Portugal

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

Portugal was our 11th VBT trip and 12th biking trip. It was the best or at least equal to our other great trips. The guides were the best ever and the hotels , especially the Farm House, were excellent. The biking was challenging at times but very good overall. We highly recommend the trip and very much want to return to Portugal. Great food, great wine and a beautiful country. We felt very safe on the roads and highways as Portugal drivers are very courteous to bikers. Absolutely nothing to complain about and as with all VBT trips, a great value.

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.

The support crew was helpful and attentive. The bikes were great. The route had very lite traffic. It was very well thought out.

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!

We really enjoyed this trip and would recommend it. The routes were scenic; the bikes excellent; the food very good; the leaders outstanding; the other experiences (tours, wine tasting, etc.) were fun and informative; the hotels at the beginning and end were very nice. We would suggest using the e-bikes as the terrain is hilly.

This trip is a great way to see Portugal. Pre-extension in Lisbon, Emerald cruise in the Douro River valley, and post-extension in Porto. Great food, service and extremely well thought out bike routes. 14 of 16 of us used e-bikes, and unless you are a serious rider, I recommend the e-bikes. It is a river valley, so you are either climbing out of it, or coasting back in. The surrounding area is hilly. The small towns that you visit along the way are beautiful and historical. The folks are very gracious. The ship is delightful - 104 passengers, and a crew of 37. Two outstanding leaders wrangle all the bikes, and act as hosts on all the side tours at lunch, and pedaling days end. Can't say enough about how well we were taken of. All in all, a wonderful week!

Our Guides, Alberto and Pol, made this trip one to remember! Surprises at every bend on the Camino. We especially enjoyed the Northern Coastal areas and the Vineyards (Ribera Sacra) in the mountains overlooking the Sil River. But the cultural experiences really made the trip POP! From the Queimada demonstration to the Pottery making demo at Rectoral de Gundivos, to the Good Shepherd Demo, and did we mention the Paradores! Overall, a great sampler of the Camino, and one we hope to revisit as Pilgrims. Wish we could have spent more time hiking the Camino and less time on the charter bus, but we understand the limitations. Perhaps CW will extend this trip by a few days down the road (path).

Fabulous trip! The guides were great, landscape unbelievable and the rain made it an adventure

Our guides on our Portugal trip, David and Luis, were attentive and knowledgeable. Our accommodations were uniformly excellent . The Douro Valley landscape of vineyard after vineyard was impressive, and we enjoyed learning some of the finer points of grape cultivation. Would have liked more hiking/walking, but overall an enjoyable trip

What a wonderful trip! Portugal was wonderful, the guides were also great, and the group of travelers were all so very nice! So many surprises, the places where we stayed were incredible, and the food was very good! Visiting Portugal brought back the realization of that culture’s historical importance as colonizers of so many places around the world in the days of the conquistadors. Such a rich heritage!