Salzburg to Innsbruck Bike & Hike

† 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 $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

OVERVIEW 

If you love biking and hiking come experience the Austrian Alps. Your ride leader did this trip in 2021 with a small group and the hotels, scenery and hiking were all first class. The tour starts by exploring the well preserved baroque city of Salzburg following by 5 days riding 190 miles total on a network of well marked, often off road bikeways through lush green valleys amongst the Alps.  We will spend quality hiking time in Kaprun Valley in the High Tauern National Park, Salzburg province and the Zillertal valley in Austrian Tyrol with lots of options to do more exploring by bike including the chance to ride an iconic mountain ascent. Our tour will end in atmospheric Innsbruck, seat of the Habsburg empire in the 15th c.

The high Austrian Alps have beauty, a rich history, wonderful foods, and extremely comfortable lodgings from which to enjoy Austria's alpine wonderland on a  bike and with a daypack.

Detailed Daily Itinerary

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Day 1: Welcome to Salzburg: city of Mozart, strudel, torte, and the Salzburg music festival.  Our hotel is Holiday Inn Salzburg City, and we will meet at the hotel’s bar at 5:30pm for happy hour and our first night’s meeting, followed by a group dinner. Old Town Salzburg is a 20-minute walk: Rick Steves has a wonderful audio walking tour of nearby Old Town Salzburg for your smartphone. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salzach#/media/File:Salzburger_Stadtansicht.jpg

Day 2: We have an easy day and Sue Bunten will lead a scenic bike ride around Salzburg passing Baroque palaces (and perhaps a beer garden) as we test our bikes. The Salzburg festival is in full swing so classical music options abound, or you might want to take an hour bus ride to Hitler’s Eagle Nest, just southwest of Salzburg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kehlsteinhaus

Day 3: (45 Miles & 2,122’ elev.) We leave Salzburg via the Mozart and Tauern bikeways travelling south up the Salzach River past a historical salt mine then through the first of many Alps sub-ranges. We will overnight at the Hotel Bruckenwirt in Sank Johann and get a taste of local Austrian cuisine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salzach#/media/File:Tussen_Tenneck_en_Pass_Lueg,_panorama_mer_de_Salzach_foto2_2011-07-17_14.29.JPG

Day 4: (24 Miles & 1,950 elev.) Pack your swim suit today as we continue along the Tauern bikeway upstream to the small lakeside resort town of Zell Am See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Zell.We have a spa treat ahead for our next 3 nights at the 4 star spa hotel Sportcamp Wolfergut in the town of Bruck. https://www.sportcamp.at/en/woferlgut-p459.html.

Day 5: Rest day with choices. See how far you can climb up the unforgettable Grossglockner alpine road climb followed by the thrill of a hairpin descent followed by a steam soak sauna swim and water slide back at the hotel. https://www.grossglockner.at/gg/en/index or enjoy a scenic ride around the Zell Am See valley. http://www.blog.austrianalpinegetaways.com/kaprun-day-trips

Day 6: More options today: ride the nearby Kitzsteinhorn cable car into the heart of the largest alpine national park in Austria for stunning panorama of snow covered peaks https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g608661-d1230926-Reviews-Kitzsteinhorn-Kaprun_Austrian_Alps.html or hike one of the 130 plus hiking trails in the scenic Zell Am See valley or stay close and take advantage of the Sportcamp’s fine spas, pools, outdoor games, and an amazing obstacle course to test your skills. https://www.outdooractive.com/en/hikes/zell-am-see/hiking-in-zell-am-see/1443846/

Day 7: (40 miles & 2,122 elev.) Today we leave Sportcamp and ride up the Pinzgau Valley to the Hotel Post Krimml in the village of Krimml. 

Day 8: Hike the highest waterfall in Austria https://www.austria.info/us/austria/natural-beauty/krimml-waterfalls to the valley above for a streamside lunch at an alpine hut. 

Day 9: (24 miles & 3,377' - no trains available for shuttle) Today we have a 4-mile climb over Gerlos Pass into the Tirol, a province of Austria.  Here we will experience some of the best hiking the Austrian Alps has to offer. We’ll have a long descent to the Strass Sport & Spa Hotel in stunning Mayrhofen https://www.tyrol.com/places/a-mayrhofen, our luxury base with indoor pool, spas, and relaxing gardens for 4 nights.  

Days 10, 11, & 12:  Mayrhofen is a hikers paradise with a highly developed network of alpine trails and mountain huts https://www.mayrhofen.at/en/. Two cable car stations and the local bus stops are all within 5 minutes of our front door. Also consider rock climbing, mountain biking, paragliding, or doing Via Ferrata. Lots of music, bars and local Tirolean restaurants in this special spot to enjoy.

Day 13: (48 miles & 1,057') We leave Mayrhofen heading north down the Ziller river bikeway then, turn left (west/upstream) at the confluence with the Inn River. We are on riverside bikeways all day! We will ride past the UNESCO World Heritage site the Hall Mint https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5801/ and Swarovski Crystal World en route to our beautifully located Hotel Grauer Bar in Old Town Innsbruck https://www.innsbruck.info/en

Day 14: Enjoy a day sightseeing historic Innsbruck https://www.austria.info/us/where-to-go/cities/innsbruck an important medieval Hapsburg capital and now a thriving university town with wonderful museums, restaurants, walking sights, and a cable car to the hiking trails in mountains above town. https://www.innsbruck.info/en/hiking/tours/tour/innsbrucks-nordkettenbahnen-lifts-and-cable-cars.html

Day 15: Departure Day

RIDE RATING: This ride is rated 2B with an average daily mileage of 38 miles and average daily climbing of 1800 feet on mandatory riding days. Please note the riding days vary greatly in difficulty and the average may not fully communicate the challenge. Of the 5 mandatory riding days the second ride day has many short steep climbs and the third ride day has a long steep climb (4 miles) with pitches of 10% grade. Riders are expected to be comfortable riding on a multitude of surfaces (including cobblestone, compact dirt, and bike paths) along with riding in city traffic.  For those riders wanting more riding and climbing, there are plenty of options on the off days.

ROUTING EXPECTATIONS: Daily RWGPS route maps will be provided online shortly before the tour.  All participants must have the RWGPS app, and must know how to download RWPGS route maps and /or Garmin GPX files to their devices.  Downloaded tour maps will include free turn by turn voice cues (“Voice Navigation”) and the ability to print cues sheets and route maps.  Participants will require only the free ‘Starter‘ RWGPS plan to use RWGPS. 

Many of the 2018, 2019 & 2021 Europe riders preferred downloading the routes and cue sheets files via RWGPS to their smart phones, then saving the files off line. The smart phone screen provides an improved view of where you are on the route, a visual display of Points of Interest, special cafes or rest stops, and hotel addresses & phone numbers. These maps come with screen saving Voice Navigation – bring an earbud!  Participants should have better than average map reading and directional skills.

WEATHER: Riders should plan on cooler morning and evening temperatures along with rain days. Temperatures can range from lows of 47F to highs of 80F. Bring your full rain gear! On this ride, everything in Austria is green for a reason. 

LOGISTICS: Fly into Salzburg airport (SGZ), or into Munich and catch a 2-hour train ride from the Munich airport to Salzburg. Arrival day is Tuesday August 29, 2023. Our hotel is the Holiday Inn Salzburg City, and we will meet at the hotel’s bar at 5:30pm for happy hour and our first meeting, followed by the first night’s group dinner. The ride’s departure day is Tuesday morning September 12, 2023. Departure options include flying from Innsbruck or catching a 1.5-hour train to the Munich airport. Your bike boxes and large luggage will be available to you in Innsbruck or Salzburg at the Holiday Inn hotel.

VAN SUPPORT: The luggage van will transport the luggage and any bike boxes going to Innsbruck. Participants are expected ride the entire route and will be transported only in the case of injury or illness. Riders should be able to handle their own bike repairs - at a minimum how to change a tire.  If you have a major equipment failure, we will assist or direct you to the nearest town with a bike shop.  

LUGGAGE LIMITATIONS:  Luggage size is restricted to TWO CARRY ON PIECES and each piece needs to be under 25 lbs! Carry on means you are able to walk on the plane with your luggage.  However, if you bring your bike and a large piece of luggage, plan on bringing TWO CARRY-ON SIZE DUFFLE BAGS to eliminate the need of using your large piece of luggage during the ride. Your large luggage can be stored in Innsbruck, or secured in the van until your arrival in Innsbruck.

BICYCLES: Your bicycle should have tires that are 28mm or larger in size!!  Smaller size tires are not recommended! Riders in 2018 & 2019 found riding with 23mm or 25mm size tires was very hazardous on wet surfaces and difficult at times on the dirt surfaces. They all agreed larger tires (28 mm) would work well for this ride. You will be riding on all types of surfaces – everything from nice smooth paved bike paths to cobblestone, compact dirt paths, and farm roads, to busy city streets. Bike boxes can be left at the starting hotel in Innsbruck. Tandems and e-bikes are welcome. However, E-bike riders should be experienced riders prior to riding their e-bikes along with knowing the "rules of the road"!  Please call the ride leader if you plan to ride on a tandem.

The ride leader is not aware of any location in Salzburg at which to rent appropriate high-quality bicycles.

LODGING & MEALS: Lodging will be in everything from family-owned hotels to 3 and 4-star hotels. All breakfasts and 10 dinners are included in the cost of the tour. Happy hours will be at the hotel's bar, which will include a glass of house wine or a local beer before each night’s dinner.

COST & ADMINISTRATION: The cost estimate is $2700, which includes 16 days lodging, all breakfasts, 10 dinners, happy hour drinks, Garmin daily GPX files and RWGPS daily route maps comes with full RWGPS voice navigation features for down loading to your GPS devices or phones. Estimated cost is based on an exchange rate of 1 Euro = $1.25. The initial deposit of $1,700 does not include the BAC registration fee of $100 and both will be due upon acceptance to the ride. The second payment of $1000 is due March 15, 2023.  The ride cost does not include transportation to and from any airports, and other types of entertainment – museums, trams or gondola rides.  

SINGLE RIDERS:  Singles are a great addition to a ride, and we welcome them. We do not discourage singles from registering.  However, it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED singles find their own roommate prior to signing up. The Ride Leader will assist single riders by attempting to match other singles who apply for the ride.  When a single rider applies for the ride and if space is available and if the rider is accepted by the ride leader, the single rider will be moved from the Waitlist to the Pending list and instructed to disregard BAC’s automated payment requests.  The ride leader will reserve a spot for the single rider for 45 days or until February 1, 2023 whichever comes first.  If a single roommate is not found in this time frame, the single rider will be moved from the Pending list back to the Waitlist.   

Please Note:  If a single roommate is not found in the time frame and the single rider mistakenly paid the ride deposit, the single rider will be moved from the Participant list to the Waitlist and the single rider will receive a full refund less the BAC fee and credit card fees.  If a roommate is found, both singles riders will then be put on the Pending list and their deposits will be required at that time. 

SOLO RIDERS:  Due to hotel capacities, the ride isn’t accepting solo riders.

CANCELLATION POLICY: 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. 

COVID STATEMENT:  All participants must be fully vaccinated including booster shots if applicable and be prepared to present vaccination documentation for viewing by Ride Leader if requested. 

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 Ride Leader. While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks.  Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour. Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you might have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

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. The policy maintained by BAC does not cover costs associated with self-quarantines that may be government mandated. Members should also ensure that vaccinations are up to date (e.g., COVID, 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. Before participating in any BAC tour, members should review their medical coverage and assess whether what you have is sufficient. If it isn’t, you should purchase additional travel medical coverage.

SIGN-UP: To register for this ride, use the sign-up links above the Ride Description. When you are accepted, the Ride Leader will move you from the Waitlist 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 of $1,700 by credit card. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. BAC members with questions may contact the Ride Leader by "clicking" the name at the top of this Ride Description.