We will we traveling from Madrid to southern Spain (Sevilla), then would like to travel on to Portugal, up the coast, back to Madrid - in mid December for 2 weeks. What would be the best way to do this? (Economically and time wise?) Train, rent a car? Bus? Is there anything I should be concerned with? Weather, narrow roads/lack of signs, businesses being closed for "off season"?
Thank you, your help is much appreciated!
I have not done it yet, but have been researching the same thing.
From Seville, Spain to the Algarve, Portugal, there is no rail line. Driving it will incur a huge drop car fee (renting in one country, returning in another).
It appears to me the only option is the bus line.
If you take the car for the entire loop, that becomes an option again by avoiding the drop fee -- -- but now you're talking about driving some pretty significant distances Madrid-Seville-Algarve-Lisbon-Madrid is some serious windshield time.
The bus is your best bet ... it's a comfortable, easy-to-navigate route. I've not traveled that area during winter, however, so I'm not sure how the season/weather impacts bus schedules. Train lines from Spain and Portugal do not connect, but the scenery between the two countries can be very interesting along the highways. The biggest problem we had was the lack of a bathroom on the bus (it was out of order!).
Economically, and time-wise, the best transportation is probably....
High speed train from Madrid to Sevilla. Stop in Cordoba on the way down, either for the day, or for an overnight, if you wish. www.renfe.es will offer discounts of up to 60% off, and you can book up to 62 days in advance.
For Sevilla-Portugal, transportation links aren't that good...it'll take you most of the day to get to Lisbon. Bus from Sevilla into southern Portugal, then continue on the bus or the train to Lisbon. You can check Eva bus lines for Sevilla-Lagos or Faro, and Rede bus lines for routes farther into Portugal. Portugese train schedules can be found here.
For Lisbon-Madrid, fly. The only train is an expensive overnight train. Discount airlines easyjet and Vueling both fly this route...the sooner you can book, the less you'll pay.
Using a car on this circular route would be convenient in many ways. But driving in cities like Madrid and Sevilla isn't really recommended, and the train/plane combination between Madrid-Sevilla and Lisbon-Madrid is faster than driving those legs.
Thank you all for your help! I had a feeling that the bus was the way to go. I'd like to avoid flying between countries, but saving money and time trumps all. Norm, thanks for the links.
My boyfriend and I went from Salema in Portugal to Tarifa to Seville via buses no problem last September. The buses do sometimes run a bit late, but they were comfortable and cheap. Just beware that some bus station ticket windows are open odd hours, and you may have to purchase your ticket for departure when you arrive.
