Portugal

Portugal was our 11th VBT trip and 12th biking trip. It was the best or at least equal to our other great trips. The guides were the best ever and the hotels , especially the Farm House, were excellent. The biking was challenging at times but very good overall. We highly recommend the trip and very much want to return to Portugal. Great food, great wine and a beautiful country. We felt very safe on the roads and highways as Portugal drivers are very courteous to bikers. Absolutely nothing to complain about and as with all VBT trips, a great value.

The trip was a perfect way to visit southern Portugal. The guides were awesome, always there to lend a hand or offer guidance. The bikes were outstanding - brand new fleet. The routes were interesting and scenic with little traffic. The food and wine were great. And above all the opportunity to spend time with old friends and to meet new friends was rewarding. Thanks

Overall, the bikes were great and routes were good…..the hotel accommodations were hit or miss, some good, some bad. Breakfast as well was hit or miss. VBT staff was attentive and friendly.

We loved our self-guided coastal ride - spectacular vistas, nicest people, beautiful towns and liked being on our own time table. Accommodations were okay - small clean rooms and always helpful staff. Fuji E-bikes nimble, but I had to ask for a rear-view mirror and rode 2 days without one while waiting. Too dangerous to ride without, especially on roads and streets and couldn't track my husband behind me. All breakfasts were excellent, but dinner at Alcobaca hotel was inedible. Could have used more GPS orientation before starting. VBT staff helpful too.

We thoroughly enjoyed our first VBT experience. The tour route was very well laid out and we cannot not say enough about how impressive our tour leaders, David and Frederico, both of whom are natives of Portugal. Kudos to VBT for the way they planned and conducted our tour!

We loved this trip! Beautiful and varied biking routes; knowledgeable, competent and engaging guides, top-notch hotels, delicious food and interesting cultural activities. I wish I could do it all over again!

We really enjoyed this trip and would recommend it. The routes were scenic; the bikes excellent; the food very good; the leaders outstanding; the other experiences (tours, wine tasting, etc.) were fun and informative; the hotels at the beginning and end were very nice. We would suggest using the e-bikes as the terrain is hilly.

We love VBT and the best part of this trip was our leader, Manu. He is awesome! All VBT leaders are great, and he is at the top. It was the initial offering of the trip, and some kinks will be addressed, I am sure. Coordinating the boat and the buses (there were A LOT of buses) and biking is complex. We enjoyed the chance to mix with other travelers on the boat. We enjoyed unpacking only once. The Douro is not a river where you can bike alongside, like the Danube--so there is a lot of bus transfer time on twisty steep roads (some complained of car sickness). It is a hilly area--definitely on the "moderate" scale, not the "easy-moderate" scale. Climate always a question-in late April we had both cold (40's) and wet and warm (70s) and sunny. The olive oil mill and winery were good experiences. The archeological site was sketchy.... If you like hills and don't mind the bus, a good trip to some less accessible areas.

The Country Walkers Landscapes from the Camino de Santiago trip was outstanding. Country Walker guides Diego Del Barrio and Pol Roig Iniesta were extremely knowledgeable, organized, and capable leaders. On scale of 1 to 10, I rate both guides a 10. The various hikes and village tours were very interesting and completed as scheduled. The hotel or parador accommodations were all outstanding. Food was plentiful and exceptionally good.

Wonderful tour of Northern Spain. The best way to appreciate the scenery is walking. This trip as compared to others gave us plenty of options which we liked. The hotels and food were superb. The guides have always been great but Alberto and Pol went above and beyond expectations, trying to please us.

Very well planned Tour with high quality guides that took us through beautiful trails and villages in Portugal. Better than expected !

This was our third Country Walkers / VBT walking vacation and it did not disappoint! Superb guides (thank you Ana and Helene!), a thoughtful itinerary, excellent food and gorgeous landscapes, plus two extra days in beautiful Lisbon. We had a great trip - highly recommended!