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Need advice for last 5 days of our trip in Portugal!

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Context - I was a very frequent global traveler for 20+ years. Then married a non-traveler and had a child pretty late in life (go me!). But it's meant little to no travel for 10 years. Sniff sniff! We are now going to Spain and Portugal with my husband, 8 year old, and his two adult daughters (24, 20). None of the others have traveled much. Maybe it's TMI, but I am American so can't help myself and I have seen a lot of avid travelers on here offering incredible advice, so I wanted you to have that context.

We arrive in Barcelona, spend time there, then bullet train to Madrid, where we just pick up a car and head to Valladolid for a couple nights, then Segovia a couple nights. Will explore the areas during the day in the car. Then drive to the Douro Valley in Portugal for a few days, then drop off the car in Porto, hang there 2 days, then train to Lisbon for 3-4 days. The adult girls have to leave July 6 early to get back for work, but the 3 of us are staying until July 11. I would like a few days at the beach and to see Evora. But my dilemma is where to stay to get both?

Advice on where to go for those last 5 day is appreciated! Maybe we rent a car in Lisbon and drive to beach then drive ourselves for a day trip to Evora? Or should we take a different approach? I think we will all be tired by then, so at this point I'm also looking for the smoothest/easiest option. Oh and we will need to be at Lisbon airport early on the 11th by 8am local time.

THANK YOU! I have been living on these forums for weeks now planning the trip and have really loved the perspectives many of you have shared!

Posted by
882 posts

This is a minor issue, so I'll mention it in passing.... transporting (I count five) people by motor vehicle is the least expensive transport option. However, quite a bit of your travel savings will be lost with the heavy fees associated with returning a rental vehicle to a different country than where it was obtained.

Posted by
1924 posts

I am not. a big traveller but was in Lisbon for four nights last October and can tell you that it was not enough. It is a really wonderful city. It is beautiful and interesting. I loved it.

If possible try to take day trips to both Sintra and Belem. I am thinking that all of you will love both places. Suggest you do some homework before going.

Lisbon was very crowded even at the end of October so i am expecting you will have very large crowds in July and it might also be very hot.

Are you wanting recommendations for places to stay? I always recommend booking.com for research and also for booking if you prefer.

I stayed at Be Poet Baixa Hotel and can recommend

Posted by
315 posts

Another vote for checking on the fee to rent a car in Spain and drop off in Portugal. The math could work out fine, but be aware - it was pricey when we checked into it in 2014, can't imagine it's any less now. And you might check into dropping it in Lisbon, using it to go from Porto to Lisbon. Which is a long drive, but you could do stops in Coimbra (perhaps not as cool as Evora and the Chapel of Bones, but still worth a visit) and Nazare (beach) along the way, if your itinerary isn't set yet. Evora is not really on the way to anything, but you might check if there are tours from Lisbon, or perhaps take a bus, and just make it a day.

Posted by
3 posts

Thanks All! Love that you're calling out the fee for drop off in Portugal. Yes, I am aware and yes, it's pricey! I'm renting through Hertz and the reservation says the one-way fee is in there - it's about $750 Euros. However, the total if around $1,600 and for 8 days for all 5 of us to go around the countryside of central Spain and the Douro Valley in Europe it's cheaper than train or bus options. And allows us a ton of flexibility. I did consider drop off in Lisbon but we do not need the car for our time in Porto and need to get to Lisbon ASAP to maximize our time there. So I decided the road trip ends in Porto. :-) Thanks for all the great recos! I have also thought of just doing a day trip to Evora from Lisbon so that might be what we end up with, I'll look into it. Maybe we hit Evora and come back, then next day head to a beach nearby and stay for the last few days.

Posted by
1081 posts

I think it's a good idea to visit Evora as a day trip. There are frequent trains and buses that go there from Lisbon. Also, July could be very hot, so if a day trip, you can make the go or no go based on the current weather.

Regarding beaches, take a look at Cascais which is a quick commuter train ride away.

On our last trip to Portugal, we stayed at The Lisbonaire Apartments. It's in a convenient location and an aparthotel, so you have the best of both worlds. Lisbon Art Stay Apartments Baixa could be another option. I personally haven't stayed there, but had booked a room, then cancelled due to trip changes (COVID border closures).

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