We are thinking of flying into Madrid late April early May and going on to Lisbon by car. Because of flight schedules we have to fly into Madrid. Any information on driving time, etc. and possibility of a one night stopover on the way over to Lisbon and on the return to Madrid? I'm concerned that the drive will use to much time to make it worthwhile.
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
2790 posts
Did the drive this year and it's not that long. We did stop on the way over, but we also spent most of the morning at El Escorial.
I would say the drive is 4 to 5 hours total? We stopped in Ciudad Rodriquez (i think) but if you haven't been there before Salamanaca would be a great stop. (We had done that before)
Posted by
Atlanta
3262 posts
Hi Don,
I think that Salamanca is a great choice--it has a beautiful town square (Plaza Mayor) and we enjoyed the small Art Nouveau Museum. Rather than driving in Madrid, which can be a challenge, we took a bus from Madrid to Salamanca the day we arrived, spent the night in Salamanca, and picked up our rental car there the next day.
I also agree that a stop in Ciudad Rodrigo would be a worth your time--even for just an hour or so if you have time.
Coming back, you could drive through Coimbra and spend the night there for something different. We liked Coimbra alot too! You'd have to check your driving route to decide if that makes sense with the time you have available.
Posted by
Eloy, AZ, United States
5 posts
Just did the drive Madrid airport to Porto, via Salamanca. I stayed 2 nights in Salamanca as I knew I needed to adjust to jet lag. Salamana is a must see town. We stayed at Rector - expensive, but quiet and nice (I wanted to sleep as I needed). But lots of other places also. Driving not too bad there. Print detail map on Google Maps of old city.
Highways are excellent - some tolls, but worth it. Tolls are mostly in Portugal. Usually just take ticket and pay at other end - booths attended and take Cr. cards.
Lisbon - Madrid Figure 5+ hours of driving time. (study entry/exit from cities carefully - normal maps are not real detailed. This can add much time if you get lost) I turned in car at Atocha station, easy and no extra cost. Hertz had a deal for $55/day incl insur. and no drop charge - call and ask.
On return, you can stop in many places. Evora, Portugal is good -- or just drop down to Toledo on way back, a great old city (1 hr. drive to Madrid). I got Hilton for 120 Euros (5 star +) See reviews on TripAdvisor.
Except for larger cities, driving is fine.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA ☔️
6790 posts
Just be aware that you do not want to rent a car in one country and drop it off in the other - unless you like being socked with stunningly large fees. Not an issue if you return the car in the same country you rented it from, but for a one-way rental across the border, you will pay dearly.
Posted by
ABQ
28 posts
There is an overnight train that runs daily Madrid to/from Lisbon. We took this 10 years ago...to us, it made more sense than driving [which we did in places that aren't well served by public transport].
Here's the current schedule but might vary slightly:
Depart Madrid Chamartin 22.25
Arrive Lisboa Santa Apolonia 07.41
and
Depart Lisboa Santa Apolonia 22:30
Arrive Madrid Chamartin 09:03