Suggestions for driving trip in Portugal
Discussion
I have driven a great deal on the continent but have never been to Portugal. I always travel independently and enjoy a good road trip. I would be grateful for any suggestions as to great driving roads and hotels. Am just at the earliest stages of thinking about this. Preferably off peak as I am flexible on timing.
The drive along the Douro Valley is supposed to be really nice. We drove it from Porto out as far as the A41 and were distinctly underwhelmed. After more research we determined that we'd given up too early as it gets much nicer the further inland you go. It's probably best driven after a tour of one of the Port Houses in Porto (Graham's would be my recommendation, although that's the only one I've been to). Graham's have lots of vineyards along the Douro Valley, so you would have some context for the drive.
Lisbon is definitely worth a visit, but dump the car when you get there. The Hotel Corpo Santo was recommended on another thread on here and I would definitely second that recommendation.
Depending on the time of year you're planning to go, Nazare would be worth a visit. With the right weather conditions they have 100ft high waves, and people surf them.
If you're taking your own car, investigate the payment method for toll roads. Some of them have no obvious method of payment - I think you have to register online. I'm not talking about toll tags here, it's a completely different method of billing.
Lisbon is definitely worth a visit, but dump the car when you get there. The Hotel Corpo Santo was recommended on another thread on here and I would definitely second that recommendation.
Depending on the time of year you're planning to go, Nazare would be worth a visit. With the right weather conditions they have 100ft high waves, and people surf them.
If you're taking your own car, investigate the payment method for toll roads. Some of them have no obvious method of payment - I think you have to register online. I'm not talking about toll tags here, it's a completely different method of billing.
RDMcG said:
Many thanks for the suggestions! - I have encountered the tl registrations in Austria and Switzerland so will be prepared.
It's not like either of those.This explains it:
https://www.portugaltolls.com/en
Serra da Estrela is a must do. Some of the best driving in europe IMO. Depending when you go you should check road closures etc due to snow, there's a ski resort there as a clue!
There's some info in my Reader's Cars Thread starting from the post dated 5th January... https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
That was last year. Good enough that I went again this year as part of my Spain/Portugal roadtrip.
Seefarr also covered Portugal in his roadtrip report starting with post dated 7th October 2023... https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
There also some wonderful Spanish cities just over the border, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz ,Cáceres? for example.
There's some info in my Reader's Cars Thread starting from the post dated 5th January... https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
That was last year. Good enough that I went again this year as part of my Spain/Portugal roadtrip.
Seefarr also covered Portugal in his roadtrip report starting with post dated 7th October 2023... https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
There also some wonderful Spanish cities just over the border, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz ,Cáceres? for example.
Edited by M11rph on Saturday 7th December 10:06
If you are heading towards Serra da Estrela then there is a car (& art) museum, quite a surreal location half way up the hill in a small village/town - https://museudocaramulo.pt/en/home/
An interesting mix of cars (and the balustrades are made from old crankshafts) and worth an afternoon/morning there. They also do a hill climb - https://www.caramulo-motorfestival.com/en/ - 5-7th September next year - where the top of the hill ends up next to the area where they paraglide off the top.
The owners family (grandparents) own(ed) the hotel opposite, which used to be a 'health sanatorium' up in the hills many years ago...
Heading along the Douro, then Vila Real (street circuit) - might have to check if there is any racing in 2025 (DTM aren't going there in '25), always worth having a look on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_IpLKdwlrI&t=...
An interesting mix of cars (and the balustrades are made from old crankshafts) and worth an afternoon/morning there. They also do a hill climb - https://www.caramulo-motorfestival.com/en/ - 5-7th September next year - where the top of the hill ends up next to the area where they paraglide off the top.
The owners family (grandparents) own(ed) the hotel opposite, which used to be a 'health sanatorium' up in the hills many years ago...
Heading along the Douro, then Vila Real (street circuit) - might have to check if there is any racing in 2025 (DTM aren't going there in '25), always worth having a look on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_IpLKdwlrI&t=...
- manty thanks.Douro always worth a trip, the best of the vineyards and steep sided valleys to the river are pretty far inland from Porto. You will want to be somewhere between Mesao Frio and Pinhao, there are loads of options from super luxury to ecotourism guesthouses. Quinta de São Bernardo has gone up in price when I just checked but had a truly awesome stay here a few years back.
As previously said, Serra da Estrela is one of the great European driving roads/areas in Europe. Not just the N338 up to the peak but also N231 and N232 and others around the area, truly awesome and worth exploring. Weather depending though, does get some fog and sometimes snows in winter (there is a ski field up there but makes Glenshee look like the 3 vallees). Museu de Caramulo worth a visit, in the middle of nowhere really but close to Viseu between Douro valley and Serra da Estrela.
Lisbon is great but make sure to get away from the Baixo area - super touristy and not the real city. Also, find somewhere secure to park the car near the hotel and leave it there when in the city, driving is chaotic at best and Ubers are cheap. Head west to the coast to Cascais and Sintra for the Palaces, very pretty.
I love the Alentejo, Evora and Estremoz are superb visits with some of the best wineries (Mouchao, Quinta do Mouro, Cartuxa, Howards Folly, Esporao to name a few).
Comporta south of Lisbon is the new Insta trendy place. Max Verstappen spent his August break there this year. Very expensive, very trendy, not exactly proper Portugal but some love it (the corruption on how a lot of it was built is astounding).
The Algarve is what us Brits know best. West coast is more wild but a lot of fun, central is touristy with the golf and beaches. Albufeira strip is a scene best left to Stags. There are some great driving roads in the hills around Monchique and up around the N2, N124, N397 north of Sao Bras de Alportel, also climb up to Malhao is popular with drivers and cyclists. The Autodromo Algarve would be great if you line up with an event, its an awesome piece of infrastructure which so underutilised (a common trend of Portugal unfortunately).
Inland Portugal is where the best roads are, the coastline from Porto to Lisbon is where the majority of Portuguese live and is much busier. The coasts are a lot more cosmopolitan with rural inland Portugal where the driving is to be had with limited policing/cameras.
As previously said, Serra da Estrela is one of the great European driving roads/areas in Europe. Not just the N338 up to the peak but also N231 and N232 and others around the area, truly awesome and worth exploring. Weather depending though, does get some fog and sometimes snows in winter (there is a ski field up there but makes Glenshee look like the 3 vallees). Museu de Caramulo worth a visit, in the middle of nowhere really but close to Viseu between Douro valley and Serra da Estrela.
Lisbon is great but make sure to get away from the Baixo area - super touristy and not the real city. Also, find somewhere secure to park the car near the hotel and leave it there when in the city, driving is chaotic at best and Ubers are cheap. Head west to the coast to Cascais and Sintra for the Palaces, very pretty.
I love the Alentejo, Evora and Estremoz are superb visits with some of the best wineries (Mouchao, Quinta do Mouro, Cartuxa, Howards Folly, Esporao to name a few).
Comporta south of Lisbon is the new Insta trendy place. Max Verstappen spent his August break there this year. Very expensive, very trendy, not exactly proper Portugal but some love it (the corruption on how a lot of it was built is astounding).
The Algarve is what us Brits know best. West coast is more wild but a lot of fun, central is touristy with the golf and beaches. Albufeira strip is a scene best left to Stags. There are some great driving roads in the hills around Monchique and up around the N2, N124, N397 north of Sao Bras de Alportel, also climb up to Malhao is popular with drivers and cyclists. The Autodromo Algarve would be great if you line up with an event, its an awesome piece of infrastructure which so underutilised (a common trend of Portugal unfortunately).
Inland Portugal is where the best roads are, the coastline from Porto to Lisbon is where the majority of Portuguese live and is much busier. The coasts are a lot more cosmopolitan with rural inland Portugal where the driving is to be had with limited policing/cameras.
South of Lisbon, serra de Arrabida is also worth a drive, near Setubal. Driving in Lisbon is an acquired taste! Just avoid rush hour when queues can be epic. But as others have said, be very wary of taking a UK registered car into the city
Pousadas offer generally good value accommodation in mainly historic buildings. Earlier this year we spent a night at Obidos for €170, the next at Palmela for €85. If you go out of season, you can end up as the only guests
Pousadas offer generally good value accommodation in mainly historic buildings. Earlier this year we spent a night at Obidos for €170, the next at Palmela for €85. If you go out of season, you can end up as the only guests
In for good road ideas. We drive down from Santander-ish to the Algarve at least twice a year but it’s always flat out and 99% toll road. I should make time.
Algarve wise anything north of the A22 toll road can be good but there’s a lot that’s very cautiously solid white lined. I’ve looked at some of the roads west of Guarda eg N231 - I really want to try them at some point.
Toll roads - for Spain and France I use an Emovis tag. It works on any type of toll. I also recommend Waze.
Algarve wise anything north of the A22 toll road can be good but there’s a lot that’s very cautiously solid white lined. I’ve looked at some of the roads west of Guarda eg N231 - I really want to try them at some point.
Toll roads - for Spain and France I use an Emovis tag. It works on any type of toll. I also recommend Waze.
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