Reviews

Good view of former Soviet states

Group leader (Andrius) was perhaps the best part of the trip. He was born under Soviet rule and just as he entered university the Soviet Union dissolved and his country declared independence. His insights and knowledge of history and society were a real treat.

Wonderful view of former Soviet states

Our trip leader (Andrius) was perhaps the best part of the trip. He grew up under Soviet rule and went to university just as Lithuania gained independence. His insights and experiences plus knowledge of history and culture were a wonderful gift. He was always looking out for the group while attending to any special needs. Local guides were generally very good. This was our first trip with Exodus.
The trip was well paced with considerable walking. We had good hotels and restaurants. Weather was often cold and windy with some rain as one would expect for mid May in northern Europe. Spring was just arriving in Estonia and a month farther along by the time we got to Lithuania. Lots of flowers and 50 shades of green from the trees to the fields.

MsTripsy

This was my first package tour and I’ll admit the Baltics weren’t my first choice – but I’m glad we took the leap! For anyone interested in history, this is a rich tour with lots of highlights. From a stop at a nuclear missile launch site, to an excellent seaside cafe that smokes fish on the premesis – every day was packed with interesting and surprising things that you’d never get to see otherwise. There’s a fair bit of coach travel, unavoidable when you are doing three countries. And it’s cold even in mid-May! Despite this, our spirits were kept high by our guide Andrius, who was utterly charming and patient throughout – ensuring we all got the most out of every moment, and entertaining us with many personal stories of Soviet times.

Excellent Trip

This is a well planned trip through the Baltics which explored Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Wonderful countries with lovely cities, fairy tale castles, grand houses and beautiful coastlines and forests.

The itinerary was excellent and when you throw in a great group of fellow travellers and a truly outstanding tour leader you have everything you need to enjoy the trip.

Brilliant Trip

A fabulous trip through three countries. A good mix of city tours, castles, palaces and natural spaces.
Our tour leader, Andreas was very knowledgeable with a good sense of humour. He ensured good restaurants serving local cuisine were selected for those that wanted the group meal each night. He phoned ahead to inform restaurants of any dietary requirements.
A really great guy.
Our local guides for the city tours and places of interest were all real characters – very knowledgeable and approachable.
All in all a fabulous trip, well planned and well lead!

A Baltic autumn

An interesting trip across the three Baltic countries, with the opportunity to see the three capitals and some countryside in between. Tallinn and Riga were both excellent, although Vilnius was less impressive. First two felt like small, self-contained towns however Vilnius was much larger and more “western”. The size of the group was a little large (at 20) and thus tended to break into smaller units – which we felt detracted from the overall experience. The hotels varied in standard and quality, although in the main were relatively faceless city blocks and unfortunately also used by other tourist groups which made the breakfasts in particular a bit of a scrum and thus not particularly enjoyable. The food in the restaurants was however good and there were some excellent places chosen for the group meals (for those who opted to attend) as well as plenty of other options for the “free” evenings. The tour leader (Migle) was efficient and organised and provided an excellent insight into Baltic history, culture and everyday life.

The Balkans

This was an excellent trip with excellent trip manager Jolita and good local guides. Very hectic on the go all the time. Covered a great deal of history and would recommend it highly.
One major problem the Hotels are not up to standard of the rest of the trip. Standard Double Rooms were very small and dark and bathrooms miniscule. An option to upgrade should be offered. We upgraded at one Hotel for 20 Euros per night and had a fantastic light and airy room with a balcony and large bathroom fully equiped . This would change the package for the better. One night is OK but 2 / 3 night stays is not on.

Fascinating History

We really enjoyed our introduction to these three countries.

Great trip!

I generally go for a more active holiday but I enjoyed this cultural trip. The rest of the group were very pleasant and our guide (Megle) was very efficient and informative. There were complaints about hotels but I have to say I was perfectly happy with my accommodation. My one complaint would be the Monday spent in Riga (day 6) – the trip to the beach at Jurmala was nothing special, besides it was too cold to swim and you would have had to wade out about 2km to get water deep enough. The boat trip along the canal and river was no great shakes and the free afternoon in Riga was somewhat spoiled by all the attractions being closed (as they are every Monday). It was rather a waste of a day and would be better being omitted altogether – either spending it elsewhere (Klaipeda or Vilnius?) ar cutting the whole trip short by a day. That however is my only grouse and was overall very happy. Up to the usual Exodus standard.

Where was the adventure?

Felt more like a coach trip than an adventure holiday…….disappointing