Cycling the Baltic States

A good way to see all 3 capitals. Accommodation convenient for the old towns and of a good standard and there is time to explore. Cycling is mainly on very well maintained cycle paths with a small amount on quiet roads. The cycling is mainly flat routes and distances are not long - max ca 40km. Scenery very similar in all 3 countries. There are a couple of lengthy bus transfers - details are in the trip notes.

Eagle our leader is amazing. She’s so knowledgeable and interesting and really good tours of each city. She was also good fun, impatient.

This trip had good accommodation in great locations. A lovely balance of cycling site seeing and free time. Eating out was affordable and delicious. Our tour leader made the trip very interesting I wouldn’t hesitate to visit the Baltic states again.

Bicycles were old. Hotels were subpar. Breakfasts were not tasty and flavorful. Too much of the same scenery - forests after forests after forests - not enough variety. Too much time spent on the bus. Tour leader not warm and friendly. Should have at least two leaders. All in all a bad experience mainly because of the lousy condition of the bicycles.

Better bikes, provide helmets for rent and water bottles

A fantastic tour led by Egle. She was very good taking everybody’s needs into consideration. A warm up, good knowledge of the destinations calling on her local knowledge. Excellent meals and good variety of food. Would really join another tour led by her and has encouraged me to think about more cycling adventures. Thanks

A packed tour which successfully combined cycling through some beautiful forests and seaside towns with walking visits to the three capitals. Tour leader was knowledgeable and keen to share insights.

This is a fabulous tour, just as described in the itinerary. It is very diverse, all 3 cities visited were very accessible and interesting, leaving no doubt about their various histories. The cycling was easy ( we chose ebikes which were helpful, but not really necessary,), don't come on this expecting lots of fast, long rides, although our guide, Egle was excellent at finding different options to suit the varying competences of our group. She was also a wealth of information about the political, historical and cultural aspects of the tour and arranged several group dining nights out, which we appreciated. She also gave lots of tips about how to use our free time wisely, in addition to restaurant recommendations for the nights when we dined independently . ( there are no dinners officially included in this tour ). Our multi national group got on very well together, were very inclusive (6 individual travellers amongst a group of 16 ) without being together all the time. We have been on many Explore cycling trips over the years, but this was the first not to have a backup mechanic, fortunately there were no punctures along the way, but we did have some problems with charging ebikes. However, that's the only negative- I would highly recommend this tour.

This was an excellent tour, my first with Explore. The itinerary was a good mix of cycling (varying between 15 and 50km pd) and sightseeing (both guided and free time) in both the major cities and some beautiful national parks etc, and the three long transfers were not at all onerous with well chosen stops for coffees/lunch. Egle was an excellent, humorous and very knowledgeable guide who kept us to schedule but was also flexible when needed to accommodate the (11 - strong) group’s wishes and the variable weather. The hotel accommodations were all very good, with Palmse manor a stand out in terms of its beautiful location and grounds even if the rooms were a bit more basic. The bikes were comfortable and good quality and no-one had any real mechanical problems.

Linus was so much more than our tour leader. He brought the history of Lithuania alive with his personal experience during the Soviet Era and his expert knowledge of all three Baltic States past history , even showing a video of the Hand Of Friendship which I didn't know about. He is an absolute professional and I left with a real sense of what these countries have faced in the past and what they have become today. The cycling was interesting although I found the bikes quite heavy compared to what I am used to . I loved going through the forests and coastal areas. Linus kept everything moving smoothly with stops for water and catch up. He always gave us such well informed walks in each city. For me , the trip would not have been the same without Linus. He is an exceptional guide , historian and bike leader . Thank you again Linus for everything you brought and gave to our group . You made it an unforgetable experience Margaret

Too much driving and not enough cycling.