Portugal

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.

As with all our VBT experiences Portugal did not disappoint. The trips are planned well from the time you take off from home until you land back at home. The transfers, the accommodations, and the in between are well thought out and planned. Any necessary changes are planned for. Portugal is tourist friendly, they are ahead of the curve with the pandemic, follow the rules. It is tough to find a bad meal, the weather was great; there is a lot of history. The cycling was easily doable for all who cycle 25 miles with some wind or hills. If you take only a few trips, make this one.

All was good on this self-guided trip except for a couple of small things: the air pump provided was a bit inadequate — but the rides were lovely, and hotels were very good. A bit hilly for the hybrid bike I had— a road bike or e-bike would have been better for me! Beautiful coastline!

This was our first self-guided VBT tour, no glitches! Routes were great, very scenic. The towns we stayed in were great for touring, good selection of restaurants and shops. Locals were very friendly and helpful! We do enjoy what local guides bring to a tour, but VBT did provide information on all stops along the way.

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!

Perfect trip, VBT staff/guides above and beyond!!!

Wonderful trip! Biking along the Douro and surrounding areas was amazing. We were able to go to some remote places and really experience the area without a lot of tourists around. The meals we had in the small towns were top notch! We had wonderful tours as well. Matyas and David were excellent guides. Riding an ebike on this tour enabled me to enjoy the multiple steep hills.

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).

We loved this trip - which was the first for this itinerary. Our guides were wonderful, very knowledgeable, and adapted easily when the weather didn’t cooperate. We hiked gorgeous country, learned a lot, and made friends with great people. The accommodations were outstanding, as was the food. We had looked forward to an Camino adventure for years, and this trip did not disappoint!

The sights were beautiful. The tour was very well organized with well thought out stops for snacks and bathroom breaks. Our tour guide, Helen and Luis, were both wonderful. They were very knowledgeable about the history, culture, plants and all the surroundings. I would love to travel with them again.

Excellent trip.Excellent guides.Very well organized.