2 weeks in Portugal itinerary

Coco- As far as Nazare, we made a stop there on our tour. It was my least favorite. We spent 2 nights in Obidos and felt it was too much. It was overcrowded during the day and very noisy from the Weddings in the evening. The tour used it as a base to visit Alcobaca and Batalha & Fatima. If I were returning I would suggest Tomar as a base. We felt one night in Evora was fine. Coimbra was one of our favorite places. We were there during the fall when the College students were returning. It set an exciting vibe when we toured the University. We felt the 2 night stay was perfect. We had 4 nights in Lisbon and felt this was great. We did a day group tour to Sintra and Cascais with Lisbon Riders Tour Company. We enjoyed our one night in the Douro Valley, but great idea to add another night for Amarante. Porto was another favorite stop and we spent 2 nights. It's old world charm is amazing.

Some of our favorite memories were attending 2 Fado performances (Lisboa and Coimbra), enjoying the history, the kind people, scenery, cuisine and wine tasting.... Portugal is magical.

Janis thank you so much you have been most helpful! did you drive to destinations outside of Lisbon? I'm a bit nervous about that but I'm very spontaneous and sometimes like to go off the beaten path. so not quite sure yet what to do.
also need to determine the difference on the budget.

Evora is worth 2 nights. The lunchtime cafe in the garden at the Sacred Art Museum was great.

Personally, Nazare was one of my least favourite places on the coast. Up close, the traditional women’s skirts are modern nylon versions, worn so they can charge the tourists for photos. Most needed a good wash! Add the time to Coimbra.

Allowing for travel time, your itinerary is a bit rushed but possible.

Thank you Jennifer! yes Evora looks very wonderful to me. I will stay 2 nights. i believe I am taking out Nazarre completely. I may stop in Tomar on my way to Coimbra. This is so I can focus on the things I really want to see and get a flavor for.
still not sure if travel by car or train is best - but leaning toward car.
very much looking forward to an itinerary but having the flexibility to stop and stay if I find something wonderful.
I had started with a travel agent thinking that would give me peace of mind. but i'm finding that if I work with places direct, it is better.

looking for a good place to stay in porto now. i'm trying to support local hotels/places to stay. but need to be safe and practical for a woman traveling alone

Coco, we did not drive in Portugal. We decided to take the tour to Sintra, etc. separate from the RS Tour. Some people suggest taking the train there, but we decided to do the tour. We were very pleased with the guide, a comfortable van & small group. We felt it was a good introduction to Portugal.

When we were in Porto our tour stayed at the Grand Hotel Porto. It was a nice accommodation. That said if I were to return I would chose another location. A friend & her daughter stayed at My Story Apartments Santa Catarina. She liked the location for the safety, Pedestrian street, restaurants and only 8 minutes from beautiful São Bento Station. mystoryhotels.com.

In Porto there is the very best B&B ever, it is called the InPatio Guesthouse and book early.

You can see Evora on a day trip from Lisbon.
Also, you missed Obidos, with its Roman Wall and Batilha Cathedral. Good you plan to visit Pinhao in the magnificent Douro Valley. We did a five day river cruise and it was fantastic.

I always hire a car in Portugal, but I tend not to stay in cities. Particularly off peak season, hire rates are usually cheaper than most of Europe for a manual car.

You can also take a day trip from Lisbon to Evora by train (1h 45m). Another option is to take a train from Lisbon to Sintra (1h) for two nights and rent your car there when departing for Nazaré. I would drop off the car in Porto.