As with all travel, too much to see with too little time. I am planning our mid-September trip to Portugal; we will be there for 11 nights. We've just recently returned from a trip to Rome -- so much art, architecture, history, it was amazing. So for this trip, we'd like to rent a car, do a bit of a road trip, avoid the big city vibe and take it easy. I have narrowed it down to the Silver Coast region and the Douro valley. We will get a bit of a seacoast fix, then have the lovely terraces of the vineyards. Don't shoot me, but we are not going to spend time in Lisbon on this trip. I have books and websites galore, but still having a bit of a hard time with our itinerary and I know I need to get some reservations, particularly for the Douro Valley in September. We will arrive in the Lisbon airport and then are planning to go directly to Sintra. I'd originally planned to grab the car at the airport, but now wondering if we'd be better to train or taxi to Sintra and then get our rental car there. Either way, would like to spend 2 nights in Sintra before starting our drive north, probably stopping in Ericeira, Santa Cruz, Lourinha that day. I'm having a hard time deciding if we should spend the next 2 nights in Obidos, Nazare or Peniche? Leaving it open, but I am intrigued by taking the boat out to the Berlengas Islands. After a couple nights in that area, thinking we will drive to Aveiro, where we will again spend a couple nights. We'd like to take a boat on the river and explore some of the beaches and wildlife areas. From there, we'd like to base ourselves somewhere for about 4 nights so we can tour the Douro Valley. I'm wondering if Lamego would be a good choice? We will take a car tour one day, hoping a boat upriver from Pinhao another day, do some hikes and generally explore. Then if we have the option, we can either drop the car in Porto and train back to Lisbon the night before our flight leaves, or drive back and drop the car off, overnighting in Lisbon (probably near the airport) for our flight the next day at noon. Does this sound reasonable? Suggestions and thoughts, please!
Posted by
Cascais, Portugal
1826 posts
No one will shoot you for skipping Lisbon... And, your tentative plan looks pretty good.
There is no need to pick up the car at the airport. Getting to Sintra is easy by public transport, if you have the energy as you don’t say where you are flying from. If it’s from the States, you might want to taxi to Sintra but it’s pretty pricey. You can get a quote from Lisbontaxi.com.pt
I don’t know what car rental places there are in Sintra but check out Auto Europe and enter Sintra as the pick up place. If there is nothing in Sintra, Cascais is easy by bus and the company Auto Europe uses in Cascais (Europcar) is right across the street from the train station. Don’t pick up the car until you are leaving Sintra. Parking is bad and they have just banned cars from the city center.
I’m not crazy about any of the towns you mention in the Silver Coast region. Definitely not Obidos. It’s good to stop for a couple of hours but there is a scarcity of restaurants and very overrun by tourists... you might want to check out São Martinho do Porto. I stayed there a week and did day trips to the places you mention - and others - and really liked it.
You also didn’t mention Coimbra. It’s very much worth your time IMO.
I have only done day trips to the Douro so no help there. But, you are right about making reservations soon for September since it’s harvest time.
Lastly, there is no need to stay by the airport. It’s very close to town and quickly reached by taxi or metro. I make it easily from Cascais for very early flights on a regular basis, and all of Lisbon is much closer than I am.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Thank you so much, Kathryn. I will digest this -- you provided me with lots of great information and I appreciate your time. Could I ask where you stayed in Sao Martinho do Porto? As a local, where else would you send first-time visitors who are looking for smaller, scenic coastal towns in September? (Between Sintra and Aveira.) We like quiet, nice walks, a restaurant or two, absolutely nothing fancy, just nicely authentic and relaxed. Also, have you traveled to the Berlengas? In your subjective opinion, is it worth a full day of vacation time?
Posted by
Calgary, AB, Canada
567 posts
Hi
Just a couple of things to add. We picked up a rental car in Sintra from Hertz. It was walking distance from town. We then dropped off at the Lisbon airport. We stayed out last night in Obidos, which while very busy in the day, became quite lovely in the evening. Perhaps we just had good luck, but we had some very good food at a little wine bar. It was easy to get to the Lisbon airport from there, and it is a pretty town. We just parked outside the walls.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Thank you!