Bicycle Tours & Trips in Portugal

Lucas, the guide was friendly, informative and focused on making sure everyone stayed safe and had a good tour. The pace of the tour was rather slow with more stops than I would have preferred, but I'm an avid road cyclist with a lot of experience. The description of the tour indicated 'time to explore' our locations once we arrived after riding, but we didn't arrive until late afternoon which greatly reduced that time to explore, swim, etc. The rooms were very nice. The pooling of a few euros to cover the driver procuring a spread of food for us each day worked great and the food was phenomenal. We had a wonderful group of people who felt like old friends by the end of our time together. I would recommend checking in advance close to the date of riding through a particular area for construction, events and road closures as our guide had to change course on the fly a couple of times. The guide should be provided with the basics for repairing a flat, airing a tire with a small battery operated pump and some tools for adjustments and tightening of things. Finally, a safe riding review of how to handle riding across cross walks, through roundabouts, passing, signaling, stopping, etc. would be helpful for those who are not experienced cyclists so everyone can stay safe.

The worst-case scenario happened to me on this trip and still I am giving it five stars! Due to no fault of the tour operator, my luggage failed to arrive in Porto the same time that I did. All of my cycling gear was in the luggage! In addition to calling the people that I filed the lost luggage claim with at the airport and speaking to them in Portuguese on my behalf, the tour operator went over and beyond to assist in reuniting me with my suitcase. When the airport eventually delivered it, they dropped it late at night at the second hotel I stayed at. The tour coordinator went and got it herself the next morning and drove it to the third hotel where I was! In addition to missing the first three of five cycling stages due to the lost luggage, I became sick and developed a horrible cough. I'm usually pretty tough but I simply could not ride the final two stages. As I said at the beginning, this trip was definitely a worst-case scenario! Instead of just transferring my luggage down the coast from one hotel to the next, thus, the tour company had to also transfer me. Again, I felt they went over and beyond to make my trip as positive as possible. The driver they hired drove as many portions of the bike route as possible so that I could experience the same sights (and capture photos) that I would have had I been on the bike. In truth, it was a bit torturous seeing all of the other cyclists out enjoying the elements but now that I've seen a large portion of the routes, I want to return to ride them! Regarding the overall logistics of the trip, it was extremely well planned. The Ride With GPS file shared with me had a ton of information besides the actual routes, including even restaurant suggestions. The hotels were top-notch and their location made it very easy for me to walk to many, many tourist attractions. The breakfasts at every hotel were amazing, as were the dinners I chose to eat. While the bike was not a top-tier carbon model that I'd prefer, it was exactly the same as what I saw 99% of all cyclists on the road using. Portugal is hilly. A gravel-type bike is the best choice. On the routes, well-marked cycling paths and even entire roads were dedicated to cyclists. It would have been fabulous to ride them! Finally, the transfers to and from the airport were also excellent. They were timely, clean, and the drivers spoke fluent English. Communication through WhatsApp with the tour coordinator was also excellent and easy. As a solo female traveler, I felt very connected and safe. Overall, a fabulous trip that I highly recommend! P.S. My trip was in December during the actual week of Christmas. All of the cities I visited were decorated so wonderfully - it was flat-out magical! While the evenings were chilly, the daytime temperatures would have been perfect for riding. If you don't prefer large crowds of people, you should consider planning a December or off-season trip.

It was a blast with amazing people and beautiful scenery on a bike. It was a trip we'll always remember!