Rick steves portugal itinerary

Hi there! We are going to Portugal in mid-Sep Realize there's much more to see but we can always come back! We are self-driving and expect to take 3 or 4 tours e.

Planning a road trip to Portugal? Portugal is one of my favorite countries that we recently visited. We created the perfect Portugal road trip itinerary that was a mix of cities from Lisbon to the Algarve for the ideal Portugal itinerary 7 days. Portugal has been on our bucket list for some time. When we began planning a trip to Portugal, we started to realize that one week in Portugal would not be enough time to see it all. We were deciding how many days in Lisbon and how many days in Algarve. I have the perfect road trip Portugal Itinerary that gave us 3 days in Lisbon and 3 days in Algarve.

Rick steves portugal itinerary

We are going to Portugal in September, trying to arrange a 12 night itinerary. We are flying into Lisbon, would like to visit Lagos then head north and end up in Porto. We are traveling by train or bus, no car. Any advice? Personally, I would skip the Algarve and focus on Lisbon and the nearby area as well as Porto and the Douro River Valley as well as what is in-between. Many people go to Porto, but don't do the Douro River Valley. We did a 7 day river cruise on the Douro and loved it. If you are not renting a car, I agree with the prior poster to skip the Algarve for this trip. The easiest woudl be nights in Lisbon, with possible day trips to Sintra Cascais and Evora. Then you could train to Coimbra, and probably bus to see Alcobaca or other sites near there. Finish in Porto with a possible cruise up or train trip up into the Douro. Where are you flying out of? Since you are arriving in Lisbon it would make sense to spend a bulk of time there then work your way up to Porto and fly home out of Porto. We found public transit worked well even though there were strikes which I see are still ongoing!

I'm also in the beginning stage of planning for Portugal next year and have found a lot of interesting trip reports and other useful posts by using the Search the Forums box at rick steves portugal itinerary top of this page. The summer months are typically the hottest months to travel but also the busiest.

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The city of Porto about three hours north of Lisbon is well worth working into your Portugal itinerary. The cityscape is amazingly well-preserved. I like the way that something built in a fleeting-yet-elegant style or years ago can grow old and run-down over a generation or two of neglect and economic doldrums — and then be burnished with a modern love of heritage and affluence. Just walking the streets of Porto especially like I get to — with a great local guide at my side, to give everything meaning is a travel treat. Porto has its own very strong culture. The local gut-bomb is the Francesinha , a Portuguese multi-layer patty melt smothered in a special gravy. Sitting at the bar in a popular diner, I snapped a photo of two locals with Francesinhas , who appeared to not be totally enjoying the sandwiches they were choking down. Flying home reminded me of the wisdom that even smaller cities can have efficient airports. What do you think? Should I keep it?

Rick steves portugal itinerary

We have 8 full days , here is an initial itinerary, any suggestions or recommendations are appreciated. We love to walk around, nature, culture , food and some museum maybe one or two for the whole trip. I would not go to Algarve, Lagos. Use those two days to go Evora one night and add another day to Lisbon. Belem is part of Lisbon, our favorite spot. Go Lisbon to Evora to Obidos and on. We returned our car at Porto airport, easy.

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Jun 1st, , AM. Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion. Thanks Palenq! By signing up for the newsletter, I agree to the Privacy Policy. Please sign in to post. Aug 31st, AM. Find More Posts by trigoddess. Realize there's much more to see but we can always come back! We love booking our tours with Get Your Guide. I am not renting a car. Mar 12th, AM. We went to Obidos, Evora and Sintra. Jun 23rd, , PM.

For me, a downside of traveling alone is trying to enjoy fine dinners solo. I just wrapped up 12 wonderful days in Portugal — laughing, learning, and exploring with a great group of 25 new friends.

Also , in Coimbra they sell Portuguese ceramics actually made in Portugal as opposed to China which were the best ones that we saw throughout our travels in Portugal. We loved our stay at the Hotel Tivoli Carvoeiro. It is a steep, uphill walk, or take a taxi. When the french were arriving from North, people try to escape South. Thanks very much! You can easily spend a week to 10 days in Lisbon and still not see it all, but 3 days in Lisbon is a reasonable amount of time to experience the highlights of the city. We realize the water may be too cool to enjoy, but we love beach walking. I would recommend dressing in layers as it is warmer during the day and cools off at night in April. Please sign in to post. Save on your train tickets by booking your train tickets through Rail Europe. All this means is that we will make a small commission at absolutely no cost to you! Planning a road trip to Portugal? For info on trains check: www.