Vienna Woods and the Austrian Lake District 2022

This Ride has been Cancelled

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $150 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

Join us for a beautiful loop ride around eastern Austria. This ride was last led in 2019 with very positive reviews and slightly modified for 2022. Starting outside of Vienna we will cycle through the Vienna Woods area, along the Danube, to the Lake District near Salzburg. We will spend three nights in Mondsee allowing time to cycle or bus to Salzburg for a day, visit the beautiful lakes in the area, and/or take a rest day. We will return on a more southern route again with beautiful mountains, lakes, and valleys. If you wish to spend more time in Vienna itself, plan to arrive early or stay late. Most riders bring their own bicycles. Storage for bike boxes is available at the start hotel for the duration of the trip. Bike rentals are a possibility if there is sufficient interest. Whether you bring your own bike or rent, it will be your responsibility to take care of any mechanical problems.

The tour begins in Baden bei Wien, a spa town located outside Vienna and in the Vienna Woods area. From Baden we climb through the Vienna Woods and countryside to Sankt Pölten above the Danube. Then we drop to the Danube into the Wachau wine-growing region to visit the medieval towns of Krems and Dürnstein. Our route continues through two river valleys, the Enns and the Steyr before entering the isolated Ramsau valley. Next we go to one of the most picturesque lakes on the tour, the Traunsee. We then enter the Austrian Lakes district, which takes us past the Wolfgangsee and to the Mondsee, which is quite close to Salzburg. Continuing through beautiful lake country again we pass through Hallstatt and continue on to Bad Aussee, another spa town. In Admont the neoGothic Stift,or abbey has the largest monastic library in the world. Our route follows the Salza River valley to Wildalpen, passing through beautiful Gesäuse National Park. Finally we leave the river at Rasing and ride to Mariazell. The Basilica in Mariazell is the most important objective for the many pilgrims coming there. We make our final stop in Hirschwang in the Reichenau an der Rax region before returning to Baden where our trip ends.

RIDE RATING

This ride is rated 3C, with an average daily distance of 50 miles and average elevation gain of 2,900 feet. Distance and elevation data was obtained from two Garmin 800 GPS while cycling these routes. There are three days that exceed the 3C rating, indicated below with an asterisk (*). There are eleven days of required riding and three rest days with optional rides. The riding days with mileage and altitude are below so you can see if you are comfortable with the rides before signing up. This ride is suitable for a strong tandem team.

• Monday June 6: Baden to Sankt Pölten(44 miles, 2900 ft).
• Tuesday June 7: Sankt Pölten to Melk (48 miles, 650 ft).
• * Wednesday June 8: Melk to Steyr (65 miles, 5050 ft).
• * Thursday June 9: Steyr to Gmunden(53 miles, 4200 ft).
• Friday June 10: Gmunden to Mondsee (35 miles, 1800 ft).
• Saturday & Sunday June 11 & June 12: Mondsee (optional 45 miles, 2005 ft; 41 miles, 3300 ft).
• Monday June 13: Mondsee to Bad Aussee (46 miles, 2200 ft).
• Tuesday June 14: Bad Aussee to Admont (46 miles, 2300 ft).
• * Wednesday June 15: Admont to Mariazell (65 miles, 3950 ft).
• Thursday, June 16: Mariazell (Optional loop rides 26 miles, 1961 ft or 38 miles, 2888 ft).
• Friday, June 17: Mariazell to Hirschwang (41 miles, 3500 ft or 52 miles 4200 ft).
• Saturday, June 18: Hirschwang to Baden (46 miles, 3200 ft).

WEATHER

The average high temperature in June is in the upper 60’s to low 70’s. There will almost surely be some rain. Be prepared for hot, cold, wet, dry, calm, and windy conditions.

LODGING & MEALS

We will be staying in four-star hotels and one three-star hotel. When possible we have chosen hotels that are in city centers and within walking distance of shops and eating establishments. We will provide 14 breakfasts and 10 dinners. Most of our hotels will not provide special meals other than a vegetarian option and most will insist on serving only one main dish.

LOGISTICS

We start and end our Austria tour in Baden bei Wien. The closest airport is Vienna (VIE). From the airport you may take a taxi to Baden; there is a train from the airport to central Vienna and then another train from there to Baden. If you choose the train option, you probably would still want to take a taxi from the Baden train station to the hotel since you will be traveling with bike boxes and luggage. We ask that you use an airline carry-on size piece of luggage (22” x 14” x 9”) along with a small bag/pack. Please do not bring duffel bags as they do not pack well. Our van will not be large enough to carry excessive luggage. If your airline standard carry-on luggage expands, that is okay. Please leave excess clothing/personal effects in your bike box at the start hotel.

COST AND ADMINISTRATION

The estimated cost is $3,150 per person, double occupancy and based on the exchange rate of 1 Euro = $1.30 US. The actual cost of the trip may change with currency exchange rate fluctuations. The cost will include 14 nights lodging, plus 14 breakfasts, 10 dinners, luggage transfer, daily route review and local sightseeing information. At the daily route review the hotel will provide a drink and snacks. Your first drink (beer, wine, juice, soda) is included in the cost of this trip and additional drinks are on your own. Maps and route sheets will be provided. GPS tracks will be provided for those who want them, but it is up to the rider to know how to use his/her GPS device before the trip begins. The final payment of $1,575 is due on November 1, 2021. The van driver’s primary role will be to transport luggage and supplies. While the van will be available to assist with emergencies, it will not serve as a sag vehicle and participants are expected to complete each required ride day. We will have a van driver.

SINGLES AND SOLOS POLICY

We have secured space for two solo participants. The solo supplement is $450. Singles are welcome, but encouraged to find compatible roommates and/or riding partners. Ride Directors will introduce and assist singles to find roommates, but singles must make their own rooming decision.  Singles will not be able to sign up for the ride until they have a designated room-mate. We have secured 12 double rooms and two single (solo) rooms at each hotel. Most hotels have “German” double beds, i.e. two twin beds pushed together frequently in the same bed frame and each twin bed with its own down comforter. Solo supplement payments need to be sent to the BAC office by September 30, 2021. Checks should be made out to “BAC” with a notation of the tour name included on the check. They should be mailed to: Bicycle Adventure Club, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193.

CANCELLATION

The BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fee is not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled due to participation below stated minimum requirements. Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped. The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations. If the cancelling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time. If the cancelling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed. If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the solo supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour. BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

RIDE PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITY

Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support. Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles. All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour. We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from the Ride Leaders. While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean-up. Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour. Please keep the Ride Leaders informed of any special request you may have and respect the Ride Leaders’ decisions.

Before participating in any BAC tour, members should review their medical coverage and assess whether what it is sufficient. If it isn’t, you should purchase additional travel medical coverage. BAC maintains a policy that provides coverage for expenses related to medical emergencies and repatriation when members are on tours outside the US and their home country. The policy ceases to be applicable if a member makes a personal deviation (e.g., makes a side trip not related to the planned BAC tour), has limits on expenses covered for family members and only applies for 45 days following departure from home. None of the policies maintained by BAC will cover costs associated with self-quarantines that may be government mandated. Members should also ensure that vaccinations are up to date (e.g., annual influenza, tetanus, etc.). If travelling outside your home country you may wish to consult with a travel physician or nurse to ensure that the appropriate vaccinations are up to date.

COVID

Specific safety precautions to protect participants from COVID will be determined shortly before the trip. At that time, we will communicate with tour participants to explain any safety precautions that will be necessary. You may be required to wear PPE in public, maintain social distance in public and limit social gatherings in public according to Austria’s mandate. Participants must have completed the COVID vaccine plus any available COVID booster shot prior to starting the tour. Ideally we would like to consider our group a COVID-free bubble.

SIGN-UP

To submit a request to join this ride use the "links" displayed above this Ride Description. When you are accepted, the Ride Leader will move you from the Wait List to the Pending List. At this time you will receive an email notification to login to the BAC website to sign the release of liability form and pay the non-refundable BAC ride registration fee and the initial tour deposit $1575 by credit card. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. To contact the Ride Leader, "click" the name at the top of this Ride Description.