We are planning to spend 12 days at beginning of November in Portugal, never having been there. We would like to spend 4-5 nights in Lisbon with one of those days visiting Sintra. The last 3 nights we will be in Porto, and we would like to do 2 nights at a quinta in Duoro Valley. That leaves us 3 nights after leaving Lisbon before arriving in Duoro. not sure if we will rent car or use train/buses for inter city travel, but would prefer train. Looking at Coimbra, Evora and don't know where else, as we've just begun to put together this last minute trip. Any suggestions for best places to spend the intervening 3 nights?
Thanks
Posted by
141 posts
I would suggest you look at Coimbra. You could rent a car in Lisbon and drive to Coimbra then to the Duoro Valley and return it in Porto. With a car you could then spend one night in Evora and two in Coimbra.
We just did the 12 day RS tour last May. You may want to look at this tour itinerary to get some ideas. But if I did it on my own I wouldn't rent cars in Lisbon or Porto but would definitely need one to anywhere else.
Or you could do something crazy like my wife and I did and walk the Camino. It goes through many of these towns and villages but you will need more vacation days to do that.
Posted by
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
808 posts
I think it is a lot of running around to do both Evora and Coimbra. I really like Evora, but both those places deserve more than a one night stay. Obidos is on the way to Coimbra and is a good one night stop. We actually stayed 2 nights in Sintra, after Lisbon and then picked up the rental car there. So that could be an option too.
But for simplicity's sake I would just train from Lisbon to Coimbra, then pick up the car there for the Douro. I would either do just 3 nights in Coimbra, or add the extra night to Lisbon.