Thoughts on Group Leader
Self-guided.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The hotels were better than we expected. Not Exodus’s fault, but all our hotel rooms were unairconditioned, so it was hot (leaving the windows open in-town makes it quite loud). Exodus says their bikes are “hybrid”…that might be a tour-industry term. The bikes are heavy upright rental bikes with a big bouncy seat and huge tires…not what US customers might consider to be a hybrid bike you’d use for distance riding. Consider bringing your own seat and clipless pedals (which the guy delivering the bikes said he can’t install). We found you need to pay (in cash only) a daily tourist tax at hotels in Austria, not included in your tour price. Exodus added a wine tasting on our tour, which turned out to be very nice…pleasant tasting room, courteous service, excellent wine. The printed and app directions weren’t as easy as other tour company’s apps, but it’s not a huge deal since you’re just biking down-river. The provided navigation app crashed a few times a day, but when it worked, it took you to the town, but not the hotel. This is not also a big deal in a tiny town…but one hotel required waiting for a van to take you 5 miles up into the hills, and our Vienna hotel was on the outskirts and without navigation it was a harrowing 90-minute experience trying to bike/walk through busy Vienna roads without English-language instructions. Some emailed questions we asked Exodus were never answered, and other answers were delayed a number of days before someone got back to us. After we paid, we were required to sign a document that literally says “Exodus can cancel our trip for any reason whatsoever”. So, you’d be on the hook for international airfare you bought. Which raises the issue of travel insurance. In its documentation it sends after you pay, Exodus says, “Please note to travel with Exodus, you must have adequate [insurance] coverage for the activities involved”. In other post-payment documentation, it says, “You must carry proof of insurance with you on your tour: if you cannot provide this at the start of the trip, you will be required to take out a suitable policy at that time.” Both times, Exodus provides the link to their “partner”, Redpoint Travel Protection. Judging one’s tolerance for risk is obviously (and only) the consumer’s decision, but Exodus’s pretend-compulsory upsell was kind of a stain on what would have been a reasonable consumer experience.
Suggestions
Looking at all the emails from Exodus, I’m still unclear who I was dealing with. One document said I bought a “guided trip with Exodus Travels”. But the letterhead says “Zegrahm Expeditions Inc.” My invoice says I paid “Travelopia Holdings Limited” England & Wales. The person at Exodus I talked to said Exodus is the “USA operation of ‘Headwater’”, and our emailed trip notes were from “Headwater”. The printed trip notes (and the app) said my tour operator is “Radreise Freunde”. The bikes weren’t Exodus’s (or Headwater’s or Radreise) but rentals from “Eurobike”. My credit card bill says I paid my money to “Adventure US Moto“. Confusing and strange, maybe we purchased a tour fairly far down the tour-company food-chain, but it didn’t impact our experience, that I know of.