Douro valley questions

I found the Duoro boat cruise boring but that may just be me. I don't think an hour boat cruise plus the train ride would be too much for one day if you are spending the night in the area. I did not have a car in Porto and would not want to have to park on the streets there. I watched people park at weird angles and have difficulty parking on hills. I have no information about how risky it would be for unattended luggage but I would hesitate especially if the hatchback cover is flimsy.

Is there a particular reason you don’t want to take your luggage to your rooms? It seems safer to do that rather than leaving it in the car.

There’s no reason to leave luggage in a vehicle and take the risk of it getting stolen when you can put it in a room. If you’re afraid it may be stolen from your lodging, rethink your lodging.

I was just in the Douro in November of 2025, for a weekend trip. We did take a 2 hour river cruise from Pinhao and loved it. Even with cool temps, with on and off rain, the views were beautiful. A great restaurant, minutes from the boats, is named Veladouro. If you enjoy excellent food, good prices, and huge servings, this place will make you happy! We did not take the train on this trip or on our last visit in 2013.

I recommend visiting Quinta do Panascal, 15 minutes from your lodging, and especially Quinta da Pacheca, 30 minutes from your lodging.

The Pacheca grounds are extensive and truly stunning! Five minutes away by car, I also suggest visiting Museo do Douro, for a well rounded understanding of the history of the Douro Valley, and especially the wine production. It is worth about an hour of your time, and includes a port wine tasting. Free parking is included in the underground garage, accessible to the right of the main entrance. Another phenomenal restaurant, Adega Escondidinho, is a five minute walk, or 2 minute drive from the museo parking garage. If you park near the restaurant, and you see a blue and white "Zona P" sign, you must pay for parking at the nearby machine. Place the receipt on the driver's side dashboard. If you do NOT see the Zona P sign anywhere near you are parked, you are all set. We parked the car on Avenida Dr. Manuel Arriaga, across from the restaurant.

I have been traveling to many different places all over Portugal since 1994. Nowadays, you should never leave anything in your car, no matter where you visit, especially during the day. Certainly if your car comes with a trunk privacy cover, then you are a bit safer. But at night, bring everything into your hotel.

CD in DC: I will not be driving in Porto, but rather will be picking up the car after our stay there to begin our road trip towards the rest of the country, starting in the Douro valley.
The reason I would love to leave the luggage in the car, is just for the sake of simplicity. Lots of accomodations do not have elevators and the luggage can be a bit heavy to carry up the stairs. Much easier to have an overnight bag. I always do it on road trips ( Canada, States, etc) and never had any problems...ever, even in Iceland. But I figured elsewhere could be a problem ( like in Italy for example), so the reason I asked. Obviously, it does not sound like a good idea here.
Thanks Carl for the excellent advice and recommendations. And thanks everyone for your feedback. Evelyne

Hi Evelyne,

1. The river cruise or the train ride can both be interesting, depending on your personal interests!

2. And if you have some extra time, I’d recommend doing a wine tasting at Quinta do Seixo or Quinta d’Origem. Besides the excellent wines, both offer phenomenal views from the top of the mountain.

3. Portugal ranks 7th place the safest countries in the world, and hotels are very well organized. The same precautions you’d take in other countries apply here, but since you did this in Iceland the safest country in the world and felt comfortable, it can definitely be an option if it makes you feel more at comfortable.

Thank you Kubenafonso. I will definitely look up those 2 quintas!