -
Deleted User:
Wolfgangsee:
From site at Abersee (there are a few in a cluster) cycle to ferry and take bikes across Lake to St Wolfgang. From there, cycle back around Lake to base. There are attractive places for lunch / coffee stops.
In the other direction it's an easy ride along cycle track to St Gilgen.
Salzburg:
- Pleasant ride into city from Camping Nor-Sam.
- Near Zell am See:
Sportcamp Woferlgut - nice rides into town and around lake and further afield.
WTG, those are 3 areas we stayed in too and cycled from, a few years ago now. Can't remember what the site was at Abersee, but stayed at Nord-Sam and Woferlgut too. Thoroughly agree with those choices.
j3trooper, as for the Venise Verte, that's another area we've been to a few times now, brilliant for cycling too.
0 -
Thank-you once again for your responses. It looks like Wolfgangsee is very much on the cards for one of our intended stays, so will research the campsites by the lake. I have a tow-bar bike rack so hope to venture further afield and cycle around other lakes.
Just got to sort out a campsite further north near the Danube.Thanks for your recommendations and helpful info.
0
