The following is our proposed itinery, We plan on getting a rental car in Porto and then dropping as we arrive in Lisbon
Would appreciate any comments or suggestions on this trip.
Sunday Sept 23rd” Porto, meet up with Margaret to spend in Douro valley?
Mon Sept 24th: Day trip to Douro valley or spend night in Pinhao
Tue Sept 25th: Coimbra Drive to Coimbra Sleep Coimbra. (2 nights) (A Taberna! Recommended restaurant)
Walking tour (GoWalks) evening Fado (all male style)
Wed Sept 26th: Coimbra
Thu Sept 27th: Drive to Batalha for Monastery of Santa Maria and on to Nazare, (2 nights) Beach and relaxing. Sitio (old city)
Fri Sept 28th: Nazare
Sat Sept 29th: Drive to Evora: 2 – 3 hour driving time, Sleep (2 night) Walking tour roman ruins.
Sun Sept 30th: car tour of surrounding countryside and megalithic sites, cork trees
Mon Oct 1st: Drive to Tavira via Castro Verde: 3 hour driving time, Sleep (2 nights)
Tues Oct 2nd: Beach, old town local cafes, popular with locals
Wed Oct 3rd: Drive to Salema Sleep (2 night)
Thu Oct 4th: Salema
Fri Oct 5th: Drive to Lisbon Sleep (4 nights)
Sat Oct 6th: Lisbon Train to Sintra
Sun Oct 7th: Lisbon
Mon Oct 8th: Lisbon
Tue Oct 9th Lisbon Airport 4pm
Posted by
Cascais, Portugal
1826 posts
A few comments. Your estimates of driving times are likely very optimistic. I dont know what site you are using, but my experience that any online estimator is off by at least an hour. So please bear that in mind.
It doesn’t sound like you are spending any time in Porto. While the Douro is lovely, I encourage you to spend at least one day exploring Porto.
The GoWalks tour is Coimbra is very good. And, for some reason, there are many great restaurants there.
You might want to research Alcobaca. It's close to Batalha and is lovely.
In Evora, there is an archeologist run small group tour of the megaliths that is wonderful. And, the roads to the megaliths are really bad, so driving yourself isnt advised. The tour is very reasonable and well worth the money. And, you will see many cork trees just driving around in the Alentejo.
Salema is very overrated by RS, IMO. If you want to stay two different places - Lagos is a much better option than Salema. But, i would find one place and stay your entire time in the Algarve and not waste time changing hotels.
And, if you are driving all the way to the Algarve, you might want to consider skipping Nazare. The beaches in the Algarve will have much warmer water and are better IMO. This would give you more time in Porto, which is a better place to spend time.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
Kathryn knows the north better than I do and I too think that Nazare and Salema are overrated by RS. It doesn’t make much sense to have 2 bases in the Algarve. Lagos is a better option, as the beaches are good and there are plenty restaurants etc. Tavira’s beaches are out on the barrier island and the boats may be running a reduced service by October.
Expect sun and rain towards the end of September onwards.