Salzburg Double Loop - Seven Lakes

† 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

Think of yourself singing the Sound of Music with Julie Andrews as you ride around Salzburg's beautiful lakes and mountains.  Our first loop follows the Salzach (‘salt’) River south and upstream through steep canyons to the green alpine pastures of the beautiful upper Pinzgau valley at the foot of Austria’s Hohe Taurn National Park, the largest alpine national park in the world. There is a lot do here from hiking up Europe’s highest waterfall Krimml Falls, taking scenic gondola rides to high alpine trails, lazy lakeside rides around or paddle boating on stunning Lake Zell am See, or doing the iconic Grossglockner High Alpine road climb.  When we move on it’s north to Salzburg following a broad agricultural valley with dairy cows grazing on the hillsides.

Our next loop is quite different as for the next 8 days we are riding in the Lake districts.  We’ll enjoy refined lakeside cycle paths, gently rolling hills, quiet towns and lakeshores dotted with picturesque waterfront villages. Still on the salt trail, we’ll visit the world’s oldest salt mine and spend over a day in exquisite Hallstatt dubbed “the most Instagrammable town in the world.”  We’ll continue our ride around beautiful lakes and more lakes, then return to our comfortable Salzburg lodgings and a final dinner under the chestnut trees.

The Ride Director led this ride in 2018 & 2022. If interested you might wish to  check out photos and the Tripper Report from the 2018 version of this tour - see under “Past Rides” on the BAC homepage. 

Itinerary (the tour starts in Salzburg Austria Sep.10 2024 and ends in Salzburg Sep.26, 2024)

Day 1:  We meet for Happy Hour at the Salzburg Holiday Inn at 5:30 pm followed by our group dinner.  

Day 2: Rest day in Salzburg to adjust to jet lag, put your bikes together, stroll pedestrianized cobble streets near the hotel, do a Rick Steve’s walking tour, check out some Salzburg festival music and/or join us on a ride along the river then past very steep mountains, an avenue of Palaces (‘Schlosses’) and a traditional Aisbeer garden.

Day #3 We ride out of Salzburg on the Taurn radweg following the Salzach river upstream through canyons and gorges to the quiet riverside town of Sankt. Johann im Pongau.

Day #4 takes us to the Kaprun Valley for three days of nonstop natural alpine beauty and optional rides, hikes, lakeside cycle paths and mountainside gondolas. 

On Day #7 we ride through an agricultural valley with an impressive cave network Lamprecht Hole to visit and a revered pilgrimage church on the hillsides route to the tiny town of Lofer, headquarters of fine chocolate makers Berger Feinste.

 Day #8 We’ll ride back to our Salzburg hotel from the west past the Salzburg airport and Red Bull’s Hangar 7 Aviation Museum.

Day #9 This is a beautiful ride out of Salzburg easterly into the lakes district followed by two nights in the charming Mozart village St Gilgen on Lake Wolfgangsee.

Day #11 Today’s ride is a flat and follows a string of pretty lakes crisscrossed by ferries then on to our Obertraun cabins on the shore of Lake Hallstattersee in the Hallstatt UNESCO World Heritage region for two nights.

Day #13 We ride to the town of Ebensee located at the south end of stunning Lake Traunsee, an 8-mile-long fjord-like lake cut through a mountain range.

Day #14 Today we ride partway up the west side of Lake Traunsee then across to the more pastoral west side of Lake Attersee. 

Day #15 Our ride takes us along the shores of 5 lakes to another quiet country hotel in Seeham overlooking Lake Obertraunsee. 

Day #16 Sadly we have to ride back to Salzburg for our final group dinner – a short ride leaving plenty of time to pack up bikes. 

Day #17 This tour ends on Tuesday Sep. 26, 2024 after breakfast

 RIDE RATING:  The ride is rated a 2B! with an average distance of 33 miles and 1,756’ of elevation on 10 required move days.  There is one 3B ride at 44 miles and 2,518’ elevation.  The “!”Alert Icon is warning you that road surfaces on this ride are quite varied. You will be riding on all types of surfaces – everything from smooth paved bike paths to cobblestone to slate stone to compact dirt paths to short single-track paths across farmers’ fields to farm roads and city streets. Riders are expected to be comfortable riding on a multitude of surfaces along with riding in city traffic in and out of Salzburg.  Participants should have better than average map reading and directional skills. 

 LOGISTICS:  Our tour starts on Tuesday Sep.10 2024 at the Holiday Inn City Centre, Salzburg with a 5:30 pm Happy Hour and initial meet followed by a group dinner nearby.  Transportation options include flying into Salzburg airport (SGZ) or into Munich International airport (MUC) then take a 2-1/2 hour train from MUC terminal to Salzburg train station for ~€35. There are no hotel airport shuttles however a taxi from the Salzburg airport takes less than 15 minutes, and from the train station less than 10 minutes.

At the end of the tour, we return to Salzburg Holiday Inn on Day #16 and our tour ends on the morning of Thursday Sep. 26 after breakfast.

 LODGING & MEALS: Lodgings cover the range from a five-bedroom resort cabin to family-owned hotels to 3- and 4-star hotels. All breakfasts are included along with 10 group dinners which 8 are included in the hotel roomrate.  Happy hours will be at the hotel's bar, which will include a glass of house wine or a local beer or soft drink 

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

VAN SUPPORT:  We will have a luggage van, to transport luggage.  Participants are expected to ride the entire route and will be transported only in the case of injury or illness.  Each rider is expected to load and unload their own luggage each day and to help the driver whenever possible.

LUGGAGE:  Luggage is restricted two carry on pieces each under 25 lbs.  If you travel with a bike box and a large suitcase, you’ll need to bring along two duffle bags to transfer items from your large suitcase into your two duffle bags.  Your large suitcase can be stored at the Salzburg hotel.

BIKES AND BIKE RENTALS

Bikes: We recommend a minimum 28 mm tire size and portable fenders for the wet days.  All riders must bring a lock (if possible, a combination lock) for their bikes. Smaller tires are strongly strongly discouraged: 2018 riders found riding with 23mm or 25mm tires very hazardous on wet surfaces and difficult at times on the dirt surfaces.  They all agreed cross bikes would work well for this ride.  You will be riding on all types of surfaces – everything from smooth paved bike paths to cobblestone to compact dirt paths to short single-track paths across farmers’ fields to farm roads and city streets.  Riders are responsible for their own bike repairs and at a minimum must be able to change their own tire.  

Tandems and pedal assist E-bikes are welcome on this tour. 

Bike Boxes: We are allowed to store our bike boxes at our Holiday Inn City Centre Salzburg hotel.

Bike Rentals are the responsibility of the participant. All rental contracts will be between the participant and the rental company. 

 Cue sheets, maps, GPS files

RWGPS routes will be provided approximately 1 month prior to the start of the tour. Participants will receive an email containing a link to the EVENT file. Participants will need to have downloaded (at the minimum) the free version of the RWGPS app to receive the voice turn-by-turn directions. RWGPS can be run on a Garmin device and/or smartphone. Participants wanting cue sheets will need to print their own from the file provided. 

 Cost & Administration The tour cost is $2900. The price does not include airfare, transportation to/from airport, extra nights in the hotel, lunches and other optional food along the routes, museum admission or tour charges or the cost of a rental bike.

The cost is based on an exchange rate of €1 = $1.20 USD. The $1,800 deposit is due within 7 days of being accepted onto the ride. The second payment of $900 is due January 15th, 2024, and the third payment of $200 is due April 30th, 2024. The third payment may be adjusted depending upon the USD/Euro currency exchange rate. After being moved onto the tour Pending List, participants have 1 week to pay their deposit. If they have not paid their deposit within 1 week they will be removed from the Pending List and put back onto the Waitlist. 

 ETIAS Pre Screening

Effective May 2023 travelers to Europe must complete the new mandatory pre-screening security questionnaire ETIAS. Without ETIAS approval, travelers from the US, Canada, and many other countries will not be able to book travel into Europe. The program will have a 180-day introductory grace period but will be mandatory by 2024. Approvals can be issued quickly and once issued are valid for 3 years. ETIAS applications can be completed online here:  https://etias.com/etias-application

 COVID Requirements

Vaccinations for Covid are recommended, but not required.

Participants are expected to come to the tour in good health and ready to ride. Prior to the final payment for the tour, an infectious disease plan will be developed and communicated. The plan will identify possible actions for dealing with persons with an infectious disease on the tour that could affect their ability to ride or the health of others in the group. The plan will include items such as isolation protocols, testing, masking, distancing, and leaving the tour.

Singles & Solos Policy

Due to limited hotel capacity, this tour is not able to accept solo riders.

Singles are a great addition to a ride, and they are most welcome to join. However, it is highly recommended that singles find their own roommate prior to signing up. The Ride Leader will assist in matching up singles who apply for the ride. 

If a single rider applies for the ride and there is space available and the rider is accepted by the Ride Leader, they will be moved from the Waitlist to the Pending list and instructed to disregard BAC’s automated payment requests. The Ride Leader will then reserve a spot for the single rider for 14 days. 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.   If a roommate is found, both single riders will then be put on the Pending list and their deposits and all other payments due will be required at that time.

 Cancellation Policy

The BAC Ride Registration Fee and Payment Processing Fees are not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled because the number of participants registered is less than the minimum established for the tour. Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs onto the tour and what costs 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 cannot 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 additional costs incurred by a single occupying a double room. 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 Leader. While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean up. We ask all participants not to 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.

Medical Coverage

Before participating in any BAC tour, you should assess whether your medical and travel insurance coverage is sufficient. BAC maintains insurance that covers expenses related to accidents, medical emergencies such as sudden and unexpected sickness, and repatriation. This coverage applies when touring outside the US, regardless of your nationality. It will cover you door-to-door for a maximum of 90 days but will expire if you make a side trip not related to the BAC tour for more than 7 days before or after. There is limited coverage for a family member to join a covered person in an emergency. The policy covers the cost of treatment for Covid and other unexpected illnesses, but not quarantine. You should ensure that your vaccinations are up to date.

Sign-up To register for this ride, use the sign-up links just above the Ride Description. After preliminary acceptance, you will be moved to the pending list and receive an email requesting you to go back to the BAC site to digitally accept the terms of the Release of Liability (ROL) and pay the Tour Deposit and non-refundable BAC Ride Registration Fee 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 Director by "clicking" the name at the top of this Ride Description.