Portugal for six day with a family of five including three college students

Posted by mgolson5 on 06/14/17 03:54 PM

My husband and I will be visiting Spain and Portugal from July 26th- to August 8th this summer with our three children (son 22, son 21, and daughter 19). My kids and husband are hoping for a vacation with a chance to explore the culture of the towns/cities we visit without feeling like we have to rush from one museum/castle to the next. We all enjoy outdoor activities and the beauty of nature. We arrive into Barcelona early on the 26th and will be staying there for three nights. We then plan to drive to San Sebastian on the 29th. On the way we hope to visit the Dali Museum in Figueres and Pubol Castle. We will travel up through France to arrive in San Sebastian where we will stay four nights. I have accommodations in Air bnb apartments for the first seven nights of our trip. I am hoping for some suggestions for the remainder of our trip. We had originally planned to rent a car to drive from San Sebastian to Porto. Apparently the drop of fee is $350 for renting car in Spain and returning in Portugal. After looking at flights and trains, I am not sure that there is a better alternative than driving.

We depart from San Sebastian on August 2nd. I was considering driving to Salamanca, Spain and staying there for the night. We would then possibly travel to Parque Natural Da Serra Da Estrela around Manteigas and hike around Vale do Zezere. We would then travel to Porto for possibly three nights and then two nights in Lisbon. There seems to be so many wonderful things to see in Portugal. I am trying to make this a family vacation that all family members will fondly remember. Any input on the number of days in Porto and Lisbon and activities in each of these areas for a family of five who are looking for experiences more than trying to hit all major sights. We would definitely like to visit some top attractions, but we are thinking quality of time spent at each rather than quantity is the goal. Comments on activities in Barcelona and San Sebastian would also be helpful.

My goal is to decide on the number of nights in Porto and Lisbon (should it be three in Lisbon and two in Porto instead) and to nail whether we are driving. I realize this is high season and that our time frame is limiting on how much we can really relax into the area. Thanks for any thoughts you can share.

Posted by acraven

Washington DC

06/14/17 06:43 PM

27095 posts

Barcelona easily has 30 days' worth of sights, so it's a matter of figuring out what most intrigues your family. You really only have two days there, since odds are that at least some of you will be laid low by jetlag on your arrival day. I'd be looking to increase the time in Barcelona. Since you enjoy the outdoors, you might want to spend a chunk of one day going to Montserrat, assuming you have more than two days in the city. That trip is done via public transportation and you need not pre-book, so you can wait and see how you feel--and what the weather is like--and decide on the spur of the moment.

The weather in San Sebastian is usually pretty moderate (meaning don't expect unrelenting sunshine). Over the course of 3+ days there will probably be some swimming weather. A side-trip to Hondarribia (bus available if you don't keep the rental car) is worthwhile, or a trip to the former fishing villages of Zarautz-Getaria-Zumaia (combo of bus and train, and one of the legs can be walked). I actually like Bilbao better than San Sebastian because the old city was much less touristy. SS is the foodie destination, though, and if you're into tapas, you will be in heaven. Much of the Basque Country is lovely, so I'd seize any excuse to get away from the coast into the green and hilly interior.

I'm sorry that I have no clever solution to your transportation problem. Most travelers trying to visit Spain and Portugal on the same trip run into the same issue. Personally, I would not try to add five days in Portugal onto a short trip to Spain because of the logistics, but I assume you've already booked your transatlantic flights and are stuck with making it work at this point.

Have you investigated flights from Bilbao or San Sebastian to Lisbon or Porto? It's worth checking skyscanner, though it's quite likely you won't find any non-stops.