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I'm trying to spy out a holiday for next year.
One option is to look at something like the Innradweg from Maloja to Salzburg.
We would take our time - perhaps a couple of days riding then a day off. We could do a 10 days on route, leaving a 3-4 days days at the end to meet a son in Salzburg and do some days out by train / cable car from there.
Any experiences or advice? Is it a cycle route along a busy valley, or is it nicer than that?
It looks like there's Austrian or German companies who can shuttle us and bikes - but is there an Italian option so we could start in Milan and come up via Garda area for a day?
Other chilled route suggestions welcome - the Romantic Road is another option but seems less scenic and we're suckers for some big mountains...
Also, can you fly with an eBike or are we on the train?
Train I reckon although doesn't @colp have an ebike touring company in Austria?
I *think* @alpin has also done some guiding touring in that area?
I don't know of anyone going Italy to Austria (it's the day job). There are some nicer routes like the Mur Radweg (into Salzburg, bus to St Michael im Lumgau and then cycle down to the Slovenian border at Bad Radkersburg. Train back to Graz, change and fly from Vienna.
There's also a trip from Bodensee to Konigsee allow about 14 days for a relaxed jaunt and then head into Salzburg by bike (easy 1 day ride) for the trip home.
Wouldn't recommend the Danube from Germany to Vienna it can get a bit busy, Vienna to Budapest and onto the Black Sea however is less trafficked.
Salzburg into Italy via Carinthian Lakes and onto Trieste is possible on Alpe Adria path, this is new to me this year.
This of any use?
https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?t=157966&sid=2e3392ebc40c604042a59d3e6ef3b486
Hi Matt, I don't think you can fly with an ebike. You might look into hiring a bike out there. Is this for Mrs OAB? I hate to say it but driving might be easier than taking the train from Scotland. You will definitely be able to hire an ebike in Passau and likely in Salzburg.
I've only done a little of the Innradweg: Passaau -> Braunau and also Imst -> Swiss border. It was perfectly pleasant touring on largely off-road routes. As you say, you're in the valley looking up so not always getting the best views but it is very flat which might be what you want. I've heard that the track in Switzerland is rough in places but that's just hearsay.
If Mrs OAB is on an ebike perhaps hills are not such a big problem? If so I have a couple of suggestions which I think might be nicer.
The Salzkamergut radweg would let you plan a circular route from Salzburg. I'm sure you could work out something to fit your timescales. The countryside is really pretty - almost 'Sound of Music' twee and quite touristy. You'd need to go at the right time of year to avoid the busiest times I think. The lakes and mountains are very picturesque. The cycling is flattish around the lakes with short sharpish ramps as you go from one lake up to the next.
A circular route is logistically easy but my favourite route would be the Alpe Adria radweg from Salzburg to the Adriatic. You then have the issue of getting back to the start though. There's a direct rail connection back from Villach and on the Italian side there are stationsd in Udine and Cervignano and you must be able to get back from them somehow.
Take the route from Salzburg to Zell am Zee via Bad Reichenhall. (From ZaZ you can do a side-trip up the Tauern valley by narrow guage railway to Krimml and cycle back to ZaZ). Then climb up to Bad Gastein (two steep climbs) and take the monorail under the alpine watershed. Then downhill all the way to Villach. From there it's a relatively easy climb to the Italian border at Tarvis and then easily the nicest cycle path I have ever cycled downhill all the way to the Italian plain. From there the route gets a bit more fiddly till Udine - and you can go all the way to the Adriatic if you want. I did Passau->Grado in 6 days (pushing on a bit)
Neither of my suggestions will suit a casual cyclist on an unassisted bike but would be fine on an ebike.
Also Krimml-> ZaZ -> Salzburg -> Passau -> Vienna would be a cracker - but might be too long for your timescales.
Donald
@donald - that's brilliant information to go wade through.
Indeed we're looking for a very laid back tour, mrs_oab health wise and just because why spend 9 hours a day in the saddle when there's ice cream, hills and more to see...? It's a way of moving around nicely, not the end in itself.
Agreed about driving perhaps being easiest, probably even quickest and cheapest way out there with an eBike, and there would be two out and three coming home.