, but I was completely on my own for the entire ride. And I discovered that the organized, self-guided bike tour was a perfect ride for solo female travelers.
There are designated bike paths most of the way, very little car traffic , plenty of delicious Austrian food and beer, vineyards, villages, kind and curious locals, and, if you hit it right, sunshine. It was 75 degrees and sunny every single day on my mid-April tour. The magnolias were in full bloom, tourist season was just around the corner, and local businesses were open and excited to welcome cyclists.
The route is mostly flat, as it follows the Danube River, so I chose a hybrid touring bike , but electric bikes are also available. [A touring bike is a bike made specifically for bike tours that’s usually extra comfortable, and a hybrid bike is a blend of a road bike and a mountain bike that can usually tolerate a wider range of conditions—so a hybrid touring bike is all of those things.