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Portugal itinerary - April 2020 (2-3 weeks)

Posted by (WA State) on

First-timers to Portugal - April 2020 (2-3 weeks)
Would love thoughts on this general itinerary, flying in and out of Lisbon:

Lisbon - 7 nights (with day trips to Sintra and Cascais)
Train to Porto
Porto - 3 nights
Pick up car rental in Porto
North of Porto - 2 nights (base in Braga or Guimaraes or Viano do Castelo?)
Drive to Lamego
Douro Valley - 2 nights (Quinta)
Drive to Evora
Evora - 2 nights
Drive to Lisbon to fly out

Would like recommendations re:
1. Car rental: Is it better to rent a car as we leave Lisbon and tour region North of Porto before staying in Porto and then on to Douro? (We realize we do not need a car for the time in Porto, but will need it again to explore Douro Valley and on to Evora, so should we just bite the bullet and rent it out of Lisbon and then return car to same Lisbon location as we fly out?)
2. Add a night or two? Should we add another night in any of these bases or add a night in Coimbre (or somewhere else) if we rent the car out of Lisbon?

Thanks in advance.

Posted by
1715 posts

I can only comment about Lisbon and Sintra. I think 7 nights is perfect for Lisbon with day trips to Sintra and Cascais. We had 5 nights in Lisbon that included a day trip to Sintra. We took a bus tour to Sintra that included a brief stop in Cascais. We really liked what little we saw of Cascais, and we wished we had an extra day to spend in Cascais, so I think your 7 day plan is perfect.

Posted by
107 posts

I would not rent the car until Porto, because it will be a pain and expense when you get to Porto. You could stop in Coimbra on the train trip to Porto if you really wanted to. I would also add a day to Porto because I really liked it, but have read others saying that 2 days is plenty. I would stay in Viano do Castelo, but I love the water. IMO you should not add any more bases. Sounds like a great trip.

Posted by
15794 posts

Okay, so you have a starting plan with 16 nights, but are willing to add another 3? You say up to 3 weeks, so maybe 21 day trip, 19 nights on the ground?

If you add, consider 2-3 nights between Lisbon and Porto, either Tomar or Coimbra. You can stay in one and visit the other, along with two exquisite monasteries (Baltalha and Alcobaca) and explore one or two coastal villages. You could do that between the Douro Valley and Evora.

There's no reason for a car before you leave Porto (and some good reasons not to have one in Porto). The train from Lisbon is fast and comfortable. If you are flying out of Lisbon on a weekday, be aware that inbound morning rush hour traffic is truly awful.

Posted by
39 posts

Thanks for the thoughtful responses. We will stick with plan to take train from Lisbon to Porto and then rent car after the Porto stay. Looking into adding 2 nights in Coimbre or Tomar (probably Coimbre) after Douro Valley en route to Evora.

Would welcome other thoughts about two nights North of Porto (Braga vs. Guimaraes vs. Viano do Castelo or other?)
Thanks again!

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