We will be going to Portugal in October/November. When we travel we like to find cenralized areas, rent a car, visit places in the area (approx 2 hour drive in every direction. We stay in smaller villages for 2 weeks at a time, renting a house. We live in Florida so aren't interested in the Algarve. I'm thinking Lisbon-Evora, Coimbra, Porto-Braga. This is our first time in Portugal so am totally unfamiliar with the country. Does any one have ideas on good locations and/or villages to make as our home bases? I have been reading and watching everything I can but could use a little guidance. All help is appreciated and I thank you in advance.
Posted by
Bay Area, California
1638 posts
You don't need a car while traveling in cities. In fact, a car is a burden.
I have only been to Northern PT once and therefore will wait for other members to answer specific questions about home bases.
Posted by
Los Angeles
4874 posts
You should look up a Youtube travel vlogging couple called Leave Everything and Wander. They are the midst of a Portugal road trip in an RV, you could get some good ideas from them.
While you're at it, look up similar van life vloggers who have roadtripped in Portugal.
Posted by
Cascais, Portugal
1826 posts
Take a look at Julie Dawn Fox’s website. She does a great job of giving info on smaller, less touristed places.
Braga or Guimarães might work. They would give you access to the Minho region and the Vinho Verde wines. Castelo Branco would give you access to many of the 12 Historic Villages. Be aware that October and November start the (hopefully) rainy season and get cooler earlier.
Take a look at the Silver Coast. There are a number of smaller towns and monuments to visit from there. I like São Martinho do Porto rather than the more talked about Nazaré and Caldas da Rainha.
Evora would be nice for access to a number of small villages and the Alentejo wine region. It’s also fairly close to the Spanish border so you could take a look at some of those areas, if you desire.
Posted by
BC Canada
83 posts
Hello. We were in Portugal for 5 weeks last November to early December. Stayed in Porto for 5 days before taking the train to Coimbra. We picked up our rental car there for 12 days. I would suggest Evora as a good place to stay. We drove one day to see the monoliths/ megaliths, one day out to Elvis and the fort, one day to Tomar. I don’t know your interests but we drove to Lagos and spent a few day trips hiking and exploring the area; beautiful coastal hikes; 4 days perfect. We flew out of Faro for a week on Madeira. Rented a car and did a lot of Levada walks and exploring. Highly recommended…short inexpensive flight back to Lisbon for a week. Didn’t need a car in Lisbon and used trains/Uber to visit Belem/Sintra/and the coast. Happy Travels!
Posted by
OP
42 posts
Thank you everyone! Great ideas and resources! Keep them coming, please.