Hello,
I am planning a last minute trip to Portugal. I want to see Lisbon, Cascias, Porto and possibly the Douro Valley. I plan to go July 28, 2022 and return on August 18th. I plan to stay in Cascias and relax for a week. I'm trying to figure out the best way to plan this trip and could use some advice from someone who has been to Portugal and knows it well.
I'm looking forward to see if I get any responses to this topic.
Thank you,
Marlene
Posted by
11609 posts
Recently there several well written trip reports on Portugal on this site which you can read.Pethaps those who wrote them can offer you some help.
Posted by
46 posts
Will you be flying roundtrip to/from Lisbon or into Lisbon and out of Porto?
This summer pack a carry-on and some patience. Airports are busy, expect delays and cancellations. Leave enough time to get home before you definitely need to be home.
Lisbon, cascais and Porto can be done by train, no need to rent a car. Douro valley can be reached by day tour or train from Porto. Ubers and taxis are affordable in Lisbon and Porto. Do not drive in the Douro: roads are narrow, steep once off highway. You can take train to Regua or Pinhao from Porto and take a taxi to Quintas.
There were advertised train strikes in Portugal during June, not sure if all lines were effected at same time as we rented a car. Be aware that strikes are possible.
If I were planning a last minute trip I would look at flights, then lodging availability and train schedule. August is a popular vacation month for locals. Expect beaches to be crowded with visitors and locals. It was 100 deg F in Viseu area this past week.
Happy planning