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.

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.

We've done several European biking trips......a couple with VBT. I would give a 5 star rating to VBT administratively, the bikes, the initial meet and greet, the towns we ended up in, and the lodging. However, I was a little disappointed in the actual bike route of this trip. A few legs of the trip were repeated, some on very rough roads, and some a bit monotonous. Also, since it was self-guided, it would have been nice to have a bit more historical facts and information with the GPS. Directions were very easy to follow, but would have liked more info. All this being said, we still think VBT puts great packages together!

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 enjoyed cycling through the Douro River region and seeing the charming villages. The arranged lunches at local restaurants were a highlight. The recent fires in the area did take away from some of the natural beauty, but despite that, we had fun cycling. There are plenty of lovely views to enjoy. Our trip leaders did a great job. The terrain is quite hilly, - be prepared! Cruising on the Douro added to the experience.

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.

Outstanding guides who make the days and evenings fun, stunning and variable terrain, lovely paradors - and beautiful, beautiful Northern Spain.

This is a wonderful trip with wonderful guides! It gives you a taste of what it would be like to walk one of the Caminos in its' entirety - I hope to go back and do that one day!

What a joy this trip was! Our guides, David and Ana were simply awesome; they were extremely knowledgeable, attentive, entertaining, and supportive from start to finish! I enjoyed this experience with an awesome group of walkers as we learned and enjoyed together. We had beautiful scenery, delicious food and wine, and learning about the places we visited. Each accommodation was unique, and all were very comfortable and welcoming. Couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable tour!

This was a fabulous trip in every way. The hiking and scenery were wonderful. The guides were superb and attentive to every detail. The hotels were beautiful, comfortable and in interesting and fairly remote places. The placement of the hotels made for a a very scenic trip and the ability to get to places that I could not do on my own. The food and wine were outstanding. Even the transfer of luggage as we were hiking was so smooth that we did not have to worry about anything. I also took the extensions including Porto at the beginning and staying in Lisbon at the end of the trip. I actually worked out a special airfare arrangement with the company and booked a hotel for a longer time staying eight full nights in Lisbon, which is a beautiful city. I cannot say enough positive things about my experience on the trip to Portugal. The entire experience exceeded my expectations. Thank you.