Douro Valley Wine & E-Bike Tour Tour Reviews — 1 to 7 of 7

The bike company was great to deal with, starting with having a pick up at the airport to take us into Porto. They provided us with way more gear than any other bike company we've dealt with over the years (e.g. chain repair link, 4 inner tubes) in part because the Douro valley does not have any bike shops to help us out if we ran into problems. Navigation was by a programmed Garmin GPS they provided, with a backup on Ride with GPS on my own phone. The best innovation was having a WhatsApp group with the bike team so that we could reach out to them quickly if problems arose. (Note: Have an eSim so you have a digital signal -- wifi is only at hotels).

Other reviews about this trip said the eBikes make it easy. Well, that's not quite the case ... there are some loooong days (80 km the first day!) and there are a lot of long, steep hills. And while it's easier biking up a hill with an eBike, when the hill is 15 km long, that is still a big hill. So do make sure you are in good shape, especially your tush!

The hotels/B&Bs chosen were pretty quirky, with great staff. And when we had one bad weather day (howling gale!) the Top Bike folks arranged for a taxi to take us and our eBikes to the next stop -- at their expense, since it would be unreasonable to expect us to bike in that weather. We really appreciated their attitude!

We had a couple of technical challenges that harshed our mellow. The GPS provided did not have the route for one day of our trip properly loaded. Because we had the Ride with GPS backup, we made it work, but still .... You do need to watch your battery charge on long days. And then on our last day, for the last few km, the GPS was not clear as to the route and it was quite frustrating. Because we could WhatsApp for help, solutions were found.

If you're used to biking around France seeing little towns with bistros every few km, then be aware that the Douro Valley is quite different. On one 70 km day, there was only one rest stop where we could get a hot chocolate and a snack. And if you want to pack a lunch, you will find it hard to get supplies. We appreciated the opportunity to see a very different side of Portugal, however, far from the madding crowds of Porto and Lisbon.

The guides are serious about making everyone happy. I should have brought my Tabasco sauce. I would do this trip again. One of the guides was an olive oil expert and since we were in olive oil country it was a treat to listen to him. Wine country too. We learned all about Port wine and how they still crush it with their feet in huge granite tubs.

Fantastic route and scenery! The Douro Valley is spectacular! Our hotels were special and for the most part very comfortable. We even stayed in a
Medieval castle! Our weather was a challenge with endless rain - not sure October is the best month to take this tour? Guides gave some interesting country and landmark history and bikes were good.

The people in the group and the guides.

Bring Tabasco and pepper.

The views from hilltops, through patches of red poppies, looking down, down to row upon row of vineyards under cultivation.
E-bikes are a must.
In April be prepared for COLD weather at the high elevations.
Taxi ride shortened the first day (70 km) and made every day a wonderful adventure.

The self guided e-bike trip in the Douro valley was spectacular and went off without a glitch. Planning and communication with Tripsite was spot on and we especially appreciated the guidance and support from Sergio for the bike tour. Accommodations were excellent. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience and would certainly recommend this trip.

Amazing trip in the Douro Valley. Excellent organisation and contact with our local contact Sergio.
The quality of all accommodations was very high, the itinerary was well chosen: low traffic and amazing landscape. We really appreciated the info about points of interest along the way (view points, visits, restauration possibilities, ... )!
To conclude, we requested a customized tour and appreciated the high level of flexibility.