21 independent reviews for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania vacation
Reviews for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania vacation
Colm O review 22 Sep 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
So many it's hard to choose2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
It's good3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Don't know, other than that I spent money locally.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Excellent in all ways.Teresa Byrns review 28 Aug 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Learning about the history and culture of the Baltic States2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Have an open mind and try new things3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Excellent vacationJohn Scott review 27 Jun 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Being there2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Book it3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yep to all4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
ExcellentAnn Overstall review 13 Jun 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Visiting the Cold War Museum2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Shoes with thick soles to protect your feet from the cobbled streets3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
the use of local guides, money spent on meals in local restaurants, travel by bus rather than air, generally being informed about conservation areas.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Very interestingRosemary Chinchen review 22 Aug 2022
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Swimming in the Baltic and exploring. Riga.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Bring your swimming costume.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes. A local tour manager and guides, all of whom were excellent, were used.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Very interesting and learnt a little about the history and culture of the area.Lynn Hamlin review 22 Aug 2022
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
The trip was excellent- leader was excellent. Two of the hotels were sub par with one having basically no air conditioning.Read the operator's response here:
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, Lynn. We are delighted to read that you enjoyed the leadership of your tour, although we regret that two of the hotels you stayed at fell below your expectations. We take our clients' feedback seriously and have drawn your comments to the attention of the product manager for this tour so that she can follow up with our local manager. We sincerely hope that this does not discourage you from traveling with us again.
Christopher Saunders review 8 Jul 2022
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Viewing Russia from the Curonian Spit and having my mobile phone say 'Welcome to Russia'. Also the Museum of Ocupation in Riga2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Fly to Helsinki and get the ferry to Talinn. Don't take an indirect flight with Air Baltic. You can fly back direct from Vilnius to London City.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
No4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Poignant in learning how people of the Baltic States suffered. Some hotel rooms too small though, and very bad not to have sink plugs if you wear contact lensesGraham Jones review 5 Sep 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Probably helping to celebrate with those of the Baltic States the 30 years of freedom from Soviet control. However, there were many other, and very varied, highlights throughout the trip.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Ensure that you make the most of the opportunities and are suitably fit for a reasonable amount of walking. We were and thoroughly enjoyed it.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
To some extent, because the local populations, particularly outside of the main cities, are still enjoying meeting people from different nations. Having visited various national parks and natural habitats, we hope we helped to underline their importance.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
We thought that the operator had devised a very good itinery with lots of places of interest, used an exceptional tour guide and some very knowledgeable local guides, good drivers and a very satisfactory range of hotels.Amir Yoffe review 13 Aug 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Wonderful and knowledgeable guide who went above and beyond.Elaina Hershowitz review 10 Sep 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Each country was terrific; the tour did what I had hoped and it was good value for the money.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
None3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Money spent will help these economies grow4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Alan Teece review 9 Sep 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
All three countries had something special to offer from Tallinns beautiful Old Town to the Sand Dunes of the Curonean Spit. All greatly helped by Jovita a wonderful tour manager and well informed local guides. This is a very active vacation make sure you are up to 4 hrs waking per day on cobbled streets. Do not forget your umbrella and rain jacket. Showers are short but very heavy2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Beware of the hotel quality look for an upgrade of your room or you will be disappointed3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Excellent vacation let down by poor hotels with badly arranged breakfast buffets and dark small rooms not 3/4 star more like 2.Ray Tweedale review 11 Jul 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Tallinn old town, Arte Nouveau buildings in Riga, Trakai Castle on the lake2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Take a travel kettle.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
A very nicely varied tour and excellent tour guide.Helen Miller review 18 Jun 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The beautiful buildings and cities, lots of music and friendly people2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Very informative trip but action packed covered a lot of ground in a short time. Climate changed quickly in early June needing both hot weather and cool weather clothes.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I would think so, all the guides where local and we always eat in restaurant run by the local people. Lots of refilling of drinking water bottles4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Great guide, good size of group, lots of information. I learnt a lot and enjoyed the folklore and music. I would recommended it.. but not as a rest.Janine Shamley review 10 Jun 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
I loved Riga and everything about Lithuania!2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Take clothes for every season!3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, the guide directed us where to buy gifts from local craft people. And they made sure we had water provided so we didn’t buy plastic bottles.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
I didn’t really interact with Responsible Travel as I was connected directly to the tour operator after my first email. The operator was fantastic in every way and I’d travel with them again and recommend them to others.Atashi Mandal review 13 May 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The variety of destinations.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Book an extra day in Vilnius. This trip is not for those who are very active or adventurous. Hotel rooms can be very cramped, so pack accordingly.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Definitely was a benefit to the local people and economy. Not sure about any environmental impact.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Very satisfactoryTony Garland review 31 May 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
There were so many highlights during this excellent, massively varied trip that it is difficult to choose only one. The capital cities of Tallin, Riga and Vilnius were distinct and delightful; the trips to the countryside and the coast were fascinating; To mention only a few highlights, we would have to include the upper city in Tallin; the canal cruise and the Art Nouveau museum in Riga; the former Soviet Nuclear Missile site; the Trakai castle and the old town center of Vilnius..2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Be prepared for some long, though interesting, days traveling by bus. Be sure to take anti mosquito preparations for some sites.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
It did benefit local people in that we ate in local restaurants and cafes and bought local souvenirs. Drinking water was supplied from large containers to refill individual water bottle, rather than by continually buying new bottled water.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
This vacation exceeded our high expectations in virtually every way. We would recommend it unreservedly.Caroline Egen review 27 Sep 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Tallinn and the Curonian spit2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Make sure you are prepared to walk a bit since some travelers were not able to do everything. Also having not been on a tour before we had booked a nice restaurant the first night in Tallinn and did not realise we would all be going out and introducing each other - maybe put that on the literature.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
ExcellentMaryanne Roach review 30 Jul 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
A day spent on the Curonian Spit and swimming in the Baltic. The Art Nouveau architecture and boat trip in Riga.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Be ready for some hotels without AC if going during a heat wave! Excellent wi-fi. Restaurants very willing to do individual bills. There are no dinners included in the price and eating out every evening gets a tad expensive as prices are similar to those in the UK. Lots of castles and churches and sightseeing on cobbles.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Eating out in restaurants every day must have contributed to the local economy!4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
A very interesting and enjoyable trip. A good group of 20 people who jelled well. An excellent tour leader.Nel Pickette review 29 Aug 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Tallinn old town. Walking tour of each old town. Enjoyed the amount of free time and self choice meals built into itinerary.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Expect a few long days but also a well managed and very interesting historical and sociological overview of the coutries visited. Remember to take rain gear whever you go!3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Definitely supported local employment. There was evidence that the coutries were environmentally aware but i didnt notice a direct link to our tour.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Excellent. The guide was informative and personable. Always available and very helpful with tips re eating etc. Accommodation was generally of a high standard and the buses very comfortable.James Fairbanks review 16 Jun 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Everything was memorable but the Cold War Museum in an abandoned Soviet missile launch site and the Occupation Museum in Riga are the two things that made the biggest impression on me.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Just do a bit of research on how to use free time in Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius - there is a lot to see in the limited amount of free time provided.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Not much sense of anything out of the usual on this.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
The tour made good use of the available time and took us places we never would have seen had we done what we originally had planned to do which was to just visit the three capital cities on our own. Our tour guide Lolita was excellent and out fellow travelers all interesting and pleasant people from three other nations. The total number on the tour was just was 11, an ideal size for a group tour. Other than some mix-up on the hotel about where the tour was to originate, our experience was entirely positive.Read the operator's response here:
Dear James,
Firstly, thank you for your comments, we are delighted that overall you had a great trip.
We’d like to give you a little more information regarding your comments on question 3. As you have said there wasn’t much out of the usual here but I hope that you saw that the type of tourism on this trip makes an extra effort to contribute to local communities. Our decision to use locally run hotels that serve locally produced ingredients is reflective of this. Likewise our visitation of traditional local restaurants. We also visit a huge amount of sites that are maintained through our visitor fees which of course contribute to the local community and economy. By visiting Laheema N. P. and Gauja N.P. on this trip, we contribute a portion of our entrance fees to conservation efforts in these areas. Our local staff have also volunteered in the Curonian Spit National Park doing conservation activities in order to protect the environment we see and encounter. All of our guides are local to the Baltics and in exchange for their insider’s knowledge and passion for the area, we ensure they are paid and treated fairly.
You will also find that those working in the hotels and museums are locals as it is a natural requirement for those in the tourist industry to speak all three Baltic languages. Our support of locally staffed businesses helps to provide alternative employment opportunities in areas which are sometimes quite rural. The economy and local community therefore benefits.
We do hope that this explanation provides an adequate response to your review and offers you reassurance that we are continuously working on ensuring our trips are as responsible as possible. We hope to welcome you back to the Baltics one day.
Fiona BELL review 29 Jul 2016
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Historic cities, interesting and often tragic histories and natural beauty in the landscapes. Lots of insights into the more recent past of the Cold War also.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Be prepared for a fascinating time, and take good walking shoes as you may cover a lot of ground!3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Local people benefited from our tourism via hotels, restaurants , markets and local guides. We were all environmentally aware.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Really fantastic! I learned so much about these Baltic countries and their people and environment.Holiday Reviews
You can trust Responsible Travel reviews because, unlike many other schemes, reviews can ONLY be written by people who we have verified have been on the holidays. In addition, we don't run these holidays ourselves - our only interest is giving you the best independent advice.
