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Very short time in Porto.. Is it even worth it?

Posted by (midwest- Michigan) on

So I've put together a very long road trip and have only really scheduled a half day in Porto. I wonder if I should just skip it this time. We are going from Coimbra to Douro Valley (spending 2 nights) then moving to Guimaraes for one night. So I feel like I might rather bi pass Porto at this time and just head to Guimaraes.

I feel if we love the Douro valley we will probably return for a river cruise and then of course see Porto.
We really like smaller cities/towns and we are driving, so I know getting into and out of Porto may not be easy.
Any thoughts?

Posted by
1663 posts

For only half a day, especially trying to find parking and navigating the city, I would skip it this time. I love Porto but don’t feel you would get any sense of the city in half a day.
It’s easy to drive through Porto on the way to Guimarães. I did it last spring with no problems.

And, FYI, Guimarães is lovely. I only stayed one night and wished I had spent more time.

Posted by
80 posts

Hello tgreen,

It's great you're visiting Portugal ;)
I live in Porto area and the city is lovely, however I have to agree with Kat, don't bother to just spend half a day there (maybe on some other time) since there is a lot to see ;) I'm sure you'll have a great time in Douro so you'll return and visit Porto too ;)

Guimarães is a wonderful place to visit as well with its beautiful historic centre, the castle, the ducal palace, Penha, etc.

Enjoy Portugal ;)

Posted by
489 posts

Thanks all. I had a feeling we would be pushing it a bit much.
To Kathrynj: We are taking a day tour while in Lisbon (we will not have the car until we leave Lisbon) and will be seeing Cascais. I am so excited about this trip!

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