Portugal Bike Tour Reviews — 241 to 258 of 258

Loved the trip and especially our guides, the hotels, the food., the scenery..The Way was interesting and challenging (some gravel, some sand, beach boardwalks, etc; walked a bit but not because it was too hilly. We actually biked theough vineyards and even under trellises of grapes!! ) If you have a choice don't start the cycling portion on a weekend during beach season. (Dodging beach goers disturbs the scenery and calm). Porto is lovely and interesting too. A great opportunity to slow down and enjoy the countryside. None of us needed to ride in the van!!!

The trip was really terrific. Super accommodations (especially Torre de Rio), abundant, delicious food ( and a real bonus that it was included in the trip price), varied and interesting scenery. However we feel that the Ebike was most useful (fantastic, really!!!) when there were no rocks or gravel. Fortunately our guides were kind enough to push the very heavy bike up some of the steeper rocky paths when the bike had traction problems. In general, the "moderate" designation for the trip should be explained in more detail, as beginning cyclists think that word means hills - when in fact, for this trip, it means surface. As Pedro said, "this is not a road trip." This is not a good trip for an inexperienced rider (which I'm not, but first time Ebike). Since we've been on many road trips, we didn't quite have the vision of what we were signing up for...although in looking back at the reviews, I now see that others did mention the road conditions but they should be described more clearly in the promotional materials.

The guides and the bike shop owners were extremely caring and knowledgeable, and well organized and accommodating. Our contentment was clearly a priority as was safety. Dealing with the U.S. Office was very efficient and pleasant. We actually used their after hours contact phone for a flight pickup change and they were very responsive.

This was our second Tripsite tour and we are highly impressed with quality and value!

Fizemos, eu e minha esposa, em maio/junho de 2016, o Caminho Português da Costa a Santiago de Compostela. Foi fantástico, excelente organização! Recomendo.

The accommodation was excellent! (although we weren't very please with the location of our room in Evora at the Pousada Convento dos Loios as we were right next to the eating area which was occupied by diners from 7 am for breakfast and up to 10 pm for dinner)

However, there are two things something that could easily have made the trip more enjoyable: putting kick stands on the bikes and improving the maps and written directions.
It was incredibly annoying not to be able to stand the bikes up as we stopped frequently for pictures and most of the time, there wasn't anything to lean the bikes against. Having to lay them down on the ground sometimes resulted in the rear pannier getting knocked off centre which then meant readjusting it.

Even though a gps was provided and was invaluable, we found the maps to be very poor most of the time, one time even the local tourist office couldn't help us! It would be very helpful if simple written directions were included on how to best leave the hotel and / or town to start the day's journey.

We were impressed with the care and attention given to the safety aspect with the tools and equipment provided including a phone. We very much appreciated being picked up by Francisco at the train station in Pinhal Novo and also by Sofia who drove us from Evora to our hotel in Sintra. Thanks again!

In a word - FANTASTIC!

The entire trip was incredible. The route is extremely varied and beautiful. Starting in Porto and riding through seaside villages along the coast, then crossing into Spain and continuing along the coast, the riding is mostly flat and the views of the ocean just breathtaking. There are parts where you ride on bike paths, roads, boardwalks, cobblestone farming paths, and even a little single-track mountain biking type trail (which leads to a secluded beach area!). Later, the route takes you directly onto the Way of St. James (Camino de Santiago) and the riding is more hills and dirt paths, but also through small villages and historic areas. You follow this exclusively for the last 2 and a half days. You'll see many walkers making the pilgrimage - be sure to wish all a "buen camino"!

We opted for the self-guided version, using the GPS. This was perfect for us. We could linger in areas for photos, rest when we wanted to and ride at our own speed. The GPS was easy to follow and also included interesting waypoints, such as waterfalls and old churches and monasteries. This really added to the trip.

The hotel accommodations were awesome! In particular, views from the Parador in Baiona and the quiet, rustic beauty of the Hotel Torre do Rio were very memorable. The towns where we stayed were lovely and interesting to walk around after a day of riding. Don't miss some of the recommended restaurants - we tried a few and they were excellent.

Ending in Santiago de Compostela, we visited the beautiful cathedral and lovely old town center. This is a terrific ending to the trip. Don't forget to get your "Compostela" to commemorate your travels.

Sergio did a fantastic job with everything - the bikes were great, the pre-trip instructions clear, the accompanying trip notes good, the GPS easy to follow. He checked in with us a couple times just to make sure everything was going well. He's put a terrific trip together!

This will be a trip we remember and talk about for years to come. Highly recommended!

Traveled - early May 2016.

Hi everyone! This is Mary from Tripsite. I biked this tour in the fall of 2014 to check it out for all of you. The tour as written is 8% off road and I was challenged but rewarded with incredible cliff top views of the sea. (The tour can be adjusted for more on road riding if you prefer). One of my favorite memories: tackling a steep downhill, off road, I could hear this soft clanging of sorts that got louder and louder the closer I got to the base of the mountain. As I followed the path, I crossed a farmer's backyard, turned a corner, and there was a herd of sheep. The clanging sound were the sheep bells! It was an awesome moment I will never forget. I have to tell you that Portugal is now one of my favorite places! The people are unassuming and genuinely friendly. When I would bike into a town, I would wonder where the "touristy" cafes were...you know the places that overcharge for a coffee. What I found were real cafes and the locals sitting and sipping coffee or a beer. As far as the services, bikes were awesome, biking with a GPS is the way to go, scenery, spectacular!

Spain & Portugal were delightful but the guides worked so hard at keeping us safe & happy that they made the trip an exceptional experience. I will definitely tell friends that this was a wonderful trip.

I wish I could say more about the route, but unfortunately, because of a biking accident, I was only able to ride the first day. The ebike seemed to be a really good one, but the combination of wet, slippery roads, the boost of power from the ebike, and the urging to use a higher boost mode on the bike was not a good combination. I know it's why I fell.

Terrific time, everything came off without a hitch. Can hardly wait to do another.

We had a great time on our 2 week cycling tour of Portugal and have recommended the tour to all of our friends!

The scenery was spectacular, the challenge was invigorating, the people were interesting, the guides were ever helpful and informative. Loved everything.

The trip included wonderful biking-many bike paths, trails and traffic-free lanes. It was made special -even inspiring- by following the route of St James--the Camino -- a historic pilgrimage route.
Having tour guides made the trip stress-free thus more enjoyable. Their knowledge covered all aspects of the trip: best routes,history of the area, the best places to eat, out-of-the way special sites, translation and more.

I felt this was more of a moderate to difficult ride not easy to moderate the tour guides treated us like family.

A wonderful experience! We biked on paths, boardwalks, back roads, through woods, along the beautiful Atlantic coast, beside pilgrims walking to Santiago, through city streets and sidewalks, and more! We opted to stay in 4 star hotels, which I would definitely recommend (converted palaces, monasteries, etc.).

I never expected this trip to show that much variety in scenery, was awesome.

Tour operator got us from AP to hotel, fixed us up with two able bikes with all accessories, and provided thorough pre-ride instruction including, most-importantly, how-to operate the provided gps. But there is more: One of our ride days was stricken with particularly bad weather (30 km headwind with gusts to 50 km, dead against us). About 25 km in, exhausted, wind with rain now, tour operator tracks us down with his van and transports us to our next hotel. Great attention to detail, we couldn't be happier with the whole experience.

“Self-Guided Bike Tour Porto to Santiago de Compostela - 6 days cycling”

Sergio and his team did themselves proud - congratulations. This is a bike tour with a difference....from the excellent personal service, to the included walking tour of Porto, to the interesting and varied ride, to the high standard of the hotels especially the absolute gem Torre de Rio at the end of day 5.
The ride for the most part follows the Portuguese Caminho way, so is not always smooth and easy, but this is to be expected by its very nature, and adds to the challenge.
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and unreservedly recommend it to all enthusiastic cyclists.

Visited June 2015

Affordable and well-managed at both ends, A+ stateside, B for Europe. Don'ts: clip-in pedals, tandem rentals, and Ryan Air. Do bring your own bottle and cage. Above all, to see Portugal up close by bike (and foot) was an exceptional treat.