very indecisive!

When are you going?

Go to Nazare for 3 nights then do a day trip to Coimbra and then to Pinhao and finally Porto. Nazare to Coimbra is just an hour and 10 minutes distance wise. Just stay in Nazare.

Chani good luck on your French Riviera trip. The weather will be pleasant this time of year and the hotels prices are in low season.

I plan to be there the first week of June

Two nights in Coimbra was too much for me. It's a nice little town, VERY untouristy compared to everywhere else - but not very big. I explored the town and took a tour of the university at the top of the town's hill - very nice, but that was about half a day tops, without rushing. There are some Roman ruins outside of town that I didn't get to see.

I did a day trip by bus from Coimbra to Nazare - loved Nazare! I wish I had done it the opposite way, in retrospect - would have enjoyed a night in Nazare, probably. Not that there's much to do in Nazare - but it's a lovely (if touristy) beach town where you can relax, do ocean stuff, maybe day trip to Obidos, etc.

Adding a night to Lisbon might not be a mistake. It's a big town and there's a lot to see. Hard to imagine three nights in little Coimbra but only three in Lisbon...

thanks so much for that info! I've got a great place overlooking the beach in Nazare and already plan to go into Obidos one morning and then possibly a day trip to Comibra.....we need to get to Pinhao from Nazare, do you know anything about that?

and p.s....once we leave Porto, we'll head back to Lisbon for another 4 nights and Sintra for 3!

Sandy,
How are you travelling? We spent two nights in Pinhao after travelling there by train. There is very little to see in this small village on foot. We hired a taxi as we wanted to go to the Fonseca vineyards and tasting house. If you have a car or travelling by boat there would be more to see and do but I believe it would be mostly about wines and port. I too would give Lisbon more time.

traveling by public transportation....we're staying at a really nice place in Sabrosa where they have a beautiful pool which sits up up up overlooking all of the terraces and river down below....and tennis courts, etc. etc....just two nights there, but I don't think we'll be bored....and as mentioned, I'm already spending 7 nights in Lisbon.....

thanks so much for that info! I've got a great place overlooking the beach in Nazare and already plan to go into Obidos one morning and then possibly a day trip to Comibra.....we need to get to Pinhao from Nazare, do you know anything about that?

Can't help you with Pinhao, sorry. The time in Nazare sounds great to me.

The direct bus is easiest from Nazare to Coimbra, except that the bus station in Coimbra is far from the center, whereas the train station (not Coimbra-B, just "Coimbra") is very close to the center. I looked at the train option (always my first choice over a bus all else being equal), but the train is not simple between Nazare and Coimbra. That's why I took the bus both ways for my day trip.