Hello - we are hoping to do a 5-7 day cycle trip in Portugal next year. We would like self-guided with luggage transfers.
Likely from Porto to Coimbra or Lisbon but open to idea.
It is getting overwhelming looking at the different companies and tours, and am reaching out if anyone has recent experience with this.
Thanks in advance
Having enjoyed many self-guided bicycle trips with luggage transfers in Europe and booked through biketours dot com, contact staff at that firm. In addition to trips operated by European companies posted on the website, other trips are available...so just ask. As an aside, electrically assisted bicycles are now more common than ever, if that gear meets our needs. Pedal on!
Try Cycling Country (based in Spain). They offer both guided and self-guided biking trips in Spain, Portugal and France.j I biked with them in Spain and found them to be a very good company.
https://cyclingcountry.com/
Use Macsadventure.com We've been on lots of trips with them, and are going to book a bike trip for next September. We've had amazing trips booking with this self guided tour company. (Scotland, France, Switzerland, Ireland, Italy, England, New Zealand so far!)
They use partner companies, so you will deal with a local person
We are doing exactly the trip you mention "Cycling Portugal's Atlantic Coast" https://www.macsadventure.com/us/tour-1718/cycling-portugals-atlantic-coast/
We will rent bikes, but bring our own helmets.
Macs is super easy to work with, and if you want to add a day in the middle, or beginning or end of the trip, they can arrange that too.
Luggage transfers are included and my experience is they are PERFECT. Keep in mind you are only allowed ONE piece of luggage, not extra totes, etc, if you do add more pieces, be prepared to pay extra.
If you are based in the US, their US office is in Colorado, so Mountain time for phone calls to speak to a consultant.
Thank you, appreciate everyone's feedback. Our cycling group has grown, and we have narrowed it down to two routes, ending either near or in Porto. I will update once we have finalized!