Reviews

Flexibility makes for a great holiday!

This was our first ever cycling holiday and so we were unsure before going whether we’d be fit and prepared enough. Building up our cycling beforehand as per the Exodus training plan definitely helped our fitness. The distances and routes each day were very manageable.
We did buy padded shorts for the trip and these were definitely helpful. We also took our own bike seats and after a couple of days using the one that came with the bikes (which I found a bit narrow and hard) I switched to my own which was definitely more comfortable and supportive for me, while my husband was happy with the Exodus one. The bikes were good with more gears than expected and an easy lever to flick the suspension on for bumpy ground. The pannier bag provided was an unexpected bonus and easily came on and off so can be taken to your room at night and packed for the following day. There are no separate compartments in them so after a few days of groping around in the dark space at the bottom every time I needed something, I organised smaller items into separate plastic bags which could be pulled out easily.
Hotel rooms were clean and spacious with good facilities, though we may have hit lucky with our room allocation as some people felt cramped and not so happy with theirs. The hotel in Palmse was more basic but this was definitely compensated for by the lovely location.
Breakfasts at all the hotels were good with plenty of choice. A gluten-free Exodus guest managed ok, helped by bringing a print out of ‘I can’t eat gluten’ translated into the 3 languages to show staff and by buying a loaf of gluten free bread for when rice cakes got too boring. As non-meat eaters our meals out tended to be dominated by fish with very limited choices at some places for total vegetarians. Generally though the food was tastier and more varied than I had expected with some great places suggested by Andrius – we definitely needed those bike rides to keep the calories from piling on!

Awesome Trip

I joined this trip as an alternative way of seeing the 3 Baltic States which got you away from the 3 capital cities, but it may have converted me to non too strenuous cycle holidays too. Not only was the trip a very enjoyable 9 days of cycling but we also had a foodie experience and a cultural experience thrown in too thanks to our amazing guide Anders

It's not all about the bike.

Apart from a bevy of Brits on our trip there were a couple of kiwis intent on causing havoc and taking flight. Unwilling to despatch them down under our tenacious guide, Andrius, set out to distract and subdue them with Baltic diversions of seaside villages, a smoked fish and wild apple juice lunch in a hidden location, elusive beer tents, lavazza coffee car and a rotunda with champagne. Fresh berries and fairytales in the forest. Ice creams, beer and Pink Soup. And a freezing but fun swim. And then he iced the cake with with his humour, baltic jokes and music. Andrius turned out Baltic Bike trip into a delight of unexpected adventures. It didn’t shut those kiwis up but at least they were bearable. Just.

Easy Cycling in the Sunny Baltics

We thoroughly enjoyed the easy cycling on mostly flat terrain through lovely countryside mixed with city visits. We were lucky with the weather as it was warm without being too hot, much of the cycling is through forest providing welcome shade. There was a mix of personalities and fitness levels in our group that overall was supportive and gelled well.

The trip visits all 3 capitals but also more rural spots and much of the cycling is near the coast or lakes. The amount of cycling per day was such that there was never any rush and plenty of time for breaks. The cycling infrastructure (segregated paths) and courtesy of the drivers when cycling on roads is something I miss back in Britain.

In most cases we stayed 2 nights in the same hotel giving time to explore the city or in the case of Palmse – explore the wonderful gardens and enjoy the peace and quiet. See Stephen Mardon’s extensive write up for further details.

A great way to explore three Countries

Interested in visiting a corner of Europe which is not on most people’s itinerary? If so, then the cycle trip around the three Baltic Countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is definitely worthwhile considering. You get to see a variety of the countryside as well as the three Capitals so a full package. However, it’s not a rushed holiday so it never feels like you’re trying to cram everything in.

Great way to visit three countries with long histories and appreciate their cities and countryside

This was an excellent way to visit 3 countries, including the opportunity to explore their capital cities as well seeing the best parts of the countryside. A mixture of cycling and culture which appealed to me.
Having made my own travel arrangements, I arrived at the hotel in Tallinn in advance of the main party flying in from Gatwick so had a chance to explore the city that evening myself.
After meeting up with the others at breakfast on Sunday morning our leader gave us a short guided tour of the city before our minibus took us to the Lahemaa National Park where our cycling started.. The bikes we had were brand new sturdy Merida trekking bikes with water bottle holders, rear pannier frames and front suspension. Everyone was given a waterproof pannier to carry their belongs and a number of cycle locks were distributed to secure cycles when parked up unsupervised at stops. The bikes were well suited for the cycling which was primarily on flattish terrain with mostly tarmac roads, but with some gravel trails. The cycling was mainly on rural roads and cycle paths, with a small percentage of urban cycling.
Maps showing the route were given out each day, and there were regular stops during the day to get water(supplied) from the minibus and to allow the group to come together.
Apart from one day when we bought a picnic in a supermarket, daily lunch stops were at cafes or restaurants where food selections could be limited but there was always a vegetarian option.
The leader suggested a restaurant for an evening meal which group members were welcome to join him at. These were local establishments which served local dishes which were well worth trying.
There were a couple of long vehicle transfers towards the end of the holiday but these were broken up by stops along the route to stretch legs and buy drink and snacks.
Overall prices of food & drink were very good value.

A thoroughly enjoyaqble trip

A memorable holiday with a group of compatible people who were all keen to enjoy the experience and learn about the region

Baltic by bike

Three different countries starting a little chilly but warming up nicely. Three different capitals with lots of different foods to try. Generally flat cycling with good maps on bikes which were adequate but probably heavier than most people were used to.
Hotels variable but always well positioned.

Cycling the Baltics

Interesting countries that I’d not visited before. Good guide. Lovely food. Interesting cities. Easy riding but heavy bikes making the trip harder and more demanding. Pretty unspoiled countryside and lovely views across the Baltic Sea.

Cycle the Baltics

Excellent trip with wonderful guide. Andrius was extremely interesting, focussed and engaging. We thoroughly enjoyed the itinerary and the add-ons he introduced. Cycle tour of Vilnius was terrific.