Algarve  Bike Tour Reviews (page 3)

  • Algarve Coastal Route
    (3/5) Ann English 6 months ago

    Prefer not to be riding on hwys and in big cities

    · Algarve Coastal Route

    The friendly people in Portugal, the delicious and nutritious food, and most of the hotels were wonderful! The e-bikes were fine and when needed I quickly got a replacement. However, the bikes should be fitted to each person as well as the replacement bike. That was not done so the inappropriate fit gave me much shoulder and back pain. The route had way too many hwy and larger cities round abouts for us. We prefer small towns and rural/ocean scenery.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Oct 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    We have been on 4 bike tours
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) Angela Henderson 6 months ago

    Portugal is SPECTACULAR

    · Algarve Coastal Route

    Portugal is beautiful, the people even more so! We will definitely be back!

    The bike tour needs some work. The GPS system is too small, half the size of my cell phone, and the written instructions not detailed enough, or accurate to what is happening on the ground around you. Because there are no consistent street signs, or bike tour signs through the entire route, the written directions that go along with the GPS are critical to guiding you on this tour. The number of u-turns, poorly written directions, etc., made what should have been a straightforward three hour bike ride into a 5 to 7 hour bike ride, not allowing us time to really enjoy the areas we rode through.

    The company also didn’t fit us to the bikes and one of our friends suffered with some pretty serious neck and shoulder pain as a result.
    I think the company is good, I just think they need to do some refining of their program.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October, 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    •  (photo by Angela Henderson)
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from bozena_kusovac November 9, 2023

      Hello Angela, thank you for sharing your experience in Portugal! We're glad to hear you enjoyed the beauty and warmth of the country.

      We appreciate your valuable feedback regarding the bike tour challenges and will certainly use it to refine and improve our program. Your insights into the challenges with the GPS system, written instructions, and bike fitting are invaluable. We take your comments to heart and will be working diligently to refine our program in time to come. We hope to welcome you back for a smoother and more enjoyable experience in the future.

    • 3/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 2/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 1/5 Ease of navigation
    • 1/5 Tour documents
    • 2/5 Local tour company services
    • 1/5 Route selection
  • Best of the Algarve
    (5/5) Mark Eisenberg 2 months ago

    Fabulous bike trip

    · Best of the Algarve by Road Bike

    This was our 4th self-guided European bike trip and was our favorite. We’ve never used e bikes before but we’re glad we did as there were lots of hills and 80 kilometer days. We were mostly on back roads with gorgeous vistas of hills, orange orchards, white villages and the sea. There was some traffic but we never felt unsafe. The hotels were nice and the food and wine was fabulous. My wife and I would highly recommend it.

    What was the date of your tour?
    February, 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    8
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    •  (photo by Mark Eisenberg)
    •  (photo by Mark Eisenberg)
    •  (photo by Mark Eisenberg)
    •  (photo by Mark Eisenberg)
    •  (photo by Mark Eisenberg)
    •  (photo by Mark Eisenberg)
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from bozena_kusovac February 14, 2024

      Hi Mark! Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience! We're thrilled to hear that your 4th European bike trip was your favorite yet. It's fantastic that the e-bikes made tackling those hills and long distances more enjoyable. The scenic back roads, stunning vistas, and delicious food and wine sound like the perfect recipe for an unforgettable adventure. Those photos look amazing! We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back for another amazing journey soon!

    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Algarve Coastal Route
    (3/5) John Matthew Schley 2 months ago

    Both really great and just OK

    · Algarve Coastal Route

    The weather in February was perfection. We saw many beautiful sights. Each days biking was varied. We stayed in very large hotels/spas. They were objectively good hotels. We hated them. Really felt separated from environment. Felt I could have been anywhere. Restaurants we visited along the way were all excellent. My wife had a problem with her bike. The team handled it wonderfully. Every person who we interacted with on their team were gracious and helpful. While there are many examples of natural beauty in the Algarve , the amount of development, both miles of very expensive holiday homes, and strips of pizza joints and t-shirt stores made the trip not completely what we hoped for.

    What was the date of your tour?
    February 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from bozena_kusovac February 27, 2024

      Hi John, thank you for providing your feedback! While we were surprised by the 3-star rating, we genuinely appreciate your detailed description of your experience. We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the scenic views and diverse biking routes. We look forward to helping you organize another trip again in the future.

    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 1/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Margaret Penner 2 weeks ago

    Beyond Expectations

    · Algarve Coastal Route

    Everything was efficient and effortless. We just had to focus on biking and route. Hotels were all lovely with wonderful breakfasts and welcoming hosts. We had no bike issues and all staff were on time and informative.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    • Starting out (photo by Margaret Penner)
    • Loving it (photo by Margaret Penner)
    •  (photo by Margaret Penner)
  • (5/5) Terry Higgins 2 weeks ago

    First class all the way!

    · Algarve Coastal Route

    Loved everything about this trip. We did a self guided which was a bit challenging at times but just added to our memories. We were fortunate to have good weather and our accommodations never disappointed us. All of the transportations set up for us were on time. Would highly recommend it to friends.

    What was the date of your tour?
    April 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    •  (photo by Terry Higgins)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection