Brompton Cycle Touring - Portugal (Porto to Faro on the EV1)

This trip was over 17 days in September 2022.
Following the Euro Velo 1 route nearly all the way (except where the tracks just got too sandy).
The bike were carried in soft bags and checked in as regular luggage.
Accommodation was:
2 nights in hotels (Pombal & Lagos)
2 nights in an apartment (Lisbon)
2 wild camps
The rest in commercial camp sites
The Bromptons worked really well - apart from soft sandy tracks and washboard roads.

[@jameshoey303]

Really enjoyed your video...thank you

[@krull57]

Thanks for taking the time to say so👍

[@dermotpurcell8861]

Awsome will do this one day thanks for sharing

[@krull57]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@fatimaSM236]

👍

[@Thimmojicom]

.........awesome ,from India ❤

[@krull57]

Thanks for watching. 👍

[@rodludena1742]

Truly is Brompton holds no boundaries..... Amen?

[@krull57]

Indeed, 👍

[@mylittleoutingsonabrompton]

the road surfaces look very challenging! well done!

[@krull57]

The bike coped surprisingly well. We did have to push though in soft sand. Also, corrugated roads were a bit unpleasant.

[@donaldwalter1317]

It looked very relaxing tour. Like how well your Bromptons handled the load.

[@krull57]

It felt like hard work at the time! The bikes were excellent- couldn't have asked for more from them

[@melsebastian9178]

Good watch.

[@krull57]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

[@fernandoquartin7688]

Great video. I'm planning something similar but starting from Lisbon where I live.

[@krull57]

Lisbon was a lovely city. 😍 Hope you enjoy your trip!

[@user-bz6nt2ez5q]

Eu tambem Fernando. Apanho comboio de Algarve ate ao Porto, depois ate Braga ou Valenca, talvez um passeiozito pelo Minho, e depois tudo devolta ao Algarve, sempre pela costa. Jà fizeste a tua?

[@juandanielcano8052]

Muy bueno❤

[@locurainside]

I did the same Journey in Brompton this summer!

[@krull57]

Excellent. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

[@cheesemakerswighton]

How bad were the tracks along the Algarve? One retired large lady thinging of trying Faro to Sagres March 2023. Some people have said that it is too rought for a Brompton. I have toured in UK with brompton but is it really needing a tough bike?

[@locurainside]

@@cheesemakerswighton That area is a little more complicated than the rest of Portugal. If you want to go near the coast, the roads have loose soil and some areas with stones that can be uncomfortable. If you go by road there are large roads, with good shoulders but many cars. If you want to go on small roads between towns there are parts of continuous ups and downs. You could do it with a Brompton but it can be a bit more uncomfortable than other areas of Portugal. Besides from Faro to Sagres it is always with the wind in front, and it is an area with strong winds. I recommend doing it the other way around, from Sagres to Faro.

[@thegroove2000]

Exactly what I want to do as I have a friend in faro.

[@thegroove2000]

No hotels thought camping all the wauy

[@robgilbert3395]

Thinking of taking my Brompton to Portugal and trying something similar.

[@cheesemakerswighton]

Rob Gilbert. Have you actaully set off?

[@robgilbert3395]

@@cheesemakerswighton I'm booked to arrive the third week of May on a scouting trip.

[@harbourwoodlandvisitor2445]

someone made a nice video👍

[@krull57]

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@5mjc]

Aural Nights-musicby ADEN !

[@martynpearce4754]

Hiya, What was the red bag on the rack, looks like a rucksack? What did you do with the suitcase for the brompton when you travelled? Thanks

[@krull57]

Hi, the red bag is a 60L Decathlon rucksack. The bromptons travel in soft bags that are padded with clothes and cardboard. The bags roll up to about 1L and the cardboard is thrown away.

[@oal2928]

What tyre and how many punctures

[@finn111]

Nice video, thank you. What camera did you use and how to make selfie stick invisible? Cycling Finn

[@krull57]

Hi thanks for watching. It is actually a 360 camera (Insta 360 x1). It films everything and you select the view/zoom etc. post edit. It also deletes automatically the selfie stick.

[@GlobalAdventurer]

Thank you! Excellent video. I just might try this one day. My only question is, what about if "CUSTOMS" in your arrival country wants tourist to pay a customs fee for bringing a bike into a country even if you know you're taking it back with you. That's my only concern.

[@26realmc]

not an issue if its used.

[@krull57]

It is not a problem if you use it and bring it back. It is only a problem if customs think you are going to sell it.

[@GlobalAdventurer]

@@krull57 That's my issue, what they "think" :) Especially if the bike is in excellent condition. Well, I'll cross that road when I get there.

[@jameshoey303]

Pay the fee....live a bit..don't be a cheapskate

[@AlexandreMCunha]

Have a copy of the invoice of the bike with you. Its what I'm considering to do if I decide travel outside EU.

[@harbourwoodlandvisitor2445]

what was your max load, kg including yourself on the bike. I'm thinking of buying Brompton and would like to get some feedback on the max weight you carried on the bike.

[@krull57]

I really don't have a clue. It was certainly above the recommended maximum 100kg

[@cheesemakerswighton]

My neice and i are thinking of flying to Faro with bromptons and cycling north. Some warm showers hosts implied that the track was just too rough for small wheels. You two are 0bviously much tougher than 60 year old obese me. We are thinking of setting off in ten days for a 3or 4 night trip as Amy can only get that much holiday, if i got along OK I might stay two weeks and try for Lisbon. Really would like to correspond re this. Would be so grateful for advice.

[@krull57]

Hi. We took 1 week for Lisbon-Faro. The tracks can be a bit rough in places but not excessively so. We did walk in a few places. More of a problem was soft sand or washboard tracks. We did detour onto the tarmac if it was too much. There weren't many places where there wasn't that option. I would give it a go. If your progress really is too slow, you can keep to the roads or as a last resort, hop a section on bus or train. That is what we did on the Porto- Lisbon section.

[@botasfinas]

@@krull57 Sería interesante saber qué tramos evitar para tomar un tren o un blablacar y sufrir lo imprescindible

[@edith5995]

Hello, I'm wondering how easy it was finding places to camp. I'm heading over to Portugal with my Brompton and camping gear but don't like booking places in advance. How did you do it?

[@user-bz6nt2ez5q]

Which month did you go?

[@krull57]

Hi, Mid September to early October.

[@user-bz6nt2ez5q]

@@krull57 I will be doing a long cycle starting the beginning of October, north to south. How was the weather like in October for you?

[@krull57]

@user-bz6nt2ez5q It was hot but we were quite south by then.

[@user-bz6nt2ez5q]

@@krull57 thank you 😊🙏

[@fensterputzernuernberg]

Where did the bromptons go ? taken on the plane or in the hold ?

[@krull57]

In the hold, booked in as a standard suitcase.

[@pawel8365]

Really nice trip, thank you for sharing! I'm going to go in the opposite direction, would you be able to comment on the wind, and whether it was a nuisance?

[@krull57]

We went from North to South, which was supposed to be the direction of the prevailing winds. In reality, we had had a headwind about 50% of the time.

[@petitemonsoon1238]