Tag Archives: cycling in Austria

A safe travel guide for solo woman travellers – Scenery, sunshine and saddle bags on the Austrian Lakes – Paris-Orly train transfer tips

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Another all-Australian bloggers round-up this Wednesday, with advice from the ever-practical Jo Karnaghan from Frugal First Class Travel on safe travel for solo women travellers; a report from Carolyn from   Holidays to Europe on her recent cycling tour in a different part of Austria from us; and tips on transferring from Orly airport to various train stations in Paris from A House in France, written by an Aussie couple living in the south of France. Enjoy!

Travelling safely – A guide for solo woman travellers

by Jo Karnaghan from Frugal First Class Travel, an Australian who loves to travel – especially in Europe – and who has gradually learned how to have a First Class trip on an economy budget, without missing out on anything!

travelling_safe_soloOne of my lovely readers, Linda, recently contacted me about hotels in Paris that would be safe for her as a solo traveller.  Now, most of the time I travel in Europe I also travel alone.  It therefore got me thinking about the things I do to make sure I keep myself safe when I’m travelling solo.  Travelling safely is an important travel skill to master, so here are my top tips for safe and confident solo travel:

1.  Pack light

I know, I say this all the time, but packing light is travelling safe.  If you pack lightly you have less stuff to worry about.  On the train, it is easier to keep track of your luggage. Read more

Scenery, sunshine and saddle bags: My Austrian Lakes cycling tour

by Carolyn from Holidays to Europe, an Australian based business passionate about sharing their European travel expertise and helping travellers to experience the holiday in Europe they have always dreamed of

st-gilgenThere are some countries that hold a special place in a traveller’s heart and to me, Austria is one of those places. So what better way to get a closer look at a part of Austria I hadn’t visited before than on a cycling tour? I spent nine fantastic days in July doing just that, discovering some wonderful scenery and an appreciation for ‘slow travel’ along the way.

After comparing a few different itineraries offered by various companies I selected the 9 day Austrian Lakes Hike and Bike tour sold through UTracks in Australia. One of the big sellers for me was the fact that this tour spends two nights at Hallstatt, a town I had long wanted to visit. As the itinerary featured both walking days and cycling days, it also gave me the opportunity to have a ‘rest’ day on the walking days should I decide to. Read more

Paris-Orly train transfer tips

by A House in France – 2 Aussies living part-time in France who share their experiences

Catch the C line to Orly AirportWe had always flown in and out of Paris from Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport until recently.

Our regional train down to our house in central France departs from Gare d’Austerlitz, and on one of our many jaunts through that train station we noticed that there were signs indicating the way to catch a train to Orly airport.

So when we found some cheap flights departing from Orly we thought it would be a good chance to check it out and compare it with the ease of getting to and from CDG. Read more

Cycling along the Danube – the Aussie Cyclists

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Due to our change of plans because of bad weather near Linz a couple of weeks ago and our accommodation problems in Budapest, we have an extra two days after Wachau without any planned accommodation. The weather is looking much more promising and we’re planning to cycle around the S-bend or loop in the Danube between Passau and Linz.

The S-bend from the Donaublick
The S-bend from the Donaublick

We’ve narrowed down the possibilities to a couple of villages. I rule out the large hotel/camping complex in Schlogen and the first gasthaus in Wesenufer is closed no doubt as a result of the flooding. The next gasthof can only accommodate us for one night due to a seminar. So we cross the river to Niederranna where we come across Gasthof Dexler which advertises itself as a radler (cyclists) stop.

Gasthof Draxler from the Danube side
Gasthof Draxler from the Danube side

The young woman who seems to be looking after the restaurant as well says there’s a room vacant for 32 euro per person and I ask to see it. It’s spacious and has two armchairs and a low table.  We later discover it has a terrace. We take it and ask if we can have lunch. As it’s already 2.30 pm, she says there is a small menu only. That’s fine by us.

The Aussie cyclists
The Aussie cyclists

As we walk out onto the terrace along the Danube, a man with an Aussie accent who’s with a group of 8 other cyclists asks me if I speak English. I say that I do. He explains that he has won his bet as the others were remarking on the absence of English speakers in this neck of the woods. “Not only do I speak English, but I’m also an Aussie”, I reply which is greeted with a round of surprised laughter.

River traffic from the restaurant terrace at Gasthof Draxler
River traffic from the restaurant terrace at Gasthof Draxler

I explain that Jean Michel is French and that we live in Paris and that I have been living in France for 37 years. It turns out they all belong to a cycling club near Geelong and are either retired or semi-retired. They’ve just spent two weeks cycling in the Cotswolds in England and have started their Danube trip at Passau that morning. They’re going to Vienna.

The S-bend is on the left of the map
The S-bend is on the left of the map

They’ve organised their trip with an agency that does the hotel bookings, transports their luggage from one stop to the next and plans their route. After lunch, they’re off to visit the Donaublick (lookout over the Danube) which, unfortunately, they don’t find.

Freewheelling from the Atlantic to the Black Sea
Freewheelling from the Atlantic to the Black Sea

Next day, we learn that though they are all Aussies, one comes from the Netherlands, another from Greece and another from the UK. Jean Michel shows them our Eurovelo 6 book so they can see where we’ve been and where we’re going. We highly recommended the Wachau Heritage site we’ve just left.

Jean Michel on the scenic ferry down the loop
Jean Michel on the scenic ferry down the loop

They are off to Linz via the S-bend and tell us about a ferry that their agency has recommended, that offers a very scenic ride through one part of the bend. We decide to include it on our way back.

Perfect weather for cycling around the S-bend
Perfect weather for cycling around the S-bend

The weather is perfect – about 22 or 23°C with bright sun. So much better than the first time we were here. I think of the Aussie cyclists. That is the only problem with a pre-arranged trip – what do you do if it’s cold and rainy?

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