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Aveiro and Other Itinerary Questions/Help Please!

Posted by (BC, Canada) on

Hi there,
Hubby and I will be in Portugal for 23 days Apr. 24-May 17th. Just one of the destinations we are trying to decide on, is if Aveiro is worth a day trip out of Porto. Given we will have covered much ground and towns between Tavira in the Algarve, up to Evora, Estremoz, Mertola, Marvao, Castelo Branco, Belmonte, Guarda, from Viseu up to Lamego, then to Vila Real, down to Pinhao in the Douro Valley, the Douro Valley, Guimaraes, Braga and finally Porto.

In Porto we will drop off our rental car, spend a few days in Porto, take a train to Coimbra where we will stay for for 3 days with a day trip to Batalha and Alcobaca via buses or trains.

Maybe Santiago de Compostela?

Finally winding up in Lisbon for two nights before flying home. We spent eight days in Lisbon last year with day trips to Sintra, Tomar and Obidos.

Haven’t hammered out the nights/days yet except departure from Lisbon.

Given all the other towns and sights we are planning, would Aveiro be worth spending a day or would that time be better spent doing a group day trip to Santiago de Compostela from Porto? Or on our own while we still have the rental car?

And how many days would it take to do Porto justice?

Recommendations for amount of time to spend in Guimaraes and Braga?

How many days for the Douro Valley including Vila Real as it’s a little out of the way?

If I’ve missed any important details regarding our proposed itinerary, suggestions would be welcome.

Thank you all so much!

Posted by
11156 posts

We stopped in Aviero for lunch en route to Guimares Pretty, colorful boats. But I would choose Santiago de Compostela over many places including Aviero, no comparison! I would drive there and spend at least one night, two would be better.
We loved the Minho region north of Porto and stayed in Guimares for a few nights as well as enjoyed Galicia, Spain.
Porto needs at least three nights.

Posted by
1669 posts

Wow! You will be seeing many more places than I’ve seen in living here 3 plus years!

I agree Santiago is likely a better place to see than Aveiro. However, a day trip would not be a good idea IMO. The drive is just too far for a day trip. And, it deserves at least a couple of nights.

A lot of people do Guimarães and Braga as day trips but after one night in Guimarães, I would have liked another day and night.

I would say a minimum of three nights in Porto. And, the length of time in the Douro depends on your love of scenery and wineries. All the towns are small and a short cruise on the river was enough for me. But, people do cruises of several days on the Douro. So, it really depends on how you want to spend your time.

Posted by
271 posts

Unless your planning on coming back to NW Spain soon, Santiago de Compestela is not to be missed. With that said, Aveiro was a wonderful full day (we didn't stay the night) when we motored our way around Portugal. In addition to a self-guided walking tour and a canal ride (a little hookie but great views of the city), we used the free bike service, roding out to the salt ponds. Lot's of fun. I agree that the time required to drive out the Duro Valley is considerable; I'd seriously consider swapping out the Duro driving time for soaking up the culture/history/good vibes of SdC.

Posted by
92 posts

Thanks for your advice. Do you think we are trying to see too much in 23 days? We are dedicating three days to the Algarve just for the geology/geography/caves, etc. of the area (Benegil), Sagres, etc. before spending a night in Tavira and heading north. Maybe 2 days would be enough based in Tavira and do a couple of day trips west from there? Is it worth it, or are those days better spent in the North and in Santiago?

Also, it sounds like 2 days in the Douro Valley would be plenty, if not just 1 day to drive it. We don’t care about stopping at numerous vineyards, more interested in the scenery. And one thing I forgot to ask, which side of the valley provides the best views?

Thank you!

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