1st time in Portugal - cpl in 60’s and adult daughter
Enjoy sightseeing/visiting older buildings/shopping
No museums
Considering following itineary - any comments/suggestions would be appreciated
Any recommendations for places to stay
Was consider staying at one of the pousadas for 2 nite
Arrive Lisbon at noon - 2 nites
Rent car - drive to Algarve - side trip to Sagres - 2 nites
Drive north to Odibos, Elvira, Coimbra 2 nites
Drive to Porto (return car) - 3 nites
Thank you
Tom
Tom,
I would skip the Algarve. You can go to the beach back home.
Spend three nights in Lisbon, visit Sintra, Obidos, Elvira, Coimbra for two nights, then Porto and go up the Douro River Valley. It is wonderful.
In Porto, I highly recommend the In Patio Guesthouse. The best B&B ever, but it only has five rooms, so book early.
You are trying to cover far too much ground in your timescale. I agree with the previous poster, based on your interests that you should drop the Algarve. Add this time to Lisbon, which you are severely short-changing. Day trip to Cascais or Sintra.
Elvira doesn't exist. Do you mean Evora? This alone is worth 2 nights. Obidos is overly touristy and can be covered in a couple of hours, if you must. Coimbra also deserves a full day.
Hello taras16428,
I'm Portuguese (living in Porto area) and I agree with the previous comment: you're trying to cover too many places in just 9 nights...
In my opinion, you should drop the Algarve (the less authentic region in Portugal) and use at least one of those nights to visit Sintra, definitely one of the most beautiful places in Portugal though touristy :(
Óbidos is beautiful but you should drop it as well and concentrate in Coimbra... your itinerary could go like this:
3 nights in Lisbon (side trip to Sintra)
1 or 2 nights in Évora
1 or 2 nights in Coimbra
3 nights in Porto (maybe with a side trip to Guimarães or to Douro Valley)
Enjoy your trip and enjoy Portugal ;)
I think even 3 nights in Lisbon is short when it's your first stop. I'm always too brain-dead after the overnight flight to accomplish much at all that first day. Three nights in this situation basically just gives you 2 days and a bit of walking-around/trying-to-stay-awake time. If one day is used for Sintra...
I want to thank all the people who have responded and will take your suggestions into consideration for the trip
