Driving from LIS to Coimbra: Time for a stop?...

On two trips to Portugal over the years, I’ve stayed a night both times in Obidos, so it’s been a must stop-off for me. Even a quick stop would be recommended, if you can find the time. Have a great Portugal trip!

Stop off in Obidos to take a look, two hours at the most.. We made a mistake by staying there, very over touristed and small, but charming to see. Just not to stay there. One of this places that exists for tourism today.The Parador where we stayed there was wonderful though.

I like Tomar better. Obidos is a complete tourist trap, albeit an attractive tourist trap. It merits no more than a couple of hours.

I would head straight to Coimbra, as you have to accept that you can’t see everything in such a short timescale and in my book, it’s better to have a better look at one place rather than whirlwind glimpses of two places.

Thank you for the replies. Obidos sounds great, but at best it would be rushed for us (since not easy to get in/out with a car).

So, my plan is to do a quick lunch stop at Tomar (Restaurante O Tabuleiro?), since it is right off the main road to Coimbra. That would give us most of the afternoon and all of the evening to get a feel for Coimbra.

Thank you again for the thoughts.

I would not recommend Obidos. As you say, it's a bit tricky driving in/out (or maybe just finding parking) and I really don't think it's worth the time, especially since you'll end up being there when it's probably most crowded with tour groups.

Have you considered Batalha instead? The monastery is beautiful and there are a couple of places across the street where you can get a quick lunch - or something to take with you and eat in the car. It also depends on whether you want to see the university in Coimbra and how late it's open.

I would suggest driving to Coimbra without a stop, especially not leaving Lisbon until mid morning. But, if you are arriving from the States, can you sleep well enough on the plane to drive the day you arrive? Even if you can sleep, cramming too much into that first day might not be the best idea.

Coimbra is a lovely town and well deserving of an afternoon and evening. Go Walks does a very good walking tour of Coimbra that includes the university and library. The food in Coimbra is very good, so having two meals there would be well worth your time.

Try not to fall into the trap of trying to see everything in the country in one trip. Portugal is about having long lunches with beautiful views and savoring life - not rushing around.

We pick up our rental car about 9:30 (Friday) @ LIS (on our way out of Lisbon after a 4 night stay). Based on the replies and with the limited time we will focus on Coimbra, driving directly there (skipping the stops which we will look to visit on our next Portugal trip). This would have us arriving in Coimbra about Noon for a "leisurely" 2 hour lunch (O Bizarro?), and in time for the 2:00 "Go Walks" tour (3 hours). Feedback from those who have "toured" Coimbra (self vs. organised tour): Do you recommend the Go Walks tour (70 Euro for a couple) or prefer the self guided Rick Steves (book) tour?

I appreciate all your input.

I used the RS self-guided walking tour and enjoyed it, I didn't feel like I missed anything. I was able to get a ticket to the fado performance on the spot (late May) and then had supper at the RS recommended place just up the hill from the fado.

I very much enjoyed the Go Walks tour and am glad I spent the money - which is really quite reasonable. Since most everyone will have done Coimbra one or the other, it will be hard to get a true comparison. One big advantage of the tour is admission to the library at the university. I understand it’s somewhat of a hassle to get tickets, but admit I didn’t try it on my own.