We will be in Portugal for several weeks this April/May. For the middle part of the trip we hope to rent a car after visiting Lisbon and dropping it off in Porto eight days later. I have made plans to stop in Óbidos, Tomar and Coimbra, leaving us three full nights before Porto. I’m thinking a night at a winery, maybe a night in Pinhao or maybe up to Braga (which Rick does not cover in his book). I’m a little hesitant about driving winding small roads but want to see countryside since we will have so many city nights.
Any suggestions would be welcome.
Posted by
Twin Cities of MN
5619 posts
We stayed two nights in Douro Valley and two in Braga. We had no problems driving in either area. We stayed at a winery Quinta do Tedo and really enjoyed it. It is in a fabulous setting on the bend of the river. I would stay two nights in one location on the Douro.
Posted by
11169 posts
We had no issues driving anywhere in Portugal.
Instead of Braga, stay in Guimares! It was the first capital of Portugal and is a charming city.
Rick only basically includes places his tours go in his guide books. They are helpful but you need a comprehensive guide book too like Fodors , Frommers, or DKEyeWitness in addition to RS guides.
Posted by
Cascais, Portugal
1678 posts
If you stay in the Douro Valley, take a look at Quinta de la Rosa. It’s in Pinhao and lovely. It’s also one of the more reasonably priced Quinta’s.