With the RS’s two week itinerary (attached), https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/portugal/itinerary there’s direction for driving or taking trains & buses. It seems to me that it would be much easier to drive, particularly outside of Lisbon & Porto. I’ve never been there so I can’t confirm that. Can anyone provide guidance? Thanks.
Posted by
Twin Cities of MN
7163 posts
We did a combination. We started our trip in Sintra, and picked up a car when we left town. We traveled around Portugal and returned the car in Braga, took a bus to Porto, then took a bus (with a change in Lisbon) to Evora. From Evora we headed to Lisbon (via bus) and spent 4 nights in Lisbon. There were some legs in which we took buses because the train employees were striking.
Posted by
Ashburn VA
927 posts
Driving outside of the cities is easy. In the cities, even the smaller ones, parking can be challenging, but asking ahead at your accommodations will probably make things a bit easier. I wouldn't drive in Porto at all. A lot of the roads in town are narrow and very congested, and if you're driving a stick the hills are tricky unless you're experienced. (When I lived there, I used to go out at 0600 on Sunday morning to practice!) Last time we were there there was a lot of construction going on, too. Lisbon is a little better, depending on the neighborhood, but still challenging. I haven't taken busses there is a million years, but trains are quite good, so maybe a mix of the three would suit best.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7751 posts
We drove, but our trip was a combination of Spain and Portugal, starting and ending in Madrid. Many highway type roads in Portugal are toll. Since we had plenty of time we drove many backroads avoiding most tolls. The highway roads between Tomar and Nazaré/Óbidos were toll free.
We entered Portugal from Spain’s Ciudad Rodrigo and spent nights in Penalva Do Castelo, Coimbra, Tomar, Óbidos, Nazaré, and Porto before returning to Spain at Tui. We didn’t go further south than Óbidos. Because we took day trips from most of the places, a car made sense. Driving the backroads is slow going since one needs to slow down to 30kph/18mph when entering towns, but you get to see the countryside at a slower pace.
Other than Porto, we found free parking lots everywhere we went. I looked them up before the trip and bookmarked them to Google maps to go straight to them. In Porto we stayed at a newer easy to reach hotel with it’s own on-site parking garage.
Posted by
OP
8 posts
I’m thinking about altering it a bit and not traveling too far south either. I’ll be there in December. We love wine so we may spend more time in the Douro Valley. Thanks!