Finland's Turku Archipelago Cycle

Had a great time, beautiful ride - usually little traffic. The hotels were amazing and the two dinners were incredible. Highly recommend the Finnish Archipelago ride.

Well organized. the gpa tracks were spot on!

We had a wonderful experience on the Turku Archipelago. The scenery was beautiful and the lodging was great. The cycling was unforgettable and the Finnish people were friendly.

We were boarded the first night in the Sokos hotel in Turku, just a short walk to the Carfield bike rental shop. In my working career, I traveled often for Firestone Tire and, in my years on the road, I never stayed in a hotel as nice as the Sokos where there was a complementary sauna and a breakfast spread fit for a king! My partner, Barb, noted that her rental bike occasionally missed a gear while shifting - which she explained to the representative upon return, My bike performed flawlessly. I asked a representative about money since they recommended withdrawing 200-300 Euros and the young man replied that everyone has a card scanner so it isn't necessary or wise to carry large amounts of cash. We found that this was true, Even the most remote farm scan had a credit card scanner. I downloaded the CXC files onto my Ride with GPS app and the navigation was accurate and easy to use. The first twenty miles out of Turku were on a well maintained bike trail but, after the first ferry, we found ourselves riding on a busy highway with large Scania trucks buzzing past our ears. Now, I'm an experienced bike racer so I wasn't intimidated by this but it was tiresome and annoying. On the second night, we were put up in a nice hotel in the pretty little harbor town, Nauvo. The restaurant was a bit pricey for dinner but guests were given a voucher to help offset the cost. The complimentary breakfast was outstanding. The third day was chilly and rainy but we pushed through because, as experienced bike tourists, we packed our rain gear. When we arrived at the inn, we both took saunas and dipped into the Baltic. Dinner at the inn in Houtskar was impressive and quite elegant. The following day, we returned to Korpo Island and stayed in a newly renovated inn where we were served a nine course dinner consisting of foods which, at home, would break my budget. It was a memorable meal. The penultimate day of riding also happened to be the longest at 46 miles which encompassed three ferry rides. It was a long ride on the heavy touring bikes but we made good time and were able to explore Naantali and it's historic harbor. In sum, the accommodations were superior, the bike equipment was serviceable and the routes were easily navigated. My only reservation about recommending this tour is the proximity and volume of traffic on some of the major roads we followed.

Great scenery, fun ferry rides, excellent accommodation and welcoming hosts. Perhaps a little hillier than expected but we managed well. Drivers were careful and courteous when we were cycling on the roads.