Portugal

We thoroughly enjoyed our first VBT experience. The tour route was very well laid out and we cannot not say enough about how impressive our tour leaders, David and Frederico, both of whom are natives of Portugal. Kudos to VBT for the way they planned and conducted our tour!

We loved this trip! Beautiful and varied biking routes; knowledgeable, competent and engaging guides, top-notch hotels, delicious food and interesting cultural activities. I wish I could do it all over again!

Portugal is a beautiful country with spectacular scenery as well as many historical sites. We generally road south along the coast line with excursions inland into farm land and orchards. We traveled through small towns and villages, many of which had cobblestone streets, castles, and very old churches. The hotels were all nice and clean, although the rooms in some were quite small. The rides were generally easy to moderate, although the final day was quite challenging with many hills. Both Porto and Lisbon are worth spending some extra time visiting. The "Ride with GPS" app generally worked pretty well, although traveling through some towns it was easy to miss turns and have to backtrack. Our group of 12 got along really well and we would cross paths frequently during the day. While this was a self-guided tour, there is a need for at least some level of support. One of our group had a low tire, and the small pumps on the bikes are not adequate to inflate a road bike tire to the recommended pressure. It took some cajoling to get the local support person to provide us with a floor pump. I would recommend that a floor pump be included with each group. Alternatively, a CO2 inflater with each bike would be helpful, at least for road bikes. The bikes were nice, and several in our group road e-bikes, which they enjoyed. Overall, we enjoyed the trip, particularly the people, although I am not sure I would do another self-guided trip.

We loved our self-guided coastal ride - spectacular vistas, nicest people, beautiful towns and liked being on our own time table. Accommodations were okay - small clean rooms and always helpful staff. Fuji E-bikes nimble, but I had to ask for a rear-view mirror and rode 2 days without one while waiting. Too dangerous to ride without, especially on roads and streets and couldn't track my husband behind me. All breakfasts were excellent, but dinner at Alcobaca hotel was inedible. Could have used more GPS orientation before starting. VBT staff helpful too.

Enjoyed this trip to Portugal. Good mix of easy and moderate riding to work off the fantastic food/beverages.

The trip was a perfect way to visit southern Portugal. The guides were awesome, always there to lend a hand or offer guidance. The bikes were outstanding - brand new fleet. The routes were interesting and scenic with little traffic. The food and wine were great. And above all the opportunity to spend time with old friends and to meet new friends was rewarding. Thanks