Algarve  Bike Tour Reviews (page 3)

  • Best of the Algarve
    (5/5) 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
    • Photo 1 (photo by Tuck)
    • Photo 2 (photo by Tuck)
    • Photo 3 (photo by Tuck)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) 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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) 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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Karla Frank 12 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
    •  (photo by Karla Frank)
    •  (photo by Karla Frank)
    •  (photo by Karla Frank)
    •  (photo by Karla Frank)
    •  (photo by Karla Frank)
    •  (photo by Karla Frank)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 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
  • (5/5) Peggy Lister 12 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
  • (5/5) Timothy Thornberry 11 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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 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
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Mark Eisenberg 3 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)
    • 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