Coimbra to Lisbon airport: timing of drive

Compare also at www.viamichelin.com, take the longer estimate, and add a nice cushion of time for traffic and other issues, and fuelling up the car if you don't pre-pay for fuel. Otherwise, you'll be a nervous wreck. I don't know what reputation the Lisbon airport may have for efficiency or security lines.

Hi Chris,

I would leave Coimbra by 7:30am the latest, 7:00 would be even better! Lisbon morning traffic can be terrible. Actually, driving anywhere in and around Lisbon at any hour is not very pleasant. Plus returning the car at the airport, depending on the line of others returning cars, will add time as well. Play it safe on this issue.

Good luck!

Thanks, both of you.

I'm now considering reversing the order of our last two stops in Portugal, in order to give us a shorter drive on the morning of departure.

That would have us leaving Evora and driving to Coimbra for two nights, and then back to Nazare for two nights. Originally we had planned to travel in the order that the guidebook recommends, which would have had us drive to Nazare from Evora, and then on to Coimbra, with the longer drive back.

If anyone has a comment on this new plan, I'd be grateful.

Chris

It is not going to save you much time. You still should leave Nazaré very early to feel safe. The traficc around Lisbon, that time of the morning, is going to stress you. Just consider that you have to wake up early that last day.

I'm not sure if this fits with your plans, but we stayed in Obidos for our last night and drove in for a flight at 1100. You could do 1 night in Nazare, spend most of your next day there and hit obidos for a late afternoon, evening.

We left on a Sunday, so no traffic issues, and we made it with time to spare. I don't know what day of the week you are leaving though, and I don't know if there is more rush hour traffic on a weekday.

Thanks for your advice everyone.

We finally decided to leave Coimbra after dinner on our last night and drive straight to an airport hotel in Lisbon. That way we'll feel more secure.

Chris

I think you will be very happy with your new plan. Just watching the driving in Lisbon was stressful; the thought of having to drive several hours to the airport on the morning of an international flight would keep me up the whole night before.