Help with Itinerary, please

Barcelona is a lot larger than Porto, with much more to see. I'd move at least one night from Porto to Barcelona. Your arrival day in Barcelona may not be as useful as you anticipate if you are hit with sleep-deprivation and/or jetlag, and as things stand you only have two full days there. Many of Barcelona's sights require timed entry tickets, which can be a challenge on short visits such as you are planning.

I'd decide about the routing into and out of Portugal based on airfares, flight schedules and hotel rates, assuming there's not a special event you want to catch in either Porto or Lisbon.

I use skyscanner.com to check intra-European flight schedules and fares, but be sure you buy the actual tickets from the airlines operating the flights. Note that schedules can vary a lot from day to day.

I use booking.com for initial hotel research. I find the reviews there generally reliable, because you cannot leave a review without having stayed at the property. I am increasingly finding I can save money by making the hotel reservation on the hotel's own website, so I recommend also,also, there when you've narrowed down your choices. However, some small places may not have a direct-booking option.

If you tell us your nightly budget in euros, folks may have some suggestions for you.

Your trip is just 13 nights (12 full days), and your itinerary is going to require two flights in the middle of your trip. You won't have time to really get settled anywhere before you have to head to an airport. Are you sure you want to do this? There's way more to see in Spain than you can possibly manage in 12 days, even if you exclude Andalucia (likely to be quite hot in September).

Hi Mell.

I agree with acraven, less is more. It's surprising how much time it takes to get from place to place. While a flight may be only an hour, you have to pack, check out, get to the airport outside of town a couple hours before your flight, then get to your hotel and check in. That's close to half a day and if the flight isn't, say, around 9-10 am or 7-8 pm, you're either [1] spending most of your sightseeing time in travel, or [2] losing half a night's sleep. Train travel is less time consuming, stations are close to city centers and you only need a few minutes' lead time before departure. BTW both Madrid and Barcelona have good public transportation to their airports, that can't be said for Lisbon and Porto.

Spain has so much to offer. Barcelona has a great vibe and excellent beaches plus lots of interesting things to see. Seville comes close to Barcelona - no beaches - but good tapas bars and lively evenings. Those 2 plus Madrid would make a great trip, with reasonably short train rides from one to the next.

Take a walking tour or two at the start of each city visit. You're likely to meet other tourists from other countries and hook up for some sightseeing, barhopping, or a meal (I've done that often). Stay in a youth hostel and you'll meet people from lots of places, not only to find temporary companions but also to get recommendations, ideas and tips. I haven't used a hostel for several years, but the a site I found very helpful then was hostelworld.com. Since your trip is coming up really soon (I assume you're going next month, not next year) and September is high season, there might not be a lot left, so also try laterooms.com.

One more thing. Book your plane and train tickets ASAP. Prices only go up as time goes by.

Thank you Acraven & Chani! Both of you made great points. I'd be doing the trip next month.

What if I leave Lisbon out on this trip. That would free up 2-3 days so now I'm thinking:

Fly into Barcelona ( Sept 20 land around 12:30p - Sept 24 so 4 nights)

Fly Barcelona to Porto ( Sept 24 - 28 so 4 nights)

Fly out Porto to Madrid ( Sept 29 - Oct 3 so 4 nights)

Fly out home Oct 3

I picked Porto over Lisbon because I read Porto is more laidback which I think I'll like and think it'll be nice to have a laidback period between Barcelona and Madrid.

Realistically, I plan to do 1-2 ticketed events at each of those place. I'm more of a laid-back person and just like go with the flow and figure things out. I like to admire beauty from the outside and be present instead of dealing with the stress and anxiety of getting tickets and having to be on time and locking myself into a future commitment incase I rather do something else at that time.

My nightly budget for hotel is €200-225. I prefer not to do hostels and do a hotel. Preferably, with a rooftop bar or where young adults stay (30-45 yr olds). I did see if I wait to book the hotel closer to the date (like a week or so out), they tend to be a little cheaper but I also know it is a gamble. Good thing is that it's just me so I can be flexible and book something last minute as long as it is in a convenient, safe area/hotel.

As for restaurants, I eat very little so portions aren't a priority and actually prefer smaller meals. Also, I don't eat seafood either which I know Portugal is known for.

I also plan on having a carry-on and a backpack but not sure if I should do like a 35L backpack and a duffle bag so I have room to bring back things. Thoughts on that? I think the latter will be easier to travel with between cities.

Thank you again!

Just an fyi, you may know that from Sept 20-24 are La Mercè festivities in Barcelona. It's the annual city wide festival with 100s of cultural events spread throughout Barcelona's squares, streets, museums, and parks. This is something that we put on for ourselves, not just for tourists so it's great opportunity to experience our culture like a local, at least for a few days. The best part it's free! You can read more here - https://www.barcelona.cat/lamerce/en