We are going on a 12 day trip in November. We fly into Madrid and out of Lisbon. We will have a rental car. Trying to figure out where to go in between. Seville looks cool, but it takes us pretty far south. Is there somewhere else equidistant between Madrid and Lisbon that might be worth staying a few nights?
All thoughts are welcome. Thanks.
The direct driving route would probably take you through Extremadura, one of the least-visited pockets of Spain. I spent several days in Caceres, which has a very well-preserved walled medieval district, and made side-trips to Trujillo (also with a picturesque walled old town) and Merida (impressive Roman ruins, second only to Tarragona in Spain). I know nothing about the November weather in that area. It's quite hot in the summer, but so is Madrid, and Madrid's winters are cold. Extremadura would be quite a contast to the big cities of Madrid and Lisbon.
On the Portuguese side of the border, you'll be passing very near the walled town of Evora. I've never been there but it's often recommended.
I see that this is a follow-on to last month's question. Did you find a car rental rate that you're happy with?
If you veer a bit to the north, you can visit Segovia, Avila, and/or Salamanca on the Spanish side and the Duoro wine valley and university town of Coimbra on the Portuguese side. Those towns are also accessible by train, but the car gives you more options for the border crossing and the Duoro area.
Salamanca and Coimbra would be my choices for stops between Madrid and Lisbon.
