Loire Cycling Weekend

Our Clients’ Reviews

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. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

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  Caroline Bain

  LOIRE CYCLING WEEKEND

  

  Written August 2011

  We experienced lots of organisational problems. When we arrived at our first hotel in Amboise, we were sent on a 20 min walk to another hotel. It took a long time to explain to the management of this hotel who we were. We were told that our bikes would be at the new hotel but they came later. The trip notes said we would collect our bikes from the shop. When the bikes arrived, they did not have an allen key (as promised) so we could not lower one of the seats (which we needed to do) and did not have a front panier with a waterproof cover for maps - as promised. It rained most of the time on our holiday so this was sorely missed. At our next hotel, our bags had not arrived when we got there so we could not shower or change after our cycle ride. They came much later. We were told the taxi had broken down and were offered dinner in the hotel, as compensation (but we had already planned to eat elsewhere). At the next hotel, they didn't know we were meant to be half board so there was quite a bit of negotiating to do. A final point was that we found the directions in the towns we visited to be very poor.      

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  The chateaux and the cycle rides through the countryside and the Loire river were amazing.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Potential travellers should make sure that they get to go to the bicycle shop themselves to have the bike fitted for them and to make sure it comes with all its accessories.

  It would be a good idea to take your own maps of the bigger towns you visit - we got hopelessly lost in Blois looking for our hotel. I'd advise going to the hotel websites as well and printing out any maps or directions that they provide.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  The concept of the holiday is wonderful and the places you visit are spectacular; it was a great shame that we experienced so many logistical hiccups. 

  Exodus Response

  Dear Caroline, Thank you so much for taking the time to provide us with feedback about your recent Loire Cycling Weekend trip.  I am very sorry to hear of the logistical problems that you experienced.  I have been in touch with the local operator who is very apologetic with regards to the mix up with the hotels and the luggage not arriving on time.  He has taken this to heart and will endeavour to ensure that this does not happen in the future.  With regards to the allen key, we do not usually provide these as there is the risk that bolts might not be tightened properly, leading to potential health and safety issues.  On occasions where assistance is needed (such as the allen key and waterproof panniers) we do urge clients to call the contact details provided in the front of the route notes as the operator is always on standby to solve issues such as these.  That saying, I am again truly sorry that you experienced these problems on your trip.  I do greatly appreciate your feedback and for next season will be including detailed maps of the towns visited as well as the route notes to make the directions clearer. Thanks and best wishes, 

  Olly

  
  

  - Exodus Staff

   
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  Kenneth Southam

  LOIRE CYCLING WEEKEND

  

  Written July 2011

  The Loire cycling weekend was great, only a couple of glitches with the directions provided by Exodus but we worked through them getting back on course and in one case stumbled upon a great Chauteau when we went the wrong way. The bike route was a shorter route of the week trip and the couple of parts that were cut out of the longer trip did not really connect up with the route map fully. As in most things in life there can be several ways to get to the end and we discovered this when a 'turn' was forgotten to be put in our directions. I guess whoever edited the longer route to a shorter route had not done the ride but with the help of the maps provided we got back on track eventually. Exodus had gone to great lengths to make the planned route fairly flat having you ride around any big hills and in one case where a turn was not well described we rode over the top of a large hill thus finding another pretty Chauteau before rejoining the correct route on the hills other side at the next village. No big deal but did make for more fun. Perhaps a suggestion would be to issue (rent option) each cycle group a GPS or Satnav unit with the bike route preprogramed that would help with both the km traveled to the next turn since the rental bikes had no odometers and you had to use your best estimate sometimes on how many km you had gone while looking for that next turn.Loved the trip and the adventure! 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Day 3 accomodation was superb!

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Have odometer or GPS/Satnav unit for better road guidance.