Myrna and Dick Charles, Canada, September 2015

“Hello Tiago,

Sorry for such a late response.  I have been a little busy since our return to Canada.  Whenever I would see this email, I would start to think about any pros and cons and then get busy and forget to reply.  So here is our feedback!

Pros:

You provided excellent customer service. You demonstrated extreme patience with my one million questions and changes in preparation for our trip.

You designed our vacation to suit our every wish of places we wanted to see (including giving some good advice when we wanted to add more to our itinerary. You advised not to pack in too much as we would lose the time to enjoy)

Knowing we were active and enjoyed walking, your itinerary including information on hiking trails in many locations, and the city tours were “walking” tours.  We loved them!  We loved the intimacy of having the guide all to ourselves!

And for your information, we walked the 621 steps up to the church in Viana do Costelo, as well as the 687 steps up to the church in Lamego (the town near Folgosa in the Douro Valley).  We also walked all the way up to the Palace in Sintra with many tuk tuk rentals stopping and asking if we wanted a ride as it was a very long walk!

We appreciated the recommendations of places to see and the local shops and restaurants in the guide book.

We loved the boat trips and winery tours that were included.  These are things we would most likely not have participated in, but because it was “already paid for”, we went, and thoroughly enjoyed them.

All hotels were lovely and in great locations, and all had breakfasts included, which made everything so much easier.  There were actually a few hotels that we felt would be priced WELL ABOVE what we would normally budget for, and when searching Expedia, found them to be VERY EXPENSIVE.  But…..the total price of the overall trip was agreeable to us.  It was a nice treat to stay in these higher quality hotels than what we would have picked on our own!

As for Cons….. 

We really don’t have any with respect to the quality of service provided by Portugal Trails.  In thinking about the trip, there was one aspect that we felt we MIGHT have done differently.  By the end of the trip we were getting tired of packing up that suit case so many times!  We considered perhaps staying more days in more central locations with the ability to drive (take more day trips returning to the same hotel), but…..we also felt that we would not have been able to see as much or get to as many as many places this way.  We felt we would end up driving through the same areas on the day trips and therefore “wasting” in a sense, the time we had,  seeing the same countryside more than once… so, not really sure what the answer is.  That is what travelling is all about I guess!  It really depends on what each individual wants.

But absolutely, we will, and have been, recommending Portugal Trails to our friends who are considering traveling to Portugal!

Thank you Tiago!  I am sorry we did not get to meet in person!

Myrna and Dick”

What We Do

Customized Independent Self-Guided Tours

A comprehensive set of services that allow you to discover our country in an independent, safe and comfortable way.

  • NO ENDLESS ONLINE RESEARCHING
  • NO UNCERTAINTY WHETHER THE HOTELS OR ACTIVITIES OR GUIDES ARE SUITED FOR YOU
  • NO “COOKIE CUTTER” TOURS
  • NO MISSING ON THE SITES OR EXPERIENCES THAT ARE UNIQUE AND AUTHENTIC TO THE COUNTRY
  • NO ARRIVING IN THE COUNTRY WITHOUT A PLAN

LET US HELP YOU PLAN THE TRIP OF YOUR LIFE

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  • A solution for travelers who are looking for an affordable but still good quality tour. Our hand-picked basic accommodations are 3 star hotels or similar.


    Paying more than standard for better accommodation services to make sure you absolutely have a comfortable trip. You will stay in very good accommodation (4 star, some 3 star high end).


    Mostly first-class hotels, with impeccable services with personal care (5 star hotels, Pousadas, mixed with very charming rural accommodation in smaller towns where high end hotels might not be available). Perfect choice for having great value for money!



  • You will pick up the rental car at the nearest desk on the first day that you will be driving. You should return it on the second last day at the nearest desk to your hotel. With the rental car you have the freedom of choice of how much to do and see each of the travelling days, allowing you to access some of the hidden gems along the way between each location. We will also book transfers from the airport to the hotel on the day of your arrival and from the hotel to the airport on the day of your departure.


    Our English Speaking private driver will pick you up at your Hotel, tour with you, and take you back to your hotel. Our driver will ensure you have what you need to make the most of your time. You will be driven on an Air conditioned and very comfortable luxury vehicle. The driver would be at your service about 8 hours per day, within the kilometers and itinerary set. We will also book transfers from the airport to the hotel on the day of your arrival and from the hotel to the airport on the day of your departure.The private driver service costs around 400 Euros to 500 Euros per day. The final price will be calculated based on your specific itinerary.


    Our English Speaking private driver will pick you up at the train stations and take you to the hotels and vice versa (where service is needed or available). Where there are no trains available, buses will be used as an alternative. We will also book transfers from the airport to the hotel on the day of your arrival and from the hotel to the airport on the day of your departure.


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