where to stay, what routes to take, etc.? We will actually be stopping in Algauve (sp?) Portugal and flying out from there to come back to the states.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
One good way would be to head east out of Lisbon to Elvas. It's only a couple of hours, so you'd have time to poke around the prehistoric stuff. If you've never seen a henge, the one just outside of Evora is good - - more stones than Stonehenge, but they're smaller and have no lintels. Elvas is a pretty good place to stay for a couple of nights and make a day loop to the hill towns to the north in the Sao Mamede national park, especially around Marvao. Leaving Elvas, don't go the obvious way to Badajoz, but angle southeast ont the back roads and pick up the freeway maybe twenty miles north of Seville. The Micheline Green Guide for Portugal covers the area really well. I don't know where you're going in the Algarve, but Albufeira is only a couple of hours from Seville. Use the E1/E01 and save the coastal towns for when you're actually staying in the Algarve. Don't be pushing dark or a deadline getting into Seville and when you get there stash your car and walk. I know the place cold and a couple of months ago it took me an hour and a half to get from the southern bypass into the historic area - - the place is as irritating as Tokyo for driving and finding a place to park is darn near impossible - - find a garage/lot or something.