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Educational Tours to Portugal
Educational tours and educational travel to Portugal

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Specialist in Group Tours to Portugal

Portugal attracts more and more groups each year. With a history and culture that stretches back for centuries, Portugal is one of the oldest cultures in Europe. This rich background, in combination with one of the best climate in all the European countries makes Portugal a wonderful destination for any group. Casterbridge knows Portugal well and is the best choice you could make for your group tour. Please read below to learn more about the everyday things that differentiate Casterbridge Tours from our competitors.

The Best Flights to Portugal on Guaranteed Dates

We have exceptionally close relationships with many European national carriers, including British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, and Iberia. These relationships allow us to find your group the very best flights and fares, with minimal connections in order to make your trip less time-consuming and stressful. We strive to make your transfers as efficient as possible, without the unnecessary stress and increased cost of tiring, time-consuming journeys.

Casterbridge always guarantee your tour dates and you will know your proposed flight schedule and routing as much as 11 months in advance of your tour!

Making the Most of Your Arrival Day in Portugal

Casterbridge strives whenever possible to make arrival days a useful part of your tour. By making a stop to see the Monument to the Discoveries when you arrive in Lisbon or taking an introductory walking tour upon arrival in Oporto, we ensure that the afternoon of your arrival days are not simply lost time.

This standard practice serves to increase the value of your time spent in your chosen country and simultaneously reduces “jet lag.” Arrival Days count in your overall tour time; you should not allow that time to be wasted!

Thematic and Chronological Travel in Portugal

In a genuine attempt not to confuse participants with mixed, haphazard, and unrelated materials, we aim whenever possible to provide a thematic and chronological context to each day of the tour. We carefully track the course of momentous events or the lives of historical figures to create learning that is both engaging and easier to follow.

All Casterbridge tours are highly customizable to fit your educational themes and priorities, ensuring you get the very best out of your travel experience.

Our Casterbridge Tour Manager/Guides in Portugal

As we all know, there can be a few bumps in even the smoothest of roads. While we strive to ensure none pop up on your tour, you can relax knowing that your exclusive Casterbridge Tour Manager/Guide is there if they do.

Usually, your Tour Manager/Guide will live locally and be fluent in both Portuguese and English. He or she will be with you 24 hours a day, from airport arrival to departure, in order to confirm reservations, help you get from place to place, and suggest free-time and evening activities that meet your group’s needs and budget.

The role of a Casterbridge Tour Manager/Guide is so important that each one must go through a specially designed Casterbridge training program and only the top few percent of each class are selected to act as our representatives in Portugal. They are continuously evaluated and only those with the highest recommendations from our groups are permitted to stay with us.

We hand-pick each Casterbridge Guide to make certain they meet our exacting standards.

The Expertise and Perspective of Local Guides in Portugal

Never underestimate the value of expertise, especially when it is shared willingly with eager learners of any age. For this reason, Casterbridge strives to provide you with specialist local guides at the most important sites on your itinerary.

These local specialists are in addition to the 24-hour presence of your exclusive Tour Manager/Guide. Each if them is trained to impart even the tiniest detail of their particular area of expertise. In Portugal, we generally plan for you to have a local guide with you at some point every other day, excluding arrival and departure days.

You can designate those sites where you would like to have a specialist guide and tell us whether you would prefer them to present an academic or a cultural emphasis that focuses on the specific theme of your tour.

A Balance of Educational Visits, Cultural Experiences, and Recreational Activities

Balance is essential, not only in life, but also on a great tour. Casterbridge makes every effort to achieve that balance by offering a variety of recreational and cultural activities to complement the educational opportunities along your tour. It may be visiting a local school, shopping in the local street market, attending a theater performance, or horseback riding on the beach. Whatever your preference, we have many different options for fun, exciting experiences while in Portugal.

Click here for our Cross-Cultural Connections, where you will find a comprehensive list of the recreational and cultural opportunities available in Portugal.

Our Accommodations and Meals in Portugal

Casterbridge Tours chooses 3-star or superior 2-star hotels, but you are always free to request alternate accommodation for your group. Each hotel is evaluated following each stay and we continue to use only those who are consistently rated highly by our groups. When possible, we prefer to use smaller, family owned hotels, as opposed to giant concrete monoliths. Please feel free to ask for a list of sample hotels in the areas to which your group will be traveling.

As part of our educational travel philosophy, we always strive to give our groups extensive exposure to the local people and culture. Part of that experience is, of course, sampling the local cuisine. Therefore, unless you request it, your Casterbridge tour will not include a lot of American chain restaurants. For dinner, you will sample regional cuisine, either in your hotel or in neighborhood restaurants.

In Lisbon and Oporto, this means that whenever possible, we will have dinner in local restaurants away from the hotels for an authentic dining experience.

All Admissions Are Included on Our Group Tours to Portugal

A standard Casterbridge Tour averages double (and sometimes even triple) the average number of admissions that most of our competitor’s tours do. In addition, Casterbridge is one of very few operators who will pre-book your group into as many major attractions as we can.

Pre-booking ensures that we always receive group admission rates, we can pay them in advance, and in many cases your group can bypass the lines. This unparalleled level of service and value has come to be expected by group leaders choosing Casterbridge as their tour operator.

Undiscovered Jewels and Hidden Treasures in Portugal

Because Casterbridge Tours is a custom tour operator, we can offer you tremendous flexibility in your itinerary. We can mold your schedule to your specific, detailed needs. So we would be delighted to take you to any of the “hidden treasures” around Portugal not always found on a standard itinerary. Just let us know where you want to go and we will make sure you get there!

Your tour is truly your tour with Casterbridge!

Register to plan an educational tour to Portugal, either online or by calling 1-800-522-2398. Start planning your group travel program today!