Cycle the Baltics

This was a very (very) enjoyable vacation. We have a good mix of personalities in the group who got on together and a great guide, Lina, who kept everything rolling. The mix of cycling and Baltic culture was the right balance and the sunny, warm weather, for all but the last day, showcased the 3 x Baltic countries at their glorious best. The trip blended the cycling with city visits (inc three in Lithuania, Kaunas, Klaipeda and Vilnius), beach visit (optional swim), a boat trip, city tours, country sightseeing, supported with interesting history and facts, supplied by Lina. This provided an overview of a 'hidden part' of Europe, that was very enlightening, more so now, due to the Baltic states proximity and relationship with bordering Russia. The hotels were all good standard and the local food ranged from good to delicious. During the days, we had the right amount of stops for coffee, ice cream, comfort breaks etc. Additionally, the local Baltic beer in all three countries is excellent, but be warned, pretty strong too. Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania do have many similarities but are clearly unique. Personally, I came away educated & with a clearer understanding of the the history and politics of the region & I'm grateful for this I highly recommend this trip - it was so good, I may even do it again!

We were very fortunate -weather was excellent-our guide Lina was amazing -exploring the baltics is a must do trip

I just came back a couple days ago from my 5th bike trip ever-- this was an excellent one! It's mostly flat, so the biking wasn't that hard, but hard enough that I felt I got a great workout every day. Our leader, Lina, was absolutely superb in every way. She organized us and kept track of us beautifully, calmed the waters during stressful situations (our bus broke down on the highway! But we got a new one ASAP), chose FANTASTIC restaurants for us, and told us volumes worth of history in a captivating way. These countries are fascinating, beautiful, quirky, with delicious food, great beaches, stunning architecture, excellent biking paths (it was never scary!), and perfect weather for us (August). Highly recommend!

Weather was challenging but overall this trip was well worthwhile.

I enjoyed the trip tremendously, even though the weather did not cooperate all the time. The biking was exactly as described, not too strenuous, but long enough each day to feel like one got a workout. In addition, the cycling route gave us a good sense of how each country viewed cycling. I also enjoyed the walking tour of Tallinn before the start of the bike trip, and the extra days in Riga and Vilnius.

Excellent review of recent and past history in the region

I honestly had no idea what to expect when I booked this cycling trip, but wow - what an absolute gem! The route took us to charming medieval towns, along stunning coastlines, and through peaceful national parks, showing us a side of these countries you'd likely otherwise miss. The absolute highlight for me was cycling Lithuania's Lake District, where we pedaled past gorgeous lakes and through pine forests, discovering adorable wooden villages that looked straight out of a storybook. The unexpected moments made it unforgettable - like when our guide insisted we try this tiny restaurant that only served dried fish (I was skeptical), but it turned out to be the best meal of the entire trip. Every evening, our small group would gather over wine and local beer, laughing about the day's adventures. From the incredible old town of Tallinn to tucked-away fishing villages, every day brought something new to discover, while the thoughtfully planned routes made the journey challenging yet incredibly rewarding. If you're on the fence about this trip, just book it.

Fascinating trip through interesting cities and countryside in the Baltics, led by the brilliant Lina. I was surprised to read recent negative reviews of this tour as it certainly didn’t match our experience. We were lucky to have a great group that really gelled and we all thought Lina was a brilliant leader. It is more of a cruising sight seeing tour then a full on cycling trip, the cycling is incidental on some days and the bikes are heavy shopping type bikes, but the terrain is generally flat and the riding is easy. The hotels were fine, though towels in the in Baltics are very thin and cheap and the trip would perhaps benefit from a non cycling day in the middle with a free afternoon to allow time for laundry and chilling.

Fascinating trip through 3 countries led by an excellent group leader, Lina

Brilliant time with Cycle The Baltics. This was our first cycle adventure but now plan to do more. All three countries were beautiful with such interesting histories. Cycling each day was tough but manageable with plenty of enjoying breaks.

A wonderful cycle through some of the best parts of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania averaging about 35-40 km a day. It takes in the cultural highlights of the three Baltic states including some stunning scenery, forest trails and four swimming opportunities in the sea and a lake. The trip was made truly memorable by our awesome guide Lina, who combined being an excellent cycling leader with her 'en-cyclo-paedic' knowledge of the history and culture of all the places we visited. She also shared her own experience of life in Soviet-era Lithuania including facing the Russian tanks after independence was declared in 1990. The trip was made extra-special by traveling with such a great group of like-minded people, making it all my best Exodus trip so far. Highly recommended!

An easy cycling trip exploring the 3 Baltic states, their capitals, countryside and beaches, as well as gaining a good understanding of their social, political and historical background up to the present day.

Good trip enjoyed by all

This was a fasinating trip and and an excellent way to experience the three countries. The culture, the people, the food and drink. The cycling was generally easy and flat. The bikes were fairly heavy but behaved well. The pannier was a great way to easily carry gear you may need during the day. Andrius was a great guide with masses of information about the history of the countries. His sense of humour was brilliant and he looked after us very well organising places to eat, getting snacks for lunches and choosing a beer! We had a great driver in Anatoli who was very patient waiting for us when we had an impromptu stop, or two, for an icecream.

A great way to see all three Baltic Countries with really pretty reasonably easy cycling.

This trip was fantastic. Every day we had something different to look forward to knowing Andrius would give us the best experience possible. There was so much to learn about the history of the three countries, it really makes a difference actually being there to hear first hand from locals how life has changed for them over the years. Beautiful scenery, swimming in the Baltic, cycling along a beach, visiting all three capitals, eating the local food, all highlights of the trip. The cycling was enjoyable as not to demanding and the bikes did the job although basic. The hotels were fine, especially as we hardly spent any time in the rooms due to the constant activities organised. Our group gelled well and we had much fun together, including with Andrius who arranged all of the dinners and lunches for us. Nothing was too much trouble for him. Our coach driver was excellent and a good support to Andrius fixing bikes etc. He also worked tirelessly to ensure we all had a good time. If you are considering this trip, do it!

Everything was good from booking the trip to finishing the cycling. The trip itself was so interesting - hearing all the stories about living in the former Soviet republics, seeing the stunningly beautiful Baltic beaches, easy cycling, tours of all the major cities, great restaurants, mostly cycling paths. I loved the trip and would highly recommend it.

Easy flat cycling. excellent guide' good weather. great group

This is a brilliant trip, which we really enjoyed. The accommodation was better than we expected, apart from one hotel/motel, The Green Park, which feels like you are sleeping (or not sleeping) in the middle of a main road. I think the tour would benefit from being very slightly more expensive and have better hotels, which are little difference in price in these countries. The itinerary was good, but it felt a bit rushed. We hardly saw Latvia and we had a couple of very long transfers. It would benefit from being a couple of days longer. Our guide, Andrius, was superb. He was so lovely, sociable and knowledgeable and was a pleasure to have around. The driver, Dmitri was a very good driver, without a single word of English. This was a shame, as we could not socialise with him. My big problem with these trips, and it is not just Exodus, is that, to save money, they have gone from 2 guides, to one guide and a mechanic/back-marker, to only one guide. This created a potentially big problem when I had an accident (and it was no-one's fault). I had to be taken to hospital by the guide as walking wounded (stitched up and continued cycling for the remainder of the holiday). That meant there was no-one to lead the cycling. Fortunately, we had a very competent fellow traveller who did this job. However, this is not the first time we have been caught out in this way. Exodus needs to take a serious look at health and safety, because it does matter. This is where the star has been dropped.

This was a brilliant trip from start to finish. We have learnt so much about the history of these three countries, the trip was about so much more than cycling. The scenery is beautiful, and we cycled a variety of terrains including along a beach! We were lucky to have a really good guide who is local and rich in the history of the Baltics. The cycling was gentle, not too challenging, which was fine for us. There were many activities to participate in, aside of just cycling. It was just non-stop from the beginning of the day until we flopped into bed every night! The hotels were all perfectly adequate, some really nice - with the exception of the hotel in Riga - tiny rooms, a teeny shower and poor breakfast. We had group meals every night bar one, and mostly they were good restaurants. Lunches were well thought out and mostly in small cafes. We loved this holiday. We were blessed with a great group of people to travel with and have made some fantastic new friends. If you are thinking about this trip, I would not hesitate. Do it!

I’m sitting on our return flight, reflecting on our Exodus cycling tour of the Baltic - I believe it was probably the best cycle trip we’ve had so far. Why? For me, these tours are a way of immersing myself in the culture, the folklore and the history of the countries we visit - as well as finding out “up-to-date” information on topical issues ranging from Ukraine and Russia, politics, economics - right up to today’s take on technology, education and culture - all washed down with some fabulous authentic local food and beverages. This trip primarily hit the mark because our guide Andreas was unbelievably knowledgeable, intelligent and bang up to date with everything - be it the best brew or the latest technological trends. Andreas‘ humour kept the entire team motivated and amused, thus ensuring that we all had an excellent trip. Andreas always ensured everyone was happy - be it having all the detailed information they wanted (on whatever they needed), selecting the best cuisine in a remote cafe or ensuring they enjoyed the right beer (there are literally dozens of delicious Baltic ales from which to choose). My knowledge of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is greatly improved for which I thank Andreas. From the holiday “logistics” view point, we had an excellent driver, good sound bikes, great local food and, I’m my opinion, the cycling was the right level/distance for what we wanted to achieve. We shall definitely visit again.

The Baltic countries are really interesting and so this trip is much more than the cycling - it was a cultural trip with bikes! We learnt a lot about the similarities and differences between the three countries, their history and their experience over the last hundred years. We also enjoyed some really nice food and drink and some good socialising - we had a really nice group. The cycling was pretty easy if you're reasonably fit - the routes aren't that hilly and quite a bit is through pine forest rather than open road. Several of us had e-bikes to take the strain on the longer days. The hotels were all pretty good.

I was drawn to this trip because I wanted to visit and learn more about this fascinating part of the world which has such a dramatic history. As it was my first cycling holiday I was also keen to choose a trip that wasn’t too strenuous and offered a good balance of activity and cultural interest. The trip fully met, and in fact, exceeded my expectations. I would highly recommend the trip as a way of having a really enjoyable and active holiday while experiencing the history and culture of these proud and vibrant countries. (The fantastic weather was a lovely bonus!)

A fascinating trip through the 3 Baltic countries. The terrain was quite flat and the cycling easy over an amazing mix of forest trails generous cycle paths and some road travel. We were blessed with good weather and even managed to swim in the Baltic 3 times. The tour gave us a great insight into the conditions within all 3 countries during the Soviet era and how things have changed since then. The trip encompassed a wide range of activities and experiences ranging from climbing a forest fire watch tower to descending into the depths of an old Soviet nuclear missile site. Our travels were very much "off the beaten track" and we were able to meet the locals and had the opportunity to sample the local cuisine, including pink beetroot soup, smoked herring and potato-covered "zeppelins".

Absolutely beautiful countryside, hotels, people and scenery. My holiday was marred by the fact I had contracted covid on day 2. Exodus policy is to just leave you where you are without any support and manage through your insurance policy. ANDRIUS the guide spoke with the group in their thoughts and made it possible for me to enjoy some cycling, albeit I had to travel on public transport for some bits the group were very accepting and gradually I was included in more activities. The guides were brilliant and the holiday for me was saved in most part. I would recommend the trip for the experience, friendliness and knowledge of the guides....but beware of exodus policy regarding covid.