Portugal  Bike Tour Reviews

  • Castles and Wines of Portugal
    (5/5) Catherine Buckley 2 days ago

    Honeymoon biking

    · Castles and Wines of Portugal

    This was such a a great way to see Portugal. Because of the bike trip we stayed in some towns much less travelled - full of culture, wonderful people and astounding views/ old castles.
    Would highly recommend

    What was the date of your tour?
    April 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    First bike tour ever
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    • 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
  • Portugal's Atlantic Coast
    (5/5) Joanne Nordeen 4 days ago

    Variety and views

    · Portugal's Atlantic Coast

    Wonerful way to experience a vaiety of towns, scenery, coastlines, hills, lodging, food and Portuguese hospitality. Local operator set us with high quality road bikes and all the info and support we needed for a smooth self guided trip. Some steep hills.

    What was the date of your tour?
    April 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    •  (photo by Joanne Nordeen)
    •  (photo by Joanne Nordeen)
    •  (photo by Joanne Nordeen)
    •  (photo by Joanne Nordeen)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Castles and Wines of Portugal
    (5/5) Patrick Fenton 2 weeks ago

    Portugal bike trip

    · Castles and Wines of Portugal

    It was a great trip. We loved learning about castles, marble, cork, wine and Portuguese food.

    What was the date of your tour?
    February 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    • 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 Guides (if applicable)
  • Algarve Coastal Route
    (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
  • (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)
  • Castles and Wines of Portugal
    (5/5) Patrick Fenton 2 months ago

    Portugal bike trip

    · Castles and Wines of Portugal

    It was a great trip. We loved learning about castles, marble, cork, wine and Portuguese food.

    What was the date of your tour?
    February 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    • 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 Guides (if applicable)
  • 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
  • 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
  • Portugal's Atlantic Coast
    (5/5) 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
    •  (photo by Regan Wilder)
    •  (photo by Regan Wilder)
    •  (photo by Regan Wilder)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 3/5 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
  • Algarve Coastal Route
    (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
  • 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
  • Portugal's Atlantic Coast
    (4/5) Nancy Lewis 6 months ago

    Very scenic

    · Portugal's Atlantic Coast

    Great route and hotels. It would be better if the GPS had verbal cues as well since you can't see your phone in the rain. Also detailed paper maps would help especially if raining. Tour operator was excellent.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from bozena_kusovac October 25, 2023

      Hello Nancy, thank you for your valuable feedback! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the route and hotels. We'll certainly consider adding verbal GPS cues and providing detailed paper maps for rainy conditions in the future. Looking forward to having you on another adventure with us!

  • Portugal's Atlantic Coast
    (4/5) Yael NOy 6 months ago

    Beautiful sea coast with great views.

    · Portugal's Atlantic Coast

    The sea coast was lovely. Hotels were conveniently located, comfortable and staff was extremely gracious. Fishermen villages along the way were not exactly as picturesque as expected. That part of the trip was a bit disappointing .
    The local company was amazing any questions we had along the way were immediately addressed .

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Castles and Wines of Portugal
    (4/5) Ashley Douglas 6 months ago

    Awesome Trip and No Shame in Using Ebikes!

    · Castles and Wines of Portugal

    Thoroughly enjoyed this trip in spite of not riding bikes at all at home. Having ebikes allowed us to enjoy the scenery and navigate without overextending our physical capabilities. Hotels were excellent and perfect for the areas we were visiting. Some of them were in buildings thousands (?) of years old so don't expect elevators in all, but amazingly they all had swimming pools which we enjoyed after a hard day peddling ebikes!

    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
  • Castles and Wines of Portugal
    (3/5) Anne Stanek 7 months ago

    Challenging but interesting tour.

    · Castles and Wines of Portugal

    This was a particularly challenging trip for us as we biked in 92 degree heat every day of the tour. The rides were long, there were many hills and it was extremely dry. Luckily, a couple of us used EV bikes which made a big difference. I think this trip would feel very different with cooler weather. All the folk who we dealt with were so warm, welcoming, helpful, etc. We visited some very cool towns - Evora and Monsaraz were my favorites. We stayed in some lovely hotels - ancient buildings fixed up comfortably with modern conveniences and a working farm. We ate fabulous breakfasts. We stopped at some interesting sites - monoliths, pottery factory, marble quarry were three favorites. It was a good trip despite the challenges.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    10
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    • View of the Castle at Arraiolos from our Casa do Platano, our hotel. (photo by Anne Stanek)
    • Wall next to a distillery in a small village. (photo by Anne Stanek)
    • View from our hotel room in Monsaraz - Alqueve Reservoir. (photo by Anne Stanek)
    • Lantana on a dirt road in a small village. (photo by Anne Stanek)
    • Marble quarry in Extremoz (photo by Anne Stanek)
    • Riding the roads amongst cork trees. (photo by Anne Stanek)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection