Comments on the Alpe Adria Route in Austria:

We cycled from Hallein, just a few k south of Salzburg to the border of Austria (Coccau).

(1) First, signage in Austria is excellent. While we always navigate using Komoot, the signs were good enough that you could probably do the route without following any kind of map. It is helpful to know the small towns you are planning to go through, because lots of times the signs refer to the upcoming village.  

(2) Second, the condition of the route is very good and not difficult. For example, while there was plenty of gravel, there was never any difficult single track (unlike on the Austrian slow bike tour that we did prior to hitting the Alpe Adria trail).  It would be feasible to do this on a road bike because the gravel is in good condition and generally lasts for fairly short stretches. Much of the route is on grade-separated cycle paths and small non-trafficked roads. The one exception is the stretch between Golling and Werfen, which always gets a lot of discussion because there is no separate bike path and you have to ride on the highway for almost 18 K. From Golling heading south until Pass Lueg/Salzachklamm (3 to 4 k) the ride is still on a cycle trail for most of the time but on the opposite side of the highway; there are two points where you actually have to cross the highway to stay on the cycle trail which means scooting across fast moving traffic with limited site distance.

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After the Salzachklamm there is an ugly stretch of about 7 k where the ride is on the highway, with no shoulder.  (This is due to the fact that the ride is through a narrow valley with no extra space.). The saving grace is that the drivers are polite and used to dealing with cyclists. The car traffic is not allowed to pass, so at least we didn’t have to worry about oncoming traffic. After 7 k the road widens a bit to allow a 4 ft shoulder, which was slightly easier, although at that point drivers are allowed to pass. The traffic when we rode was medium and steady and not too bad. So, any experienced touring cyclist will not find this stretch bad, although I am not sure I would suggest riding it with underage kids. (There is a train, which is often suggested as an alternative).

The other time there was a requirement to ride on the highway followed train disembarkation in Mallnitz. It’s a long pleasant descent but no shoulder and some fast-moving traffic.

In terms of difficulty of climbing the only markedly difficult pitch was climbing out of Bad Gastein (heading south) towards Bockstein. There was a seriously difficult and extended stretch of probably 20 percent shortly after the waterfall. I could barely do it on my ebike (although Dave had no trouble!) and it would be really hard on a regular bike, especially loaded.

(3) Third,  facilities and support on the route are excellent. Restaurants, grocery stores, gelato stops, inns, and bike stores abound. Easy bike storage exists at the hotels/inns,  and ebike charging stations are the norm. The only difficulty is the usual one in Europe; stores usually close at noon on Saturday, to reopen Monday morning. Dining in restaurants can be challenging because of customary closures on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, and most nicer restaurants prefer reservations requiring one to plan ahead. (That is not to say you can’t get fed as there are always kebab places and casual cafes so you won’t starve).

We think Austria is a wonderful place to tour; after we complete our tour we will revisit that in light of what we learn in other countries. (We can already tell that Italy will be more challenging!)