Portugal Bike Tour Reviews (page 2)
-
★★★★★ Steven Fuglestad 7 months agoWonderful Way to Tour Portugal
· Portugal's Atlantic Coast
Portugal's Atlantic Coast bike tour is a wonderful way to visit and tour Portugal. The route is mostly along the ocean and there are many awesome views along the way. The distance of the each day's biking is reasonable, although there are many challenging hills to climb. The hotels were excellent, and each night we were on the coast we received an ocean view room. The service with airport pickup and drop off was prompt, friendly and efficient. The only negative was a poor quality GPS with difficult to read screen (the Ride with GPS app for one's phone, with the downloaded route, was much easier to navigate with). I recommend staying a few extra days to tour the beautiful and historic city of Lisbon. This was my first bike tour and it was an awesome experience! The itinerary, hotels, and service were all excellent!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Regan Wilder 5 months ago
A wonderful adventure!
· Portugal's Atlantic Coast
Bike Tours was incredibly helpful and their support staff was amazing. We had a few rough days, but they swooped in and assisted us. The local knowledge and recommendations on the tour guide were perfect choices for us. I can't recommend this tour enough for adventure seekers. Even with rain and wind it was still a great adventure! I do recommend getting hybrid bikes if you want to sight see vs a work out for this ride. The hybrid routes were fun and challenging. You see a side of the country few others will. It was difficult to not spend the whole day stopping at all the landmarks and each cafe you pass. Hotels and food everywhere were the best.
- What was the date of your tour?
- November 2nd
- How many tours have you completed?
- My first one and likely hard to beat! I would recommend hybrid bikes for anyone who does not regularly cycle longer distances.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Marcus k October 3, 2015Fantastic trip through Algarve
· Best of the Algarve by Road Bike
We took the 10 day version in 2014. Absolutely loved it. Paul took great care of us. All equipment was excellent. Hotels were good. Best of all Paul was able to accommodate some changes along the way.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Algarve July 9, 2017
Algarve Road Trip
· Best of the Algarve by Road Bike
Cycling through the Algarve was outstanding. What a perfect place to tour by bike. The people are kind and the scenery is outstanding. The challenge of riding made the trip better than I expected. Every day was different scenery and terrain. The accommodations were fabulous. I wish we had planned to stay longer. Thank you BikeTours.com for making this so memorable and easy to take the trip!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 25 to July 2
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Cara November 20, 2018
Beautiful way to see this country!
· Best of the Algarve by Road Bike
We booked the self-guided tour, and loved it! Bikes, maps, GPS, panniers, and lots of tips were all provided! The routes were beautiful, the hotels were great, and I would go back to Portugal in a heartbeat!
- What was the date of your tour?
- 10/8/18-10/15/18
- How many tours have you completed?
- this was the first
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- 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
-
★★★★★ Tuck October 27, 2019
Great trip!
· Best of the Algarve by Road Bike
Six of us did an unguided trip using the bike shop's GPS on our Garmin 520 and Iphone "Ride with GPS" app. We would have been miserably lost without it! The route took us thru the back roads of southern Portugal with beautiful orchards of oranges, pomegranates, lemons, vineyards as well as to the southern most tip of Europe and north along the Atlantic ocean coast. We stopped at little cafes for lunch and cappuccino's and stayed in lovely towns at 3 and 4 star hotels. It was simply a fantastic trip. The bike shop provided new carbon fiber road bikes, set us up with the proper adjustments, installed our pedals and left us with plenty of extra parts, tools and tubes to do any repairs. We had one flat tire. They were available anytime and only a phone call away. Addee and BikeTours.com were very helpful on getting us prepped on what to take and made the arrangements for us to be picked up and dropped off at the end of our tour. A few things to note:
* This is a #3 out of 4 difficulty rated bike tour so come prepared and properly trained.
* We went the 2nd week of Oct. with perfect weather, 72°F (22°C) for a high and down to 62°F (16°C) at the start of the day. One ½ hour of rain the entire 6 days but it would be very hot during the summer months.
* There were a lot of hills and a total elevation gain of around 13,000' (over 4000 meters) so be prepared.
* Download the GPS coordinates and routes to your Garmin or Iphone before leaving home as the internet connections are dicey at best.
* There is 6 days in a row of riding with no breaks in between so the last day or two can be a bit tiring.
* Do take a mirror for your helmet or to clamp onto your bike as well as a small bike bag (or day pack) to install on the bike for your cash, passport (needed to check into your hotel), energy bars, sun screen, etc... as there is only one under the saddle small bag that is filled with tools, extra tube, etc...
* The bike shop provided us with a complimentary water bottle but take a 2nd bottle as the bikes had 2 bottle cages on them and you will be glad you have them.- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct. 10-17, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Timr November 23, 2019
Castles, Orange Groves and Sea
· Best of the Algarve by Road Bike
Delightful tour through this beautiful and fascinating part of Portugal. Bikes provided were quality, carbon frame road bikes. Accommodations were good to very good. Navigation was clear—the Garmin provided worked just fine. The countryside was lovely. Recommend especially in September to November when temperatures are better.
- What was the date of your tour?
- November 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 11
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Jamie PRORACKI January 7, 2023
First bike trip experience
· Best of the Algarve by Road Bike
Great first trip of this type. Also first time to mainland Europe. This was a great way to experience the land and meet and interact with so many people. The food was amazing and most of the accommodations were top notch.
- What was the date of your tour?
- December 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Karla Frank 11 months ago
Perfect Portugal Cycling
· Best of the Algarve by Road Bike
We can’t say enough about how wonderful this trip was! It was perfect in every way. Our holidays always include cycling so this was the perfect way for us to see the Algarve region of Portugal. Algarve Bike Tours was top notch in every way. They arranged everything for the trip including hotels, cycling routes, bike rentals, and luggage transfers. Everything went off without a hitch. The hotels were all different styles, and included a fantastic breakfast to fuel our ride for the day. The cycling routes were just the right amount of distance and climb to challenge us but not exhaust us. The bicycles were in good condition and met all our needs. We brought our own pedals, clips, shoes, saddles and helmets. Also, we never had one flat! Our luggage was always at the hotel when we arrived and the hotels were happy to accommodate us if we arrived a little before check in time.
We can’t say enough about the Algarve region! The roads were nice, the people friendly, the scenery beautiful, the food and coffee plentiful and delicious! Motorists were very considerate of bicycles, even in the busier city areas.
We have done many cycling holidays and this rates at the top, if not the top of all our trips!- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- This is our first with biketours.com. We have done over 20 bike holidays.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Peggy Lister 11 months ago
Algarve self guided bike tour
· Best of the Algarve by Road Bike
Great experience! The accommodations and the daily breakfasts were all top notch!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Timothy Thornberry 10 months ago
Outstanding! Portugal is amazing!
· Best of the Algarve by Road Bike
Entire experience was great! 6 days of riding in Algarve! Routes were great! Hotels very nice! Portuguese people were gracious hosts! Wonderful experience! Can't wait to do it again! (Recommend a rest day in the middle. traveling and biking is hard on you!)
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ 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
-
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!
-
★★★★★ Lorenepyt June 20, 2018The Portuguese Coastal Route of the Camino
· Camino de Santiago: From Porto to Santiago de Compostela
This self guided tour was perfect. We loved every minute of it from the actual routes to the hotels to the food to the amazing pilgrimage experience. Our guides were very attentive and always answered us promptly. Our luggage was always on time at the correct hotel. It was the trip of a lifetime! And a perfect way to bond with our young daughter after her graduation from college!
-
★★★★★ Petey September 23, 2019
Can’t wait to do it again
· Camino de Santiago: From Porto to Santiago de Compostela
We did the coastal route self guided. We stayed in the “moderate price” lodging option without dinner plan.
The bike were in very good condition. We went in September when it was dry and did well with hybrid tires. We were outfitted with 2 new Garmin gps’s loaded with the daily routes. They were helpful especially when I got up to speed on using them.
We also had the smart phone app that the tour operator provides. That was super helpful.
I thought the accommodations were terrific. Breakfasts were good and included daily. Our baggage was transferred without any problems.
This is a combination ride of trail and mountain biking. The single track mountain portion is not extensive and detours for them could probably be worked out if you wanted to. We noticed that some of the guided tours do that. We train on road bikes and are in our late 60’s, so it was a great feeling of accomplishment though challenging.
The orientation we got from Pedro was complete and detailed. He kept up with us along the way via email and had some good suggestions.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 3 - 9, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal, Spain
-
★★★★★ Chris Moolman September 26, 2022
Fabulous trip!
· Camino de Santiago: From Porto to Santiago de Compostela
We really enjoyed the entire trip. Everything was arranged and organized just as it was promised: we were picked up and dropped off at airports - just as we had hoped for, the equipment was in good condition, our luggage was on time every time and in good condition - all in all just a fabulous experience. Some hotels were fabulous (and some nearly). Thank you so much, Biketours, for a fabulous experience - great memories that will remain with us.
-
★★★★★ AMY Nathan 9 months ago
Great trip!
· Camino de Santiago: From Porto to Santiago de Compostela
Loved this trip along the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail. We did the self guided tour.The terrain was not exactly what we expected, but enjoyed the challenge- harder than we expected because of the terrain. Along the coast for the first two days, boardwalks, sand dunes, cobblestones, bike paths, trails in the woods, boulders, dirt paths and roads. The App to follow was wonderful and accurate. They gave us restaurant suggestions for both along the way and once we reached our daily destination-all spot on. I recommend the 4 star hotel option and maybe splurge for one 5 star. Parador Hotel in Baiona was fantastic.
-
★★★★★ sandyp May 2, 2016Wonderful family vacation!
· Castles and Wines of Portugal
Our self-guided tour lived up to our expectations and provided us with a great family vacation. They tour company did an excellent job of responding to our questions and requests. The countryside was beautiful, the bike ride was the right level of both challenging and gentle hills, and the people we met were friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend this tour if you want to chill out....
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Whatever May 15, 2016
Castles and wines
· Castles and Wines of Portugal
The company Turaventur was one of the best that we have worked with anywhere. The bicycles we rented were excellent with front suspension and a suspension seat post they were perfectly suited to the varied terrain (dirt roads, asphalt, lots of cobblestone) we covered. I also appreciated the female specific gel seat. The routes they chose were really beautiful countryside, small towns and directions were well written and easy to follow. Their support was outstanding, they were available by text, email or phone seven days a week and were always very responsive The castles we visited were just phenomenal and though it was hard to believe after one gorgeous site after another, they just kept getting better! I was only able to do one of the wine tastings and enjoyed it a lot. my suggestion is to be sure to sign up earlly as they seem to fill up ahead of time.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Isaac June 7, 2016
excellent guided bike trip
· Castles and Wines of Portugal
I am participating bike trip almost 30 years and this was the best one .
The service , very good guided tour explanations in every spot we visited .
The food ,restaurants are great. Worth every penny.- What was the date of your tour?
- 21May ,2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 15
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Nancy N November 6, 2016
Very Educational and Interesting
· Castles and Wines of Portugal
We started this tour as "self-guided" but had difficulty with the maps. The tour company was able to provide a guide for us and what a difference that made. Not only did we not get lost, but we learned so much more than we would have on our own. Our guide was very knowledgeable and having someone translate for us was a big help. Plus we no longer had to waste time looking at maps.
We upgraded to the "charm hotels" which was amazing. Everyplace we stayed was just indescribably beautiful and serene. I highly recommend the upgrade and a guide.
We learned so much about the cork, olive, and wine harvests. We particularly enjoyed the leather and pottery factories.
Portugal is a great country with an incredible old world charm.- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct 18, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4 international, many U.S.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
