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.

Simply use the selector below to search our trip reviews and start reading real feedback from real Exodus travellers who have ‘been there and done that’!

Lots of our clients also like to post handy tips and advice about their travels. It’s great to know what to expect on an Exodus adventure before you go, so make the most of their experience and you’ll make the most of yours!

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Reviews

Paul Rickter

Reviewed October 2015

Challenging but definitely worth it

The tour is more challenging than I expected. I’ve done several Exodus cycling trips that were rated similarly, but this was tougher than those. Still, definitely worth taking on the challenge — pace yourself and skip the tough hills if you need to (just don’t miss the mountain climb on the last day). Beautiful scenery on quiet roads. Wonderful people — strangers will see you riding by and give you fruit!

Most Inspirational Moment

Definitely the "optional" mountain climb on the last day. I took the leader's advice and skipped the hills exiting Himare earlier in the day and saved myself for 1km vertical gain mountain pass. It was a serious workout -- two hours of constant climbing, but so rewarding to get to the top. Glad a did it that way.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Armand was great -- knowledgeable about Albania and very willing to share his thoughts about anything and everything.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Definitely take your own snacks if you think you'll need them on the ride. The itinerary each day includes fewer rest stops than I'm used to, so you have to make your own breaks if you need it. And be ready for a serious challenge -- the hills are tough and some training on hills before you go would be a really good idea.

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Lucy Findlay

Reviewed September 2015

Lovely cycling and huge varieties of landscape

This trip is great for those that want to see a large area of Albania, but with the benefit of the pace of a bicycle. We thoroughly enjoyed it. There was a huge variety of landscapes from remote rural backwaters in the mountains, historical cities and ruins to the beautiful coast with it’s clear water and white sands. The group were great too, No moaning at all despite getting wet in the rain and not having much electricity in one hotel.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting to the top of the mountain on the last day. Although the guide says it, it is worth saving legs for that last climb as it is a real sense of achievement not to mention the views on the way up and at the top.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was very professional and paid attention to numerous details eg providing profiles for people due to previous requests. He had strong views about things, but is clearly committed to providing context and understanding of his country.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a waterproof! Also we did not get a meal when we arrived (albeit late), so take some snacks for the bus trip.

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Diana Edwards

Reviewed September 2015

Cycling in Albania 8-15 September 2015

Very enjoyable holiday giving us a taste of life in the remote mountains and on the Ionian and Adriatic Coast with a very committed engaging guide. The participants were all good company, the locations for lunch and dinner well-chosen and well prepared (our guide always phoned in advance so they were ready having checked which of their dishes we wanted to eat). The cycling route was impressive: the views are extraordinary, with several long climbs, some quite steep, and some hairy descents on roads that were – in the South- the quality of off road. In the heat, cycling up these mountains can be daunting. Even very experienced cyclists found this trip challenging, and considered its “moderate” rating a bit of an underestimate.

Most Inspirational Moment

Being up in the mountains, with no traffic, almost complete silence, apart from birdsong, cowbells and my own breathing. Very long, fast downhill stretches

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent communicator and planner. Ver approachable. He had everything sorted for us, in advance, responded to our wishes and arranged a programme for us. He seems to know everyone in Albania and to get the best out of them. Despite serious family difficulties (his partner's brother's road accident) he continued to manage the tour in an exemplary professional manner.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get quite a bit of training in first, to get your head and body fit for long climbs. You don't have to, but you'll enjoy it a lot more (I didn't and I still enjoyed it, but I really wish I'd prepared better). If you like your hair to look good in the evening, take a hairdryer. But no-one will mind what you look like. You won't need much currency, but changing is quite easy and commission free at kiosks on the street, or a little man at the airport. Meals in the mountains about 600-800 lek, on the coast/Tirana 1200. It cost me £100 - but I only drink water. Add around £30 for all drinks. People are very friendly and quite amused by us cycling past. They will try to help if you ask.

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Elisabeth Pritchard

Reviewed September 2015

Cycling in Albania

A great trip. Fascinating country and well planned and well organised throughout.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the top of the 1000 metre mountain pass on the final cycling day. Swimming in the hot springs in the rain was also memorable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Armand was excellent. Always made sure everyone was OK and enjoying the trip. Organised meals so we didn't have to wait ages to eat (sometimes as issue with large groups). Provided detailed maps and briefings every day. Dealt with any minor issues swiftly. Provided walking tour of Tirana on last day (before evening flight) and arranged excellent tour of the museum which was fascinating.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for some toughish hills, rough roads and some rain (at least in September)! Take snacks as these are not provided. Carry an warm/dry top (in the excellent panniers) when cycling in case of regroup waits or meal/coffee stops in colder/wetter weather.

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Lynda Wales

Reviewed September 2015

Cycling in Albania

What a fantastic week! We were lucky with the weather – although possibly too hot for cycling at times. There is a lot of climbing in this holiday- perhaps more than is really indicated in the description, and I found it harder than the other Grade 3 moderate trips I have done previously. The poor road surfaces make the cycling much harder. However- I managed, and the whole group had a great time. The variety of places visited, accommodation, food and hospitality were excellent and exceeded my expectations. It was also very cheap! I only managed to spend £80 during the week

Most Inspirational Moment

Being able to climb 1600m in 35-40deg heat! Only achieved by the encouragement and support of the group and Armand and Marcella

Thoughts on Group Leader

Armand could not have been more helpful. He provided maps for each day which gave the mileage and profile of the route, and information about the places we would visit. Have never had this on a trip before and it was very useful. Armand was also very well informed about his country, and I think all of the group learned things about Albania that would have been difficult to pick up from any other source.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take some waterproof shoes/sandals so that you can walk up the gorge by the thermal pools. Take some snacks if you want more than fruit.

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Garvin Lambert

Reviewed September 2015

Highly recommended

A wonderful week of excellent cycling, stunning scenery, good weather and stimulating company – made all the better by a local team who ensured that everything ran smoothly at all times. The accommodation and freshly-cooked food were also great. Having been on a number of Exodus cycling holidays in recent years I have to say that it would be difficult to find one much better than this.

Most Inspirational Moment

The final day’s climb from sea level to the top of the Llogara Pass (1043m) – followed by a long freewheel back down to sea level. It was tough going in the heat, although mercifully the mercury did not climb to the 37 degrees it had reached on other days, but the climb was reasonably graded, meaning that none of our group failed to make it to the summit - and several of us were in our 60s. But there were cultural high points too (the citadel at Gjirokaster and the UNESCO site at Butrint) as well as everyday moments that will remain in the memory – like the friendliness of the locals with whom I watched the Denmark-Albania Euro 2016 qualifier, in an open air café.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Armand and Marsela looked after us very well indeed. They took care not to be too prescriptive, and not to intervene where no intervention was required, but were always there to help, and ever ready to chat - full of interesting snippets about Albania and its culture. It helped that they both speak impeccable English, and are full of enthusiasm for what they are doing.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Exodus rates this trip “Moderate” - suitable for anyone who is “in good health and reasonably fit” and “ideal for occasional cyclists”. But be prepared for lots of climbing. It is certainly not a stroll in the park.

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Judith Taylor

Reviewed September 2015

Great cycling, food, scenery and general variety

A brilliant week of suitably challenging cycling through varied rural, mountainous and coastal scenery in a fascinating country. Great food and high standard of accommodation compared to other equivalent trips. From not knowing what to expect of Albania I loved the whole trip and would go back to explore the more mountainous north. Well-maintained hire bikes suitable for the roads and terrain.

Most Inspirational Moment

Brilliant cycling, great food, and... The Llagora Pass. Chilling out at Farme Sotira. Greco-Roman ruins at Butrint.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We were very well looked after by Armand and Marsela.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This trip is at the high end of a Moderate, more a 4 than a 3 for the combination of hills, distance and temperature (over 30C!). On spending money, food is very cheap by our standards (also very fresh and tasty!). While prices vary and increase slightly as you move to the coast, for the whole week we spent up to £100 on meals, including a drink with dinners.

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Alison Carr

Reviewed September 2015

Cycling in Albania

This was an excellent new cycling trip put on by Exodus. The accommodation and food was excellent but I did find the cycling hard in the hot conditions. I would thoroughly recommend this trip to my family and friends.

Most Inspirational Moment

The last day doing the big pass and getting to the top in the 36 degrees heat.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was excellent.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get fit!!!

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Maureen Harper

Reviewed September 2015

Cycling Albania

The trip was not rated accurately. The elevation gains were greater than expected, as was the amount of traffic on some of the roads.

Most Inspirational Moment

I enjoyed the quiet, although rough (which I expected) rural roads in the mountains and viewing the people and scenery there. As always, I enjoyed the company.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was organized and efficient, but could have added much more to the trip by discussing social, historical, natural history and personal stories about his country. He tended to be somewhat cynical and more interested in logistics rather than the people on the trip. He provided a good overview and profile of each day's ride which would have helped in the itinerary trip description Exodus used.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for lengthly climbs on narrow roads with considerable traffic, particularly in the sections near the end of the trip. The coastal rides were somewhat repetitive and more like a road biking experience.

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Maureen for her feedback, but we are very sorry that the trip did not meet her expectations. We have worked hard developing the right itinerary with our local partners and overall this trip has received positive feedback. I cycled the full route when setting up the itinerary for 2015 and I decided on the grade accordingly; although there are some climbs, I found the route to be comparable with some of our other cycling trips of the same grade. The toughest climb on the trip is an optional one and the ride has full vehicle support, both of which were taken into account when setting the grade. We feel that the roads are relatively quiet for the majority of the trip, only getting busier around some of the larger towns, however we appreciate that Maureen feels differently.

Olly Pemberton – Trip Manager for Albania

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Paul Masters

Reviewed June 2015

Cycle Albania

A quite outstanding trip that packed so much into a week. The route combines sleepy agricultural areas, grand mountains and spectacular coastline. Varied scenery combined with some excellent places to stop overnight and a couple of interesting sightseeing stops to enjoy aspects of Albania’s history in Gjirokaster and Butrint. Inexpensive. Some demanding cycling on excellent bikes.

Most Inspirational Moment

Nothing to single out: each day seemed so different.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Armand, supported by Marsela. Extremely well organised - everything to do with the bikes, accommodation, meals happened seamlessly (not for them - they worked really hard.) Quite apart from anything else, Armand trialled and selected this excellent route

Advice for Potential Travellers

Panniers for these bikes were excellent. Can accommodate an extra water bottle which, on long shifts, might be useful.

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