The Danube Cycle Path (Budapest - Belgrade) leads to the Danube of Budapest above Osijek to Belgrade.
The bikeline guides offer good maps and GPS routes. There is also the map set from Kartographie Huber, which covers the entire Danube Cycle Path.
getting there
You can get here by train or plane. There are also long-distance buses, but they are a bit cumbersome when you take your bike with you. Tip for rail transport: Pack bicycles in a bicycle bag, then they count as luggage and not as bicycles. Firstly, this saves costs and, secondly, it has the advantage that if you missed the connection you do not have to wrestle about a new reservation to take the two-wheeler with you. This can be problematic in summer. The trains rarely have enough bike capacity. The bike packsacks are then additional luggage, but can also be used as pillows.
There have recently been regional trains with bicycle spaces in Serbia. This allows you to cover the route Subotica (border with Hungary) - Novi Sad - Belgrade. If you want to go further from / to Budapest, you may have to cross the border on the road and then find trains from Kelebia in the direction of Budapest (or the opposite direction) that take bicycles with you.
Here we go
Take care of your bicycles to secure them from theft.
It must be said that Budapest still makes a great impression, but it looks different in the surrounding area or the rest of the country. If you drive further south, you will see few modern bikes. In contrast, in many places rubbish on the roadsides and land that is for sale. Incidentally, the paths are better than you would expect. The signage is also good. In Hungary there are often blue "hydrants" on the side of the road. From this you can - at your own risk - supply yourself with drinking water.
Budapest - Croatian border
The route is flat, well signposted (also with mileage information) and there are always shopping opportunities along the way. The prices are cheap. Paying with euros in Hungary always brings with it a bad exchange rate. They are also not taken everywhere, so it is better to change more from the beginning and then change them later to Kuna (Croatia) or Dinar (Serbia). The people are nice and say hello. In many places the horn is also honored. Sometimes because you are disturbing, but mainly to warn: attention, here I come.
Driving route along the left bank of the Danube:Dunaharaszti - Dömsöd - Dunavecse - Solt - Kalocsa - Baja - Újmohács - (ferry)
Further on the right bank of the Danube:Mohács - border at Udvar.
Detour Croatia
Actually, you could stubbornly follow the Danube and go straight to Serbia, but since Croatia is so close, we take it under our wheels. Osijek and Vukovar are the two more important metropolises on the Drava (Duna) that we visit. However, the hilly country begins from the border and you have to reckon with some inclines from now on. When you cycle through this region, you will also notice, in addition to the inclines, that the people here are very welcoming (and often for a few years in Germany spent). In addition, one cannot help but notice the remains of the war. On the one hand, there are shot-up facades, but also (half) abandoned villages. Nevertheless, you also notice that there is money for road construction. Something's going on. Campsites are now in short supply and it is better to prepare for wild camping.
Incidentally, you don't meet too many cyclists on this section. Only the more daring seem to have ventured this far.
Croatian border - Serbia
Croatia and Serbia will no longer become friends in this life. That is roughly the essence of the Croatian and Serbian statements that I have spoken. And one really wonders how it held these different parts of the country together as Yugoslavia for so long. Attention, the characters change here, but the essentials are written twice.
Everything is a bit cheaper in Serbia, and the euro is readily accepted. Nevertheless, it is better to pay in local currency. The prices are even cheaper here than in previous countries and you can tell that this country has a different standard. And yet I was never ripped off, although you could often have taken twice that without my noticing it. The signage is good and the bike paths can be made with any type of bike.
About Belgrade
Belgrade is a big city. Here you will also find everything your heart desires. It can't keep up with Vienna and Budapest. On the other hand, it is clearer and those who follow the Danube may not be too keen on city breaks. Anyone who needs repairs to their two-wheelers here will find bike shops in the center. For more exotic work there is the luxury shop “Planetbike” in Novi-Belgrade.
security
We were neither stolen nor betrayed. That actually throws a positive light on the Balkans. Still, I heard quite a few stories that were less beautiful. Bicycle theft see above, dogs. Wild dogs are really not uncommon here, but seem almost the rule here. However, I hadn't had any bad experiences so far. Some dogs just belong in the cemetery or a restaurant or a crossbreed. They can also be stroked and of course like to be fed, but they don't belong to anyone. If a dog barks, just keep going. In a few cases, pepper spray can be useful when the dogs get very close.
Go on
Rail connections within Serbia are not substantially expanded. Here you travel a lot by road, in other words: by bus. If you want to take a bus from Belgrade, you can buy a ticket at the bus station (next to the main train station). However, bike difficulties are also common here. You first have to discuss with the rider how much he'll take for the bike, if he'll take it with him at all.
Practical advice
Many people in Budapest speak English well. In the rest of Hungary it was not uncommon for German to be spoken as well. Understanding is actually not a problem on this basis.
