Vacation
Vacations always start with the booking, and I had the best travel agent, Barbara Gardner from Grand European Travel. Barbara was friendly, nice, knowledgeable, and helped me pick the perfect vacation trip to coincide with a river cruise I had already booked. She also made sure I had accommodations for the few.days in between the river cruise and the Country Roads of Portugal tour.
The Country Roads of Portugal tour was fantastic. The places we visited were amazing. Beautiful sights. The food was excellent - delicious and very flavorful. And, of course, the various wines were exceptional. We saw the distinctly different regions of Portugal from the modern city of Lisbon (Lisboa) to the resort are of Algarve, to the wine region of the Douro Valley, and the port wine city of Porto which sits on steep, winding hills that start at the river. The river cruise optional excursion is a great way to see the beauty of the Duoro River as well as the beauty of old architecture fusing with more modern architecture.
The travel director, Daniel Ferguson, was awesome. He was friendly, humorous, and very knowledgeable. He thoroughly explained all of the optional excursions and made suggestions to fit our needs and desires. Daniel also made sure all food allergy issues were taken account of at our meals, insuring our safety. He also recommended times when folks with driving sicknesses might want to take their medicine, due to the hills and windy roads - which they were very thankful for, reminding them well in advance to make sure no one ended up ill.
The bus driver, Alfredo, was incredible. Alfredo was a very skilled driver. He navigated a bus in areas I would not want to drive my car - very narrow Roads; windy, curvy roads; tunnels designed for cars with barely enough room for buses; steep curves which required backing up and operating very close to hill edges as he drove the bus up or down the large hills (especially in the Duoro Valley region). Alfredo also assisted us in getting off the bus safely.
This was an amazing trip, with an amazing team of folks who put it together. I always go through Grand European Travel (for over 25 years now, as my first trip with them was in 2001), because I know the efforts their folks put into ensuring amazing tours. And one of the biggest parts is keeping me informed of what is going to happen, which starts at booking, with Barbara Gardner giving me detailed documents and brochures about the trip, and keeping me informed through e-mails. It continues with the travel director, Daniel Ferguson, keeping me informed with a daily schedule of what will be happening and verbal information about times for departures the night before, information on optional excursions, and other details. The system Grand European Travel has is very efficient and effective. But if a person still has questions, they can call and will find Grand European staff very responsive.
Response from Grand European Travel:
Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed and thoughtful feedback. We are especially grateful to read about your long-standing relationship with Grand European Travel and the trust you have placed in our team since your first journey in 2001.
It is wonderful to read how much support you received from your Travel Specialist throughout the booking process, particularly when coordinating your Portugal tour around your river cruise and arranging your flights, accommodation and other travel details. We are also pleased to read how quickly your Travel Specialist assisted when your return flight was changed, helping to find an alternative that ultimately allowed you to arrive home earlier. Your continued loyalty and the recommendations you have made to friends and family mean a great deal to us.
We are equally pleased to read that the Country Roads of Portugal tour exceeded your expectations. From Lisbon and the Algarve to the Douro Valley and Porto, it sounds as though you enjoyed a fantastic variety of scenery, culture, food and wine.
Your kind comments about your Travel Director are particularly appreciated. We are pleased to read that their knowledge, humour and attention to detail helped make the journey so enjoyable, while their care around food allergies and thoughtful advice for those affected by motion sickness helped ensure everyone felt safe and comfortable.
We are also grateful for your recognition of your Coach Driver. Navigating the narrow, winding and steep roads of the Douro Valley requires considerable skill, and it is great to read that you felt so safe and well supported throughout the journey.
Thank you once again for your continued loyalty to Grand European Travel and for recommending us to your friends and family. We are grateful for the confidence you have placed in our team over the years and hope to welcome you on many more journeys in the future.
Tuesday, October 6, 2026