We will be in Portugal for 11 days. We plan Lisbon/Sintra then to Salema. We are wondering if Seville is easy to access without a car? Also, is it worth it or is there a better suggestion?
Thanks
Posted by
8322 posts
The problem that I discovered in renting a car in Spain and dropping it off in Portugal was the huge drop charge due to hiring in one country and dropping in another.
Check for bus service.
Posted by
Cascais, Portugal
1824 posts
It is surprisingly difficult to get from Portugal to Spain. The only viable option is a bus which takes about 4 hours. With only 11 days, I would stick to Portugal. And, there are much, much better places to stay in the Algarve than Salema. Especially if you don't plan to rent a car, you might want to consider a larger place such as Lagos. There are a number of us 'regulars' on this site that agree Salema is vastly overrated in RS books.
For other possible options, you might want to check out Evora. It's a lovely walled town with great megaliths outside of town and lots of vineyards and great food. It is easy to access by train. But, that said, with only 11 days, staying in two places instead of three would enable you to slow down a bit and really enjoy the places you visit.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
Seville isn't easy to get to from Salema without a car - it's more than 6 hours by bus (there are no trains), so for an 11 day trip, it's up to you to decide what you want to see. Personally, I would prefer to add time in Evora rather than Seville, which is easier to coordinate transport.
Driving would be c 3.5 hours, but having a car to park is a disadvantage in Seville.
If you don't have a car, I would recommend that you stay in Lagos rather than Salema, as there are better facilities and transport links. Salema has been ruined by over-development in the past 5 years IMO and the RS advice is very out of date.