Self-Guided / Guided MTB Holiday Recommendations

[Fletch456]

Hi All,

Am looking for any holiday companies people can recommend, having had experience of and views on cycling holidays with explore and saddle skedaddle.

Some friends mooted the idea of a cycling holiday last night and I said I would do some digging.

It just needs to include as well as the usual holiday stuff:
- guides for being able to self guide yourself on rides
- ability to hire bikes from the company involved
- transferring the bulk of your luggage from one hotel to another (if not based in one location)

Not too expensive and not cheap / basic accomodation either. I'm very interested to hear reviews of the likes of saddle skedaddle (and explore) and justifications for the price. At £700 - £1200 for a week they don't come cheap but maybe I am missing something and the price is a for a good reason/s. I've holidayed with explore in China for 9 nights, in 5 cities and that cost £900 (albeit 5 years ago) which seems greater value for money.

Thanks

Craig

 

[Kirstie]

Exodus are supposed to be good, but I have no experience of them personally.

 

[andym]

I've gone with Skedaddle a couple of times to Sardinia as well as three shorter trips in the UK. I've absolutely no hesitation about recommending them. No they aren't cheap but for the money you get two guides plus a support driver/mechanic - so the service is excellent, and you get good value for money. If you can afford it, it's sociable and worry-free (although the flip side of worry-free is that you give up a certsonamount of independence). If there's a small group of you it migh be worth considering a self- guided option.

 

[Reiki_chick]

Just thought I'd echo comments about Skedaddle. I recently went on their Sardinia Coast to Coast MTB holiday and it was amazing.

I'd wondered about the price of it - but can honestly say the whole experience was well worth the money.
Accommodation was generally great, once a little disappointing, and sometimes truly excellent.
The guides and the rides were brilliant.
And the food was mostly awesome.

I'd thoroughly recommend that particular trip, but also my experience of the company was that, yes, Skedaddle are a company to use again.
As long as I can save the cash, I'll be going back for more.

 

[mcr]

Collett's are now offering mountain-biking (and road) weeks in the Dolomites, new next summer. I've been with them a couple of times for walking and snow-shoeing holidays and can thoroughly recommend the company (though I can't of course vouch for their biking operator/partner) - very flexible and reasonably priced (you make your own flight arrangements, but plenty of options for included accommodation and food). And no, I don't work for them!