Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It’s the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you’re interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.

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73 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Reviewed July 2013

MONT BLANC HOTEL TREK

This was a great holiday for getting away from it all. However, the effort required in traversing several mountain passes requires a high level of stamina and physical effort; certainly not a trip for the unfit.

Most Inspirational Moment

Our leader inspired us to be enthusiastic about the events of each day. The opportunites for exellent photgraphy was something that cannot be understated.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nick obviously loved his job and was always positive, no matter what challenges we faced. Nick struck an excellent balance between keeping us safe and giving us enough freedom to please ourselves when it was appropriate.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This trip is very tough. Be prepared to make a big effort, even on those days when the views may not be rewarding due to the cloud cover.

Reviewed July 2013

MONT BLANC HOTEL TREK

We were looking for an active two week holiday that left on a specific date, was within budget and didn’t involve a long haul flight. We found the Tour de Mont Blanc trip on the Exodus website, loved the itinerary, saw there was availability and were booked on it within 24 hours of holiday searching! I would highly recommend this trip, despite some weather challenges we had the most wonderful time (summer hadn’t quite arrived yet so there was rain, hail and lots of snow to deal with). There were eight of us in the group and we were looked after by Nick, our excellent Group Leader. The scenery, when we saw it, was stunning. Fortunately we’ve signed up for similar holidays before so knew to come prepared for all extremes and we were so pleased we did. We were also really pleased to have booked to have a hotel room at the end of each day – this meant our clothes and day pack could dry out, plus we could have a lovely hot shower and sleep in a bed. All of the hotels were welcoming, comfortable and had all the facilities you needed after a long day of walking. The food was quite bread, cheese and chip based so we were missing fresh vegetables and fruit by the end of the two weeks.

Most Inspirational Moment

Appreciating the distance we covered, the stunning views, visiting three countries, the fun people in our group, the places we stayed in, making it through all of the Cols despite the snow, the tram in St Gervais, the cable car in Chamonix, the flowers, the cow bells (now a ringtone), red wine, chocolate and the blue sky when it arrived! Sorry had to list more than one J

Thoughts on Group Leader

We were very impressed with Group Leader Nick. He took the time to answer all of our questions or find out the answer if he didn’t know. Nick made sure we had enough lunch each day and that he bought what we would like to eat. Nick made us feel confident in situations we were unused to such as walking in the snow and dealing with steep slopes. Words to describe Nick would be; good fun, very experienced, confident, relaxed and considerate about the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip notes do explain that this is a moderate to challenging walk – the days can be quite long and you do ascend and descend some quite steep slopes. We personally found a walking pole very useful especially when dealing with the snow on the side of a mountain. Worth getting fit beforehand as a reasonable level of fitness is required. For those that like gadgets that need charging up – Switzerland has a different adapter to France and Italy!

Reviewed June 2013

MONT BLANC HOTEL TREK

This was a great walking holiday – beautiful scenery, very experienced competent and chirpy guide who managd the group well, and good sometmes fairly strenuous walking. The only issue was the unusually large amount of remaining snow from the winter/spring (1st tour of this season) meaning we couldn’t walk over the higher passes due to snow and related safety concerns – for which Exodua and our guide tried hard and did well to adapt the route and itinerary.

Most Inspirational Moment

Being in the mountains around Mt Blanc where the views and scenery were spectacular and varied. Beautiful spring flowers and meadows, glaciers, dramatic peaks, and valleys.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very experinced and knowledgeable leader (been doing this for many seasons), managed the difficult snow conditions well, made all in the group feel comfortable, included and cared for without being intrusive or fussy. Took everything in his stride and excllent at judging everyone's capabilities and pace and accomodated needs in a relaxed and positive way. He was also very attentive on food preferences/allergies/restrictions.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Walking is fairly strenuous, but if you are actively fit or an experienced walker it should not be too difficult, but there's quite a bit of up and down and some longish days. Well worth getting fit for maximum enjoyment and also to ensure that the group can move along and complete all the route without compromises (luckily our group was all very capable and similar abilities which made it very enjoyable and fun). Very glad we were on the hotel tour on the colder and wetter days.

Reviewed January 2013

MONT BLANC HOTEL TREK

A brilliant trip. I am now so glad I took the plunge and booked it. Good company, good hotels and great walking!

Most Inspirational Moment

Too hard to pick out just one. Everyday had moments of magic and there is such a great sense of achievement at the end.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rupert was an excellent walk leader - setting a good pace whilst being aware of and responding to individual needs. He was very informative on the huge variety of local plants and flowers.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just book the trip - it is worth it. As a solo traveller this trip was perfect for me.

Reviewed October 2012

MONT BLANC HOTEL TREK

Very enjoyable trip, well worth the effort involved. I thought the accomodation was exactly as described in the trip notes. Even where basic it was very clean, when "splendid" it was indeed splendid. All the accomodation felt very homely and authentic. I loved the food, being a fan of cheese. The views were incredible. I found the two weeks to be a great relaxing break from "real life", and I would love to go again. It was well worth it to have a bed each night after the walk.

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved every day, and the fact that it is a circuit with a long history. Some of the refuges we stopped in were very cute, but mostly I just loved being on the cols looking at the panoramas.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Liz kept us well informed but didn't overwhelm us with the difficulty, I think this helped people to keep their confidence up so that they could take the journey one step at a time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It is important to be fit enough to enjoy the trip so that you don't dread the climbs each day. Don't underestimate the difficulty, it really is challenging, particularly the last few days. I think poles are essential. Ability in French will help you to enjoy the cultural aspects.

Reviewed October 2012

MONT BLANC HOTEL TREK

This was truly the experience of a life time. To be able to hike through breath taking scenery all day and then to be able to enjoy all the comforts of a fully supported tour in the evening was really exhilarating. I really enjoyed the varietyof accomodations, particularly the family run hotels, each of which had their own flavour. The local cuisine was to be savoured especially the hearty soups in the evenings and the berry pies at the refuges. All of the arrangements went without a hitch. Not having to worry about logistics such as accomodations and bag transfers meant that I could focus totally on enjoying the hiking experience. At the end of the tour I really wanted to do it again…well done Exodus!

Most Inspirational Moment

On the first day as we were hiking above Chamonix the upper part of Mount Blanc was hidden in the clouds, teasing us with glimpses. Gradually over an hour or so the clouds cleared so that by the time we stopped at the Refuge de la Flegere for hot chocolat we had a magnificent view of the snow covered and glaciated mountain top. Days later, we were hiking through mixed rain and snow showers towards the Refuggio Bonatti (and more hot chocolat), when suddenly the clouds lifted to give us views of the fresh snow covered face of the Grand Jorasses. This was a truly unforgettable moment that demanded that we stop for pictures. We were blessed with a wonderful group of people to hike with. Although we varied greatly in country of origin, age, experience and stamina, we soon formed a caring bond between us. At a number of places we encountered long climbs or challenges that pushed some beyond their comfort level. We and our leader encouraged each other so that everyone got through the tougher sections and were then able to bask in a sense of accomplishment afterwards.

Thoughts on Group Leader

This was my first guided tour and I must say thatFrank met or exceeded my every expectation for a guide. He obviously loved being a guide on the Mount Blanc route and it showed. Each evening we were given a preview of the next day’s terrain, distance and weather expectations, making each new day an adventure to be anticipated. On the trail he was very safety conscious and skilled at anticipating when he should assist or coach less experienced hikers. He rotated between the front, middle or back of the group as conditions dictated Consequently, we successfully trekked through everything a late season Mount Blanc threw at us(sunshine , rain, wind and even fresh falling snow) without incident.

Advice for Potential Travellers

There are many long ascents and descents to content with. The better shape you are in the more you will enjoy it. For those travelling from the west coast of North America, I recommend that you come a few days ahead of time so that your body clock can be adjusted before you start hiking. Likewise, if you normally live close to sea level, spending a few days in the Chamonix area in advance will help you get acclimatized and used to exerting yourself at higher elevations as well.

Reviewed August 2012

MONT BLANC HOTEL TREK

Great weather, fantastic scenary, good group of fellow travellers and lots of ‘tarte du jour’, made for a lovely 2 weeks in the Alps. Just have to go on a diet now!

Most Inspirational Moment

Loved the La Nova refuge in France, even bought the T-shirt!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both leaders we had for the 2 weeks were excellent at managing the group and our different speeds of walking and interests.

Advice for Potential Travellers

In general accomodation was OK, with some more OK than others! Enjoy the breakfasts at the Hotel Astoria and leave plenty of room for the myrtille tarte!

Reviewed August 2012

MONT BLANC HOTEL TREK

A fantastic holiday overall. Even the weather was superb apart from a couple of short sporadic rain showers. Being in the high alpine can be a very relaxing but also spiritual experience.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the top of any high point in a range such as the Alps can be very satisfying, but to see the smiles on the faces of individuals who have achieved a summit or high col, and yet doubted their ability to do so an hour or so before, can be truly inspiring.

Thoughts on Group Leader

As a group, we had the privelege of walking with both Frank and Carrie for the first and second weeks respectively. Both walk leaders know the Alps exhaustively, are very experienced and have a vast knowlege of the area.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is quite a challenging walk with big ascents and descents on a daily basis. A good fitness level would be something to aim for before the start of the holiday. The weather can be alarmingly changeable so waterproofs may come in useful. Light fleeces can be useful as temperatures can fluctuate in the high alpine.

Reviewed August 2012

MONT BLANC HOTEL TREK

An excellent holiday, fantastic scenery, a great guide and a great group. Most of the hotels and meals were excellent, a couple of the veggie meals were well below par. And it really should be graded Challenging, pretty much every day has ascent of c1000m and descent of c1000m, often very steep.

Reviewed October 2011

MONT BLANC HOTEL TREK

The hike provides an amazing variety of scenery, culture, history, architecture and cuisine.

Most Inspirational Moment

Sharing the daily physical accomplishments and visual euphoria with the group and leader.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Carey Faulkner was fantastic. She is extremely customer service orientated, friendly, enthusiastic and enjoys her job.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring layers of clothing. Expect hot, cold, windy and wet conditions. Hiking boots and walking poles are not essential, however, they minimize the risk of potential injures.

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