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.

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.

Absolutely epic trip! VBT Staff was great from the moment we booked the trip and throughout. Our accommodations were amazing in every city we rode into. Our luggage was always there before we were which was awesome. GPS app on the self-guided tour were perfect. We had perfect weather, which also really attributed to the amazing time we had.

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 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!

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!

Excellent support of Manuel/ David. Timo was a hoot. Only one day was over planned. Recommend separate events ( hieroglyphics visit)

The itinerary for this trip was very well thought out. The local guides, Diego and Pol, were beyond great. I would rate this trip as moderate, but you could elect to skip portions of the hikes to make it easier. The accommodations along the Camino were originally monasteries. The trip was so much fun. Thank you, Diego and Pol.

The trip was fabulous, we explored northern Spain along different parts of the Camino. The local guides were fantastic; friendly, knowledgeable, confident, concerned for our well being and safety. Everyone got along really well. The tours of the towns with the pottery and goat cheese tours with lunch was a highlight. Food was abundant, we actually agreed that after the luncheons we only needed a very light dinner. Hotels were amazing. Absolutely loved this trip and our guides. I went into this trip thinking we were walking enough distance to obtain the Camino certification, we went to get one and the official man behind the counter told us “ impossible “ This was a disappointment for me. I would have liked that in the description of this trip. I was not the only one with this expectation. I called the office of country walkers when I realized it was not an official walk a few days prior to the trip and was told to just walk another 15 miles to reach the criteria. This was not possible on this tour. I am planning to return and walk the Camino as a pilgrim and obtain the Camino certificate. That is important to me and from this trip I realize it is doable. The trip was more than just the walk and I got so much out of this trip that I can say was well worth it and will be life changing.

This was our first tour with Country Walkers. From the 1st morning where we meet our amazing guides, Helene and Ana, we knew we were in good hands! Both ladies were so knowledgeable of each area we visited. As this was also our 1st trip to Portugal, we learned a lot about the beautiful area we traveled through each day. Our accommodations were so comfortable and we really felt welcomed by each host making us feel right at home! Of course, each meal was very Portuguese flavored and so delicious. We look forward to another Country Walker’s Tour and would highly recommend the tours to anyone who loves walking through Nature!

I have been on 4 CW trips and the guides have been great. Helene and Luís were next level. They were definitely one of the highlights for me. The accommodations were historic and amazing. I did not enjoy the hikes as much as previous trips but didn’t feel disappointed.