Portgual road trip
Jan 28, 2014, 12:47 am
#1
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Portgual road trip
I had two days with my parents in a rental car. We are thinking of seeing Alcobaca, Batalha, Coimbra and Tomar. Can we do that in two days? Can we also add in Sintra? Evora is also an option but it is farther.
I haven't read the greatest things about Porto. Beyond the famous river area, it didnt seem that interesting.
Thank you!
I haven't read the greatest things about Porto. Beyond the famous river area, it didnt seem that interesting.
Thank you!
Jan 28, 2014, 1:06 am
#2
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My first choice would be to drive to (and stay in, taking dinner there too) the posada in the national park that's the former hunting lodge of the king.
For an interesting drive, the toll expressway along the coast had some dramatic views from places where the roadway seems to hang from the rocks over the sea. The brick rural roads that are delineated by brick walls seem typical of Portugal too. However, expect to have slow average speeds on secondary roads and through towns.
For an interesting drive, the toll expressway along the coast had some dramatic views from places where the roadway seems to hang from the rocks over the sea. The brick rural roads that are delineated by brick walls seem typical of Portugal too. However, expect to have slow average speeds on secondary roads and through towns.
Jan 28, 2014, 2:33 am
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Seems more than reasonalbe for a couple days. Sintra should be about a half day by itself as a minimum. Nazaré is also pretty incredible. I also enjoyed Óbidos, which is right along the freeway as well.
Alcobaça was a huge let down for me. If you want to go see the cathedral, it's not too far off the path, but an hour in that town was about 40 minutes too much.
Alcobaça was a huge let down for me. If you want to go see the cathedral, it's not too far off the path, but an hour in that town was about 40 minutes too much.
Jan 28, 2014, 4:06 am
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I had two days with my parents in a rental car. We are thinking of seeing Alcobaca, Batalha, Coimbra and Tomar. Can we do that in two days? Can we also add in Sintra? Evora is also an option but it is farther.
I haven't read the greatest things about Porto. Beyond the famous river area, it didnt seem that interesting.
Thank you!
I haven't read the greatest things about Porto. Beyond the famous river area, it didnt seem that interesting.
Thank you!
The more devout guests appreciate Fatima, while the less devout ones love its tackiness.
Of your monumental sites, I prefer Tomar.
Pity you're missing Evora and the Alentejo.
Jan 29, 2014, 1:51 pm
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Definitely add Óbidos to the list. Also, I like Nazaré. It's close to Óbidos so worth a detour.
I think all of that is doable in full two days.
I would leave Sintra for a day trip from Lisbon by train. It's a bit of a hassle to visit with a car. On the plus side, if you have a car, you can also add Cabo da Roca to Sintra, if visiting the western-most point of Europe is your thing.
I think all of that is doable in full two days.
I would leave Sintra for a day trip from Lisbon by train. It's a bit of a hassle to visit with a car. On the plus side, if you have a car, you can also add Cabo da Roca to Sintra, if visiting the western-most point of Europe is your thing.
Jan 29, 2014, 2:50 pm
#7
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Pousadas were originally state-run hotels of historic interest or particular charm: they're now run on a much more commercial basis by the Pestana hotel group, but retain their charm.
http://www.pousadas.pt/historic-hote...directory.aspx
Jan 31, 2014, 2:16 am
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Definitely add Óbidos to the list. Also, I like Nazaré. It's close to Óbidos so worth a detour.
I think all of that is doable in full two days.
I would leave Sintra for a day trip from Lisbon by train. It's a bit of a hassle to visit with a car. On the plus side, if you have a car, you can also add Cabo da Roca to Sintra, if visiting the western-most point of Europe is your thing.
I think all of that is doable in full two days.
I would leave Sintra for a day trip from Lisbon by train. It's a bit of a hassle to visit with a car. On the plus side, if you have a car, you can also add Cabo da Roca to Sintra, if visiting the western-most point of Europe is your thing.
Feb 4, 2014, 3:25 pm
#9
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I heard the toll-freeways are pretty easy since they are expensive for locals to use regularly. Are police pretty strict about speed limits? I read that there are a lot of speed cameras around.
Feb 5, 2014, 8:29 am
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Motorway speedlimits are set at 120 km/h, but you'll often see people going 180-200 km/h in the left lane.
Feb 18, 2014, 10:24 am
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Thanks for the help. I am glad we were able to stop at Obidos before heading into Lisbon. Alcobaca and Tomar cathedrals were excellent stops. Batalha is under renovation and needs a good cleaning. We all really liked Porto. I think we liked it better than Lisbon. We drove through Coimbra and it was pouring rain and the University square was locked - but it was a weekend. So much for a stop and look.
The freeways were pretty empty and cops were nowhere to be seen. You could easily test a car's top speed on some of their highways - I was able to drive 120/130KM on the faster stretches and people still passed me. Glad we had a diesel 2015 Golf.
The freeways were pretty empty and cops were nowhere to be seen. You could easily test a car's top speed on some of their highways - I was able to drive 120/130KM on the faster stretches and people still passed me. Glad we had a diesel 2015 Golf.