Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about my tours and some answers that may be helpful. For any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact me!
About our tours
Accommodation is not included in the price. However, we can send you our accommodation suggestions. We will provide suggestions so that you can choose the hotel that best suits your needs and budget..
On our website, www.portugalexpert.pt, you will find a detailed description of each of my tours, as well as what is and is not included. Of course, we can tailor each tour to your preferences and needs. Based on my values, I want to ensure that we clearly communicate what is included in each tour. One of my main goals is to provide the maximum satisfaction possible, in a completely relaxed and worry-free environment.
We like to be as clear as possible and so we explain that our guides are also your drivers.
The guide will provide knowledge and relevant information throughout the time you are on the trip. However, sometimes it is not possible for him/her to accompany you on visits to the interior of the monuments/museums. This is due to an important factor:
– Parking near the places to be visited is often difficult and time-consuming. Therefore, we choose to leave you as close to the monument as possible, providing relevant information and focusing on the main points of interest of the place while still in the vehicle. The guide will help you whenever possible with the purchase of tickets so that you do not have to wait in queues. Afterwards, while our customers explore the places at their own pace, the guide remains in the vehicle as close as possible to each location.
In this way, we believe that you will be saving valuable time on your trip, without having to worry about logistical issues such as parking the vehicle. This way, we avoid wasting time and greatly increase comfort, which is even more important on very hot or rainy days. This tour model with a guide/driver, due to its flexibility, price-quality ratio and high number of places visited each day, is the one chosen by the overwhelming majority of our customers, with a satisfaction rate close to 100%, as you can see on our TripAdvisor page.
n certain monuments, our customers can take advantage of, for a controlled cost, specialized local guides who will take them to visit monuments of extreme cultural and historical richness, such as the Convent of Christ and the Templar Castle in Tomar or the Joanina Library in Coimbra. The main advantage of these guided tours is that the specialized guides provide very in-depth information about each place.
The use of audio guides in some places is also an excellent complement due to the in-depth information they provide (more and more places are equipped with this method).
Yes, when mentioned in the tour details, they include meals, always in traditional and typical restaurants, all of which are selected to ensure excellent quality.
Yes. We are fully insured, including:
– Civil Liability Insurance
– Road Insurance
– Personal Accident Insurance
Our tours are designed and planned so that you can get to know Portugal in an unforgettable way (culture, gastronomy, places and landscapes). We constantly seek to improve our programs and experiences in collaboration with local partners to ensure that you enjoy unique moments during your trip to Portugal. Traveling in the company of our knowledgeable and trained guides, comfortably seated in our modern, safe and extremely well-equipped Mercedes V-Class, you will discover a Portugal full of places, people and traditions that are less known to the average tourist and that will certainly dazzle you. Currently, as we are dealing with a global health issue, taking a private tour will be one of the best options for traveling safely. Private experiences are always exclusive and designed to avoid gatherings of people, so on our tours all contact will be with the people you choose to share the trip with: your friends or family. In addition, Portugal Expert® guarantees that it will only collaborate with suppliers who respect all hygiene and safety measures.
There are two main differences. Firstly, private tours are carefully tailored to your preferences and requirements. Our guide’s attention is fully focused on you and those accompanying you, and the itinerary, schedule and accommodation (for tours lasting more than 1 day) can be changed to suit your interests or needs. Secondly, our state-of-the-art fleet of passenger vehicles, in addition to being fully equipped to provide you with comfort and safety, allows us to explore places that larger vehicles, such as those used on bus tours, cannot always reach, and always with our guide right by your side.
Yes. We can organize exactly the tour/experience you are looking for due to our excellent knowledge of Portugal and Spain, and our exceptional network of contacts. You just need to let us know what you want and our team will try to exceed your expectations.
To do this, you can go to https://portugalexpert.pt/en/tailor-made-tours-en/
Of course. We recommend a maximum of 6 people as this is the maximum capacity of passengers in our vehicles. In order to guarantee maximum comfort and attention from our guides, we can use two vehicles or, if you prefer, you can opt for a larger vehicle.
Please send us an email to info@portugalexpert.pt with the tours you want and we will immediately give you the price per person.
We work with our own team of guides whose academic training and extensive professional experience are essential for you to experience the true and authentic Portuguese Culture. Carefully selected for their relevant experience and trained to provide a top-quality service. They are people who know how to welcome guests, extremely knowledgeable about the places to visit in Portugal, with them you will have access to incredible places, unique experiences and the country’s main attractions. Our guides are authorized, whenever possible, to skip the ticket line and speed up your entry. All guides are: Non-smokers.
There is no minimum age. For children under 13, you just need to let us know at the time of booking, so that we can provide the respective safety equipment, in accordance with applicable legislation and in order to guarantee maximum safety on board.
We have a license from Turismo de Portugal (tour operator), registration number – 333/2022. This certification can be consulted at any time at Turismo de Portugal or at one of its branches around the world. Of course, the best proof of our quality is the feedback given by our customers, which you can consult on our website (www.porrtugalexpert.pt) and on our Trip Advisor page.
It depends on your country of origin. If you come from a country where temperatures are, on average, lower than in Portugal, you will probably need less ‘warm clothing’. On the other hand, if you come from a warmer country, you may feel the need to wear more layers of clothing. In Portugal there is a temperature difference between Lisbon and Porto, where temperatures are usually lower than in Lisbon. In the region south of Lisbon (Alentejo and Algarve) temperatures are usually higher. In general, we recommend comfortable clothing and comfortable footwear and some protection against rain. If you visit our country between November and March, be prepared for lower temperatures (minimum 8º to 11ºC). Remember that Portugal has 850 km of coastline, so it is advisable to bring your swimsuit.
Reservations & Payments
By email: info@portugalexpert.pt or by phone: +351 937 738 781
We do not have a set deadline. In some situations, we organize and carry out private and personalized tours scheduled 2 to 3 days in advance or even less. However, ideally, and in order to ensure our availability, and that the guide and equipment are fully prepared to provide you with the best, reservations should be made up to 2 weeks before the tours take place.
– on our website at www.portugalexpert.pt, directly on the tour page, by clicking on ‘Book this tour’;
– by email to info@portugalexpert.pt
Deposit Payment: 20% of the total tour price. To be paid at the time of booking.
This payment can be made:
1 With your credit card through the Sum Up or PayPal platforms (no account required). We will send you a link to make the payment quickly and securely;
2 By bank transfer.
Final payment:
To be paid by the first day of the tour.
This payment can be made:
1 Directly to our guide/driver, in cash or by credit card (payment terminal available in the vehicle);
2 With your credit card through the Sum Up or PayPal platforms (no account required). We will send you a link to make the payment quickly and securely;
3 By bank transfer
Health and Hygiene
We take all the measures indicated by the Portuguese Directorate General of Health very seriously.
We are certified by the official Tourism entity: ‘Turismo de Portugal’ with the ‘Clean & Safe’ seal. This distinction means that Portugal Expert® – Vitor Pais ensures compliance with hygiene and cleaning requirements for the prevention and control of the COVID-19 virus and other possible infections.
We are also certified with the “Safe Travels” seal by the World Travel & Tourism Council. This seal means that we are following the hygiene and safety protocols defined by the World Tourism entities.
That said, during our tours we will adopt the following measures:
– Our vehicles are properly disinfected several times a day;
– Payments can be made through secure and duly certified online platforms, so that you do not need to have contact with cash.
Emergency medical care is provided to all those who require urgent care. The quality of healthcare in Portuguese hospitals is very good according to international standards, with Portugal ranking 12th in the world according to the World Health Organization for the quality of healthcare.
If you are in Portugal and need healthcare, you can call the National Health Service hotline: 808242424, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The service is free. You can also choose to visit the nearest health center for medical assistance. For emergencies, you can call the European emergency number: 112 or go to the emergency department of the nearest hospital.
For more information on measures and restrictions in Portugal, we recommend visiting the official website of Turismo de Portugal: https://www.visitportugal.com/pt-pt/node/421175
In general, Portugal is a very safe country. So far, Portugal has done a very good job in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. It was one of the first European countries to contain the pandemic more quickly and is gradually returning to normality, with safety and hygiene measures for all economic sectors.
The Portuguese have cooperated very well and respect the safety and hygiene standards in accordance with the guidelines of the Portuguese Directorate General of Health. In addition, Portugal is among the most peaceful countries in Europe and the world with one of the lowest rates of terrorism and violence.
All of this makes Portugal a place to live and visit.
Cancellation policy
Cancellations are subject to the following penalties on the total price of the tour:
– Up to 30 days before arrival, no penalty is applied. Exceptions are entrance tickets, third party activities, hotel reservations and possible transaction fees. These will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, depending on the policy of each supplier;
– 30 days to 15 days before arrival: 20% penalty;
– Less than 15 days before arrival: 100% penalty.
However, Portugal Expert® – Vitor Pais reserves the right to evaluate the possibility of making a partial refund.
Feedback
Yes! Our customers rate us as excellent/very good on Tripadvisor, where you can read all the reviews our customers have given us!
You can write a review on Tripadvisor, on our social networks such as Facebook and Instagram or send us an email to info@portugalexpert.pt.
Tripadvisor reviews are a great help in promoting our tours and helping others understand the type of service we offer.