Two seniors, but young at heart, are seeking a driving itinerary for two weeks in Portugal with hotel and more minor town suggestions, PLEASE! We definitely want to go to Porto, Sintra, and the Douro Valley. I'm not sure if it's worth going down to the Algarve.
We love staying in less frequented towns and visiting the more well-known ones. We like comfortable, more upscale lodgings and parking is essential with a car. So, thanks in advance for any suggestions. Thanks!
I would rent the car only to visit the Douro Valley, although some prefer to visit it using the scenic railway "linha do Douro" or even by river boat. To drive there you should rent a car in Porto, which is close.
Porto is not a city where you'd want a car. Go there by train from Lisbon (if you fly to Lisbon). You can take an Alfa Pendular fast train. Trains to Porto depart from the Santa Apolonia station, but also stop at the Oriente station (east of the airport). You can also take an InterCity which is not that much slower (If using IC take the 1st class ticket, as the difference in price is not much and the comfort greater).
Sintra and its palace, can easily be reached by train from Lisbon Rossio station.
Obidos is another nice town. A bus is the best way to get there if you visit as a day trip from Lisbon. The bus can be caught at the Campo Grande bus terminal.
Evora, another popular destination can be reached by train also, from the Entrecampos station.
Whatever you decide to do, avoid having a car while in Lisbon or Porto. Those two large cities are best visited without having a car to worry about. To travel around both cities, you can use Uber, which is very inexpensive, or also buses and trolleys.
If you want to rent a car and visit Portugal by car, rent after you visit Lisbon and return it as soon as you arrive in Porto (or viceversa), assuming those cities are at the beginning and end of your itinerary (which is the way I would organize the trip). You can see Sintra while you stay in Lisbon, since they are so close.
Skip the Algarve.
Thanks very much, but we always rent a car when traveling in Europe. Buses and trains carrying luggage are just not for us. We will pick up a car after Lisbon, but we like to stop in smaller towns and restaurants, which one usually needs a car for.
Away from, but close to a couple cities is the Parador Casa da Ínsua in Penalva do Castelo. It is in an 18th century mansion and has plenty of parking. From it we visited Viseu and Lamego.
Pinhão on the Douro is a little more than 1.5 hours from it.
Thanks so much for this suggestion! This appears to be a must stop hotel experience.
