About Us
Guest Book
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Marta and Leonard Fisher, Israel, March 2017
“Joana,
Please excuse us for not replying to your message sooner, but we had many things to attend to on our arrival back home.
We have already placed our review on “Tripadvisor” – something we normally do after each trip we make. We were extremely pleased with the wonderful 2 weeks we spent in Portugal. Each hotel you booked for us was ‘great’ – and your present of the bottle of Port and also the biscuits & soap, were well appreciated.
The guides that helped us to get to know each town we were in, were excellent – making our visit a ‘great’ experience!!
We thank you for the wonderful experience of getting to see the highlights of Portugal – and for the excellent preparation of our visit.
The only points we would like to bring to your attention are:- 1 – We would suggest that 2 nights in Evora would have been sufficient. The hotel was excellent – well placed for the visit and very helpful when we asked for tips as to where to eat. 2- The visit to Sintra was very tiring for us – and we, therefore, would suggest for other couples, that instead of traveling from Lisbon to Sintra for a day’s outing, we would have preferred to sleep over in Sintra, to enable us to “climb” the steep hills slowly and get to see more of that lovely town. We were exhausted at the end of that day.
We have already recommended your Company to our friends here in Israel – and hope that they will contact you when and if they decide to visit Portugal.
Marta and Leonard Fisher”
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Lauren & Tim Averill, USA, March 2017
“Dear Cristina (and all who are covering during her maternity leave),
Thanks for giving us such a rich experience in Portugal. We LOVED the trip. Every detail was great and I will be writing a positive review on Trip Advisor about Portugal trails.
BTW, while we were on the trip, our newspaper published a magazine article (Boston Globe Magazine 3/19/2017) on travel in Portugal, and our trip covered all the things they mentioned. … If you would like some private “constructive criticism,” I would be happy to write you a private note, but publicly, we love every detail.
We gave the GPS system to the driver who picked us up as well as an envelope for Elsa to supplement the first tip that we gave her for the walking tour of Lisbon. She was an amazing guide!
Thanks again, Tim”
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Marko & Alena Tse, Canada, March 2017
“Hi Ana,
Thank you again for organising such a wonderful tour for us! We thoroughly enjoyed exploring your beautiful country. The Portuguese people are very friendly and we always felt safe. The hotels you picked were in really great locations and within walking distance to many of the sights we would want to see. The car rental pick-up / drop-off location was also ideally located close to the hotel in Lisbon. Perhaps the only thing I would change is to rent a smaller vehicle that would be easier to park in the small spaces in town.
We really appreciate your responsiveness Ana and your help to customize the trip to our needs. We also very much enjoyed the hotel in Pinhao and the DOC restaurant that you recommended. We would and have already recommended Portugal Trails to our friends. We would definitely not hesitate to use your services if we are in Portugal or Spain again.
Feel free to use our feedback on your website or marketing/communication.
Thank you so much Ana and have a wonderful day, Marko & Alena”
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Terry and Ed Heisler, Canada, February 2017
“Hi Sofia We had a lovely time in Portugal, thank you! Our hotel rooms were lovely, and the itinerary was very good. It was all interesting. We found it was the right amount of travelling to do in the time we had. The car was very nice and we are very impressed with your highway system! The pre-programmed GPS was very helpful and saved us a lot of time, especially given the language difference for entering addresses. Our LIsbon walking tour with Ana was very nice – she shared so much knowledge of the history of Portugal and showed us some very interesting sights. We also very much enjoyed our day with Carla on the Rota Vincentina walking trails. Carla is very pleasant and professional, and shared her vast knowledge of local nature and customs with us, as well as a lovely picnic lunch on the beach! Thanks once again for making all the arrangements. Kind regards, Terry and Ed”
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Rosanne and Barry Jones, Canada, February 2017
“Hello Isabel, I am sorry that it took me so long to reply to your email and thank you for all your hard work. Upon our return to Canada I ended up with the flu and was sick for about a week and a half. I’m over it now and all is well. We had a great holiday and loved Portugal. The country, the food and wines, the scenery, the history, and the people were all fantastic. Portugal Trails did a great job of organizing and planning our trip. Everything was first class throughout our holiday. I would highly recommend Portugal Trails to anyone planning a holiday in Portugal. Just tell them how long you will be there, likes and dislike, parts of the country you’d like to see and trust Portugal Trails to plan your itinerary. You won’t be disappointed. Thanks again Isabel for all your work, we will definitely contact you if we plan another holiday to Portugal. Regards, Rosanne and Barry Jones Saskatoon,Sk., Canada”
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Eduardo Estella, Brasil, December 2016
“Dear Mariana, Our trip went very well. We enjoyed all the activities and places we visited. Arrival at Lisbon Great reception by Ana. She drove us to the hotel and explained a lot of things on the way, was helpful and friendly. Hotel Principe Lisboa (firs stat) Nice clean practical hotel. The check in was fast and simple and they were very friendly. Good breakfast with great service. LIsboa Our stay in Lisbon was great, we went to Belem on the first day, walked around the place, visited the tower of Belem, and then went to have some Pasteis de Belem in a nearby spot. ON the second day we went to the Oceanarium and then did the Guided Tour Guided Tour. Elsa was wonderful, she walked us around the old part of Lisbon and explained to us a lot of interesting things about the city and its history. Very friendly and good with the kids and very knowledgeable. Car rental The renting process went ok, unfortunately they asked for my passport which I did not have with me at the time so I had to go back to the hotel to get it. Besides that they were very good. I asked for a different car due to the size and they accommodated my request. The car was good and gave us no problems Tip to Evora. We loved our experience at the tile factory, the team thee were very friendly and explain everything clearly. The highlight for the kids was being able to paint a tile. Arrabida is a beautiful place and we loved the views and site. Evora We got to Evora a bit late and Sofia´s son was already waiting for us at the hotel. We walked fro there to her place and had a wonderful evening. Pestana Convento dos Loios Wonderful Hotel. The experience of staying in a place like that is amazing. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful and the room was clean and nice. And the location is amazing. Herdade do Esporao The visit to the winery was also very interesting. The people there are well prepared and do a great job during the tour of the facility. Great explanations and nice tasting experience. Trip to Covilhã. The trip from Evora to Covilhã was great. We went to Marvão on our way to Covilhã and for me it was worth the detour. The site is amazing and the view is incredible. Covilhã – Serra da Estrela After staying at the Convent in Evora, the Pestana Serra da Estrela Hotel, didn´t seem to be such a charming place, but after learning its history and using the facilities, we liked it very much. The hotel is clean, the room had an amazing view of the valley and the service was very good. The Christmas diner was good with different choices but it was not that amazing, nevertheless it was nice and well served. We visited the Serra da Estrela and the kids had the chance of playing in the snow then went back to the hotel and relaxed. We had diner at the hotel, which had a buffet. We found it a little disappointing, but it was OK. The following day we visited Manteigas an Belmonte. Manteigas is a very nice town and has a great restaurant, Santa Luzia. We tried to do one of the trials and loved the area, but found that the trails are not that well signaled. Nevertheless we had a great walk and were able to see beautiful things. Belmonte is also a nice town, the castle is very interesting and the old city is beautiful. Trip to Porto We stopped at Visseau and really enjoyed the city. IT is a very interesting place, and on a next visit we might stay there for a day or two. Porto, Palacio do Freixo Another great hotel. It is very nice to see a place like this one. The room was great and the facility impeccable. Great breakfast and wonderful views. ON the following day we visited Gaia and then did the tour. Guided tour – What a great experience, Ricardo (I think) was great. The fact that he is a teacher helped and at one point he asked if it was OK for him to talk to the kids more than to us, ad we were OK so the kids really enjoyed it. He explained to us a lot of thins about the city and its history, It was great to learn so many things. Trip to Lisbon. Nice easy trip back to Lisbon. We stopped at Obidos and besides the number of people there, the place was absolutely incredible. Very nice city although I must say that Marvão, may be because it was not as crowded as Obidos, and has an incredible emplacement, was a more striking experience for me. Sintra Another amazing place. Beautiful, friendly, incredible, but a city that deserves more than a day. We will be back. Pick up Again Ana was great. She was at the hotel on time and got us to the Airport without problems. The whole trip was a great experience, we enjoyed all the activities. The best things were the guided tours and the cooking class at Sofia´s place. The hotels were all wonderful, each one with its peculiarity. If I had to arrange them The Convent in Evora was probably the top one, followed by Palacio Freixo and then Serra da Estrela. We regret having changed the hotel in Lisbon, not because of the hotel Principe, which was very good, but because it might have been a different experience staying in a place similar to the ones we stayed in the other cities. I must say that there were no details left out, the one thing that might enhance even more your service would be suggestions of walking tours. For example in Evora we picked some of the most interesting sites and made a tour of the city using Google maps. But please don´t get me wrong, this would be like adding just one little thing to an already great experience. I really liked the possibility of changing things and the flexibility of this type of tour, not tied to schedules and forced to go to places that might not be of interest. Once again I thank you for your help and assistance. Portugal Trails really delivered on its promise. Miss Amorin did a great job organizing the whole trip and the support was great. I have already recommended your services to many of my friends and will most certainly consider your company for my future travels to Portugal and Spain. Thanks again for helping us make of this trip a great experience. …”
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Carolyn Esposito, USA, December 2016
“Hi Cristina, Happy New Year! We had the most fantastic time in Portugal. Thank you!!!! Your recommendations were super helpful and everyone we met was wonderful. We had one small issue but it was resolved instantly- we could not find out driver on the platform in Porto. I was impressed with how quickly your team helped us when we called to find him. The half day tours were a perfect way to be introduced to the cities and each guide was very knowledgeable. We ate, drank and really enjoyed our time away and your guides made everything super easy. We will need to come back though when it’s not Christmas to see more of Lisbon. We never got into the castle or the convent since they closed earlier than expected on Christmas Eve. But I would not have missed all the wonderful lights and Christmas markets. They were spectacular to see. Thank you for all your help. I will definitely recommend you to anyone interested in going to Spain or Portugal! Thank you once more and best regards.”
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Patricia Le Foll, USA, December 2016
“Thank you Diana, I will let you know when we get the refund. Apart from that, if we go back to Lisbon, we will definitely go back to the Britania hotel! Of course, we also liked the other hotel. Because the main purpose was to gather with my parents who live in France, we mostly stayed in Lisbon and in Porto. 3-4 days in each one of this city is not too much, there is a lot to do. We visited Sintra, which is like the village of a fairy tale. On the 25th, for dinner, we went to Lisboa Clube de fado, and had a great evening. We enjoyed the tasting you organized for us in Porto, and we enjoyed the Porto you gave us, and the Britania gave us. We bought a small bottle of the Churchill Porto. It was the first time in Portugal for the four of us, and we loved it. The ocean, the warmth: we could have all our lunches outdoor, blue sky every day, cities, stations, trains, everything is very clean, people are friendly… I could live in Portugal! If I could, I would come back for more sight seeing and vacationing in Portugal. Enjoy your lovely country! Patricia”
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Cathy Rosenberg, USA, December 2016
“Christina,
We want to thank you for providing us with an excellent vacation and experience.
We cannot overemphasize how well our itinerary was planned. Everyone and every location was efficient, professional and eager to help. We were especially impressed with the Britania Hotel in Lisbon. They were extremely helpful and professional (especially when you consider our luggage was lost in transit!) On our last morning, they even provided a cold breakfast for us before we left at 6:15 A.M.
Everything went extremely well, and we really enjoyed your beautiful country. I think we all agreed that Evora was our favorite location, with Fatima a distant second.
I can’t think of anything that could be improved upon except for maybe the hotel in Porta. While everyone was nice and helpful, the rooms were not as nice as any of the other hotels, and parking was atrocious. If there is anything that can be improved upon for this wonderful trip, it would be a better hotel in an easier location for parking a car.
We all would recommend your company for anyone who is interested in touring Portugal. Please feel free to use us as a reference, including any portion of this letter you think would be appropriate.
Again, thank you for a wonderful Portuguese experience.
Best wishes,
Cathy Rosenberg”
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Carolyn Esposito, USA, December 2016
Hi Cristina,
Happy New Year! We had the most fantastic time in Portugal. Thank you!!!! Your recommendations were super helpful and everyone we met was wonderful. We had one small issue but it was resolved instantly- we could not find out driver on the platform in Porto. I was impressed with how quickly your team helped us when we called to find him. The half day tours were a perfect way to be introduced to the cities and each guide was very knowledgeable. We ate, drank and really enjoyed our time away and your guides made everything super easy. We will need to come back though when it’s not Christmas to see more of Lisbon. We never got into the castle or the convent since they closed earlier than expected on Christmas Eve. But I would not have missed all the wonderful lights and Christmas markets. They were spectacular to see. Thank you for all your help. I will definitely recommend you to anyone interested in going to Spain or Portugal!
Thank you once more and best regards.