Cycling Rentals is doing everything to ensure your experience is not only fun and unforgettable, but also clean and safe from Corona-virus. Specifically we are following the Clean & Safe protocol established by the Tourism Institute of Portugal:

Staff Training

Ou staff have received specific information and / or training on:

• Internal Protocol related to the COVID-19 Coronavirus Outbreak.
• Compliance measures for basic infection prevention and control:
  • Hand Hygiene: Frequent and careful hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use a hand sanitizer that has at least 70% alcohol, covering all surfaces of the hands and rubbing them until they are dry.
  • Respiratory Etiquette: cough and sneeze into the flexed forearm or use a tissue; always wash your hands after coughing or sneezing and after blowing; Avoid touching the eye, nose, and mouth with your hands.
  • Social Conduct: Change the frequency and form of contact between workers and between them and customers, avoiding (when possible) close contact handshakes, kisses, shared jobs, face-to-face meetings and food sharing, utensils, glasses, and towels.
• Compliance with daily self-monitoring of symptoms, such as recording body temperature twice a day, checking for cough or difficulty breathing.
• Compliance with the official Portuguese national health guidelines for cleaning surfaces, materials and clothing in establishments.

 
General Information

• Compliance measures with basic infection prevention and control precautions in connection with the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.
• Internal protocol for the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.

Provisions

• Sufficient individual personal protective equipment for workers involved in all operations.
• Individual and personal protective equipment is available to customers (maximum capacity of groups).
• Stock of single-use cleaning materials such as single-use cleaning wipes moistened with alcohol content above 70º.
• Dispensers of or alcohol-based sanitizer solution near the entry and exit points, or whenever applicable.
• Waste container with non-manual opening and plastic bag.
• Equipment for hand washing with liquid soap and paper towels in sanitary facilities.

Hygiene Commitments

• Washing and disinfection of the surfaces where employees and customers interact, ensuring the control and prevention of infections.
• Cleaning of common use surfaces and objects such as counters, light switches, door handles, cabinet handles, several times a day.
• Preference will be given to wet cleaning, over dry cleaning and the use of vacuum cleaner only.
• Frequent renewal of air in closed spaces by keeping doors open regularly.
• Supply of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, whenever justified.

 
Management Commitments

• Observing maximum occupancy of closed facilities, in accordance with the recommendations of the official Portuguese national health guidelines.
• The maintenance of the social safety distance between customers within the premises, in accordance with the recommendations of the official Portuguese national health guidelines.
• Preference of distribution of travel and navigation information in digital format, over printed material.
• Compliance with internal hygiene and safety protocols by the partners involved in the programs sold by the Travel Agency.
• Availability of trained staff to accompany any symptomatic person to a designated isolation space, providing any required assistance, and contacting the national health service.

People are like bicycles. They can keep their balance only as long as they keep moving, and that is we what we want to do at Cycling-Rentals. You can help us! And to show our appreciation, we are making the following unique offers for bookings for next year:

Book any 2021 cycling tour holiday before July 30th this year and get 25% off for each rider.

Book any 2021 bicycle rental before July 30th this year and get 15% off for each rider. 

You can see the full details of these offers right here, and as always reach out to us if you have any questions!

Stay safe, stay healthy and keep moving!

Some of the best bike touring stories are not all about the bike or even the ride, but about the people you meet along the way, and the experiences you have, the emotions you feel and the memories you forge!

​A classic bike tour that never fails to elicit all of the above is of course the epic Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, but some of my own unforgettable rides have been much closer to home. How about you?

Below are a few of my favourite and most inspirational bike tour stories, that simply put the joy of pedaling in me. But we would love to hear about your most memorable experiences on a bicycle!
​

• Cycling the Camino de Santiago - Spain
• Côa Valley bike tour diary - Portugal
• Cycling the Algarve - Portugal

San Roque was born about 1295 in Montpellier, France, the son of the governor. Nothing is known of his childhood except that it was privileged and that he lost both parents by the age of twenty.  Whereupon, he joined the Franciscan Order and distributed his fortune among the poor. 
​
He then went on pilgrimage to Rome and there cared for the victims of the plague that was taking its toll on Italy.  He devoted himself to the plague-stricken, curing them with the sign of the cross.  He next visited Cesena and other neighboring cities before going on to  Rome.  Everywhere the terrible scourge disappeared before his miraculous power.

Eventually, he caught the plague himself, while ministering to the sick, and was expelled from the town.  Ill and starving, he was saved when a hunting dog found him and brought him bread every day. 

He recovered and decided to devote himself to caring for the sick. He, also, eventually became the patron saint of dogs, as well. San Roque was reputed to have performed many miracles of healing throughout his life... and after his death! 

San Roque’s intercession was called upon when a plague struck Germany in the 15th century.  “In 1414, during the Council of Constance, the plague having broken out in that city, the Fathers of the Council ordered public prayers and processions in honor of the saint, and immediately the plague ceased. 

Time and time again he was invoked during various medieval plagues and eventually became “The Patron Saint Against Plagues”.

At a time when we are all feeling the direct or indirect impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, and few if any, pilgrims are walking or cycling the Camino de Santiago, perhaps it feels like a good time to remember the brave example he set 700 years ago?

We have been in travel for over 20 years and to be sure, these are challenging times for us all. We have weathered challenges before and I know with your help we will bounce back.  

We thank all of you who have kept your deposits with us, your support has been invaluable to us - as any small business owner knows, it is vital! We look forward to providing you with the unique experience of a cycling holiday in the near future. 

Our priority is the safety and welfare of our clients, staff and partners, so for now our office is closed to the public and we are all working from home, but we are available as always to respond to your inquiries by phone, email or social media.

We have been actively contacting clients that have reservations with us in the coming weeks to work through rescheduling for a later date. Rest assured that we will respond to all inquiries as quickly as possible.  

If your rental or cycling holiday is scheduled to start on or before April 30th please contact us to reschedule your trip. Rentals and cycling holidays starting on or after May 1st, please refer to the cancellation policy shown on your invoice. 

Please continue to monitor travel recommendations with your home country’s foreign affairs office and follow preventative measures as directed by your local health authorities. As always, we strongly recommend travel insurance and in these times, cancel for any reason policies would be our choice! 

Until authorities tell us it's safe, please do your part to help end this outbreak: stay safe, keep calm, wash your hands and do get out and ride!