The team were terrific to deal with in the lead up to the trip. They were extremely responsive and knowledgeable and we're able to answer all our questions. This was our first e-bike trip and all our concerns were alleviated by the team. When we arrive in Sardinia, the representative who met us walked us through the bikes, how to get the best out of them and maximise our enjoyment of the tour. Each day was terrific with great views (and yes there were some hills to climb but the e-bikes make this a lot easier). The accommodation was great, the food particularly enjoyable. I would highly recommend them and their self guided tours. We'll be back for another trip for sure.
A comprehensive ride along the full length of the Portuguese Camino from Lisbon to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The Portuguese Road, or Caminho Portugués, is considered by many as the most spiritually connected pilgrimage route. Following the path St James' body took to its resting place at the site of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, the quieter Portuguese path offers a wealth of history and delightful landscapes to discover. While the Caminho Portugués is traditionally walked by pilgrims, it is now possible to enjoy the route by bike. Starting in the historic capital city of Lisbon you will cycle through countryside towns to the university town of Coimbra. Continue on to the lively city of Porto, set on the banks of the Douro River and famous for its port wine production, the cycle through small hamlets, past eucalyptus and pine woods, over ancient bridges and through larger market towns dating back to Roman times. You will cross the border in to Spain and finally cycle into the fabled town of Santiago de Compostela.
Lisbon, Santiago De Compostela, Arcos, Ponte De Lima, Tui, Pontevedra, Padrón, Vila Franca De Xira, Tomar, Alvorge, Coimbra, Agueda, Olveira De Azemeis, Porto
This was the first time that this trip had been run using E-bikes, so everyone was keen to see how the trip would unfold. We were introduced to our bikes on the first evening, and because of a change of hotel we had the opportunity to cycle into Monopoli, and return in the dark after an amazing first meal. When I checked the itinerary I could see that the first two rides were going to be the most challenging in terms of ascent and distance, but I quickly realised that E-bikes are a great leveller. There are four levels of assistance, with turbo being the most powerful. The motor rewards effort, the faster you peddle, the more assistance it gives you, up to its maximum speed - these bikes are not chipped like the delivery cycles that whizz around around our streets bringing takeaways to the masses. Each person in the group decided how much effort to put in, getting up the many hills, but hats off to the one person in the group who rode the whole way on an ordinary bike . . . . and he was not at the back. Respect!! With uphills come downhills, and there were plenty of those. Long sweeping downhills that went on and on. Great fun. We were well fed and watered on this trip, both at lunchtime and in the evenings, and for the most part the weather behaved itself.
The trip was a well planned and executed family orientated holiday. I feel that two "On Board" guides was unnecessary - the shore guides were excellent and added good value.
Cycle tour went like clockwork. The cycle route was great, APP pretty accurate and signage excellent. Our bags had arrived at our Hotels by the time we rode on.
Paris, Pays de la Loire, Val de Loire, Orléans, Mauges-sur-Loire, Nantes, St Brévin, Beaugency, Blois, Amboise, Tours, Azay Le Rideau, Chinon, Saumur, Angers
Fantastic trip. Well organized, with the perfect combination of support on the ground for bikes/bags, accommodation and maps, but enough freedom to go at our own pace, explore and do the trip independently.
Great experience, comfortable e-bikes and the app worked well as a navigational guide. Some of the hills are pretty big, so the e-bike was an essential.
The small towns, villages and scenery were stunning,as were the Swiss culture, traditions & hospitality all the way along the ride.
The standard of accommodation was very good and we particularly loved Gruyeres, the scenery, town and experience was superb. The Glassbach waterfalls & the grand hotel for lunch looking out over Brienzsee was spectacular.
Dora our guide leader was amazing. Very calm and very organised.
The boat, Sans Sova, was very comfortable. The crew were very friendly and the meals delicious.
An exquisite cycling holiday which fulfilled all the usual Explore essentials: plenty of variety both in cycling and other activities, beautiful accommodation throughout, rustic village hosts, great food/restaurant selections by the guide Paul, stunning scenery at every turn and plenty of ‘off the beaten track’. Paul has over 2 decades of experience in cycle guiding in Turkey, and it showed in his cycle guiding and knowledge of the language, culture and flora and fauna-I particularly enjoyed his linguistic insights and the visit to the local village mosque. Others in the group who were architecturally inclined enjoyed his love of history too. The bikes couldn’t have been better for the terrain and were very comfortable with plenty of gears. I tend to find Explore holiday bikes are usually not great quality, so this was a pleasant surprise. Turkey has far exceeded our expectations and this has been one of my best ever holidays. If you’re not afraid of a bit of hot weather and undulating terrain and want to get a glimpse into local Turkish life, then I highly recommend you book onto this trip! Thanks again Paul for the fantastic memories you’ve helped us make.
The whole experience was wonderful. The home stay family welcomed us like we were old friends. The food was awesome and always fresh. The activities were well thought out. I would recommend this tour to my friends for sure.
This was my fifth Explore holiday - the fourth cycling tour I’ve done - and they’ve all been so good I’ve had no hesitation in booking with you again. I think the stand-out feature of each tour has been the guides we’ve had on each trip - they’ve all been excellent without exception and have dedicated every waking moment of each tour to making sure each has run perfectly and participants are happy. Our guide in Puglia - Massimo - was great. He was always cheerful, encouraging, kept us well informed of plans and was very knowledgeable about the region. He also took excellent photos and videos of our trip which he was happy to share. Great memories of an excellent holiday!
