Hey guys, I hope you enjoy this video. Check out our website bikingbeyond.de for more details regarding our route and our equipment. Or follow us on Instagram if you like :) / biking_beyond
Thank you :) I thought about if I actually want to show our struggles in this video for quite some time since I don’t want to portray a negative image, but I thought these views were exactly what I would have wanted to know about before my trip….
I am loving watching your journey, but I'm very glad you included mention of the negatives - many RU-vidrs will edit those out! I attempted to cycle from Faro to Porto last summer via Lisbon, but I gave up in Lisbon as the busy roads, the drivers, the road surfaces and the bad accommodation were all sucking the enjoyment from the journey. I was nearly killed by a bus driver in Setubal, and I was even harassed by a drug dealer at one point! It is a shame, as Portugal is undoubtedly a stunningly beautiful country - I have some lovely photos - but I don't think I would ever try to do a long bike tour there again. Oh, and my hands were hurting for a couple of months after the trip and they still sometimes tingle - I think riding over the deeply rutted back roads damaged my nerves!
Guess our experience was pretty similar 😅 thank you so much for your honest comment! I sometimes wonder now that I am back home when reading the comment section if showing my unfiltered view was the right decision 😉
Even Portuguese riders agree how bad it is to cycle there. I stopped enjoying ride and just wanted to get to Spain. Rest day in Verin…never again Portugal, enjoy your aggressive football culture
I did cycling as well on the Iberian countryside and I will do it again. And I noticed a difference of mentality as well between Spain and Portugal. Thanx God there are exceptions everywhere!
Cycled Southern Portugal in early Spring from Faro to Evora took the Comboios de Portugal to Lisbon (I like to try rail systems in each country to see how bicycle friendly they are) and cycled from Lisbon to Lagos and then back to Faro. Maybe it was bad timing and in middle of tourist season for you guys, but I went in early spring (a bit cold) and had most campsites fairly empty, quiet and well serviced. The RV vacationers seemed quite friendly, smiling and saying hello to me. I stopped for water at this one small farm town asking for water and the farmer offered me bottled water to drink and fill my waterbottle. In my mix of limited Portuguese and Spanish during conversation he told me spigot water in those parts was not very good. I did incur some very bad and broken up paths and decided to use the very wide shoulder on a highway till some motorists passing by told me to use the path. Some sections I felt like I was riding the Paris-Roubaix course (cobbles)! One part of the Eurovelo down there was literally in a mountain bike trail next to a golf course that was partially a quagmire of mud! Other than those small sections, I had a rather nice ride seeing small and historical sites, Portugals beautiful Coasts and having the best coffee I've tasted (and snacking on Pastéis de Nata, ummm!). Hostels and campsites were very accommodating to cyclists and the Faro Airport was super nice when I couldn't find a bike box to pack my bike for the flight home. Some of the bike paths are better suited for mountain bikes though! I would highly recommend Portugal again but emphasize the shoulder seasons.
Thank you for the very interesting comment! I think regarding the streets we did and experienced the same (also had a mix of backroads, highway shoulders, cobble stones etc) and I can 100% confirm. Regarding the off season, its good to hear your experience since Alex and I thought it might be like that! Honestly high season is horrible almost everywhere 😖😅 we also flew from Faro, but we had called the airport in advance to find out that they don’t have bike boxes. Very curious, what did you end up doing about the bike box? 😊
@@biking_beyond Oh, also In Lagos there was actually a campsite in the midst of the city but a fellow German hiker and I surmised that it was too shady/low security and he carried expensive photography gear in his kit. We found a hostel but it had no hot water because they were redoing the street right outside! In Faro I was looking to find a box and visited the only bike shop there that i noticed. Nothing. At my last hostel, I was very anxious and the hostess made a few calls to see if she could find one even calling the airport. She relayed to me to go to the airport to see what they could do. I thought I would have to wrap my partially disassembled steed in that cellophane wrap they used for luggage. I rolled in and by the bike assembly area I saw 3 stacks of used bicycle boxes! 🥲 There must have been a small cycle group that flew in and they were put out there before the boxes were disposed/recycled🍀.
@@biking_beyond Well, maybe. I had to give some of my Mylanta to another Italian through hiker roommate in Lagos that was vomiting with food poisoning🤮. Didn't sleep too well (on top of no hot water to shower) worried he would vomit in his sleep (though he did say the Mylanta helped) Also, it was pre-covid pandemic. 😷
@@biking_beyond Just realized we stayed a at few of the same places on the SW coast. Villa Park Zambujeira (green arch in inner room, drinking cup of beer) There was a really nice warm fireplace there and a great view of the coastal rocky surf about 5 minutes up the road into town and maybe Camping Praia de Gale (further north up the coast). Hope you guys are well and enjoying the Holidays!🎍
At 06:50 is a mitical bike passage for bike riders. The biggest amateur bike event finishes in Porto Covo by passing that part and climbing until the middle of the village. I don't cycle on roads in Portugal because of what you have said in your videos. I avoid at all costs the roads and focus on offroad trails. Will follow your chanel and stay safe.
Very honest and brave review. I am sorry you have had this experience. Safety comes first always. If you have saved other cyclists from difficulties you have done a great job. Well done and thank you!
I’m Portuguese and a biker. I regret so much listening to your experience, but I know that drivers aren’t always polite. If you decide to come again to Lisboa, Estoril or Sintra, me and my family will be happy to show you the region so you can leave here with a different experience. Thanks for the video.
Have to admit that I'm a light bike-packer myself. So when I first saw your bike set-up (fully loaded with bags front and aft), I really blurted out: gosh, that's definitely not my cuppa tea! Plus the kind of steep slopes 'ere and there, cobble stone road surfaces etc., I'm convinced that cycling in (at least that part of) Portugal isn't a good idea for me😂 Love from Hong Kong😘
Portugal has never been on my list but its sad to see fellow cyclists having bad experiences, it happened to me in Panamá 🇵🇦 I see you ride with a standard touring setup and bike, 4 Panniers and extra bag, kind of limits your off road possibilities. Maybe a lighter and more Bikepacking oriented set up can take you off of the main roads, that’s what I do! Cheers!
Nice! We were quite “luxurious” in our setup (including a chair, drone etc) but for us personally the luxury was worth having a heavier setup than others ☺️ that’s different to everyone of course! 😊
certainly a very good suggestion. On my first attempt I sent half of my luggage home. A year later I bought a gravelbike and went much lighter. That way I could use mainly unpaved roads along the Eurovelo1. Much more quiet and less cars.
I do not agree, for me panier bags are the way to go. Although even with paniers one should think about taking less. But it makes camping more comfortable, also in bad conditions. I see it as a more sustainable style of travelling when it comes to long distance travelling.
@@kayasper6081 for me the only way to reduce weight is by reducing volume capacity, then you’re forced to take less, you like panniers? I do like them too! There are a couple of options of light weight bikepacking panniers Ortlieb, Revelate designs, mountain laurel, Tailfin. I have ortlieb and I’m very pleased.
Costa Vicentina - isn't a place for bike riding, especially in the summer, because the roads are super narrow and fullllll of cars. Just imagine a place where used to live a 1000 people and it became a place of 10000, that's bad for everyone. And it became a place for tourism, and it became a very expensive place to visit (if you don't know where to go, where to stay, and those smalls things, it could mean a pain in the ass). But nowadays you have a natural path almost from Sines to Sagres, away from the busy roads. And another thing I agree with you, is that southern people aren't that friendly, but you can find good people there also. Be aware that you can't wild camp in the natural park, if authorities find out they will fine you. Have fun in Portugal 💪 Obs. I am a Portuguese and I lived in that area for 5 years.
Hi I had a completely positive experience walking the full Portuguese Camino. Was that your experience also. I have cycled toured Munich to Venice trail and I nod and wave to people but get limited response. It was the same in my home country Australia. I suppose the Camino is a community. Love the storyline in each video and the cinematography! Well done.
We walked the Camino Portuguese in 2018 as well, but to be honest you don’t share streets with cars that often on that Camino 😉 so we were really surprised and expected something different based on our Camino experiences….
Loved the video, in regards of the bad experience: yes, they drive like mads, but are very friendly. Thing is, summer is just not the right time. Everything is too tense, especially last summer with the heat and amount of wildfires. Did you do the whole Eurovelo 1 through Portugal? What percentage of paved vs unpaved road do you think it covers?
Sorry for some negative experiences. I did ride the N2 north to south and back in April and may this year. Excellent and beautiful. Also no difficulties with traffic. Some dogs were angry. Beautiful people. I did stay in b&b or hotels. Will do it again definitely! N2 is highly recommended.
Hi guys, thanks for the videos. I just discovered the EuroVelo and was truly excited about doing #1 but now that ive done some research roads don't seem to be very safe and getting ran over is the last thing you wanna experience abroad. I was planning to do Oporto to Lisboa by bike, on a scale to 1 to 10 how good/bad would you rate the route? any other part of the route you would recommend instead. Thank you very much!
Hi! Well if I am honest, Portugal was (of all the countries that we rode through) by far the „worst“ experience on a bike. Car drivers are the worst I have ever seen and the general experience on campgrounds was also not very nice (always very loud, crowded and dirty). However, the countryside is beautiful. 😊 So if you want to ride in Portugal, go for it! Maybe your experience will be different, I heard that if you go there in late autumn-early spring, it gets better (less crowded I suppose).
Just comleted N2 After N125 to Faro after 3 weeks on Spain where no driver issues couldnt believe Portuguese driving. Within minutes of artiving I was nearly killed. Determined to get to Chaves I nearly gave up a few times espAbrantes. I had to cycle middle of lane to dtop lorries and cars from passing with inches to spare. Forget N2 if you want to enjoy country. Stressful, you just need to dtay alive. Glad back in Spain ehere there is great cycling culture and football. Portugal all football with aggression that goes with this. My love to you. I will never visit Portugal AGAIN. Plus Spain has more wildlife and more yhan Portugal.
Spain has amazing drivers, we never felt unsafe on the road! Portuguese drivers literally want to endanger you on the road on purpose! Portugal by bike was a really unpleasant experience I would never recommend 🥲😅
@@biking_beyond That's good news, since I live in Spain! In 2007 I moved from Holland to the Spanish inner lands (Extremadura). It certainly is true that in the last 10 or so years, the mentallity towards cyclists has changed very strong for the better, mainly due to campains from the government and even a new set of rules for traffic regarding how to pass by a biker. People are a lot more aware now and that is great. I never cycled in Portugal, but driving my car there is already an adventure. In Portugal they seem always to race, don't keep any distance at all and in general lack patience. Your experience confirms it even more. Thanks for your response and opinion, you have a new subscriber!
Thanks for producing this clip. Periodically the sound track masks your voice, and I am unable to understand you comfortably. Your negative experiences remind me of a German couple whom I met cycling in New Zealand. She was so intimidated by the motorists that she returned to Germany, and her man stayed to finish the trip. She described it as "the worst" she'd experienced. I cycled 3500kms in three months in the NZ South Island with probably less than 500kms on State highways, preferring the more challenging or shingle roads over passes etc. It was worth it.
Don't come to Portugal in July and August. Everything is super crowded and people are stressed to get their vacation. September and May is perfect though.
sorry for the experience :( Portugal is great if you’re into biking off-road. But in general, Portuguese drivers aren’t respectful of cyclists. The issue is really a lack of cycling culture and infrastructure. I think a lighter setup and more planning to avoid main roads would've helped too.
Portugal is a great country for biking and much more. Unfortunately, we still have many uneducated ( on the road code and basic respect for fellow human ) frivers out there. Every time I go out on my bike ( 7.000 k/year ) I have to deal with that fact. We will get better, I hope. Nevertheless, just want to point out that in 2021 we had 23 cyclist fatalities in our roads. France had 200+, Germany had 400+ and Spain 63. Numbers are what they are, and I ' m not denying or neglecting what our roads look like if you' re on a bike. Spain does have a relatively low number of fatalities, and thatbis somewhat explained by the fact that there the chosen country for most pros, and in some regions it makes a great deal of their income with tourist cycling activities related. Still, my apologies for the bad impression some drivers give of a, otherwise, beautiful place to cycle and live in.
Thanks for your comment, however, if you want to look at numbers of fatalities, please set them in relation of (approximate) numbers of cyclist. There is no denial that there are way way way more cyclists in France and Germany than in Portugal. Besides, from my personal experiences I highly doubt these numbers 😅
Hello again @@biking_beyond. My comment was never meant to be a criticism ( I know from experience how it is like to ride a bike in Portugal ) nor a debate. But the numbers I mentioned come from the national organisms of the countries I mentioned. If you don´t trust them to be true, it is your prerrogative, but they are the official numbers nevertheless. As to the proportionality of cyclists vs population vs fatalities, if you do the math, you find that although your perception tells you that Portugal is inherently dangerous to be biking in due to the lack of respect of some drivers, many more die in the countries I mentioned ( except Spain ) than here. It what it is, and again, I really am sorry that your exxperience was bad.
@@jjncravo You seem to be missing the point that in European countries OTHER than Portugal there are far more cyclists, many, many more. However in Portugal there are likely a lot fewer cyclists as it is so hazardous and dangerous for cyclists. Also in northern European countries such as Germany, Netherlands and Denmark, Scandinavia as a whole, cycling is much more common as a means of transport. Millions of cyclists ride everyday to work, to school, to the supermarket, for leisure purposes. I don't get the impression that this happens in Portugal despite Portugal having a much more agreeable warmer and drier climate, better than cold and wet northern Europe. So the bottom line is that Portugal is a far less safe country than the rest of Europe to ride a bicycle as these videos have shown. I would never ever consider riding there. I value my life. There are much nicer and safer places to ride a bicycle.
Some countries are really doing their best to make cycling safer. I was very surprised for example that cycling through Londen or through Paris was so easy! In Norway I could tell if a car passing me from behind was from Norway or not: Norwegians are an example on the road! And I share your disappointment with EuroVelo routes. I had also bad experience with it in France. To me it seems, from what I see online, that EuroVelo’s main objective is to make money, rather than optimise routes for long distance cycling. I like your videos, but why is it always you who is doing the talking? I would like it even more if you share the talking 😊. Good luck! Have fun!
Thank you for the comment :) its always me talking because Alex doesn’t want to be included/ shown a lot on here and I respect that. This RU-vid channel is 100% „my project“ 😊
@@biking_beyondyou guys rock! Love the dynamic and how you both work together so well. My girlfriend Robyn & I are just getting into cycle touring and you are an inspiration. Would be great to ride together sometime😊
You are clearly not a cyclist as smaller rural roads mean many more and steep hills or mountains. Riding many of these day in and day out is exhausting.
@@alexmorgan3435 just sold my second bike so "only" have one right now... and exhausting? yeah I will take that over dead... and I bet you could use the exercise if driving on a little less trafficked road is so hard for you... Noone told you to take the goat trails...
A++++. Another very well filmed and produced video. Well done. As I said in another video, I don't think Portugal offers anything special. You can ride in much nicer scenic places and not fear for your life riding your bicycle. Your videos confirm what I already knew. Portugal is a cyclist hating nation up there with the US, Australia and here in the UK. Why cycle there when you have a much nicer time next door with it's neighbour Spain. Spanish drivers are for the most part very considerate to cyclists. Even when you are riding on a wide shoulder the cars approaching from behind still move to the other side of the road to give an even bigger margin passing you. On smaller narrower roads they wait patiently until they can safely pass. Not so in Portugal. They seem to be like pyschopathic A-holes. I would never ride there nor encourage any one else to. It is too dangerous. Not worth dying for. Avoid.
That's a lot of portuguese people that gonna hate me. But we have all to agree in 2 thinks: 1- In most part of the country you gonna have bad experience on the traffic because people dont respect cyclists except in small town; 2- If you had traveled on the north of Portugal you would have an all different idea about us!
I'm so sorry again for the behaviour of and I hope, the few portuguese that made your Portugal experience miserable. I am ashamed, what can I say more... Nevertheless is important that you report your bad experience, maybe people see and change but I will not hold my breath. The lack of respect for other vehicles in the road is a constant in Portugal unfortunately.
I completely agree with Luis words. I see people who bike packs in Portugal complainting about the wind (seriously) and about the rain (because they came in March!). That's stupid. But complainting about bad drivers is unfortunately legitim. I hope other cyclists keep doing it, to wake up some politicians who don't give a dam about this subject. We need to teach our drivers to respect cyclists and we need to improve our roads a lot. This is completely inadmissible in a country which it's supposed to have tourism as a main source of profit. I have been a victim of this too, so in mainland as either in Azores, where I live now and drivers are completely insane.
@@biking_beyond Yes!! This!! I am currently in Portugal on a long term stay with my family, I am the only cyclist. I have done some exploring the areas nearby and within an hours reach, it's sometimes "interesting" how the different drivers are. Most seem good, everyone is fast here, some are ignorant and some courteous. Surprisingly, it seems paved country road was more safe than I thought it would be, but some smaller quieter roads the drivers were less careful. Alwayssss have to be wary of the dogs!! Very close to attacked a few times, very few dogs on leash/rope in the countryside and they will lunge and chase (and they're large dogs). Luckily owners were close by to call dogs off before incident, but it's always stressful with the dogs here. Thanks for the video!!!
im portuguese, and i got tell you, it is true, portuguese drivers dont have any respect for nobody, ciclists, pedestrians, other dirvers.. it is a shame, I love my country, but a lot of people here are egocentric, and i dont know whay, im not that kind of person.. a feel sorry for you guys , i hope you come back soon, and visit my city, Porto (north). Best regards
I'm portuguese and I must say that people when getting behind the wheel don't respect nothing nor anyone. The roads are not safe in Portugal, it's comon knowledge. My apologies.
I'd like to know where you are each time and at each camp ground. The Portuguese people are very nice people, but as soon as they're sitting in a car, they become monsters...
Keep the Sangria flowing and all will be good, no Sangria is evil, it made me very ill once. Freedom camping is good, but if you needed emergency services, could they find you? Google snakes. I know car drivers are annoying you, but the cyclist will always come of worse. Please have fun, but take care. Sorry, an old persons opinion. When you get to my age, there's always a few close calls, but you learn by your mistakes, never to drink Sangria.
100% - it's an absolutely horrible country for cycling. There are so many roads I avoid completely because I know I'll be threatened and afraid. Road from Lisbon to Ericeira? No thanks. Road from Sintra to Colares? I'd rather not.
Too much weight on bikes. And poorly chosen roads. There are quieter and more accessible off-road roads. When I ride I try to make the routes between the Eurovelo , Strava, etc. For future travelers coming from Lisbon to the South, do not do Lisbon / Cacilhas / Setubal the best will be Lisbon / Montijo / Setúbal. Good pedaling.
I am a portuguese ciclist, i made thousands of kms a year, in the +30 years of cycling , mayby i haved 4 or 5 conflicts with cars of other road users, maybe the problem was your driving or atitud or what ever, and also you say you had problems but you dont show them on video !
it's not an attitude problem when cars from behind constantly are close to run you down instead of keeping distance when passing... it is NOT hard to keep some distance and if you can't past due to oncoming traffic then slow down til you can pass SAFELY...
