Hi - First time trip to Portugal. Four women flying in/out of Lisbon from US. We have the final three nights of our trip booked in Lisbon. Am thinking that since we'll be tired, it might be easy and pleasant to spend first two nights in Cascais. From there, head to Porto with stops along the way (maybe hire a driver or rent a car). Spend two nights in Porto - wine tour/day trip to Duoro Valley. Leave Porto and stop in Evora en route to Lisbon. Final three nights in Lisbon. Is this too much? Thank you!!
Posted by
OP
6 posts
We will be there late May
Posted by
11579 posts
We covered those places plus Obidos in two weeks. Less is more applies here.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Great idea on going directly to Porto. Thanks!
Posted by
USA
134 posts
If you can manage train while jet lagged or you at coming from somewhere nearby then it is inside a good day saving option.
Most people do open jaw between Porto and Lisbon to save one day killing one way journey.
Our recommendation to friends have been to do open jaw with car+driver for the one way journey between the two cities with 3-4 stops of your choice among Obidos, Nazarre, Aveiro , Coimbra (need more time here), Fatima, etc
I prefer to do that between Lisbon and Coimbra as I like to stay at least one night in Coimbra. Most friends have used Fernando Batista of PortugueseChauffeur.Com (great reviews on TA too) for this one way trip.
Another idea take from RS tours is to drive from Coimbra to Douro Valley. Stay in beautiful but cheaper valley accomodations slightly away from Pinhao. Spend 24 hours doing various activities and visiting viewpoints in Pinhao/Tua/Regua area and then drive to Porto and return the car.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Thank you - really great suggestions!
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Two out of four of us are 23 (vs. 50-something) and want the beach, so trying to fit in a little something for everyone. :)
Posted by
2 posts
We spent two nights in Porto (loved it), one night at Quinta do Vallado in Douro (also fantastic), stopped at Bussaco Palace, which was a weird and wonderful hotel, especially the bar with the phenomenal painting on the wall behind, then a night in Coimbra at Quinta das Lagrimas Then visited Tomar, Aveiro (boring) and Nazare on way to Obidos (stayed at Pousada Castle) and walked the wall (place is packed with tourists but quiet at night). Drove out to Peniche the next morning to watch surfers.
Tonight we’re in Évora at Convento Espinheiro which is also wonderful. But I think Evora was not worth the long drive. The Chapel of bones is interesting but macabre and a very short visit. The forum on top is not much if you’ve been to Rome or Greece. It’s the first place, other then Alveiro, I’d skip.
Posted by
12 posts
Diff’rent strokes for diff’rent folks, but what you describe would be FAR too much for me. Unless you’ll be traveling in your own car, you’ll be burning up a big part of your time in transit. I just went from Parede, near Cascais, to Porto by train, and while the high-speed AP train is great, the trip door to door took most of a day. I’ll echo the poster who said to slow down, smell the roses, enjoy the wine, take two weeks (or more) if you want to see that many places, as far apart from one another as several of them are. For me, it’s not how many places I can get to but how deeply I can experience a given place. Again, diff’rent strokes, etc.