Myself and 3 friends rode from Porto to Lisbon, Portugal in early June, 2019. We loved it! The cycling terrain and views were magnificent. The accommodations were excellent, and luggage transfers were smooth. The "local partner" for this tour is "Vinitur," and they truly go above and beyond for their clients.

The evening of our orientation meeting, my purse was stolen from the lobby of our hotel. Our tour representative, Joao, was extremely kind and helpful. He assisted me the next morning in filing the necessary police report, which took two hours. Then, because of my late start, he offered to drive me and drop me off at a convenient location. He even loaned me a cell phone to carry with me during the tour. He programed in the number of Vinitur, and that of the US embassy in Lisbon so that I could contact them regarding my stolen passport.

Prior to the tour, I requested and Vinitur provided me with the GPS routes which I downloaded to my phone. They also provide a bicycle GPS unit (one per room, not one per person) with all the routes preprogramed. On one of the 2 units we had, one day?s routes were missing. Also, there were problems with the rechargeable batteries not holding a charge. I was very happy to be using my own phone. There is no way one could navigate these routes, which included trails, logging roads and cutting through fields, without GPS. Obviously a lot of time and planning went into developing these routes, which were very enjoyable.

I also want to mention that the company was flexible and committed to making sure we had a great time. On one occasion, when the day?s mileage was short, my friend and I asked if we could be picked up at a different location than that specified so that we could ride 10 more miles. The company agreed to this request right away.

We have done several tours with Rad & Reisen in the past and there has been one recurring issue. The tours are designed with the presumption that people will stay together. My friend and I like to be independant and go at our own pace, sometimes together, but at other times apart. There is one gps unit, and one set of maps, vouchers, tickets, etc. per room, not per person. We always ask Rad & Reisen before booking if we can have double of everything, and after they "check with their partner" our request is granted. I also make a point to remind them the week before we depart, and they confirm that all is in order with our request for duplicates. Then we arrive and there is only one packet per room. The local partner always says they did not know of this request, but they do their best to scramble around and get us what we need, sometimes a few days late. This has happened 3 out of the last 4 times. I don?t really know who drops the ball on this.

Overall, the Rad&Reisen reps are always friendly, helpful and accommodating, and all the trips have been fantastic and a great value for the price. I would not hesitate to recommend them, and to book with them again myself.

I?ll end on repeating my gratitude to Joao and Viniturs, the Portuguese bike touring company who took good care of us, and showed us their beautiful country.