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15 days in Central Portugal, in October

Posted by on

I am planning a 15 day/16 night Central Portugal trip in October. A very tentative plan looks so far:

Arrive in Lisbon late afternoon, 4 nights.

Pick rental car, Sintra 1 night.

3 days/nights along the coast driving to Porto. Possible overnights in Obidosh/Nazare/Tomar/Coimbra...

Drive to Porto via Aveiro (half day).

4 nights in Porto, or 3 nights Porto and one day+night around Pena Geres park.

2 nights in the Duoro Valley,. Airbnb, hotel, or Quinta (?), visit wineries

Drive to Evora on the Eastern side, visit a couple of places to visit on the way (e.g. pick from Belmonte/Castelo de Vida/Marvao/ Almeida/Sortelha/ Elvas....).

2 nights in Evora (or one more night somewhere on the way to Evora, one night in Evora).

Drive to Lisbon airport for a late night flight.

  • Any feedback and suggestions?
  • Do I have too much emphasis on the coast versus the eastern/central side? What should be the most interesting or most beautiful places on each side ?
  • It seems a bit rushed going from place to place. If I would like to slow down, what should I cut ?
  • Should I 'shift' nights in the plan from/to Lisbon and Porto to other areas ?

Your feedback and suggestions will help a lot .

Posted by
389 posts

I have been to all those places by train and a few busses. Unless you are committed to a car, my train and occasional bus was no stress, easy and much more economical.

Posted by
199 posts

First, I'm not sure how accustomed you are to driving on the confusing, centuries-old street systems of busy European cities; but I agree with the preceding advice about taking the train where possible. I haven't been to Sintra, but I have visited Lisbon; it's a great city, but I would not have wanted to ruin my vacation with the stress of dealing with the heavy metropolitan traffic. (And once you've dealt with the traffic, there's parking.)
Also, while I've never rented a car in Europe myself, I've seen many comments on travel forums like this one, regarding rental-car scams, or near-scams. These have included outrageous fees for scratches, or for whatever repairs were necessary when the "check-engine" light came on. I can't vouch for the accuracy of these comments, but a lot of them are out there. I'm just relieved that on my European train trips, I don't have to worry about any of that.

Posted by
6113 posts

I always hire a car when I go to Portugal as it gives far more flexibility, so long as there is parking at your accommodation.

Aveiro is ok for a couple of hours, as is Obidos. I think there are better places than Nazare to visit, such as Alcobaca, Batalha and Tomar, particularly in October. You could easily spend 2 days in Coimbra. I am not a fan of one night stays.

The obvious places to cut are the geographical outliers, so the Douro or Evora. Both are worth seeing, but it’s your choice as to how to pace the trip.

Posted by
568 posts

Hi, I agree with the last poster that you don't need ( or want) a car in Sintra or Porto. At the very least I would hold off and pick up the car in Sintra. We did that a few years ago.

My other suggestion would be to change your itinerary to go to Porto by train from Lisbon. You might want to stop in Coimbra on the way, as it is well serviced by train. Pick up the car at the end of Porto and find a way to work backwards. This may mean you miss a bit on the Eastern side, but i think would be pleasant. Finish still with two nights in Evora, or even 3 to give you a full day to see the town and one to explore the alentejo.

However you do it, enjoy!

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