On the Tour - How a Rick Steves Tour Works
Our Wonderful Guide - Cristina DuarteI can't compare Cristina to any other Rick Steves guides, but I truly think she made this tour a fabulous experience. She was energetic and funny, kept us in line when needed, and was simply brimming with knowledge about every location we visited. She provided our walking tours in Lisbon and a couple of other sites (often we would also have a local guide though). In addition, at each new itinerary stop, she would provide a quick overview of the location and also give us specific recommendations on nearby restaurants for meals on our own. In each hotel, we also had an itinerary sign which outlined the day's activities. Late in the tour, I got the idea to take a picture to help remember all of the details. (Next time, I'm taking them every day!)
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Getting AroundIn Lisbon & Porto, you'll want to use public transportation to help get around. But, other than walking, your main mode of transportation will be the tour bus. I was impressed with ours - we had enough room for each person to have a window seat if desired. Also the time certainly wasn't wasted - Cristina often provided commentary about the area or prepared us for the site where we were arriving. And sometimes we just relaxed and listened to fado or Brazilian music! Our bus driver Joao was awesome and it always felt safe and in control. (We were all impressed by his incredible '10-point turn' of the bus - with us out of it, naturally - during our visit to the Duoro Valley farm!)
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Sleeping & Eating (and Imbibing!)Our accommodations were always centrally located, usually extremely comfortable (on average, larger rooms than my normal European experience!) with often-good-if-not-gorgeous views. (A couple of my favorite moments were simply relaxing and watching the view from my window/balcony.) Stock up each morning with breakfast, which usually included eggs, meats, pastries, fruit, cereal, juice, and coffee/tea. (Best ones were in Lisbon and the Duoro Valley.) The group meals were often excellent (my favorites were the farm lunches) and HUGE (always 3-4 courses), so make sure to save room on those days! (I skipped lunch or did a small snack instead.) Local wine and bottled water is also included with the group meals. Take advantage of your free time to visit grocery stores or markets to sample local produce, or try small family-run restaurants.
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