Picking up rental car at the end of our Porto stay and driving to Coimbra. Car pickup is 9 AM, and check-in at Coimbra accommodation is no earlier than 3 PM.
I see that Aveiro is right on the way, thinking of a brief stop for lunch and a couple hours of sightseeing. Got any tips for such a brief stopover? (lunch place recommendation, parking advice, quick sights/areas to see)
I can only help with parking. I parked at Parque de Estacionamento - Canal de São Roque. It was free and a short walk to the town center. Even being large, it was busy when I was there with few open spaces. There is a nearby pay garage, Rossio Car Park.
When we visited in 2023 the main part of town by the canal boat rides was a construction zone and we left unimpressed with the town.
I did a day trip to Aveiro by train from Porto this summer. Mainly went there for photo ops of the moliceiro boats. Must say I wasn't particularly impressed. Your experience may be different.
Mike, I actually really enjoyed my two nights in Aveiro and will recommend a restaurant called Ostras da Praca - specializing in seafood. Here is the address
Largo da Praça do Peixe 13, 3800-243 Aveiro, Portugal
Here is a portion of my trip report describing some activities I enjoyed
I explored the beautiful St Joana church and Carmelita convent. So, the next morning I enjoyed a great full breakfast at Veneza Hotel and walked to the church and convent. There is a very well done museum in the former convent that I highly recommend for some wonderful paintings and sculptures. The entry fee was minimal but a very worthwhile morning here.
That afternoon, I hopped on the local bus #36 to enjoy time seeing the cute village of Costa Nova(ride about 40 minutes). While on the bus, I had really close views of the salt flats and a pretty lighthouse before getting off at the town center. All the beautiful colored houses just blew me away: pink, purple, light green, baby blue, red - all striped. There was a pretty sizable marina, restaurants, shops, and playgrounds with splash zones for the kids and for adults acting like kids. A pretty special place to spend an afternoon and very easy to get to on public transport.
