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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113 Reviews
4.5 out of
5
Reviews
Evelyn Tiefenbrun
Reviewed July 2018
Cycle the Baltics
It was a great rip – well-organised, lovely routes, reasonable accommodation and food, excellent guide, great group -met some lovely people who I’ll be seeing again.
Most Inspirational Moment
Last night party was a lot of fun!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Lukas was terrific - knowledgable, considerate, patient, addressed every issue & answered every question
Advice for Potential Travellers
This is a great trip - just as described in the blurb. Go for it!
Michelle Epstein
Reviewed July 2018
Cycling and sightseeing in the Baltics
A very well organised and interesting trip, combining exercise and sightseeing in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Our guide Vaida was calm, helpful, knowledgable, kind and fun – an ideal cycling guide.
The trip gave 4 nights in Estonia, 2 in Latvia and 4 in Lithuania, with a combination of cycling, learning about the cities we visited, and socialising with the group. The cycling was straightforward, mostly flat riding in forests or by the sea, sometimes with a headwind. It was mostly cool which is good for cycling. The group were of mixed ability, so some went ahead whilst others went more slowly to enjoy the views.
It was good to visit this area of Europe to get to know more about it. Breakfasts were substantial, and I have developed a love of herring – though this is not necessary!
Most Inspirational Moment
I really enjoyed cycling to Jurmala from Riga, and riding along the sand. We swam in the sea which was rather chilly!
Cycling in Lahemma Park by the sea was also lovely.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Vaida was really great; enthusiastic and so helpful. She was keen to help as much as she could and couldn’t be faulted.
Advice for Potential Travellers
There are no kettles in Baltic hotels, so I would take a travel kettle if you want to make a cup of tea... I never realised how much I love tea until I couldn’t make a cuppa at the end of a ride. You can buy teabags when you get there.
Take some warm base layers as well as summer clothes as it is cooler than the UK - and a wind proof gilet is useful as well as a waterproof jacket.
Not being a regular cyclist I found doing some longer cycle rides before going away helpful in preparing for cycling every day.
Karen Wallace
Reviewed July 2018
An interesting tour
I had never been to this part of Europe so was excited to go. The cities we visited were lovely, our tour guide, excellent and the places we stayed varied and often charming. We visited a lot of different restaurants and most of the food was ve y good. I was slightly surprised to find it was not as cheap as i expected, but i enjoyed it.
The cycling …level 2 was not hard, mostly very level terrain, but some of the rides were not that varied which is inevitable given the location. Weather was much cooler than i expected in parts, i am only mentioning it for future travellers may want to bring an extra fleece!!!! I did love several of the places we stayed and visited.
Most Inspirational Moment
Not sure there was one tbh.
Thoughts on Group Leader
FABULOUS
Advice for Potential Travellers
Bring warm clothes, only 2 days of the 10 were not chilly, bordering on cold...and that was last week of June, July.
phil myslowski
Reviewed June 2018
cycling the baltics
A bit too pacey for me for a trip advertised as leisurely and the scenery was somewhat often repetitive and uninspiring . However the capital cities i.e. Tallin, Riga and Vilnius are well worth a visit.
The weather, apart from a couple of sunny days in Tallin was mainly cloudy and sometimes wet – just like home. Also we had 2 or 3 very windy days and it was always a headwind which made cycling very hard work, particularly when it was also pouring with rain. At one café stop we met cyclists from a competitor of Exodus who were travelling in the opposite direction from Vilnius to Tallin and they said the ride was brilliant with a tailwind. Perhaps Exodus should consider reversing the route.
Most Inspirational Moment
Tallin and Riga.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Lina is very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be wary that, if windy this trip can be hard work. Also I was cheated by the taxi driver who took me from the hotel to Vilnius airport at the end of the trip. Check the fair with the hotel and the driver before setting off. You have been warned !
Lorna Peden
Reviewed June 2018
Wonderful scenery, pleasant and safe bike routes and an amazing guide
Our guide Vaida took us to see a fabulous variety of highlights in both large cities and small villages. The three capital cities – Tallin, Riga and Vilnius all had exceptionally interesting landmarks, historic sites and interesting excursions into areas of the every day lives of the people. Large national forests, small fishing villages and lovely seaside towns provided a pleasant contrast to our days in th3 featured cities.
Most Inspirational Moment
The lunch at the fishing village where the host smoked his own fish, the forest roads with nesting storks and the pretty seaside settlements with families of swans were lovely. The cities offered a glimpse into the history and lives of three very interesting countries. Our guide, Vaida, gave us a wealth of interesting interesting information. She was the most impressive guide we have had in our fifteen years of traveling. She anticipated needs, answered a huge variety of questions, found wonderful restaurants. She was literally at our “beck and call” every moment of the trip - and we were an interesting variety of fourteen cyclists.
Thoughts on Group Leader
See above.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Make this trip a priority.
Leslie Edlington
Reviewed June 2018
Longer days than expected.
The days were much longer than we expected as the ride was graded at 2 which is about right for the type of cycling we experienced. On past trips we have arrived at the hotels between 3 and 5 giving time to shower, wash kit and get out to see around around the city before eating. With some of the transfers being long we often had little time to see the place we were staying in. This resulted in eating late and consequently not getting to bed until late.
Much of the cycling is on the flat and on narrow cycling lanes which was a bit boring at times.
Most Inspirational Moment
With me it was eating smoked perch for my lunch on the beach. A first. Seeing a pied wagtail that was just about all white.
Meeting a large primary school party of various ages that were celebrating the end of term with a three day cycling trip. All really enjoying them selves.
Meeting the Danish Ambassador to Estonia with her official transport a bike.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Vaida was a very good leader. Gave us excellent information especially about the lengths of each day and each leg of cycling. She took us to excellent restaurants and all the food was good to excellent. I particularly liked receiving the maps each day and finding out where we were cycling from and too.
Advice for Potential Travellers
If you can, practice a few 20 milers on flat land.
Fides Schwartz
Reviewed September 2017
Beautiful autumn cycling
Great trip with a wonderful group and just sooo much to see plus lots of great food!
Most Inspirational Moment
Waving to Kaliningrad (Russia) from the lithuanian part of the curonian spit.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Very professional, knowledgeable and fun!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Book an extra day in Tallinn and Vilnius at the beginning and end of the trip.
Lyn Wales
Reviewed September 2017
Baltics Cycling
Good trip overall for both culture and cycling. You learn a lot about the Baltic countries and their uneasy relationship with Russia.
The cycling was mostly flat, which is hard in the legs especially in a head wind. At times their were unavoidable long flat straight stretches on roads which were dull.
Most Inspirational Moment
Visiting the farmhouse with museum on the Gulf of Finland. The location, lunch, and history provided by the owners were all great.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Vaida was excellent. Knowledgable, helpful, personable and always 'ready, ready'. Even though she was suffering with a sore throat.
Advice for Potential Travellers
It's colder than you think. Layers!
Jay Bordoloi
Reviewed September 2017
Wonderful first group cycling trip experience!
The itinerary is accurate. This was my first experience with a group cycling tour and I was a solo traveler. I would say the trip exceeded my expectations because I saw local towns/areas that I would not have normally visited on my own in the country-side, the travel group was a great set of people from all over the world, and the places we visited for food were very tasty and a great sampling of local cuisine.
During the visits to capital cities, I learned a lot about the history of various Baltic countries from the medieval to modern era. Overall, I enjoyed the routes we cycled (generally minimal car traffic) as they were in scenic areas.
Most Inspirational Moment
Cycling through a small town and the tour guide striking up a conversation with an old lady sitting with her cat. Hearing about the lady's history in the town was fascinating and was something I would not have been able to do, had I been traveling on my own.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our trip leader was a wonderful tour guide. She worked very hard to make sure everyone was having a good time and was clear in her directions for what the itinerary for the day would be. She worked well with our driver to coordinate van support and our safe transportation. In addition, her friendly personality helped facilitate the group getting to know each other.
Advice for Potential Travellers
While the route is very flat, I would say 'leisurely' is not so accurate. As generally the group needs to cover 20-30mi/day and have time for van transfers, there is not so much time for frequent breaks. While the pace is certainly comfortable and doable, 'leisurely' to me implies more frequent stops for photo opportunities or small snacks/picnics during the route. I would rate the trip as a 3 or 4, as 10 days of riding in a row on mostly flat terrain does require some level of effort.
Susan Bigmore
Reviewed June 2017
Cycle the Baltics
It was a fantastic trip, every day was a new adventure. The cycling was varied, and there was a lot of custom made cycle paths, e.g. on the Coronian Spit which consisted of just miles of cycle paths. The hotels were great,
the best being the one in the National Park called Palmse Manor, with a stunning lake. The Hotel Braavo in Tallin was probably one not to return to, as they were obviously doing some refurbishments and it was a bit like a “work in progress”.
Most Inspirational Moment
Finding out we'd cycled 403 kilometres over 9 days! It was tough sometimes, but it was a challenge and I was glad I did it. Another inspirational moment was going into a Russian Orthodox church in Vilnius and there was some chanting going on, and it really was very unique and special. The food we had during the whole trip was excellent, I couldn't fault it.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Minda was a really nice guy and was very encouraging. I was always at the end of the line (out of a group of 16) and sometimes I'd see them disappear into the distance on rides but he would wait for me. I feel that maybe a back-marker might have been useful. When we talked to us in the bus, I was at the back and couldn't hear him that well, a microphone might have been useful.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don't take too much luggage and because you're moving on, you never get to unpack your case!