A fun trip with a busy and varied itinerary (but still one with a lot of free time built in). Bustling capital cities interspersed with smaller, quieter, more relaxed locations (which become a welcome change of pace). A few long train journeys between locations, but always on comfortable trains with reserved seats. Well positioned hotels, generally in central locations. Joining (and leaving) the trip is really easy, with both Oslo and Helsinki airports being well served by connecting trains.

Alistair Hare Best of Norway, Sweden & Finland

I chose this tour with a clear focus on the cycling experience. I was hoping to take in memorable scenery, ride comfortably at a natural pace and enjoy the route. Unfortunately, the trip fell short of these expectations in a few key areas.
First, the routes through rural sections were very uninspiring, with views dominated by agricultural plastic greenhouses, alongside prolific litter and fly-tipping along the roads.
Second, the group pacing felt restrictive. For large sections, we had to ride in single-file behind the tour guide due to being on main roads with a large volume of traffic. The pace was often very slow and I felt unable to ride at my own speed, which made it difficult to catch a breeze or fully enjoy the ride.
Finally, a warning to those who don’t like intense heat – don’t book at the beginning of September! The heat on our trip was extreme, with daily temperatures all week of around 34C. A number of riders struggled significantly with heat exhaustion and in my view, this period is simply too hot for an enjoyable cycling trip. I don’t know if it was a direct consequence of the heat, but we had multiple pit-stops en route for water and to rest. I found this so disruptive and unnecessarily prolonged the day. A 28 mile bike ride should take 3 hours, instead it seemed to take all day with the frequent mini-breaks. Combined with the uninspiring scenery on the actual bike rides and the fixed pace in large sections, it made for a challenging and frustrating experience. I would strongly recommend reviewing the route selection and advising future guests on the reality of early September temperatures.

Alex D Cycling in Sicily

Stunning peninsula with a wealth of historic towns. This is effectively a 2 centre trip involving van journeys to/from the rides each day.
Whilst the two hotels used are of a good standard they are somewhat against the ethos of Exodus I have experienced in the past. Both are large and Corporate, the one in Porec being a resort Hotel over run with families & the one in Pula remote from the town involving either a bus or taxi ride or a 45 minute walk along busy roads. The trip would benefit from staying in smaller Croatian run establishments.

David Taylor Cycling Croatia's Istrian Peninsula