The Czech Republic, Germany & Austria​

You depart from the U.S. for the Czech Republic. The particulars of your arrival overseas are detailed with your flight itinerary and airline tickets.

Upon arrival at the Prague airport, claim your luggage and clear customs. If your luggage is lost, you must fill out a PIR form before leaving the customs area. VBT representatives are not allowed into the customs area. Also, make sure that your VBT luggage tags are attached to your bags so that your representative can identify you.

Upon leaving customs, enter the arrival hall and look for your VBT representative, who will be holding a VBT sign. Your representative welcomes you to Prague and helps you transfer via taxi or van (approximately 30 minutes, depending upon traffic) to your Prague hotel.  (Note: At this time, please verify with your VBT representative the time of your transfer from your Vienna hotel to the Vienna airport at the end of your trip.) If your VBT representative is not immediately in sight, there is a “Meeting Point Column” just outside of the Arrivals gate.  Please wait there, as the VBT representative may be transferring with an earlier arrival. She should arrive within 30 minutes of your scheduled arrival.

If you arrive early, your hotel room may not be available until 1 p.m. You may store your luggage with the Reception Desk. The rest of the day is free to relax or explore the city with your included 1-day Prague Transportation Pass.

VBT provides you with City Information in your Final Travel Booklet that includes information and recommendations on what to see and do during your stay in Prague.

At 8:30 am, all guests meet the VBT representative at the hotel in Prague and transfer to Cesky Krumlov in the south of the Czech Republic (approximately 3 hours including a stop on the way). Our hotel in Prague is the Mamaison Hotel Riverside Prague (address: Janáckovo nábreží 15 – Prague 5 – phone + 420 225 994 611). Meet your Trip Leaders during our stop en route.

Cesky Krumlov is a unique town in Bohemia, built in the protection of a curve of the river Vltava. The historical center has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992. In Cesky Krumlov, meet our local guide, Standa, and follow him for a short walking tour and introduction to Czech life. Get some tips from Standa on finding a restaurant for lunch on your own.

At 2:00 pm, check in at the beautiful Cesky Krumlov Hotel. Settle in, and then join your Trip Leaders for a safety and bike-fitting session, followed by a warm-up ride around the city. Later, gather with the group for a welcome cocktail reception and to have dinner at the hotel restaurant.

After breakfast, we will cycle through a beautiful and conserved landscape to Plav, a typical little Bohemian village on the banks of a small river. Lunch today is hosted by a local family, allowing us to get a real feel for Czech daily life. On the way, we take the opportunity to stop in the quiet countryside at Zlatá Koruna, one of the best-preserved Gothic monasteries in Bohemia. If you like, board the VBT shuttle to avoid pedaling the few small hills.

Return to the hotel in time to visit a gem of Cesky Krumlov, the Rosemberg family chateau, on an included walking tour. Its preserved Baroque theater and original stage are still used for Baroque opera performances three times a year. Afterward, continue exploring the city center, discovering examples of Baroque, Renaissance and Gothic architecture, and find a restaurant where you may enjoy dinner on your own.

In the morning, travel by train through the Sumava National Park to Nova Pec, not far from the German border. Take an amazing bike ride through a beautiful forest, far from traffic and villages. At Nove Udoli, walk across the border. This border crossing was closed in 1945 and reopened some time ago for pedestrians and bicycles only.

Across the border, begin cycling in Bavaria on a downhill stretch of former railway track. Bavaria is among Europe's most beautiful and serene cycling areas. On your way, stop at a Bavarian tavern for a typical lunch, prepared by the owner-family. Continue cycling to Waldkirchen, where you shuttle or bike to the historic Baroque city of Passau, which is situated at the confluence of three rivers: the Danube, Inn and Ilz. Tonight, enjoy dinner at the hotel restaurant, right on the romantic Danube River.

Enjoy a leisurely cycle along the River Inn, the frontier between Germany and Austria. Start by following the German bike path. At Neuhaus, cross the river to the Austrian town of Schärding with its colorful, Baroque-style burgher houses on the two town squares. After exploring Schärding, return to Passau. En route, stop for a delicious picnic lunch on the river's opposite bank, where the Neuberg fortress looms. Use the rest of the afternoon to look around Passau and shop the flea market and antique shops. You might choose to visit magnificent St. Stephen's Cathedral. Dinner is on your own tonight; you'll find that Passau offers many dining choices.

Start your day with a boating adventure on the most popular river route in Europe. Cruise through the famous Schlögener Schlinge in Austria, where the Danube snakes through steep, forested mountains in a series of sharp and scenic, serpentine bends. Silence surrounds you, except for the occasional hum of passing barges. (Note: In October, cruising is not available and is replaced by a coach transfer.)

Begin cycling at Schlögen towards Aschach, where you stop for lunch on your own. Continue through a beautiful forested region, then follow the Danube bike path to Ottensheim, renowned for its hilltop castle, before we conclude our ride in Linz. Here, we transfer by private motorcoach to our hotel at Weissenkirchen. The village is dominated by St. Michael's Church, which dates to 987. There are also many Renaissance buildings with romantic inner courtyards. One of them houses our charming, family-run hotel. Many vinegut (winemakers) and wine cellars call Weissenkirchen home and are located in beautiful, ancient manor houses. Have a famous young heuriger wine in one of the taverns. Later, gather for a group dinner in a typical local Austrian guesthouse.

In the morning, cycle through the Wachau Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to Melk. The Wachau is one of Austria's most striking landscapes, featuring a mix of hillside orchards and vineyards among ruined castles, abbeys and churches. In Melk, take an included, guided tour of the spectacular Benedictine Abbey, one of Europe's largest Baroque monasteries. Eat lunch on your own, perhaps in the abbey gardens, before cycling along the Danube to the lovely village of Spitz. From Spitz, cycle back to Weissenkirchen and maybe opt to continue farther to Dürnstein, where Richard the Lionhearted was kept prisoner in 1193. Tonight's farewell dinner is in a local restaurant within a private, ancient winepress room.

After breakfast, transfer to Vienna, arriving at approximately 10:30 a.m.

VBT No-Air Package guests: Your tour ends at the Hotel Stefanie in Vienna. Important: Train departures from Vienna prior to 11 a.m. are not recommended. If you depart earlier, you are responsible for your own transfer arrangements from the last hotel in Weissenkirchen. A taxi ride to the Vienna train station costs approximately €15/22 USD (approximately 20 minutes). A taxi ride to the Vienna airport costs approximately €30/45 USD (approximately 40 minutes).

VBT Air Package & Post Trip Extension guests: Your room at Hotel Stefanie may not be available until 1:00 pm, but you can leave your luggage with the Reception Desk. VBT provides City Information in your Final Travel Booklet containing recommendations for cafés, restaurants, museums and transportation. The rest of the day is free for you to explore Vienna. Your hotel is located near the historic “Inner Ring” in the Old Town; many of the Old World palaces and concert halls are easily accessible.

After breakfast*, transfer to the Vienna airport (approximately 30 minutes) for your departing flight**. Please note: Ensure that you are ready in the hotel reception area at the designated time. VBT recommends that you check your transfer time in your “Transfer Reminder” or with the hotel's reception desk the night before your flight.

*Please note: For guests with early-morning departures, breakfast at the hotel may not be available. Please check with the Front Desk to verify the times that breakfast is served.

**Please note: VBT transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport will be at your own expense.