Portugal

This was our first VBT vacation. We were very impressed with the planning, accommodations, and route. It was a wonderful experience to bike along country roads with guides who knew the area. The hotels were lovely and the meals were delicious. Everything was top-notch.

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

Enjoyed the freedom of not having a deadline to meet or being able to stop when I wanted to however wasn't aware of the fog this time of the year and often left me unable to see the vistas that were a part of the tour. Loved the small group size and the flexibility that came with a self-guided tour.

The bike routes were well planned and reasonable is length of travel. We were in need of an air pump and it was promptly provided. This however should be available in future ventures and should travel from hotel to hotel with our luggage. The hotels were reasonable but not a five star as we expected. The meals provided by VBT we less than average and should have perhaps been planned at a more authentic Portuguese restaurant. Our bike routes had very little authentic stops along the way. Some pre arranged activities would have been enjoyable for example a port tasking, or a local Market or even an authentic coffee shop where we might be expected and served a coffee and pastry. Also a planned final dinner with the group and perhaps a leader to join us would have ended our trip nicely.

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!

We love VBT and the best part of this trip was our leader, Manu. He is awesome! All VBT leaders are great, and he is at the top. It was the initial offering of the trip, and some kinks will be addressed, I am sure. Coordinating the boat and the buses (there were A LOT of buses) and biking is complex. We enjoyed the chance to mix with other travelers on the boat. We enjoyed unpacking only once. The Douro is not a river where you can bike alongside, like the Danube--so there is a lot of bus transfer time on twisty steep roads (some complained of car sickness). It is a hilly area--definitely on the "moderate" scale, not the "easy-moderate" scale. Climate always a question-in late April we had both cold (40's) and wet and warm (70s) and sunny. The olive oil mill and winery were good experiences. The archeological site was sketchy.... If you like hills and don't mind the bus, a good trip to some less accessible areas.

This trip was the perfect combination of biking and cruising. The Emerald Radiance was a top-notch level Riverboat with a crew that felt like family by the end of the trip. The rooms were small but had every important amenity. In the evening were entertained by local dancers and singers that were an excellent representation of the local culture. This trip should be on everyone’s list.

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.

Our tour of Northern Spain was a combination of seeing some of the beautiful landscapes of northern Spain, a flavor of what the Camino de Santiago is like and a wonderful history and cultural experience of this region of the world. Our guides were phenomenal. They took care of every detail of the tour, and made sure we got as many experiences as possible throughout the tour. They managed our safety while still giving us the freedom to explore on our own.

Walking is a wonderful way to experience a part of the world. We saw and learned so much. Our guides were excellent. We had a good mix of organized time and time for ourselves.

This walking tour was so well organized and well executed! I was very impressed. The guides, Ana and Helen, were probably the best I have ever encountered on tours. They worked well together and were very knowledgeable on the history and culture of the area we were traveling in. They always had a "can do attitude". And they were fun!! I was surprised on the amount of time we spent traveling on the bus. But after traveling to the area, I can understand that the distances between the 3 areas we walked in was too vast to have traveled any other way. The good news was we had a very luxurious bus that was comfortable, and we could spread out and enjoy the scenery as the bus traveled. My other surprise was the food. I did not find it very good. I am sure this is regional. The area is not by the sea. The people of the region eat a lot of meat. Country walkers did a good job to make sure that there were food options for everyone. There was always a fish option (cod) and a vegetarian option. But again, in my opinion, the food to the region was plain and simple. Not a lot of flavoring is used. I thought the food in Porto and Lisbon was different, there you can find some very savory palate pleasing meals. The walking part of the tour was well planned, and the length options were good. My favorite walking days were on the first and last days. I loved walking through the National Park. Most of the walks were downhill and on uneven surfaces. I would not recommend this tour if walking down hill or on uneven surfaces is an issue for you. The guides always discussed the walks the day before hand so one could make a decision to walk or not. And the guides were very safety conscious about the walks keeping everyone under a watchful eye. The other activities such as the boat ride and Port wine tasting were much appreciated and interesting! I would recommend this tour with a whole heart if you came in with knowing that the food may not be the best tasting. Go for the adventure of walking in beautiful areas where the history of long ago is still standing and to brush elbows with the local people who are lovely, friendly and very proud of their region and country. You will not be disappointed!