FAQ - Travelling by ship

The MS Primadonna has two accessible cabins on the promenade deck and two on the upper deck. These cabins have two separate beds and, thanks to the positioning of the beds, offer more space to move around. The bathroom has grab rails that guests can use for support, and a shower stool is also available on request from reception for the entire duration of the trip.

The upper and promenade decks as well as the open deck are accessible by lift or stair lift (open deck).

Manual wheelchairs can be used on board without any problems; electric wheelchairs: can be taken on board up to a maximum weight of 35 kg; these can be used individually for shore excursions (without bus), but not on board (storage in the cabin). Manual wheelchairs are available for hire for getting around the ship (free of charge, advance booking required; only a deposit is required at reception).

Individual journey to the embarkation point. Details such as boarding time and place can be found in the arrival information which you will receive approx. 4 weeks before arrival.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to transfer your own bikes. You must bring your bike to the boat yourself and then ride to the car park. From there, there is a passenger transfer.
For the return transfer at the end of the cruise, you can first take the bus to the car park and then collect your own bikes from the ship by car.

Online booking

On each tour page you have the option of making your booking online by clicking on "Book tour". The calendar displayed informs you about the available dates for the respective tour. If you book via our homepage, your booking will be transferred directly to our computerised system and we grant an internet discount of € 10 per person.

Booking by telephone

We are happy to take your booking by telephone on 0043 732 2080 or 0800 100 11 47 (free of charge from Germany).

Booking by e-mail or post

Send your booking by e-mail to info@donautouristik.com or by post to Donau Touristik GmbH, Lederergasse 4-12, 4010 Linz.

We need the following data from you for a booking

• Name of the trip/travel number
• If applicable, the desired category
• date of travel
• Contact details of the person making the booking, including telephone number and e-mail address (if available)
• First name and surname of fellow travellers
• Accommodation (double/single/triple/quadruple room)
• Catering (breakfast/half board/demi-half board)
• Rental bike or own bike (type of bike + respective body size of the travellers)
• Information on whether additional nights are required
• Information whether return transfer by train/bus is desired

Furthermore, please indicate any special features and requests for your desired trip when booking. For example: separate beds in the double room, food intolerances, thicker tyres on your own bike and much more. This enables us to clarify your wishes in advance with the hotels or various partners.

Booking confirmation

Once a booking has been made, we will confirm it within approx. 7 days by e-mail or via our customer portal and request a 10% deposit. There are no booking fees. All general information is enclosed with the booking confirmation. If the desired date, category, room, hire bike etc. is not possible, we will contact you to clarify any outstanding questions.

Please understand that in exceptional cases, due to high demand, it may take a little longer to process your booking.

Extensive hot and cold breakfast buffet including juices and coffee.

3-course menu of your choice at lunchtime.
On cycle cruises, a packed lunch is available to pick up at breakfast. You are also welcome to eat lunch on board, but you must make an appointment with the service staff the evening before.

Coffee and cake with pastries in the afternoon.

4-course menu of your choice in the evening.

Midnight snack

Special requests: If you notify us in advance (at least 3 weeks before arrival), we can offer a vegan/lactose-free lunch/dinner menu. Allergens are indicated on the menus on board. Other requests/diets cannot be accommodated. Except for themed cruises such as the Ganslfahrt, where a menu is provided in advance on our website.

Not included in the cruise price: Beverages – these are charged to your cabin number and must be paid for at the end of the cruise. Beverage packages are not offered.

Our hotel manager and his colleagues at reception are always available to answer your questions.

Duty-free in the EU (as of 02/2026):

200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250 g of tobacco and 4 litres of wine or 1 litre of spirits with an alcohol content of more than 22% vol. or 2 litres of spirits with an alcohol content of less than 22% vol.

All information is provided without guarantee. Please note that customs regulations are subject to change at any time. Please contact the relevant authority if necessary!

Do I have to cycle all the stages?

You can decide each day whether you want to cycle or take a break. Please inform the service staff in advance if you are staying on board for lunch.

The fitness levels and the quality of the cycle paths and local signposting are indicated for each tour.

Fitness levels 1 - 5:

1 = Easy to cycle, suitable for everyone
2 = Easy routes, can be mastered with little effort
3 = For "leisure cyclists" with normal fitness, occasional stages with inclines
4 = Slightly more challenging routes, for cyclists with average fitness
5 = For active cyclists with several hilly stages. Basic fitness required!

Quality of cycle paths and signposting 1 - 5:

1 = Route often runs on public roads, with some sections experiencing heavier traffic

2 = Partially on roads with motor vehicle traffic, route is partly hilly

3 = Standard cycle path with good signage, often separated from the road, completely flat; intersections with many cycle routes to choose from, orientation can be difficult

4 = Mostly car-free, beautiful route through stunning landscapes, very good signage

5 = Excellent, almost completely car-free, excellent signage, truly unique landscape experiences

Rental helmets cannot be provided, but helmets can be purchased on board (subject to availability).

InAustria, children under the age of 12 are required to wear helmets, but not high-visibility vests. Adults are not obliged to wear a helmet, but are encouraged to set an example. There is currently a 0.8 per mille limit for cyclists.

In Slovakia, helmets are generally compulsory for cyclists under the age of 15. Outside built-up areas, all cyclists must wear a helmet and high-visibility waistcoat (a high-visibility waistcoat must generally be worn in poor visibility).

Helmets are not yet compulsory in Hungary  and Serbia, but high-visibility waistcoats must be worn in poor visibility.

Here you will find an overview of all the discounts we can offer you. From group discounts, early booking and internet discounts to discounts for children.

Further information on discounts can be found on the respective tour page.

Bei GPS – Data funktioniert die Verlinkung zu Komoot nicht. 

Casual. No evening wear necessary. You are welcome to enter the restaurant in casual attire (no evening dress required, no suit or tie required).

On selected days, a light ‘Danube Awakening’ exercise class is offered free of charge in the morning, so please bring light sportswear with you if necessary.

You must always carry a valid travel document such as a passport or identity card (driving licence is not sufficient). Further information can be found at www.bmeia.gv.at.

Passengers WITHOUT a valid passport may be refused boarding by the ship's command. In particular, the Serbian authorities, as a non-EU country, will not accept entry WITHOUT a valid passport and the traveller will be forced to leave the ship. In the worst case, the entire ship may be detained.

Take advantage of the low package price and book the excursion package in advance (possible up to 10 days before arrival) to guarantee your place! Depending on availability, only individual services from the package can be booked on board.

On-Board Languages: German & English

Language for land programmes: German and/or English, depending on availability.

Neuer Punkt – Check-in

Please refer to your arrival information for check-in times, as these vary depending on the trip.

When checking in on board, please have the following ready/note the following:

• Completed guest form per person
• Valid passport/identity card
• For cycling cruises only: If you have your own e-bikes, please remove the battery for charging/discharging on board.
• Please attach the luggage tag to your luggage immediately upon receipt.

It is generally possible to bring your own bike; please note: this is at your own risk. No liability is accepted for damage to the bike or in the event of loss/theft.

Please remove the battery when loading and unloading your own e-bike. We recommend that you label both the battery and the charger with a name sticker.

Cash, credit card (Mastercard, VISA, no Diners Club) or EC card.

Payment by bank transfer

Payment by credit card

Payment at the customer centre in Linz/Danube

Pets are not allowed on board.

You will find information on bike collection times in the daily programme on board.

The seat in the restaurant is allocated for all meals. This remains the same table for the entire journey. On the day of arrival, the service manager is available for table reservations and requests.

To ensure smooth processing with customs, port and border authorities, we require the identity document details of each participant. 

If you have not yet provided us with this information, please send it to us using the following form:

www.passdaten.donautouristik.com

If several participants are travelling together, please simply forward the form. 

It is not necessary to submit one collective entry per booking, but rather one per participant.

If you have any problems with the form, please send the data by e-mail to: primadonna@donautouristik.com

Smoking is permitted on the open deck or in the allocated areas. Smoking is strictly forbidden on the balcony of the cabins.

If not included in the tour price, DB train tickets can be issued for an additional charge of €106 for a return trip, 2nd class with a specific train connection. If included, these can be booked up to 4 weeks before arrival (with a specified train connection for arrival and departure). These are only valid from the nearest long-distance train station (= with ICE, IC, EC); seat reservations included. ÖBB tickets are valid from all stations in Austria (e.g. from Linz or Vienna to Bregenz and back for €95, 2nd class with free choice of train within the desired day of travel).

Be sure to allow sufficient time for your train journey, as delays are possible in some cases. You should choose your connection so that you arrive at the port in good time, at the latest 1 hour before departure or, in Passau, 1 hour before the transfer. Please note that you are responsible for arriving at the port on time. For your departure, please choose connections no earlier than 3 hours after the scheduled arrival, as disembarkation and travel to the station will take some time.

Distance tours

Star cycle tours

Cruises

Cycle cruises

Winter holidays

You will receive your information pack, consisting of a guest sheet, deck plan and arrival information, approximately 3 weeks before arrival in your customer portal. You will receive all other travel documents directly on board. These include the service list with cabin number, luggage loops for transport to/from the cabin, bike book (for bike cruises), colourful ribbon for bike identification (for bike cruises).

Please note that our cycle cruises are not guided cycle tours, but there are tour briefings with our expert on board every evening (if the next day is a cycling day).