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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98 Reviews

4.5 out of 5

Trudie Russo

Reviewed October 2023

Wonderful trip with plenty of variety

This trip was fantastic. Every day we had something different to look forward to knowing Andrius would give us the best experience possible. There was so much to learn about the history of the three countries, it really makes a difference actually being there to hear first hand from locals how life has changed for them over the years. Beautiful scenery, swimming in the Baltic, cycling along a beach, visiting all three capitals, eating the local food, all highlights of the trip. The cycling was enjoyable as not to demanding and the bikes did the job although basic. The hotels were fine, especially as we hardly spent any time in the rooms due to the constant activities organised. Our group gelled well and we had much fun together, including with Andrius who arranged all of the dinners and lunches for us. Nothing was too much trouble for him. Our coach driver was excellent and a good support to Andrius fixing bikes etc. He also worked tirelessly to ensure we all had a good time. If you are considering this trip, do it!

Most Inspirational Moment

It was all inspirational as there was so much to see and plenty to learn about the history of the Baltic countries. I have recommend this trip to several friends.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andrius was very passionate about his job, giving 100%+ every day. He has a great sense of humour and made sure everyone got what they wanted out of the trip. He adapted certain rides to suit the group. We enjoyed an excellent cycle tour around Vilnius on the last day. He has great knowledge about the three countries and didn't tire of the many questions we asked him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Accept that the bikes are basic, they do the job as the route is mainly flat. Any issues are sorted out by the leader or coach driver. You'll appreciate your own bike all the more on your return home!

Bernadette Fitzsimmons

Reviewed October 2023

An amazing trip!

Everything was good from booking the trip to finishing the cycling. The trip itself was so interesting – hearing all the stories about living in the former Soviet republics, seeing the stunningly beautiful Baltic beaches, easy cycling, tours of all the major cities, great restaurants, mostly cycling paths. I loved the trip and would highly recommend it.

Most Inspirational Moment

1. Seeing how beautiful the Baltic beaches were 2. I kept reminding myself that we were in former Russian republics that gained independence in my lifetime.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lina was AMAZING - very knowledgeable, shared personal anecdotes, didn't get flustered if something didn't go quite according to plan, was a great cyclist, friendly and lots of fun to be around.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be comfortable on your bike!

shelagh hopkinson

Reviewed September 2023

excellent guide`

Easy flat cycling. excellent guide’ good weather. great group

Most Inspirational Moment

hearing the personal stories of the locals

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent

Advice for Potential Travellers

Come prepared to listen and learn

Karen Sandler

Reviewed August 2023

A great holiday and trip, but with concerns about health and safety and one hotel

This is a brilliant trip, which we really enjoyed. The accommodation was better than we expected, apart from one hotel/motel, The Green Park, which feels like you are sleeping (or not sleeping) in the middle of a main road. I think the tour would benefit from being very slightly more expensive and have better hotels, which are little difference in price in these countries.
The itinerary was good, but it felt a bit rushed. We hardly saw Latvia and we had a couple of very long transfers. It would benefit from being a couple of days longer.
Our guide, Andrius, was superb. He was so lovely, sociable and knowledgeable and was a pleasure to have around. The driver, Dmitri was a very good driver, without a single word of English. This was a shame, as we could not socialise with him.
My big problem with these trips, and it is not just Exodus, is that, to save money, they have gone from 2 guides, to one guide and a mechanic/back-marker, to only one guide. This created a potentially big problem when I had an accident (and it was no-one’s fault). I had to be taken to hospital by the guide as walking wounded (stitched up and continued cycling for the remainder of the holiday). That meant there was no-one to lead the cycling. Fortunately, we had a very competent fellow traveller who did this job. However, this is not the first time we have been caught out in this way. Exodus needs to take a serious look at health and safety, because it does matter. This is where the star has been dropped.

Most Inspirational Moment

I just loved the old cities and the parks we cycled through. The Curonian Strip was magic.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fantastic. He worked 24/7 and never stopped being lovely.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Weigh up the health and safety aspects and if this is right for you.

Suggestions

Exodus has been warned many times about the Green Park Hotel. You only have to look at the reviews. We had the added delight of a burglar alarm going off outside our room all night on one night. Klaeipeda is not a small town, and has other hotels. Why is this awful hotel, and its surly staff still being used? We also had the added pleasure of no pillowcases for 2 nights. It is also a 10 day trip, and not 11 days, as advertised. There is usually a meeting late afternoon of the "first" day. This did not happen. Overall though, one of Exodus' better trips.

Elizabeth Rooke

Reviewed July 2023

Fascinating trip, terrible bike

Our tour leader, Lina, was fantastic- knowledgeable, interesting, supportive, helpful and should be highly recommended. She provided a perfect amount of information on the various Baltic states, their history, current status and blended it with personal stories that really bought the region and history to life – she was brilliant. Unfortunately I cannot say the same about the bikes. This was meant to be a leisurely rated trip but the bikes were so bad – heavy, urban bikes with poor gearing – that they make a 40km ride feel like 100. I was just grateful the countries were flat as they were impossible to get up a hill. I’m an experienced cyclist but believe that experience would put any novice off the prospect of future biking holidays. I’ve also done a number of other cycling trips with Exodus where the bikes have been good so didn’t consider taking my own bike.. this was a massive disappointment to me and would prevent me from recommending the trip as a whole which is sad given Lina’s quality guiding. The hotels and restaurants were all good with the exception of the choice of location for Klaipeda hotel which was in the middle of nowhere and whilst convenient for the ferry was not good for the town.. we could have easily bussed to the ferry from Klaipeda.

Most Inspirational Moment

Lina talking about her family history

Thoughts on Group Leader

Superb - would highly recommend

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take your own bike

Suggestions

Just want to reiterate my disappointment about the bike quality.

Andrea Morrall

Reviewed July 2023

Wonderful time cycling the Baltics

This was a brilliant trip from start to finish. We have learnt so much about the history of these three countries, the trip was about so much more than cycling. The scenery is beautiful, and we cycled a variety of terrains including along a beach! We were lucky to have a really good guide who is local and rich in the history of the Baltics. The cycling was gentle, not too challenging, which was fine for us. There were many activities to participate in, aside of just cycling. It was just non-stop from the beginning of the day until we flopped into bed every night! The hotels were all perfectly adequate, some really nice – with the exception of the hotel in Riga – tiny rooms, a teeny shower and poor breakfast. We had group meals every night bar one, and mostly they were good restaurants. Lunches were well thought out and mostly in small cafes. We loved this holiday. We were blessed with a great group of people to travel with and have made some fantastic new friends. If you are thinking about this trip, I would not hesitate. Do it!

Most Inspirational Moment

The highlight for me was definitely the cycling in the first country- Estonia. The cycling around the lake was just beautiful. Tallinn and Vilnius are simply stunning and I wish we had had more time in both to explore. The cycling in 'Little Switzerland' was also fun. In Riga, I recommend visiting the Sky bar at the top of the Radisson. The food (and view) was magnificent and actually cheaper and far far better quality than the tourist trap restaurants in the town centre.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I would say that Andrius is probably the most knowledgeable we have ever had on a cycling holiday. He made the trip about so much more than just the cycling and the scenery. It was a history lesson from start to finish. We have come away with so much knowledge about the region and it's history. He is also very funny, he kept us entertained throughout the holiday and had a fantastic rapport with the group. His taste in music is terrible, but apart from that, I wish I had a bigger suitcase as we would gladly have put him in that and taken him home!

Advice for Potential Travellers

I do have advice if you have tall women in your party. The bikes are not that great, they are Kross cycles and seem to come in two 'sizes' - Male and Female. My first bike was too small for me, and luckily I was given a spare man's bike which was better. Two other ladies in the group were not so lucky, their bikes were far too small for them which made cycling uncomfortable. I'm 5ft 8. Email Exodus a few weeks in advance of the trip and ask for a man's bike if you are as tall as me. The company that supplies them bring them to Estonia from Lithuania and need advance notice before they are loaded onto the trailer. I would also recommend booking an extra night in Vilnius at the end of the holiday because you don't get much time there and it is truly beautiful. We were the only people on the trip not on the group flight which came and left via Frankfurt. We were able to find direct flights both ways from Luton with Wizz and Ryan Air. Only a couple of hours both ways.

Suggestions

My advice to Exodus is to change the hotel in Riga. It's grim. A couple of the restaurants chosen for the group meals were very poor, expensive and touristy. The Riga meal stands out, we were glad to have a decent meal the following day. The 'Bear' restaurant in Vilnius was terrible. Over priced and just awful food. No-one at my end of the table enjoyed their meal.

Jonathan Wadsworth

Reviewed June 2023

Fabulous Tour of the Baltics

I’m sitting on our return flight, reflecting on our Exodus cycling tour of the Baltic – I believe it was probably the best cycle trip we’ve had so far. Why? For me, these tours are a way of immersing myself in the culture, the folklore and the history of the countries we visit – as well as finding out “up-to-date” information on topical issues ranging from Ukraine and Russia, politics, economics – right up to today’s take on technology, education and culture – all washed down with some fabulous authentic local food and beverages. This trip primarily hit the mark because our guide Andreas was unbelievably knowledgeable, intelligent and bang up to date with everything – be it the best brew or the latest technological trends. Andreas‘ humour kept the entire team motivated and amused, thus ensuring that we all had an excellent trip. Andreas always ensured everyone was happy – be it having all the detailed information they wanted (on whatever they needed), selecting the best cuisine in a remote cafe or ensuring they enjoyed the right beer (there are literally dozens of delicious Baltic ales from which to choose). My knowledge of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is greatly improved for which I thank Andreas. From the holiday “logistics” view point, we had an excellent driver, good sound bikes, great local food and, I’m my opinion, the cycling was the right level/distance for what we wanted to achieve. We shall definitely visit again.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling on the sand of the beach and the chilling feeling walking around a Cold War nuclear bunker.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andreas was unbelievably knowledgeable, intelligent and bang up to date with everything - be it the best brew or the latest technological trends. Andreas‘ humour kept the entire team motivated and amused, thus ensuring that we all had an excellent trip. Andreas always ensured everyone was happy - be it having all the detailed information they wanted (on whatever they needed), selecting the best cuisine in a remote cafe or ensuring they enjoyed the right beer (there are literally dozens of delicious Baltic ales from which to choose).

Nigel Turner

Reviewed June 2023

A great 'sightseeing by bike' tour to three countries!

The Baltic countries are really interesting and so this trip is much more than the cycling – it was a cultural trip with bikes! We learnt a lot about the similarities and differences between the three countries, their history and their experience over the last hundred years. We also enjoyed some really nice food and drink and some good socialising – we had a really nice group. The cycling was pretty easy if you’re reasonably fit – the routes aren’t that hilly and quite a bit is through pine forest rather than open road. Several of us had e-bikes to take the strain on the longer days. The hotels were all pretty good.

Most Inspirational Moment

This is hard! For cycling - riding next to the waves on a Latvian beach. For history - Andrius's stories of growing up when Lithuania was part of the Soviet Union. For culture - the art nouveau in Riga and the churches in Tallinn (see tip below). For food - the amazing mushroom soup and wild boar on our last night in Vilnius. For drink - my wife enjoying Latvian dark beer! For socialising - the music and dancing at the jazz cafe in Klaipeda.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andrius was exceptional - one of the best guides of our 25+ group tours. Firstly he has a great sense of humour - the trip was full of laughter. Secondly he has a wide knowledge of the history of the three countries and, as someone who grew up during communism, he shares his personal experience. Thirdly - he picked some great places to eat and drink. And finally, he made the trip a five star experience - from his 'little fun surprises' to his proposed additions or adjustments that enabled us to see the art nouveau in Riga, explore Vilnius on our bikes and visit the Soviet missile base where the nuclear weapons were targeted on Germany, Norway and the UK. Thank you Andrius - you made the trip!

Advice for Potential Travellers

We were cycling in May/June and tended to have lunch in cafes rather than picnics (one day). The cafes were all good and some were a memorable part of the trip, e.g. the salmon soup in the ship museum in Estonia and the smoked fish lunch in the fisherman's garden on the Curonian Spit.

Suggestions

There is plenty to see in Tallinn which makes a great city break. We asked Exodus to book us two extra nights in the first hotel and to bring our flight forward two days. We enjoyed drinks in the lovely main square, Soviet Realist art in the KUMU gallery, going inside a British built submarine at the Seaplane Harbour, visiting various interesting museums and three amazing churches, especially the Niguliste Church which has a superb collection of medieval religious art. We bought a 48 hour 'Tallinn Card' that covered our various entry costs and our tram/bus travel that made it easy to get around the city. So, if you'd like more than a morning city tour, grab yourself a nice little city break!

Catherine Bannatyne

Reviewed September 2022

Brilliant Baltics on a bike

I was drawn to this trip because I wanted to visit and learn more about this fascinating part of the world which has such a dramatic history. As it was my first cycling holiday I was also keen to choose a trip that wasn’t too strenuous and offered a good balance of activity and cultural interest. The trip fully met, and in fact, exceeded my expectations. I would highly recommend the trip as a way of having a really enjoyable and active holiday while experiencing the history and culture of these proud and vibrant countries. (The fantastic weather was a lovely bonus!)

Most Inspirational Moment

The trip is a series of discoveries and revelations that expand what you know and give context to many of the key events of the last century making us all too aware of how fragile our peace and security are. Visiting the nuclear launch site that is now a museum of The Cold War was a chilling reminder of this. But it was a trip filled with fun too. I loved swimming in the Baltic and cycling through the sand dunes. The cities were visited were lively and full of great bars and restaurants with people young and old enjoying life. Particularly memorable was the brilliant band in the Jazz club. I’m not sure if the dancing of Andrius and me did the musicians justice but we certainly had a great time.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andrius was an excellent guide - intelligent energetic, informed, funny, opinionated and thoughtful - and good company at all times. I always felt that he was working really hard to make the trip enjoyable and rewarding for everyone in the group - a very challenging task when different people sometimes had very different expectations he had to balance. I think he did this with tact and good humour. He always kept us informed about his plans each day but also gave us scope for doing our own thing when this was appropriate. When he did have to deal with a very unfortunate accident involving one of the group members he managed it very sensitively, professionally and compassionately. The success of the trip was in very large measure down to him. Thanks, Andrius! Our driver, Mindaugas, was super too. Totally professional but always with a smile.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the trip notes and you will be fully prepared. If you have wanted to try a cycling holiday but haven’t been sure about it, this would be a great trip to start with. I loved it and would now like to try something a little more demanding.

Peter Moores

Reviewed September 2022

Cycling The Baltics

A fascinating trip through the 3 Baltic countries. The terrain was quite flat and the cycling easy over an amazing mix of forest trails generous cycle paths and some road travel. We were blessed with good weather and even managed to swim in the Baltic 3 times. The tour gave us a great insight into the conditions within all 3 countries during the Soviet era and how things have changed since then. The trip encompassed a wide range of activities and experiences ranging from climbing a forest fire watch tower to descending into the depths of an old Soviet nuclear missile site. Our travels were very much “off the beaten track” and we were able to meet the locals and had the opportunity to sample the local cuisine, including pink beetroot soup, smoked herring and potato-covered “zeppelins”.

Most Inspirational Moment

The visit to the Soviet nuclear missile site. It brought it home what the Cold War was all about.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andrius was a absolute star. His command of English was excellent and he also understood (I think) the British sense of humour. His knowledge of the history of the region was encyclopaedic and there were very few questions on almost any topic which he was unable to answer. He took great pains to arrange our itinerary so that we saw as much as possible within the limited time available and built in little "extras" where he could. His organisation was superb and the whole tour, which was action-packed, ran to schedule. Andrius made a big contribution to our enjoyment of the tour and we were very appreciative of his efforts. (By the way the driver was also a real star: hard working, always smiling and popping up in the right place at the the right time to load our bikes or replenish our water bottles.)

Advice for Potential Travellers

Wear padded cycling shorts. It might be worth while reading up on the history of the Baltic States although you will get a thorough briefing from Andrius on the day.

Suggestions

We arrived at 00.30 on Day 2 of the tour. The flight was delayed about 2 hours but the Trip notes suggest that we spend we afternoon of our arrival looking round Tallinn. Clearly, the Trip Notes are out of date and perhaps this is only an 10 day tour rather than 11, as advertised.

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