Danube Cycle Path (Austria): which way and when to ride
The best month for Danube Cycle Path (Austria) is September: 77% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September the wind barely favours either direction — on average 1.6 km/h along the route (ERA5 2006–2025, daytime 9:00–18:00).
Weather by month
| Month | Good days | Rain days ≥ 1 mm | Rain, mm | Avg high | Days ≥ 30 °C | Days < 10 °C | Daylight, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5% | 21% | 55 | 3 °C | 0% | 94% | 8.8 † |
| February | 16% | 17% | 41 | 5 °C | 0% | 81% | 10.1 † |
| March | 44% | 20% | 49 | 10 °C | 0% | 50% | 11.8 |
| April | 68% | 23% | 51 | 16 °C | 0% | 19% | 13.6 |
| May | 67% | 33% | 92 | 19 °C | 0% | 2% | 15.2 |
| June | 63% | 28% | 93 | 24 °C | 10% | 0% | 16.1 |
| July | 57% | 27% | 83 | 26 °C | 18% | 0% | 15.7 |
| August | 58% | 25% | 81 | 25 °C | 18% | 0% | 14.3 |
| September | 77% | 21% | 79 | 20 °C | 2% | 1% | 12.5 |
| October | 71% | 18% | 54 | 14 °C | 0% | 17% | 10.7 † |
| November | 28% | 17% | 48 | 8 °C | 0% | 69% | 9.1 † |
| December | 5% | 19% | 50 | 4 °C | 0% | 94% | 8.3 † |
Best months are all months within 3 percentage points of the best one. † less than 11 hours of daylight — long stages get tight.
Wind by month
| Month | Wind Passau → Berg (Slovak border), km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Passau → Berg (Slovak border) | Headwind > 15 km/h, Berg (Slovak border) → Passau | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +4.3 | 3% | 21% | Passau → Berg (Slovak border) |
| February | +3.4 | 5% | 19% | Passau → Berg (Slovak border) |
| March | +3.0 | 6% | 18% | Passau → Berg (Slovak border) |
| April | +1.7 | 6% | 13% | either |
| May | +1.4 | 7% | 12% | either |
| June | +2.4 | 3% | 10% | Passau → Berg (Slovak border) |
| July | +4.6 | 1% | 14% | Passau → Berg (Slovak border) |
| August | +2.4 | 1% | 8% | Passau → Berg (Slovak border) |
| September | +1.6 | 4% | 11% | either |
| October | +1.3 | 5% | 11% | either |
| November | +1.6 | 4% | 13% | either |
| December | +3.3 | 4% | 16% | Passau → Berg (Slovak border) |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | SE | +1.5 |
| 25–51 | SE | +1.5 |
| 51–76 | SE | +1.6 |
| 76–101 | E | +1.6 |
| 101–126 | SE | +1.6 |
| 126–151 | E | +1.6 |
| 151–176 | E | +1.8 |
| 176–202 | NE | +1.5 |
| 202–227 | NE | +0.3 |
| 227–252 | E | +2.0 |
| 252–277 | E | +2.0 |
| 277–302 | SE | +1.8 |
| 302–328 | SE | +1.9 |
| 328–353 | E | +1.6 |
| 353–358 | SE | +1.9 |
How to read the numbers
Wind is the 10 m wind of a 25-km grid cell, daytime hours 9:00–18:00 local solar time; at saddle height in a sheltered valley it is weaker, on a coast or ridge stronger. A positive value is a tailwind. ERA5 slightly over-counts days with ≥ 1 mm of rain (by about 5–7 percentage points) and underestimates daily highs by 1–2 °C. Good day = less than 1 mm of rain between 9:00 and 18:00 (riding hours, local solar time) and a high between 10 and 30 °C; rain at night or in the evening does not spoil it.
OpenStreetMap · Waymarked Trails · Start / Finish: www.austria.info